The Great Depression

[PrayerShark]

Just a heads up to forum regulars (and irregulars). This month’s issue of Nature is dedicated to the problem of clinical depression. There’s some really good food for thought here, mostly about why there is a such a stigma around it and ways society can get over it to help move medical research forward in this area. I know a lot of us come on here seeking prayers and guidance to deal with some form of depression and I think this journal issue gives a lot of hope to those of us who suffer. The link is below, but it would be interesting to hear what people think and perhaps share their personal experiences in how they have managed the “black dog”.

The Great Depression

One thing that stood out for me, and something I’ve never realised, is that we tend to talk about the tragedy of a depressed person’s death more than their suffering in life. I guess that highlights how much the stigma itself prevents us from helping those before the worst can happen.

 

[MaryT777]

Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention. I am happy the article has a good ending where the woman was able to find effective treatment. May all who suffer from clinical depression find relief for their symptoms, we pray.

Mary

 

[spedteacherita]

… it would be interesting to hear what people think and perhaps share their personal experiences in how they have managed the “black dog”.

The Great Depression
.

Thanks for sharing this. I spent at least 5 years struggling with severe depression. As I look back on that time, I see the devoted Christian friends, family and professionals that helped me thru it. The turning point for me, tho, was having been referred to a non-Christian professional who helped me find the reasons why I was experiencing it.

Clinical depression can be both environmentally and chemically based. I believe that God helped me thru this terrible time of my life spiritually, emotionally and physically. I can look back and see the marvelous healing He did as well as understanding that He was with me every single step if that journey!

My prayer is that others do not have to suffer that way but, if they do, remember He is always by your side even if you can’t see or feel him.

God bless, all!

 

[PrayerShark]

Glad to hear it!

I was quite warmed to read that there are many tools available to help people conquer depression. I just wish mental health was better funded by government and supported by health insurance. In Australia we get three free sessions with a referral from a doctor, but after that you need to go back and get another referral. What support is there in the US, UK and EU?

I think their is a monstrous misunderstanding that those people who are suffering “just need to get over it.”

 

[spedteacherita]

Glad to hear it!

I was quite warmed to read that there are many tools available to help people conquer depression. I just wish mental health was better funded by government and supported by health insurance. In Australia we get three free sessions with a referral from a doctor, but after that you need to go back and get another referral. What support is there in the US, UK and EU?

I think their is a monstrous misunderstanding that those people who are suffering “just need to get over it.”

My experience with Behavioral Health has been good because of the insurance that I had with my job. I believe that Medicare and Medicaid covers as well but I don’t know how long it covers.

I agree with the idiotic statements that “you need to get over it,” “man up,” and " just think about people who are worse off than you" are ineffective to say the least.

Have you heard of the practice of EMDR? That was the turning point in my depression. I was able to revisit terrifying and unsettling past experiences and work thru them in the safety of the counselor’s office.

BTW I have cousins who live “downunda” about an hour by train north of Sydney.

 

[pensmama87]

I have not suffered from clinical depression, but I have had other mental health problems that required professional care. I am very fortunate that my health insurance (through my husband’s employer) covers mental health to a similar extent as physical health - same deductibles, same co-pays, etc. I know that this is unusual in the US - I also worked for a few years in a behavioral health clinic (not as a provider) and many people, even with health insurance, had to pay 100% for sessions. There is no way I could have afforded therapy if that had been the situation for us.

Many of the clients there benefited from an employee assistance program (EAP) through their work (or spouse’s or parent’s.) Based on my experiences there, it seems like most employees never even know that they have an EAP or that it might include counseling, even if the counseling isn’t expressly related to job performance issues. A lot of the people we saw came for mandatory referrals (usually things like absenteeism or testing positive for illicit substances), and the referral was the first time they heard of the program.

One thing I’ve also personally experienced is the belief that all therapy is the same, or that all drugs work the same. I don’t know how much that perception plays a role in physical health, but I know a lot of people who would say “Oh, therapy didn’t work,” or “medication didn’t work,” but would think nothing of switching doctors or trying another prescription for a physical ailment if it wasn’t working out. This happened to me, too - I saw a counselor in college that was really, just terrible (it wasn’t that we didn’t “click” - I mean objectively bad, but I had no way of knowing that at the time) and I just assumed that I was unfixable, so I went on for several years getting worse and worse. Of course, many people who suffer from depression or other mental health problems can find it exhausting to do the legwork required to find good providers, and they’re less likely to have the support network in place that could help them do it.

 

[spedteacherita]

About 2/3rd of theway in my depressive period my insurance began not to cover the counselor I was seeing. I had to go look for another. Two stick out like sore thumbs…the first one liked to respond to something with the phrase, "And how did/does make you feel? The second one fell asleep on me…

 

[styrgwillidar]

About 2/3rd of theway in my depressive period my insurance began not to cover the counselor I was seeing. I had to go look for another. Two stick out like sore thumbs…the first one liked to respond to something with the phrase, "And how did/does make you feel? The second one fell asleep on me…

Haven’t gone through depression myself, but my wife and one of my daughters has. Things that helped me get through it and assist them was research and books by Anne Sheffield and her website (Depression Fallout/ depressionfallout.org). The books helped my wife get through a major episode and she got into therapy and meds. Then decided she just needed the meds and stopped therapy. Kind of validated the research and articles I read indicating therapy with meds is more effective than either alone and she spiraled back into it, got back into therapy with a very anti-meds therapist who discouraged her trying a different med. End result was she left me with the kids, but she visits them regularly in our home, which is nice.

Daughter went through it with meds/therapy with both therapists and psychiatrist working together. She was fortunate in getting two incredibly insightful therapists, second happened to be Catholic. I think her understanding that the depression actually included physical changes in her brain which had to be reversed helped her a lot.