Life

Bayyum, I was going to PM this, but if anyone else who reads this has been where you have been, this may be of some help.

Been reading your "Life" post. Hope things are working out for you. Happy to see you're still posting this AM.

Like many others, I've had a few visits from the black dogs myself. I've made it to 52 years old, I understand you are still young. Don't know what the background is, but I hope you will find some resolve. Sounds like you are going to run into some of the stumbling blocks real soon and I hope you do not lose heart. The hospital saying your case was not severe enough is unfortunately typical. It's pretty difficult to convince the system that your depression is real and not just a cry for attention, so it pretty much leaves it up to yourself to ensure you stay safe. There's a lot of stigma attached to this. Reality is that it becomes a case of mental illness and we would all be better off if we could accept that without judgement. So, here's a couple strategies that I hope may help.

Antidepressants can help, but getting a doctor to prescribe can be tricky. Also, beware that they may have adverse reactions. My son received a prescription and they made him very agitated. If you want to self medicate, St. John's wort can be effective, but use with caution and seek a doctor's advice.

Depression issues can be hereditary. My mother's family has a history of depression and unfortunately, so do I and it looks like my son is also affected. Please talk to your family about this.

I mentioned self medication, but please, don't use alchohol or any recreational drugs for this purpose. The escape from reality these solutions offer may also give you the so-called courage to pull the trigger and that is not the solution. Also beware of stimulants like caffiene and energy drinks. The crash can be severe.

Avoid feeding your depression. There's plenty of angst in some music and listening to Headstones probably won't help, although they are a fine band.

It would be great if you can pull out of this and never be bothered by depression again. Unfortunately, that is seldom the case and if you prepare now, you can avoid such conflict in the future. My own experience has been that times are actually pretty good. I lost a friend to suicide several years ago and I still think of him. You wonder what went wrong and what could you have done to help. I also lost a brother in law to ALS a few years ago and believe me, my 52 year old aches and pains do not compare with a health problem like that. Be happy for what you have.

Best advice I can offer, get yourself an A body and take a nice long cruise, or pull wrenches on it until you can take that nice long cruise. Short fast 1/4 mile cruises are also cool!