Make it a great one!

Thanks for the support everyone. I'm would say I'm better, but I am functioning.

Functioning works, just keep functioning until you get distracted by something pleasurable, then repeat. Hopefully the pleasurables will come closer together until they become a chain, but functioning is the default, and there's no reason for life to get worse than that again. You be cool. :thumb:

The booze was a good start, cut out the Pink Floyd as well, and move it move it. Find a new normal.

What Griff said.

Get yourself a pet if you feel that you can be responsible to it. There's nothing like a kitten or a puppy to make you laugh. An older animal can be a comfort, also. I have fought serious depression all my life, and my alternative to prozac is sitting on my lap as I type these words. My life would definitely be sadder without Miss Flicker Q. Puddy Tat!

Hope that you are feeling better.

Cats don't do much for an imbalance in your brain chemistry. I have two. They make me laugh. They had no effect when I couldn't get out of bed for days, due to real and chronic diagnosed clinical depression.

I am getting tired of this society because of it's willingness to assign symptoms of good mental health as bad ones. I see it on this board all the time. People feel guilty for having emotions now. What is with this new trend? That in itself is the sickness. Crying and venting appropriately is healthy. Please let yourself be humans. Having emotions is not a sickness in itself. Depression can be a normal human condition depending on the length of the depression. Let yourself have a right to your feelings....It's actually empowering and a great sign of a well-rounded human being to have the full range of emotional abilities. I know we want to jump to conclusions and help when people are sad, but being sad in itself is not a sickness. It is great that toran is monitoring it to see if it's lasting, and watching out for signs that it might be enduring. I believe that's responsible and a great way to handle it.

This post is to no one in particular.

Oh I agree, and I don't think the solution to "REAL" depression (not just boo de hoo I feel badly) is "get a kitty." That statement is the equivalent of "get over it."

Yes, tigerwind should monitor, should vent, should decide herself if her symptoms are lasting and need attention.

Discounting and dismissing by saying, in effect, get over it, only adds to a depressive's already mounting feelings of guilt over NOT being able to just get over it. Clinical depression is certainly not the same thing as going through a rough patch, and it's important that people keep that in mind when deciding what action to take. For me, I decided wanting to drive my car off a cliff was not a reasonable level of sadness. The stigma society places on clinical depression, and the inability for some to see the difference between some sadness and depression, is dangerous territory for the individual who is trying to determine if their feelings should be cause for alarm.

I don't believe the suggestion for a pet was a write-off. I think it was honestly intended to help. It isn't my suggestion, but I do think the motives for the suggestion were well-meant. I am more prone to write it off until it sounds serious.

Yeah, I got that much out of it.

I think defining "depression" is the issue. Many people think every time they aren't 100% happy or whatever they are depressed. There is a HUGE leap between feeling bad and being clinically depressed. Oh and get a dog instead. Dogs require more work, and take up more of your time. just sayin'

Depression sometimes hits when you quit nicotine. The best way to handle that is to eat a balanced diet regularly. Dont let you blood sugar drop.

That is probably the least astute thing I have ever heard you say. But you are forgiven. ;)

And then the pharmaceutical industry noticed and marketing began.