Depression – A serious topic – Follow up

[Fiona-Ann Moss]

Hi Everyone. Regarding my previous post ‘Depression a serious topic’ i have been overwhelmed by the replies. Thankyou for taking the time and trouble (and courage) to reply. Depression is one of those subjects that many of us know about but few are happy to embrace. Even now, it is largely swept under the carpet with the silly notion that its a state of mind. I suppose technically it is but with reason in a lot of cases.

Now i am not a Doctor, neither am i medically trained but i do have experience, over 40 years to be exact.

Depression seems to have Two sides, Clinical depression and what i call Environmental Depression. With Clinical depression, there are no triggers, you wake up one morning without warning and you are Depressed. There seems to be no reasoning behind it, suddenly, without warning you are at rock bottom. It has been said that it is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, most notably Serotonin (the feel good chemical in the brain).

Then there is environmental Depression or circumstancial Depression. By this, i mean it can be caused by, a marital breakup, financial issues, long term stress,illness. redundancy, crossdressing (causing rifts within your family and also personal issues). The list is endless. Count in that, world problems too like Wars, Economy crisis, its little wonder why so many of us are Depressed. But still its a subject which many define as Taboo. Some people wrongly think its a sign of weakness but i can tell you that everyone has a stress limit from the ordinary person in the street to a top army general. Continued stress causes Depression which in turn causes feelings of hopelessness and a feeling of lack of self worth.

What i am trying to say is to everyone that suffers, you are not alone. It is not shameful to seek help, you are not a lesser person just because you are Depressed. You are a human being that needs help., love and hope.

I am going to end this Topic with a Thankyou and also Please, Please, if you feel down to seek Medical help, DO NOT suffer in silence, small things turn into big things and can become destructive. I love you all and i want you all to stay the way you are, shining stars, God bless you all!

Love Fiona xx

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Topic

[Suzanne Martin]

Fiona –

I agree that depression is a serious issue.

I have been in therapy for a couple years and have found it to be very helpful.  The most important thing with therapy, in my opinion, is that one needs to  be honest.  That is being honest with yourself.  The therapist doesn’t know if you are or not as they only know what you tell them.  I felt a load lifted off my shoulders when I told my therapist about my dressing which led to me opening up about other things.  It also allowed me to admit to myself about having a feminine side.

Depression can be very difficult to deal with.  No one should be afraid to seek help and talk to someone.  While it may be difficult to talk to family or friends there are therapists that can offer help.

thank you for bringing up this topic.

XOXO
Suzanne

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Lauren Mugnaia, Michelle McQueen

[Jen Vivi]

I got really depressed during my divorce and was very, very close to ending it all. I got help from friends, family and my therapist, all of whom played a part in getting me through my depression and getting me to a good place.  Thankfully, I’m over it and generally feel happy about my life now, although the state of the world doesn’t make it very easy.

I learnt that most people in this world will help you if you ask for help, even if it’s just to listen to you and express sympathy. If you’re depressed, tell someone. Talk to someone. Don’t keep it bottled up. The more you keep it inside you, the greater the risk of you harming yourself.

Love to all,
Jen

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Lauren Mugnaia, Michelle McQueen

[Roxie Ritz]

One of my friends used to say, “If you are not depressed with the world today, you are not paying attention.” I tend to agree. With all the bad things going on today, it’s sometimes difficult to be happy. I just take whatever comes my way, and try to make the best of it.
There are times when I must talk to someone, and I am happy that there are people to talk to. And if a friend is feeling depressed, many know that I will always be there to listen. Many times, just talking about the issues can help to solve them. Get them off of your mind.
I am no health professional, just someone who has seen a lot, and likes to help people.

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Lauren Mugnaia, Michelle McQueen, Jen Vivi, Diane Benson

[Dani Rostenkowski]

As a person who suffers from clinical depression amongst other issues I heartily concur with @fiona06. There is no shame in getting emotional and mental help. I won’t use the S word but that’s not the answer. You are worth more than that. No matter how bad you think the situation.

I cannot advise you much but if you need someone to talk to reach out. I’m sure many would be willing to talk. But do seek out help. Don’t wait too long.

One more thing I will share. I’ve been in counseling on and off most of my adult life (long story). Until I re-started counseling in 2021 (right before covid) I had never ever discussed my dressing with anyone. I opened up to my therapist and it was literally a load lifted off my shoulders. She didn’t condemn me, make me feel guilty, shame me. She didn’t encourage or discourage me. She just accepted me. I discovered that you can’t go into therapy deciding to hide that “one area” you don’t want anyone to know about (dressing or whatever). In my case I have/had 3 alter egos. What can you accomplish if you help 2 out of the 3? Nothing. A counselor is a person who you can share your darkest deepest feelings with and they won’t condemn you. Until you peel (all) the layers back it’s hard to fix it so you can move forward.

Thanks for letting me share. It’s a deep day for me. But a good one.

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[Katie Delvatine]

Dani,

Probably being thick, but what is the “S” word?

Katie

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Lauren Mugnaia

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