I've been dealing with depression for many yrs now 10+ to be exact.
I started really having depression at 15 yrs old, but wasn't diagnosed with it until I was seeing a psychiatrist (Who I still see to this day) when I was 16 and was diagnosed with clinical depression and seasonal affective disorder.
It used to be horrible, mood swings, suicidal thoughts (never ever attempted it), self harm etc etc... I was literally pretty much a hermit for a year straight, I wouldn't leave my room. I dropped out of high school because my anxiety level was so bad, I am also a victim of school bullying, but before I could get my anxiety under control it took over my life, as well as the depression.
I later found out that I suffered from SAD, my psychiatrist told me to go buy myself a light box to do light therapy, I rarely used the thing, I thought what is the point, really it wont make me feel better.
Well after all these yrs of having the light box, I actually took it out and used it every morning even though I was unable to do the 30 mins on the light box I only did about 10 mins but it still helped a lot. I think I'd have been in worse off shape last winter if I didn't get up daily no matter how sluggish I felt and sat in front of that light for a bit.
I'm also on medication, currently on Effexor XR, have been for awhile now and it has been working wonderful. I've previously been on (not in any order) Remeron, Celexa, Zoloft, Klonopin and Ativan.
I was also diagnosed with having PTSD due to an abusive relationship at 16, where there was sexual, emotional, verbal, and some physical abuse.
That threw me worse down my hole of despair with depression. I didn't realize what I dealt with was abuse and r@pe until a year later. I started then dealing with horrible body memories (flashbacks) and triggers, was dealing with numerous sexual assaults and sexual harassment after that as well... between the yrs of 1996-2001.
However I seem to be out of that dark place that I was in even as much as a year ago. I've dealt with my past, dealt with the depression and over came a lot of the anxiety. Now I share with people what I've gone through, and help them as much as I'm able from what I've experienced myself, I even went as far as to create sites to help people deal with abuse and mental illness.
It's the best feeling in the world right now for me to say how much I've helped them with their life, how much better they are etc, no better feeling.
Anyways that's the run of it pretty much, I don't want to get too much into the abuse part of my life, especially not in this forum, but that pretty much is the sum of my life without too much detail.
I started really having depression at 15 yrs old, but wasn't diagnosed with it until I was seeing a psychiatrist (Who I still see to this day) when I was 16 and was diagnosed with clinical depression and seasonal affective disorder.
It used to be horrible, mood swings, suicidal thoughts (never ever attempted it), self harm etc etc... I was literally pretty much a hermit for a year straight, I wouldn't leave my room. I dropped out of high school because my anxiety level was so bad, I am also a victim of school bullying, but before I could get my anxiety under control it took over my life, as well as the depression.
I later found out that I suffered from SAD, my psychiatrist told me to go buy myself a light box to do light therapy, I rarely used the thing, I thought what is the point, really it wont make me feel better.
Well after all these yrs of having the light box, I actually took it out and used it every morning even though I was unable to do the 30 mins on the light box I only did about 10 mins but it still helped a lot. I think I'd have been in worse off shape last winter if I didn't get up daily no matter how sluggish I felt and sat in front of that light for a bit.
I'm also on medication, currently on Effexor XR, have been for awhile now and it has been working wonderful. I've previously been on (not in any order) Remeron, Celexa, Zoloft, Klonopin and Ativan.
I was also diagnosed with having PTSD due to an abusive relationship at 16, where there was sexual, emotional, verbal, and some physical abuse.
That threw me worse down my hole of despair with depression. I didn't realize what I dealt with was abuse and r@pe until a year later. I started then dealing with horrible body memories (flashbacks) and triggers, was dealing with numerous sexual assaults and sexual harassment after that as well... between the yrs of 1996-2001.
However I seem to be out of that dark place that I was in even as much as a year ago. I've dealt with my past, dealt with the depression and over came a lot of the anxiety. Now I share with people what I've gone through, and help them as much as I'm able from what I've experienced myself, I even went as far as to create sites to help people deal with abuse and mental illness.
It's the best feeling in the world right now for me to say how much I've helped them with their life, how much better they are etc, no better feeling.
Anyways that's the run of it pretty much, I don't want to get too much into the abuse part of my life, especially not in this forum, but that pretty much is the sum of my life without too much detail.
