I assume some of you readers are depressed, too, if you are reading this. How many times did you tell someone you are depressed? Too few? Too many? Were the results as expected?
If you told people you are depressed just now and then, have they taken you seriously? Or have they said you were just moody or melancholic and that tomorrow is another day and you’d feel better then?
If you told them you are depressed a time too many, have they taken you seriously? Have they rolled their eyes, thinking “now we go again”? Or have they told you that tomorrow is another day and you’d feel better then?
Have they told you “me too”?
What do all the responses you’ve got have in common? When stating “I have depression” you seek help. Most of the times, people are either depressed themselves and don’t have the answers you seek, or they are not depressed, can’t relate, and most important, don’t want to deal with the burden you gave them with the statement.
Out of this, I figured, I had three options. Either I did nothing and stayed satisfied with an occasional pat on the shoulder, staying friends with other depressed people (which is safe, but not too improve-y). Or, I sought help with a therapist. Or, I worked on myself (it’s a compromise if you are on a budget, or you try to do it in secret – again safe, but not too healthy).
So, I’ve decided to take action and try to get rid of depression myself. For the above-mentioned money and secrecy reasons, but also for experimental purposes. Is it doable? Can I do it? Would this therapy be as successful as a therapy with a professional? Or would I need more help later?
I believe, at least, I can’t do more harm if I do it with a plan and more information on the subject.
If I chose psychology or psychiatry for a profession, I could have helped others. I could’ve helped myself. What is a profession? A pack of knowledge. I can learn a bit of that pack, and help myself a bit.
I plunge into this experiment with all the zeal and stubborn determination a depressed person can muster. Quite a challenge, you see. I fuel more on the stubbornness and curiosity than on enthusiasm. I lack the latter.
After a short initial research, I found I had many other psychological issues. Big problems like OCD and anxiety. They go quite often with depression. What’s the cause and what consequence? Are they all as hard-core? It doesn’t matter. I choose to work on depression first, since it bothers me the most, and work from there. I choose my issues to not be as big as to need an official diagnosis, but big enough to need intervention. (Psychological intervention is also the term describing a procedure to heal psychological problems, whether it’s talk therapy or medical intervention.)
My Own Shrink 