It seems most depression resources are tailored for people who have been depressed for relatively short-term periods of time, like weeks or months. Not only that, but they are mostly focused to be informative on what depression entails rather than how to get better, as an introduction to someone who is unfamiliar with the illness. When they do touch upon recovery, it's often on how to help a loved one rather than yourself. The most common thing stated is to "tell a loved one about how you feel."
Of course, speaking to a therapist and eating medicine are also often suggested.
While it's respectable that there are resources to try to explain to non-depressed people and I am not trying to downplay the pain of people who have been depressed for shorter periods of time, what about people who have been depressed for many years, even since early childhood—as soon as before the age of 10? People who never got a chance at feeling good about themselves? People who have had terrible experiences with therapists/psychologists/etc. and have fruitlessly tried multiple medications? Or the people who don't have loved ones at all... It feels counterproductive that speaking to loved ones is often the sole piece of advice given when so many people become depressed in the first place because they don't have any. Many people care about mental health AWARENESS but nobody is there to actually HELP the ones who don't recover after a few pills and a chat with a therapist.
The first time I was bullied was at the age of three. I would say that I had fully become depressed and unusually cynical by the age of 9, possibly even suicidal (I just know that I wasn't suicidal for some time because I just didn't know about the concept existing). Depression has deeply been an inherent part of life in general for me. I'm fortunate enough to have someone to call a friend now, but there's no point for me to follow the advice on bringing up suicidal feelings because it's become accepted that I'm always like that. When it's been in my life for so long, it stops becoming an urgent matter to talk about and it's just part of my life. The only thing my friend and I know to do to help me is to find short-term distractions during especially painful times.
We both want to have me actually get better and recover, but don't know how to do that. I do all the generic depression advice: taking care or my physical health, going outside, spending time doing the things I like (but don't derive pleasure from), trying new things, talking with a friend... It's been longer than I can remember and I don't feel as though I'm making much progress. I still get very suicidal just like I did years ago. I still feel empty and dull, like before. I'm not currently in a position where my personal life situation allows me to access professional help, but I feel terrified at the idea anyway because of past bad experiences with therapy. What am I supposed to do when depression has always been my reality? Am I just doomed to spend life unable to feel happy? What do you do when the standard advice isn't helping you progress?
I don't really want to kill myself, but the feeling of sadness and the inability to feel pleasant just refuse to go away and I'm losing the will to keep trying when it seems like I'm getting nowhere.
Of course, speaking to a therapist and eating medicine are also often suggested.
While it's respectable that there are resources to try to explain to non-depressed people and I am not trying to downplay the pain of people who have been depressed for shorter periods of time, what about people who have been depressed for many years, even since early childhood—as soon as before the age of 10? People who never got a chance at feeling good about themselves? People who have had terrible experiences with therapists/psychologists/etc. and have fruitlessly tried multiple medications? Or the people who don't have loved ones at all... It feels counterproductive that speaking to loved ones is often the sole piece of advice given when so many people become depressed in the first place because they don't have any. Many people care about mental health AWARENESS but nobody is there to actually HELP the ones who don't recover after a few pills and a chat with a therapist.
The first time I was bullied was at the age of three. I would say that I had fully become depressed and unusually cynical by the age of 9, possibly even suicidal (I just know that I wasn't suicidal for some time because I just didn't know about the concept existing). Depression has deeply been an inherent part of life in general for me. I'm fortunate enough to have someone to call a friend now, but there's no point for me to follow the advice on bringing up suicidal feelings because it's become accepted that I'm always like that. When it's been in my life for so long, it stops becoming an urgent matter to talk about and it's just part of my life. The only thing my friend and I know to do to help me is to find short-term distractions during especially painful times.
We both want to have me actually get better and recover, but don't know how to do that. I do all the generic depression advice: taking care or my physical health, going outside, spending time doing the things I like (but don't derive pleasure from), trying new things, talking with a friend... It's been longer than I can remember and I don't feel as though I'm making much progress. I still get very suicidal just like I did years ago. I still feel empty and dull, like before. I'm not currently in a position where my personal life situation allows me to access professional help, but I feel terrified at the idea anyway because of past bad experiences with therapy. What am I supposed to do when depression has always been my reality? Am I just doomed to spend life unable to feel happy? What do you do when the standard advice isn't helping you progress?
I don't really want to kill myself, but the feeling of sadness and the inability to feel pleasant just refuse to go away and I'm losing the will to keep trying when it seems like I'm getting nowhere.
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