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[hops]

I think the question is whether one's depression comes from brain chemicals or one's circumstances. Usually it's a combination of both but bad circumstances can bring out the latent depression in someone who wouldn't have issue with it if their life was better, for example. And then there's people who is just depressed from the way their brain is wired. Those people definitely need antidepressants because no other things will help, because the issue isn't with where they are and their life, it's about them losing the genetic lottery.

[Ultimuh]

Lunch here at work today, was something of a disappointment.
The potatoes felt a bit rough to cut, and the sauce/gravy would be classified as soup.

[Hanslanda]

I think the question is whether one's depression comes from brain chemicals or one's circumstances. Usually it's a combination of both but bad circumstances can bring out the latent depression in someone who wouldn't have issue with it if their life was better, for example. And then there's people who is just depressed from the way their brain is wired. Those people definitely need antidepressants because no other things will help, because the issue isn't with where they are and their life, it's about them losing the genetic lottery.

I somewhat disagree with that. I have MDD and a really great life. I've tried antidepressants. They were effective, but I decided not to continue taking them. In time I learned to recognize the onset of depression, and to do something about it. I usually talk to my wife, or go on a long walk or jog. Or I play video games or music.

I think a lot of it is deciding to fight the depression. But antidepressants can make that a LOT easier. I don't usually have real reasons for my depression, but it's always there and it's insidious and powerful. Just gotta fight back.

[hops]

Great life? Weren't you in prison for a while?

[Hanslanda]

Great life? Weren't you in prison for a while?

Jail. A bunch of times. But American jail. So like an uncomfortable hotel with bad food and crap service.

Other than that, I have a wonderful wife, great parents, a stable income, a vehicle, food, water aplenty, alcohol, and numerous luxuries, comparatively speaking. I suspect I live better than about seventy+ percent of humans.

[Yoink]

Does MDD stand for manic depressive disorder?
I sometimes feel as though I might have something along those lines, although I've managed to keep up quite a prolonged period of happiness lately, despite a couple of hiccups. It could simply be that my depressive moments are caused by my anxiety (which has been greatly decreased lately since I' ve been getting a healthy, regular amount of sleep), but then occasionally I will start feeling down for no apparent reason whatsoever.

I really should make an appointment to see some sort of thought-doctor whilst this good mood holds up and I have more confidence than usual, whatever the case. Might do that today. Maybe.


Oh, and an actual, specific Mild Sad: crammed too many books into my bag yesterday, and as I was pulling one out the back cover and last few pages of my delightful-looking old copy of Titus Groan were torn off .
I shall have to see if I can surreptitiously tape it back together without making too much of a mess.


Edit: doing internets on this phone browser makes it really hard to format my posts nicely. No idea what this actually looks like. Argh.

[martinuzz]

Does MDD stand for manic depressive disorder?
I sometimes feel as though I might have something along those lines, although I've managed to keep up quite a prolonged period of happiness lately, despite a couple of hiccups.

The manic part of bipolar disorder (the name used for it nowadays, instead of MDD) is usually worse than the depressed part. When you are manic, or working up to manic, in hypomania, you will do all kinds of stupid stuff, trust people you shouldn't trust, lend out your credit card to strangers because they looked like they need some friendly help,  and since the world is beautiful and flowers, why not help them out, right? Invite that junkie from the street corner in because he begged with such a friendly voice, only to find out a few days later he nicked your laptop and your children ("I was wondering why it was so quiet in the house"). Once it progresses to a full blown mania, you will not just 'feel happy'. You will be delusional, seeing / hearing / smelling things that aren't there. The manic side of the MDD coin is very comparable to a psychosis (and is in fact often treated with anti-psychotic meds). If you have never experienced that kind of mania, it's more likely that the depression stems from other causes.

[Helgoland]

Not really. It's a spectrum of disorders, and there are forms that never progress beyond hypomania. I for example have a type where the phases are changing very rapidly, with one full cycle about every two weeks: There simply is no time for the mania to go into full swing.

MDD could stand for 'major depressive disorder'.

[Hanslanda]

Sorry, yes, it's major depressive disorder. I typically don't have manic episodes of any sort. It's more that I have off and on periods of extreme depression, almost always for little to no reason. When I have a reason it can get quite soul crushing.

[EnigmaticHat]

MDD and bipolar are different.  In bipolar you go back and forth between being depressed and manic.  With MDD you're either always depressed or you cycle between depressed and less depressed or neutral moods.

Side note, but I've heard someone describe their mania as "I feel like I could go out and buy a new car, right now, with no money."

[Tiruin]

Err, the notes are on the line of being right, but it's really better if a professional explains this

Bipolar is pretty much not polarization, but extremely generally like drawing a sine wave between two points from a midpoint--not even touching both ends; the types differ between the degree of how far the wave drops or rises, with certain points and extremes representing mania or 'depression'. Also it's a lot better contextualized to the person's situation as theoretical standards only stay before being applied. :O

Side note, but I've heard someone describe their mania as "I feel like I could go out and buy a new car, right now, with no money."

There's a lot more to that. :O

[EnigmaticHat]

Wait what's your profession?  (actually asking)

[heydude6]

If I remember correctly, Tiruin is studying psychology at university.

[Yoink]

It's cold, I'm tired, and I'm supposed to be writing down the dream I remember from last night but I'm feeling lazy and need to poop. Also said dream has a huge wodge of dream logic smack-bang in the middle which makes it a bit less of an engaging story.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

I saw a link to Notch's old blog which reminded me of 0x10c and how it will never be made which made me sad because it was a great game concept.