BS: Depression and Anxiety

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 08:18 PM

I can't help thinking you should publish a manifesto, Martin.

Sort of a fair warning anouncement. If one enters into discourse with me you are going to have the following buttons pushed.

I suppose some daft sods take it all seriously. I don't know though. the thing is that gay people do still encounter a lot of predjudice over here in England. One gay couple, we know, they had been together as long as me and my wife(had to count - 36 years). One of them died recently and the will was challenged by the guy's relatives. In a way that they never would challenge the right of a heterosexual married couple to leave their estates to each other. People who go through stuff like that, probably don't join in with the chortling wind-up.

Im guessing, but maybe Chicago is such a sophisticated place that stuff like that doesn't happen and the kind of things you are saying here are so beyond the pale that nobody would say them in public.

You wouldn't hear them in respectable middle class bars in England, but you might hear a few hairy arsed members of the lower orders come out with that and worse. Particularly when drunk.

You're a hard man to figure out Martin Gibson.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST,patmc
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 05:13 PM

IRNS
Great to hear you are handling it - and good sleep is sooooo nice
Pat

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 03:11 PM

Your implication is that all gays are HIV positive. Martin Gibson, your ignorance and bigotry know no bounds.

And as I said, you DO have gay friends, you just don't know it.

No, on the other hand, with your attitude, I don't think any gay person would want to be a friend of yours. It's a wonder that anyone at all, gay or not, wants you for a friend.

On the other hand, maybe you DO have gay friends. Anyone with your attitude toward gays is obviously latent. There may be someone waiting around for you to realize it, admit it to yourself, and come out of the closet. But then, anyone that hard up is probably as sick as you are.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: LilyFestre
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 11:00 AM

:) Minute by minute....

Glad to hear you are off to a rip roaring start! Kudos to you for doing something GOOD for yourself!!!

:) Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 09:09 AM

Oh Janie.... you shouldn't have admitted that... you'll be getting PMs for private consultations from weird music loving depressives - those who listened to too many Leonard Cohen records 30 years ago!!!

IRNS - see, you were helping others when you put this thread up.... I'm having a good day too!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Janie
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 09:02 AM

Great to hear, IRNS.

As it happens, I AM a licensed mental health professional. Research on best practices strongly indicates the benefit of community and natural supports in helping people recover from clinical depression, among other disorders. Helping those who need help to do it link to non-professional social support systems, (be that a Sunday school class, a song circle, or an on-line chat or forum where the person feels reasonabley safe) is a recognized and sanctioned intervention. I'm really glad you went to see a professional, and I'm also really glad you have sought out informal sources of support such as us folks here on the 'Cat.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST,I'd rather not say
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 08:14 AM

Thanks for asking, Michelle. I am doing GREAT today. I went to my appointment yesterday, got my meds, and started right them right away. I am thinking of getting a seasonal lamp, too.

I suppose there may be some psychosomatic aspect in that I am taking care of my situation rather than being owned by it. But regardless of whether it is that or the meds the fact is that I slept decently last night, got up feeling MUCH better, and the day is off to a fantastic start. Onward to other lifestyle changes--exercize, diet, and taking care of things before they pile up. Life is looking better all the time.

Thanks SO MUCH for your caring.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: LilyFestre
Date: 07 Dec 05 - 07:45 AM

Hey Guest I'd Rather Not Say...

   How are you doing these days?

Just thinkin' aboutcha.

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST,6:36 PM
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 10:16 PM

No, Martin Gibson, I'm not bothered at all. I'm married myself (to a woman – and before you make the kind of stupid assumption you love to make, I'm a man), and it so happens that among our many friends, a few of them are gay. About the same percentage as the general population. They're good people, they lead perfectly normal lives, and what they do in the privacy of their own homes is nobody's business but theirs. You have gay friends too, but you probably don't know it. Knowing what a narrow-minded bigot you are, they would hardly let you find out about it.

You're pathetically funny in a sick sort of way, and I thought someone ought to point it out to you, so I did.

Interesting link, GUEST,09:44 PM. He sure gets around. Same stuff everywhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 09:58 PM

This is my home. I have moved into Mudcat, Guest. There goes the neighborhood. Now you have the diversity you love.

PS, I won't read your link. I never click on the links some try to attack me with. Never. Don't waste your time. OK, pal?

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 09:44 PM

Go back home, Martin!

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 09:43 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 08:53 PM

Being gay doesn't bother me pal, because I am not. It obviously bothers the hell out of you though. If you enjoy gay society around you I believe that is your problem. I don't give a damn about what Jerry Falwell says. And I am glad that you are such an expert on gays and comic books.

You are such a prophet, aren't you? I don't think you are gay. An idiot, maybe, but not gay.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 06:36 PM

Martin Gibson, methinks you protest too much. Your obsession with telling everybody how gay you are NOT says a lot about you.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto, and Batman and Robin are comic book, radio, and movie characters. Batman likes girls. Remember Vicky Vale? Except for Batman, who is straight, they don't have a sex life. Bert and Ernie are puppets. I just thought someone should tell you.

By the way, Jerry Falwell tells us that Tinky Winky is gay (personally, I think Jerry Falwell has a problem himself, after all, he was the one that "outed" Bert and Ernie). And unless there is something we don't know about Dipsy, Lala, and Po, he doesn't have a partner. Since he's about your intellectual equal, I just thought you might be interested.

(Now watch him attack me and accuse me of being gay. It's pretty obvious that the whole idea of "gay" really bothers this guy. I wonder why........)

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 10:00 AM

its true what you say Azizi - nothing prepares you for the pain of separation.

I remember when my dad used to take the puppies away from our dog. She used to look everywhere for them - digging holes trying to find them.

In such circumstances, we need to be easy with ourselves.. I am sorry for all your hurt.

al

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Azizi
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 07:07 AM

There is another aspect of depression & anxiety that I don't think has been mentioned here.

People can be depressed because they or people they love have a life threatening physical condition.

And anniversary dates for traumatic events in a person's life can contribute to a person being depressed.

My long time, very best girlfriend of thirty years died one year ago on November 11th of lung and brain cancer. And my other very best girlfriend also has cancer and has been given three months to live.

I have to remind myself of the power of anniversary dates. I acknowledge that my best girlfriend's passing and my other girlfriend's terminal illness are {among} the stressors in my life. Knowing that I am facing stressors, I am giving myself permission to be sad and to grieve for my friend who is gone. I am also preparing my head and heart for the loss of my other friend.

Some people may think it is selfish to consider your self under these circumstances. But I feel that if I am going to remain {reasonably} emotionally healthy, it is important for me to grieve both for my friend who is gone, and for my friend who is probably dying.

It's even difficult to write this. But there it is.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: mooman
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 04:28 AM

...are you suggesting I am gay Martin?

Not that it is of any of your business whatsoever or that it should matter one jot, but no... I am not and never have been and I am also a family man.

But I do have gay friends of both sexes. What of it? All of this is totally immaterial to this thread as is you raising the subject of homosexuality.

The point of this thread is that IRNS was seeking some support and advice and received it, and seems to have benefited by it.

What is your point?

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Dec 05 - 03:49 AM

no use.....?

is somebody asking you to make use of it Martin? It's obviously a bit like Yamaha guitars, just not for you.

Do you not have any gay friends?

Mind you I'm not sure i'd wish the traditions of my family life on anyone. We ain't exactly the gang from the Norman Rockwell painting.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 11:43 PM

This thread has been brought to you by a lot of unqualified mental health care wannabees.

Be with us next time when someone starts whining here on how depressed they are and they all visit with us again.

Hey mooman, struck a nerve real close to your heart, huh? Most religious people have no use for homosexuality or men butt-fucking, I would think. Most people who care about traditional family life don't either.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 06:56 PM

What does tomorrow hold
Tuesday.....entertaining letters from people on Mudcat, a choice of folk clubs Spondon, Sutton in Ashfield, or Mansfield, the re-run of Howards Way on UK Drama.

theres people in the siberian salt mines who would be glad of that...even Howards way

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Peace
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 06:55 PM

Good news to hear, IRNS.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Dead Horse
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 06:01 PM

I do not believe in an "afterlife", but I can say that life is definately worth living. Think about it. What does tomorrow hold?
Nuff said?

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: autolycus
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 05:49 PM

Good luck IRNS.

heartening what mudcatters can offer, and lovingly; not everyone, of course, so we're batting about, or somewhat above, average.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: robomatic
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 05:19 PM

Good on ya IRNS. Yer not alone and in going over this thread you can clearly see several incipient depressives nibblin' at each other, so you have some folks worse off to compare yerself with!

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 09:56 AM

Glad to hear it IRNS, and thanks for the vote of confidence - when you're in "our condition", mindless and aimless insults can hurt doubly, but a kind word says more than anything.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Charmion
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 09:51 AM

Most of my paternal kin-group are winter depressives to some extent; it is a great pity the ancestors picked Canada as their emigration target! We find light boxes and sunlight-effect light bulbs very helpful, and I also keep winter-blooming houseplants. Orchids are remarkably easy to grow, and -- like cats -- so beautiful they just have to be good for you.

Azizi, I feel for you on the Christmas-rammed-down-the-throat problem. It's bad enough in comparatively restrained Ottawa; I can't imagine how oppressive it must be in the States, where bigger, sooner and more expensive seems to be the constant theme of much public culture. This year, for the first time, the big downtown Ottawa stores began putting out their Christmas merchandise before Hallowe'en, and the whole thing makes me want to knock my head against a concrete wall. I can't think of a thing I want for Christmas except maybe an opportunity to sit around the house for several days with no social or professional obligations to attend to except feeding Edmund and the cats, and I know I'm not unusual.

The only solution I have ever found for Christmas frenzy is deliberation. I observe Advent, the penitential season before Christmas, with conscious effort. That means a plain diet (no Christmas goodies before Christmas), and no tree or other decorations until Christmas Eve. I tidy and clean the house, and do tasks I have been putting off. I make the more complicated things for the Christmas feast, such as fruitcake and steamed puddings. And I do the dreaded Christmas shopping. That's it.

It helps that I don't have children hassling me with demands ("Everybody else has their tree up; why can't we?"), and I don't watch television. Office Christmas parties are avoidable (they're no fun, so no loss). And of course I belong to a church that takes both Advent and Christmas very seriously, so I have a life-long pattern to follow. Basically, I consider the hassle of commercial Christmas simply part of the dues I have to pay for the privilege of living in this impossibly rich and indulgent culture.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST,I'd rather not say
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 09:22 AM

Thanks again to everyone for the ongoing caring and support. I do have an appointment at which I will get my perscription renewed. And while I have been feeling poorly for some months now, it does seem to be worse in recent months with the dark hours lengthening. I will see if I can't also get a prescription for a light.

I do hope that people ease their worrying about me. Things are looking definitely up. I can say without reservation that the support here has been very helpful.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Azizi
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 07:11 AM

Here's the full article:

Winter Depression How do You Know if You Have It?

By Joseph Mercola
    with Sarah Potts
It is the time of year when people are reporting feeling depressed during the dark, cold winter months. The less sunshine we see, the more dark people feel. This dip in mood is thought to be caused by lowered levels in serotonin, a chemical in the brain, and an increase in the production of melatonin, a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, which is produced at increased levels in the dark.

The decreased levels of serotonin and the increased levels of melatonin in the brain have been linked to people suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations of light.

SAD affects 10 million to 25 million Americans every winter season during the months of September to April, in particular during December, January and February. Out of those who are affected, 60 percent to 90 percent are women, and SAD occurs more frequently in younger people in there 20s.

SAD symptoms include:

Desire to oversleep

Feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out a normal routine

A craving for sugary and/or starchy foods, usually resulting to weight gain

Loss of self-esteem

Difficulty concentrating and processing information

Tension and inability to tolerate stress

Decreased interest in sex and physical contact

Full remission from depression occur in the spring and summer months

This time of year is the peak season for SAD, and there are still a few more months that provide the least amount of sunshine in the entire year. Some experts believe the condition is treatable by conventional therapies like antidepressant drugs, but there are simple and inexpensive steps to take to combat the winter blues.

Compensate for lack of sunshine

There are many reasons why people get sick in the time period described and the lack of sunlight is one important variable.

One of the ways that you can compensate for the lack of sunshine in the winter is through the use of full spectrum lights. It is VERY important to know that the only valid full spectrum lights are fluorescent lights. The full spectrum bulbs are compact fluorescents and can screw in a normal fixture. If one factors in the health benefits, it is a non-issue; the bulbs win hands down. I have used them over the past six years and they have provided an enormous benefit in my ability to tolerate the miserable cold and dark winter months.

Get to sleep at a normal hour

The lack of sunshine also mandates an earlier sleeping time. Ideally, we should be in bed shortly after sunset. In the winter that is 6:00 p.m. Most of us go to bed four or more hours later, which tends to impair the adrenal glands and secondarily the immune system. To learn more about how to get a good night's sleep, please review my sleep guidelines.

Stay away for sugary or starchy foods

Other issues, which are related to SAD, are the cravings of comfort food, which tends to be greasy, salty or sweet food. Although, eating these foods may give you temporary relief, they aren't good for you in the long run. The consumption of sugary or starchy foods can lead to all types of diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, along with obesity. Following an optimal nutrition plan is essential for one's health.

Exercise

Exercise is known to boost people's moods and is good for depression. I suggest you come up with an exercising plan. There will be days in the winter where the sun is out, I suggest you take advantage of those days and go on a nice walk. However, realistically we don't see a lot of those days and the weather can be quite brisk, so another alternative you should highly consider is joining a health club or purchasing a couple of pieces of home exercise equipment. I recommend a treadmill, which is great for walking on an incline or jogging, or an elliptical machine along with an appropriate size weight set to start.

Fish Oil is essential

There are a number of studies that show that the use of cod liver oil and fish oil, rich in essential omega-3, are associated with decreased depression. Please review my article, Defeating Depression: As Easy As Omega-3 that I posted, to learn more about the association between omega-3 and depression.

The main difference between cod liver oil and fish oil is that cod liver oil is high in vitamin D. In warm weather, the sunshine produces high and usually sufficient levels of vitamin D without any supplementation necessary. In the cold, winter months, some people might be vitamin D defiant and may need vitamin D, and so I recommend cod liver oil versus fish oil in cool weather months or climates. However, it is important to remember that both oils are linked to decreasing depression. And, after several years of research, I now offer Carlson's brand fish oil and cod liver oil on my Web site. I've found that Carlson's offers the most superior quality. Their fish oil and cod liver oil in liquid form contain the highest levels of essential omega-3 and follow the strictest purity guidelines. Visit the website store to make a convenient purchase.

Following these steps is a surefire way to get you out of the dark mood of winter."

-snip-

Related articles are listed after this article.

I re-posted the entire article since I think its suggestions may be of merit. However, I think the "sure-fire cure" statement is probably a bit over-confident.

And I don't like the "dark"="bad" descriptor...but that's a whole
'nuther subject..

At least I can smile about it and post

;0}

instead of

;o(

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: saulgoldie
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 06:47 AM

People, I do not think this Martin-bashing and homophobia is going to help IRNS.

His/her post is curious in its timing. It may be a chronic condition. But as Azizi pointed out there are significant numbers of people for whom the diminished daylight is a real emotional health issue. And of course, add that to the holiday stress with abnormal eating patterns, societal spending imperatives, and other unnatural expectations.

I hope IRNS follows through on her/his promises to go to the shrink, get the meds, and start exercizing. But s/he might also consider some seasonal lights. These are full spectrum higher intensity lights that used properly fool the body into thinking it isn't really that dark or cold. (I think this has actually been discussed before on the Mudcat.)

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 02:54 AM

oh I dunno, I bet lots of religious people are foul mouthed idiots on the quiet.

The Bible just doesn't bother telling us how John the Baptist reacted when his loin cloth got itchy, or what Jesus said when the five thousand were being fed and someone said, sorry no bread mate I'm on a diet and I never eat fish, can't stand that smell.......have you got anthing else?

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: mooman
Date: 05 Dec 05 - 02:26 AM

And this foulmouthed idiot has the nerve to call himself religious...

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 11:47 PM

Wee little drummer, to make it more intellectual for you, the Masked Man and Tonto were always jokingly accused of having a close relationship, as 2 lonely man on the range could have.

Or even simpler, Al, they were fags.

Guest, I believe you are probably a fag so easily offended. The only thing I eat up is how full of shit you are, and I love telling you so. You are a riot and I love that you get so bent out of shape over it. Really do! Psychiatrists call continuous anonymity, paranoid. Deal with it, Guest. I take you as about as seriously as I do most idiots and morons who post here as guests.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: number 6
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 11:23 PM

Guest 11:22 pm is me .... sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 11:22 PM

Ron Olesko ... good posts ...well said!

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 10:33 PM

It is to laugh, oh, homophobic one (note how Martin Gibson accuses people he knows nothing about of being gay; psychiatrists call that "projection"). Here you are on this thread, being your usual insulting, irrelevant self, while on another thread you are whining about people being hostile to you and diverting a thread you started. For over a year, that's about all you did: posted snotty remarks, insulted people, and tried to get the thread off its subject. Now, once, you've got people doing that to a thread you started, and you can't take it. Well, suck it up! The buzzards are coming home to roost, lame brain.

Can you say "chutzpah?"

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Azizi
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 09:26 PM

Yeah that's what I said.

But you know what happened to Ebenezer Scrooge.

He learned from his past and became Mr. nice guy-which [shades of the Lone Ranger & Tonto] may have nothing to do with the topic being discussed.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Peace
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 08:41 PM

BAH, HUMBUG!

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Azizi
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 08:27 PM

I don't know about anyone else, but the Thanksgiving through New Years day holiday season is quite hard for me to get through.

Then too, it might also because I live in a city that gets very little sunlight-I've read that's a reason why people can be depressed.

I love decorated Christmas trees and some of the other Christmas declorations, but the ho ho ho fake merryment [not to mention the commercialized Christmas songs]gets on my ever lasting nerves. {which is admittedly not the same thing as being anxious or depressed, but I admit to those feelings too.}

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 08:06 PM

lost us there Martin.... must be awful coming up with these shafts of wit and even intellectuals of my calibre are going, of what is it that this man speaks?

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 07:47 PM

Maybe never, pal.

Masked moron. You and Tonto are linked so well together. Like a couple of train cars. And we know how you are coupled.

So, Masked Moron, better get that HIV check. Tonto as a caboose is not holding on to you as tightly as you once liked it.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 05:26 PM

" What a dork! C'mon, Tonto, let's get out of here. Our job is fighting injustice, not stupidity."

ROTFLMAO!

Martin, you moron- you deserved that. hahaha

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST,Who was that masked man, anyway?
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 02:33 PM

First of all, I have never smoked pot in my life. You've already said on a couple of threads that you did for years, so you could brag that you gave it up. You make all sorts of assumptions about people you know nothing about. The mark of the bigot.

Secondly, kemo slobby, you missed my point entirely, probably because of the brain damage from the lead paint chips you ingested early on, combined with the lingering cannabis molecules still searching vainly for your brain. The point is that you may be in fair shape now, but all of that can change in a split second. So don't get too smug. You're just as vulnerable as any of the people you sneer at. Just wait. Any time now. Maybe soon, maybe later.

What a dork! C'mon, Tonto, let's get out of here. Our job is fighting injustice, not stupidity.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 01:08 PM

Masked Moron: Our wonderful lakefront proximity has Chicago's air ranked amongst the cleanest urban areas their is. With all of the pot you smoke, you should worry about your own lungs, pal. Mine were just checked out fine. And the D18 sounded and looked great at my gig last night. People take notice of a vintage Martin.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 11:02 PM

Good point, Patmc. Find a therapist you can relate to. I went through several before I found someone with whom I connected. If the therapist seems to you to be an idiot, it is the therapist and not you who is the problem.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: patmc
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 07:36 PM

Guest, rather not say,

Hang in there- I've been through this in the recent past and there is a lot you can do. Depression is a real illness and it is curable. The big thing is to get some help and not keep it to yourself.

For me anxiety and depression turned out to be fairly separate although I think that the anxiety was caused by how hard it was to keep going during the depression. The sheer willpower needed to do the smallest thing was brutal. It is impossible to explain depression to someone who has not had it.

Anxiety and panic attacks are often linked to a phenonomen called 'over breathing' which leads to very low CO2 levels. I was admitted to hospital with chest pains - turned out the CO2 levels were so low that my chest muscles were cramping.
It also was giving me stinking headaches and leaving me very tired.
The old cure for stage fright of breathing in and out of a paper bag works by increasing the CO2.
In australia and new zealand there is a whole branch of physiotherapy dealing with over-breathing. (also called hyperventilation syndrome)
My (australian)doctor recommended this workbook by Dinah Bradley http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856262952/qid=1133654662/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/203-3416425-5840726I
It is a short book and straightforward. After about a fortnight practicing the chest pains stopped. I still do the exercises three of four times a day as it relaxes me a lot.

The depression had crept up on me over a period of four or five years. I didn't know what was wrong with me until i finally went to the doctor because I couldn't sleep. He diagnosed a clinical depression and proscribed anti-depressants and therapy. They were a huge help. After eighteen months and some psychotherapy I came off them and although I felt much better I still had no enthusiasm for life. I could handle things but there was no joy in it.

A friend put me in touch with a hypnotherapist, larry mcmahon in county kerry , ireland. www.larrymcmahon.com
Going to him was one of the major experiences in my life. It made a huge difference. For the first time in years I picked up an instrument again (which is why I have just found mudcat cafe). I've rooted out my old sketch books and started teaching my children to draw.

larry mcmahon is a wonderful man and I have no qualms about recommending him. He is the first to admit that he does not know why hypnosis can work against depression but it very often does. I suspect myself that our unconscious mind can have considerable effect on the bio-chemistry of our body. An ex-girlfriend did her PhD on this.

Between therapy, anti-depressants, exercise and hyno-therapy the black dog is gone.

Depression is very common. I have discovered that all sorts of things can start it, including viral and bacterial infection, tick fever(lyme disease) and malaria, liver damage, shock, trauma, long term stress, even food allergies and damage to your digestive system.
The good news is that you really can beat it and get your joy in life and motivation back.
First step is to talk to people and you have already done that here.
Second is to get to the doctor- and if you don't feel satisfied with the first one then just head for another.

Feel free to email me.

Regards
Pat

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 02:07 PM

yeh he might get tennis elbow polishing his D18

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: GUEST,Who was that masked man, anyway?
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 02:02 PM

I once heard a disable person refer to those not disabled as "temporarily abled." He explained this by pointing out that it only takes a split second to change a person's life. Christopher Reeve was big, strong, and handsome, and in the movies he was the ideal image of Superman. While taking part in a riding competition, his horse balked at a jump and Reeve tumbled off the horse, over the fence, and broke his neck. He spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair, breathing with the aid of a respirator. An automobile accident, a stumble on a stairway, a virus entering one's system in a single breath….   In a split second, one's life can change drastically. We are all vulnerable, a fact we don't like to think about.

There are various theories as to how depression begins. It could be triggered by the circumstances in one's life, such as the death of a friend or relative, the loss of a job, a break-up in a relationship, any of a number of things. Or it may be a physical cause, such as an imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Biochemistry is so complex that it's often difficult to pin down why a person may feel fine one day, then wake up miserably depressed, or suddenly begin to have anxiety attacks for no apparent reason.

Biochemistry is such a complex field that it is even possible that depression could be brought on by the inhalation or ingestion of some sort of allergen or environmental pollutant. Many other illnesses are caused by things of this sort, so there is no reason to think that they might not just as well play a part in physically triggered emotional disorders.

Considering that Martin Gibson lives in proximity to a civic and industrial center like Chicago, one has no idea of what sort of environmental toxins or allergens he may be inhaling or ingesting from time to time. Considering the variety that may be present in such a local, and if it is true that such things can possibly trigger depression or anxiety attacks, no matter how happy and fulfilled he deems himself to be, he is, nevertheless, "temporarily abled."

One wonders how a few unknown molecules born on a vagrant breeze and inadvertently inhaled might interact with all of the lead paint chips he ate as a child.

Hi-yo Silver! Away!

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 01:14 PM

keep polishing Martin, who knows one day it will grow into something as nice as a yamaha CPX15cm. They may be a sushi board to you - perhaps its the way you play them.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Once Famous
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 12:56 PM

Blah, blah, blah.

Big Al, it's a D18, not a D35.

I take good care of it. If it got crushed by a steamroller, I would go out and buy another.

Foolestroupe, can't you come up with a saying of your own? I don't see any swords around. Never keep them in the house. You remind me of an old lady with your tsk tsking and hand wringing. Pretty funny.

Subject: RE: BS: Depression and Anxiety
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 09:47 AM

Three or four times people have phoned up my wife in desperation at their plight on being diagnosed with arthritis. In particular, the medical advice being - okay so you've got this disease - now go home and get on with it. On at least two occasions I've picked up the phone and they have had the bottle of drugs in their hand ready to kill themselves.

Basically it has been the isolation that has lead them to feel like this. In each case they have become enthusiastic members of a self help group and turned their lives around.

What killed the gay christian was not the lady's response - it was not having other people to turn to, people who had coped with and survived the mental turmoil of a similar situation.

we are not on our own, there is always love and help for us - but sometimes, we just don't know where to look for it.

Mudcat wasn't a bad call. Perhaps it will be the gateway to seeking more personal face to face help, which is really better.