I noticed that on the Secondary Disorders forum, the last person replying to a thread on Depression was Hopeful12, so maybe it is proper that helpless be the first poster to a new thread on Depression.
I've read a lot about Depression, and I suppose it is a loosely used term, and a lot of us, myself included, sometimes, or even often times, say that we are "Depressed" meaning "feeling blue," (there was some song with those words as lyics, repeated over and over again, the song might have been by John Fogherty).
Other ways of putting it, might have been, feeling sad, or helpless, or hopeless about things.
My mother, born in 1917 and long deceased, came from a family of 4 children where all of them had at least what was then called "nervous breakdown."
When Mother was hospitalized in 1971, and I was told she had sufferred another of her countless "nervous breakdowns," I knew something wasn't quite right about that term, and with no internet, and only books to look through, I finally found the answer.
"Nervous breakdown," even tho the term persists to this very day, was, by 1971, considered medically meaningless and based upon a discredited theory about the nervous system, although through the years, it is used to describe any kind of situation where some emotional problem causes a person to be unable to function with the duties and responsibilities and duties of their daily lives.
Fine with me, if people want to continue to say "nervous breakdown," and use it in this way.
What I found out is that my mother was suffering from Manic Depressive Syndrome.
I hope I'm remembering the term correctly, but if not, or if a different term is now used, feel free to correct me.
Both of my parents, and the children they produced, including myself, suffered from and those of us, myself included, continue to suffer from emotional problems.
In the discussions I have read of the medical condition of Manic-Depression, that all of us have times of "feeling blue," helpless, hopeless, and sad, as well as times when we are "manic," and are very "up" feeling.
But, these feelings that all of us have, are not the same as Manic Depression, which is a very serious medical condition.
On one of the threads I just read, the term "clinical depression" was used to refer to mood swings which are a serious medical condition.
In my own case, I don't think I suffer from a serious medical condition, but a simple lack of motivation to do things.
My "blue, helpless, hopeless" feelings do not keep me from working at my job, and taking care of my responsibilities, and taking care of paying bills, and other things, but once these necessary obligations are taken care of I just feel like I do not want to do anything at all, even though I could be busy doing all kinds of things, and pursuing all kinds of interests that I have, but for the most part I don't.
Could my condition be best described as just plain old "laziness?"
I've read a lot about Depression, and I suppose it is a loosely used term, and a lot of us, myself included, sometimes, or even often times, say that we are "Depressed" meaning "feeling blue," (there was some song with those words as lyics, repeated over and over again, the song might have been by John Fogherty).
Other ways of putting it, might have been, feeling sad, or helpless, or hopeless about things.
My mother, born in 1917 and long deceased, came from a family of 4 children where all of them had at least what was then called "nervous breakdown."
When Mother was hospitalized in 1971, and I was told she had sufferred another of her countless "nervous breakdowns," I knew something wasn't quite right about that term, and with no internet, and only books to look through, I finally found the answer.
"Nervous breakdown," even tho the term persists to this very day, was, by 1971, considered medically meaningless and based upon a discredited theory about the nervous system, although through the years, it is used to describe any kind of situation where some emotional problem causes a person to be unable to function with the duties and responsibilities and duties of their daily lives.
Fine with me, if people want to continue to say "nervous breakdown," and use it in this way.
What I found out is that my mother was suffering from Manic Depressive Syndrome.
I hope I'm remembering the term correctly, but if not, or if a different term is now used, feel free to correct me.
Both of my parents, and the children they produced, including myself, suffered from and those of us, myself included, continue to suffer from emotional problems.
In the discussions I have read of the medical condition of Manic-Depression, that all of us have times of "feeling blue," helpless, hopeless, and sad, as well as times when we are "manic," and are very "up" feeling.
But, these feelings that all of us have, are not the same as Manic Depression, which is a very serious medical condition.
On one of the threads I just read, the term "clinical depression" was used to refer to mood swings which are a serious medical condition.
In my own case, I don't think I suffer from a serious medical condition, but a simple lack of motivation to do things.
My "blue, helpless, hopeless" feelings do not keep me from working at my job, and taking care of my responsibilities, and taking care of paying bills, and other things, but once these necessary obligations are taken care of I just feel like I do not want to do anything at all, even though I could be busy doing all kinds of things, and pursuing all kinds of interests that I have, but for the most part I don't.
Could my condition be best described as just plain old "laziness?"