Hi Hobbes, welcome. Thanks for sharing your tricks. I hope you'll share more. I really believe that inactivity and loneliness can lead to isolation and make depression worse. Good for you for fighting this! Pain is a tough thing to deal with, and activity, and meeting people help to put us in the here and now rather than dwell on the past. Now here's a friendly kick in the behind to get you out the door ((kick)) ;p

Hi Lilblue, I'm glad I found this site. Wow, your description of your typical day of depression sounds almost exactly like mine. It seems like the only way for me to stop the undefined, wrenching pain of depression is to sleep it off. Then, once I wake up a few hours later, I feel mentally paralyzed and exhausted to the point where I cannot seem to move myself out of bed. One thing I realize time and again is that once I actually get outside this **** apartment door of mine, I almost always feel well enough to at least accomplish a few things. The pain still lingers all day long, though. Two nights ago, by some miracle I got myself to go running for the first time in about a month, knowing that exercise is a cure. I was glad to be running and it did make me feel better, but the whole time I was running I had this terrible scowl on my face that seems to have permanently planted itself there. The thing I've noticed in the past is that some kind of physical activity, whether its playing drums or running or whatever, definitely helps a lot. The problem is that it takes a long time to kick in. Not until an hour or two into exercising do I start feeling ok. Half the problem is getting outside the door. Like right now :) Errrrrrrrghhh I am trying to move this unmoveable 1000 pound weight in my heart.

Hello Lilblu, I am getting ready to turn 50 and found our two months ago that I have beem in major depression with a post trumatic stress disorder beginning at age 5 and I am on Zoloft 50 and want you two know that you should talk with your doctor and talk about trying a different medicine. :) I took 1 pill after first meeting with my Physcologist and she called me nxt day to check on me and I told her that that morning I actually saw a full glass of water. It has been the best . I had a dream for twenty years and I now haven't had it again. I hope you find what you need and we all here know your feelings. I will keep uou in my prayers

Hi. Welcome. If you take the free depression test it may help show you where to investigate further. However, a doctor is the only one who can diagnose. The test serves as an aid. All the best.

Hello to all. I am new to the group and very happy to have found this website. I'm feeling rather alone in how I feel and do not know where to turn. There are limited support groups in my area. I was diagnosed with depression many years ago. I had, what I thought, was success with Paxil and then Paxil CR. However, today I came to the realization that my depression might be more than anyone has realized. Yes, medication changed my life but anything was better than the way it was. Today was yet another "bad" day. I got up early with all intentions of doing what I would normally do but that "feeling" came over me and I just could not leave the house or do anything. I did my usual crawling into bed routine and my mind began racing. I started feeling the usual feelings of guilt for not take care of my responsibilities. Then hopelessness took over. My mind began to race even faster. I go into these cycles of reliving all the mistakes I have made in my life and my future looks grim. THEN I came to the realization that my depression is NOT getting better and that perhaps more should be done/looked at in this way. Because my mind was racing so fast, I couldn't sleep. Sleeping is my only way to escape these feelings. When that wasn't happening, I took a sleeping pill to stop the constant thinking and analyzing. I was getting far too ahead of myself. I then slept for about 4 hours and have still not left the house today. Since waking up I have done some online research about bipolar disorders. I took a few assessment tests and I just really don't fit in any of the categories listed. Is there a disorder higher than depression but not quite at the bipolar level? I think I am more than depressed. I have to be. Shutting myself out of the world is no way to live. I am the most unrealiable person I know. I rarely finish anything hence, guilty feelings. Any insight as to where I can begin would be helpful. I do not have health insurance as I have just lost my job. I am returning full time college student with no income. Not having a job is completly my fault due to my inability to commit to anything! Thank you for listening.