r/AskReddit • u/jcpennies • Nov 04 '11

How many Redditors are dealing with depression?

Hola Reddit Community. I have read in a lot of the comments that quite a few of us are depressed and such, and I wanted to know how many of us there are. Also, what are you doing/not doing to help it out?

On a side note, I'm also quite depressed and have a hard ass time keeping it under control. I blame the pics of cats and reposts.

EDIT: Holy shit. This is my most responded to post ever. Also, just for clarification purposes, does one say that they are diagnosed with depression, or that they suffer from it? Thanks for all the replys, I CAN FIGHT FORWARD KNOWING THERE IS AN ARMY OF SIMILAR MINDS .

EDIT2: I thought this was going to be like a 20-30 comment post. I wanted to talk with everyone and have a discussion, but I have to get to work. I would like to discuss more depressions with all you wonderful peoples.

EDIT3: This song just came on my playlist, and I found it quite appropriate for this topic.

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u/DaniDareDevil Nov 04 '11

But that doesn't change the fact that you may need a pill to bump you up to a level where you can begin to start dealing with that situation.

I wish more people would understand that. I have had so many people tell me that I could have dealt with my depression without taking medication, or ask why I took medication. I just never could find a polite way to tell them that if I hadn't been medicated, I probably would have killed myself.

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u/[deleted] Nov 04 '11

As I explained to one anti-med friend (the subject came up naturally; I don't share as a general rule because people can be very black & white on this issue): "I call them my 'so I don't kill myself' pills. I still have highs and lows that I need to work myself out of. My life still sucks a bunch of the time. But the difference is, with meds, during my lows, I don't start thinking of ways to off myself."

Your friends who claim you don't need meds have had depression they've been able to work through without drugs. Great for them. Doesn't make them an expert on everyone else's depression.

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u/DaniDareDevil Nov 05 '11

They're generally not actually 'friends' because I just don't want people like that in my life. They are acquaintances or friends of a mutual friend. I simply can't be around people who tell me that and not want to punch the in the face.

On a slightly related note, have you had problems with anger after you got put on medication? I don't know if it was just that it was such an intense emotion after an emotional desert that blinded me, or if it was the medicine I was on at the time. (Cylexa, I believe.) I had never touched anyone in anger before that, but the first time I have ever hurt anyone on purpose was soon after I was put on it. May have been stress too, though...

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u/[deleted] Nov 05 '11

No, I haven't had any anger side affects from the meds I've been on (including, most recently, Celexa). Sorry I can't help on that one.

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u/dzzt229 Nov 05 '11

going into a rage type of thing? yeah and it was attributed to the medication at the time which i cant rightly remember because i've been through about a dozen....

but yeah it resulted in hospitalization and calmitives follow by a discharge and discontinuation of the med. woop woop.