depression

admittely I spend most of my time either in denial over it or just down so I dont think about it, but I have/do suffer from depression, I was diagnosed with it in december2003 and did my best to overcome it, however alot of negative things happened to me at the end of 2004 and I relapsed into it, something I have done again now. It has always been my secret, save a few people, but now I'm tired of pretending I feel fine and happy when I'm obviously not. I think its time to admit to my friends I have depression, I just dunno if its the right thing to do or not.its very important to me so meh, your thoughts?

I know just how you feel, It is the story of my life. I'd say "Don't worry, It'll get better!" or "Just think positive thoughts, And you'll be fine!", But I know that's bullshit to be quite frank. People seem to think that this is the kind of depression that you can just 'get over' with time, but it isn't. For those who don't know, We aren't talking mere sadness here. Everybody gets sad sometimes. We are talking about an actual chemical imbalance in the brain. Some cases are more extreme than others, of course. I've had it all my life. Through my entire childhood, I knew I was different than the other kids. I'd see them smiling, laughing, and playing and I'd wonder "Why can't I be like that?". As a result, I lost quite a few 'friends'. When I hit 10, I had more and more frequent bouts, And less and less people to talk to. Then, When I got into the seventh grade a few years later, I finally got some help. As it so happened, One of my teachers was a child psychiatrist. He called my parents and told them what he thought was wrong and I was then sent to a doctor. Some people never find out for sure, And thus NEVER get help. Though, Even with help, It's still quite a difficult fight, As anti-depressants only lessen these feelings. As I said, I myself have lost a number of so called 'friends' because I told them about it. They decided that It meant that I was just crazy. But, My REAL friends stuck by me and didn't judge me. I'm sorry to make such a long post about this. The only other thing I have to say is, You should let them know. If they are your real friends, They won't desert you. You never know, Maybe one of them is going through the same thing, And you will have a friend through the fight.

I don't see a problem with telling your friends that you have depression. If anything, it may allow them to help you in times of need (if there's ever the need).

I am depressed for the last few years.

"don't see a problem with telling your friends that you have depression. If anything, it may allow them to help you in times of need (if there's ever the need)."

agreed Amanda! REAL friends will stick by u and as Dan said some of them may be going through the same experiences and u can both talk about it. You need friends around u at this time, best of luck

In my opinion, if you are in doubt about telling a certain friend or person about your condition, don't tell them. Depression still very much has a stigma attached to it. While this is not your fault, it is reality. It could set you back even further if you are betrayed or abandonded by a "good" friend who chooses not to be there for you bc you suffer from depression.

You should not feel obligated to tell your friends, family, or anyone about your condition unless your condition could cause you to harm others or yourself. Do what is right by yourself, get the treatment that you deserve, and have a pleasurable life. You have a right to be happy. Most people are under the assumption that thinking of yourself before others is a selfish thing to do. You must think of yourself before you can be in any position to think about the well being or happiness of others.

In short, you are not obligated to disclose the condition that you suffer from to anyone unless the condition you have could cause harm to yourself or others. If you feel like the condition you suffer from could cause you to harm yourself then it would be a good idea to tell one or two trusted people that you can go to in a crisis state.

Get the treatment you deserve to have. The treatment that is suitable for you can only be determined by you and your doctor. Take an active role in your treatment. There is no text book way to treat depression. Everyone is different. Discuss things with your doctor and take it from there.

Good luck and I think you can already tell we are all here for you.

:)

I just think,rather it out in the open.if people reject me,then they reject me, its perfect inspiration to fire me up against their ignorance and hypocrisy and get better.

I just think,rather it out in the open.if people reject me,then they reject me, its perfect inspiration to fire me up against their ignorance and hypocrisy and get better.

That is another way to look at it if you are capable of doing that consistently. The key word is consistency. I think you will find that your moods will fluctuate. One week you might feel strong. Other days you won't see any purpose. Maybe try and keep a journal to see if this is happening at the same time intervals. Can I ask if you are a male or a female?

Sorry to hear about that BigC. Never mind. If anything if your feeling down and you let people know they may beable to help you a bit or try to cheer you up.

lisser im a guy.

makes it worse...girls have closer friends...lol, they bitch about them,but they support/help each other.

I cant imagine telling my friends I have depression. They are so used to me as an OTT jokey type person, with cheesy one-liners and wisecracks, its almost like I cant say it cos its just, I dunno,not me?

but it is, and therein lies the problem

If it makes you feel better, you aren't alone! I haven't been formally diagnosed, but it's one of those things you know you have, not like cancer, which can go unnoticed for a long time.

for the first 4 or so months, I never thought it was depression. It wasnt until about 5months in I began to think that.

I mean that you know something is wrong, you just don't feel right, all though yes it comes on slowly with some people.

yup I used to get these weird headaches,then feel down afterwards, or get triggered to feel down at the smallest things.