For unipolar depression sufferers ONLY

[hollywoodfreaks]

Ah, poo. I actually had ten questions, but I guess I'll post more depending on how many responses this poll gets.

My answers:

1.Seven years until seeking medical treatment.

2.Four major episodes before seeking medical treatment.

3.Average length of remission these days is short.

[meg]

hey hollywood,

I think that my answers here are a little off because I've only been around for 20 years and my first major depression hasn't gone away yet that I know of. I'd know if I had a remission, right? lol. it got a little better last summer for a month or two but I still was far from my 'normal' (or what I remember it to be like).

this is an interesting post, I'll be curious to see what the responses are.

meg

[Maceo]

1. It only took a few months of being suicidal before I saw a doctor.

2. One

3. None- I think I'm still in the episode. I don't feel as bad but still wish I was dead.

[Angeljasmine]

I think I've had mild depressive episodes before but always managed to keep going. I still had a feeling of hope, that my life would improve and I could achieve the things I wanted to.

Then came a time when my world just crashed all around me. I've been drifting in and out of depression for the past 2 years or so. Very slowly picking up the pieces. Coming to terms with the past (childhood and the rest of it). Trying to put my life back together again, and in the right way.

F'n hard when you're alone with no support.

[hollywoodfreaks]

Ok I would say just don't answer the question about remission if this is your first depression episode because obviously you've never had a remission. Your depression's course is not chronic if you've taken some, but far from all meds, and most importantly, you haven't been seriously depressed for more than 2 years. That two years criterion is the DSM's for deciding whether depression is chronic or not.

For those who saw their doctors during their first episode--damn you are lucky ducks. You may be more likely to acheive a lasting recovery than the rest of us. The standard blather: One episoders have a 50% to 60% chance of it happening again. Second episode: 70%. Third episode: 90% Fourth episode and beyond: 100%.

[CirclesOfConfusion]

Well, hindsight is 20/20. Obviously (now) I've had episodes every 1-2 years since early high school but never had the right kind of people around me til a couple years ago to say 'hey you're not a bad person, you just need to seek medical help'. I'm 29 and I just started meds about 2 years ago. Til then I was just absolutely convinced that I was a horrible, weak person. It never occurred to me that feeling that pathetic that often was depression. I had always thought that depression meant 'sadness'. I felt suicidal, not sad.

[hollywoodfreaks]

Well I think a lot us were either in or caught the tail end of the LOOONG era before depression gained widespread recognition as a legitimate medical disease (which has only been a few years at most, and still with MANY holdouts among the dumbass public) and were thus much less likely to see it as a disease ourselves. Sucks for us.

[Greenyflower]

The "time between remissions" question is difficult to answer, because the time between episodes has diminished over time. It went from 5 or so years to under a year. And that's when I sought help.

[hollywoodfreaks]

I guess what I meant by that was how long the remissions are now, not over time. That is a lot easier to answer.

I hope everyone looks at these answers and sees that no matter where they are in their struggle with depression, they are not alone.

Sorry about the clinical language too. But people around here seem to understand it so I thought that would be the easiest way to express things.

[Thorzdad]

I'm close to 50.

I can remember being deeply, darkly depressed and thinking about suicide as early as age 5 or 6. It's been one long episode ever since. Some peaks and valleys, sure. But it's been a chronic thing since early childhood.

I didn't see a doc or get on meds until I was close to 30. Maybe later. Can't remember