Depression Meetup
I just started up a Depression Meetup in Boston. Over 80 people had put their name down expressing interest in joining group when it started but no one was taking inititiative to start group. I decided to take the bull by the horns so to speak. I left a message on the group's post. It's the very first post. I have included the post below.
Here is link to meetup: http://depression.meetup.com/268/
Since I'm starting this group, I think it's appropriate that I inaugurate this message board. I think introductions would be appropriate here. I'll start.
I'm 49 years old, live in the South End of Boston, and have been suffering from depression/anxiety most of my life. I didn't recognize my depression for what is was until I was in my early thirties. I think the depression got more intense when I went through a period of personal setbacks. Through years of therapy, I traced back my depression to my early childhood days. When I was a child, I had difficulty socializing with other children. It also effected my performance at school. Childhood depression wasn't really recognized in the early sixties and I was labeled a slow learner and put into a special education school. I eventually returned to the public school system a year later at the urging of my special ed teacher. Thank God.
I always assumed that my intense introspection, dark moods, negative thinking, and pervasive anxiety was just who I was. That was my personality and it was not something I could change. Only after I first saw a psychiatrist and was put on medication did I begin to question that assumption. Over the course of the next decade, I tried a variety of medications, many of which helped for a time. But after awhile, it seemed as if the medication would wear off and my mood would deteriorate. I went through several major depressions during the last 15 years and struggled to regain my equilibrium. Most of the time, I suffer from a low grade depression, which the psychiatric community calls atypical depression.
My depression has impacted my life in many ways. It has been difficult to initiate, forge and sustain relationships with friends and lovers. I think a number of my romantic relationships foundered on the shoals of my depression. Likewise, I think my career has suffered. My negative thinking and anxiety has sabatouged my performance on the job and made it difficult to find new jobs. I left my old job under disability because I was growing increasing depressed and anxious at work. After taking some time off, I've started looking for work again but haven't been successful. I am working, if you can call it work - I've been temping for the past year. I'm looking for work in either the community non-profit sector or government. If you have any job leads let me know.
I do have some good news. Several months ago, I went on an experimental medication that to date has been working quite well for me. I'm crossing my fingers that I will continue to feel well. Still, even though I'm feeling better these days, I think it is important to continue with some form of therapy. There are still some issues in my life that have not gone away and I'm still coping with. Hopefully meeting with others will enable me to sustain my good health and talk about some of those other issues in my life.
I look forward to hearing from the rest of you
I just started up a Depression Meetup in Boston. Over 80 people had put their name down expressing interest in joining group when it started but no one was taking inititiative to start group. I decided to take the bull by the horns so to speak. I left a message on the group's post. It's the very first post. I have included the post below.
Here is link to meetup: http://depression.meetup.com/268/
Since I'm starting this group, I think it's appropriate that I inaugurate this message board. I think introductions would be appropriate here. I'll start.
I'm 49 years old, live in the South End of Boston, and have been suffering from depression/anxiety most of my life. I didn't recognize my depression for what is was until I was in my early thirties. I think the depression got more intense when I went through a period of personal setbacks. Through years of therapy, I traced back my depression to my early childhood days. When I was a child, I had difficulty socializing with other children. It also effected my performance at school. Childhood depression wasn't really recognized in the early sixties and I was labeled a slow learner and put into a special education school. I eventually returned to the public school system a year later at the urging of my special ed teacher. Thank God.
I always assumed that my intense introspection, dark moods, negative thinking, and pervasive anxiety was just who I was. That was my personality and it was not something I could change. Only after I first saw a psychiatrist and was put on medication did I begin to question that assumption. Over the course of the next decade, I tried a variety of medications, many of which helped for a time. But after awhile, it seemed as if the medication would wear off and my mood would deteriorate. I went through several major depressions during the last 15 years and struggled to regain my equilibrium. Most of the time, I suffer from a low grade depression, which the psychiatric community calls atypical depression.
My depression has impacted my life in many ways. It has been difficult to initiate, forge and sustain relationships with friends and lovers. I think a number of my romantic relationships foundered on the shoals of my depression. Likewise, I think my career has suffered. My negative thinking and anxiety has sabatouged my performance on the job and made it difficult to find new jobs. I left my old job under disability because I was growing increasing depressed and anxious at work. After taking some time off, I've started looking for work again but haven't been successful. I am working, if you can call it work - I've been temping for the past year. I'm looking for work in either the community non-profit sector or government. If you have any job leads let me know.
I do have some good news. Several months ago, I went on an experimental medication that to date has been working quite well for me. I'm crossing my fingers that I will continue to feel well. Still, even though I'm feeling better these days, I think it is important to continue with some form of therapy. There are still some issues in my life that have not gone away and I'm still coping with. Hopefully meeting with others will enable me to sustain my good health and talk about some of those other issues in my life.
I look forward to hearing from the rest of you
freud:
That's wonderful that you started such a neccessary group. It's always harder when you think you're alone in situations. it's nice to know that you're not alone when going through things like that and have people who care.