Howdy all,

Thought I share a little story with you all.

About three years ago I contracted Ross River Fever. Initially they didn't know what it was and so thought it was an Iron deficiency. Lethargy, poor coordination, joint pain and irritability. The later was pre-existing with having three boys around the same age.

Anyway the Iron deficiency fix was a change of diet and an intense two months at the gym which compounded the Ross River and eventually slipped me into moderate and later severe depression.

It's kind of hard to explain but I'll try.
* Introversion and avoidance of groups
* Aggression and complacency
* Solitary activities if any
* Lack of or excessive sleep
* Loss of any interest in former passions (In my case VW's and Geocaching)
* Don't care about money matters, family arrangements & personal affairs.
* When people talk to you it's just white noise. You nod and randomly say "yes" and "no".
* Laughter is a thing others do and it look strange.
* Same with sex, running, swimming in fact anything energetic.
* Paranoia - The phone rings and people are talking about you.

How did I get better.

We they put me on lots of different meds but the one that made a difference was "Prothiden". Therapy wasn't helpful but allowed my employer to better understand that I wasn't having them on. Acupuncture was the deal breaker. It was the turning point in coordination with the meds.

Websites like beyond blue helped me understand the problem and how others felt and that severe depression is usually only short term provided you seek help early.

Why am I posting this here.

Well I'm a lot better but for many months I was in denial. Refused to return to a doctor, held off on any medication when I did see the doctor and as a result almost lost my family, my life and my passion for VW's.

We all have down days, often balanced by some good ones. But if your down days just keep coming and coming and coming for weeks and you start to slip away from the things and ones you love, get help. Interestingly those closest to you will often pick up on it before you do.

Support:
If you know of someone with or has had depression please take the time to get them out of the house. Go for a drive, have a coffee with them. Talk about what ever comes to mind. Breaking the cycle is as much about changing the mindset as it is getting active again. For me it was simply walking and forcing my self to get out from behind the computer and be with people again.

I hope this helps someone here. Even if it just helps one person it has been with me taking the time to share my story.

Warm regards,

Bronze.
http://www.facebook.com/TheBronzeAu 

PS: I just bought a 65', finally. Back in the game.

Thanks for sharing Bronze,

It's important that people don't ignore issues like depression, however it's caused and whatever its symptoms. It happens to more people than many of us realise.

I'm glad you're finding your way out.

Cheers
Craig

Hiya Bronze,

Ya' know, I've often thought there should be another more commonly accepted name for depression. The word "depression" can mean a number of different things and we have all, at some time, been depressed. Consequently, when depression is used to name the condition through which you went, the word loses some of its punch.

Clinical depression is among the most widespread of mental illnesses and it's consequences can be most severe. And those consequences affect not only the person but anybody in contact with that person. That means depression is a "family disease".

The pity of this situation is that depression can be treated. Thanks bronze for stepping out and telling your story. People need to get over the "mental" in mental illness and realize that, like anybody with any kind of disease, it needs to be treated.

mate good on ya and im sure this well help Someone
and thanks for sharing

Nice Steve and couragous to share great to see you have had a good ending . A 65 ! lets see the pics. Mitchell

glad to see you back in the world bronze. remember to keep yourself moving forward.

it is funny that you said "and forcing my self to get out from behind the computer" as way too much time on the computer is always a warning for me that i'm getting bad.

another "symptom" that i would add is an increase in self destructive behavior. aka drinking and smoking + when i was younger taking drugs. also a lack of interest in eating well. of course these all make it worse.

the dragging people out of the house is a good idea, it does help. i found cooking a good healthy meal is great for snapping myself out. add some exercise and things are really looking up.
two tricks i used on myself were a) forcing myself out into the shed to do something on my cars and b) reading "with the old breed" by Eugene Sledge as no matter how shit my life feels it is nothing compared to what those guys went through.

Good one Bronze, I was on anti-depressants for over five years! The side effects are sometimes worse than the condition. Bookwus hit the nail on the head when he said about it being called "depression", I always felt it would attract a lot less derision if it came uinder a different heading, maybe 'stress'. BTW I'm not sure if 'derision' is the right word but you getmy drift.

Thanks Bronze, sorry to hear the pain you have been through and appreciate hearing your story. I am sure your story will inspire and strike a cord with many.

Great to hear You have beat the "black Dog" Steve

and have bought another Volkswagen...

Good News must come in twos... lol

I believe Our Brains can't take what We are doing these days..
Overload....
and it can be permanent ....

best Wishes Steve

hope to catch up with you again in the Future


LEE

thanks "bronze" well expressed/written, glad you have brought your experience forward in the hope that it may help someone in need. i hope you continue to feel better too and find the knowledge you now have a life long tool to recognise and react to the symptoms in their early stages so you never have to go through the hardship again

........and also nicely put "bookwus" and henry.......

yes the effects of it can be far reaching both in your life and those around, but as pointed out previously, in most cases it is fixable and at the least controlable........

i'd like to contribute here re the misconception of the need for meds or "drugs".....and just point out that they are an assistant in the programme to over coming this problem. the drugs are part of the process to virtually reprogramming the brain to allow your self to feel happy again. during depression the part of the mind that produces natural "feel happy" chemicals can slow, even to a stop, virtually making the ability to feel happy non functioning........at this point a chemical kickstart is most often required along side addressing the other miriad of problems that lead a person to suffering clinical depression............so with this info i hope anybody feeling like they are slipping away will see why it is so important to admit they have issues and seek professional help and not feel like a "mental case" if taking a course of drugs becomes part of the programme to get things going GOOD again

i also found hypnosis a great therapy in the process and as bronze mentioned accupucture

Daimo

Thanks for your well wishes folks. Also those who have also stepped forward.

There is really not much more I can add other than to say that recently I went to a birthday party, the first in a long time and when people asked where I had been I replied quite blatantly "In depression". They were all inlaws and friends and preferred to not make up some lame excuse. I was very surprised at just how many people, particularly men admitted to have some past depressive time in their lives. One was caused by a rock fall in a mine, another by family pressure to live in a bigger, better house.

What made me look for alternatives was the fact that on the meds I got to the point of feeling nothing. Neither happy nor sad. Couldn't get angry when I know I would normally be and then when a friend passed didn't feel anything. Brings back the floyd song "Comfortably Numb" except I wasn't comfortable with it. Anyhow even being a 'non-believer' I tried acupuncture and after about the third session it had excellent results. I had 10 or 11 sessions all up and was off the meds by about the 6th.

Hypnosis would have been my other avenue. I'm actually thinking of trying hypnosis to help my memory. I'm absolutely useless at remembering names and being a teacher thats fairly important. Will give it a spin in a couple of weeks I hope.

Anyways, enjoy your day and have a good one.

Warm regards

B.

I found the same thing that basically I couldn't be bothered to get upset and I never made a connection with Ross River as that happened to me just prior to going downhill. Makes me wonder?!

good onya mate...know where ur coming from....the blackdog sometimes bites hard

Takes courage to share that, good on you Bronze.

And great to hear that your back in the game, looking forward to seeing this baja take off

Cheers Bill

How good it is to see that you are 'on the mend' Bronze. You have done an excellent job of sharing the experience.
I think I can relate to some of what you say, however being from an era when you were expected to 'just get on with it', and certainly not talk about it, it was necessary to find your own way 'out'. My way out was motor racing, and still is. I wish you well.

Cheers, Greg

Thanks for sharing Bronze

Having both parents work in the psych industry for over 30 years its great to read this thread filled with great people like those who've posted above.

Social understanding and acceptance is a major key to helping sufferers rather than labeling and trying to ignore the issue.
Very happy to see some members have beaten it, and for those who still battle with it, stay positive and surround yourself with good people and as much positive energy as you can, there's always a brighter day tomorrow no matter how bleak the future can look!

An old thread but still current..

and I know a lot of Aussies still battling with Depression..
some who frequent here too...

it can also be a life long battle


[Mike "bookwus" from the USA has passed away since this was written.]

LEE

Sounds just like myself. Currently in the same situation. Although mine was brought on by a serious back injury after a work accident. Doctors have said that I will no longer be able to drive trucks interstate or even local. When you love doing something and they tell you you can't do it anymore it's a real kick in the guts. They talk of retraining but when you have no idea what you want to do it makes it hard. I know the medication they give me is helping but it's still a long dark road to travel. I know I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the support of family and friends. At least I can now see a light at the end of the tunnel and all I can say is If you catch a bus in brisbane, lookout for the crazy guy driving, it just might be me

your not alone and i think the meds do just numb you, but to scared to go off them in case you really go down if you know what i mean. how did accupuncher help or work regards