(03-30-2022, 01:42 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: That's sort of true but not completely.  Of course a therapist can't cure depression or any other mental illness.  However a good therapist is much more than someone to talk to without feeling like they are being judged.  They can also help the client develop coping skills to deal with their symptoms.  There are several approaches therapists can use for example cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy.   These can help the client learn to identify their symptoms and teach skills to help manage them. 

Of course a lot of therapy is listening to the client, understanding their issues and concerns without judgment.  But that only goes so far.  A good therapist will work with the client to help them develop coping skills.  It takes a lot of work not only for the therapist but also the client to help minimize symptoms through exercise and practice. 

I agree with this.

While we are still on this topic, and I think it is a good one for discussion sake and understanding, there is still unfortunately a lot of misconception about depression and mental illness as a whole.  For example a lot of people think being depressed means someone is sitting at home sad and feeling sorry for themself.  That's not really true at all.  One of the core symptoms of depression is a lack of interest in things that were once enjoyed.  Imagine waking up one day and nothing seems interesting or worth doing, nothing seems pleasurable.   Okay, only one day no big deal.  Now imagine this continues for weeks or months.  That would suck, right? 

Then there are the feelings of being worthless no matter how much you accomplished.  You know what you have achieved but you still feel like you have done nothing and are worth nothing.  No matter all the positive feedback from family, friends, co-workers, etc. you can't shake the feeling of being worthless.   And no matter how hard you fight those feelings nothing seems to work and you feel nobody cares or can understand.  So you feel alone.  

I think given Hayden's video these are things he experienced.  So I think some may understand when such feelings are so pervasive and continue for a long period of time it can lead to thoughts of self harm and not wanting to go on with life unfortunately.  

Living with a mental illness is a very complex issue.  There is also a broad spectrum that I think many don't understand when the topic comes up.  There seems to be an all or nothing belief, where people seem to think someone has been diagnosed with "this" so they must have all of the symptoms all the time.  Some people have just a few symptoms while others exhibit most symptoms and everything in between.   Some experience them sometimes and some experience them all the time and everything in between.   That makes it much more difficult to diagnose and treat.

I could ramble on about this more but I'm glad the topic came up.  I also wish Hayden the best season he has ever had, not just because I am a Bengals fan but because I applaud him for being so open about his struggles with his mental health.

Lastly, for those reading if you are struggling you are not alone and you don't have to be alone.  There are free confidential resources that you can go to for help:

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
https://www.nami.org/help

Suicide prevention Lifeline:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Phone: 1-800-273-8255

I know first hand that asking for help is very hard but it is the first step and you are worth it.

Nice story but this is a results league as a 1 round pick he has not delivered, hope he does with us..

(03-29-2022, 12:35 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Therapists don't have magic powers to make you feel better.  The biggest purpose they serve is giving people someone they can talk to openly without being judged or feeling like they are "dumping their problems" on friends and family.

Many problems can be worked out with discussion.  The issue is that most people don't have someone they can share their biggest secrets and fears with.  Even if you have a spouse or close friend that loves and accepts you no matter what it may put them in a difficult position to give you honest advice.  Or maybe you don't feel like burdening that person with your problems.

I suppose they help a few people. I've never meet one I thought was worth more than wet toilet paper, but that's just my feelings about the profession.. I've only had to deal with a couple hundred over the years.. I've meet a lot more drug counselors and social workers with a hell of a lot more skill and empathy dealing with people than shrinks.. 

(03-30-2022, 11:50 PM)grampahol Wrote: I suppose they help a few people. I've never meet one I thought was worth more than wet toilet paper, but that's just my feelings about the profession.. I've only had to deal with a couple hundred over the years.. I've meet a lot more drug counselors and social workers with a hell of a lot more skill and empathy dealing with people than shrinks.. 

My daughter is in a mental health facility right now....this hit my FEELS big time...Thank you!!

(03-30-2022, 10:36 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: Nice story but  this is a results league as a 1 round pick he has not delivered,  hope he does with us..

Such a ray of sunshine.

(03-31-2022, 04:32 AM)willieFANderson Wrote: Wouldn’t surprise me if we are seeing record levels of mental health issues - I needed help the other day and the treatment facility couldn’t take any more patients.

Lots of lonely people who have forgotten how to socialize - ‘paranoia’ as a symptom is related to a lack of oxytocin (no sex). A lot of behavioral issues are directly related to this including drug abuse which has been a problem for me in the past but I have gotten over it through other means (talk therapy, education and identification).

The main issue I see is over reliance on TikTok and social media and the delusion of actual vs fake relationships. Most social in-roads I used to have dried up during corona, same for others and nothing is easy right now in SW Ohio (weather, inflation, etc.). Not a lot of paths forward.

Head up and one foot in front of the other every day my friend... We all struggle with certain things from time to time. If you need an ear, you have one right here, and I know for a fact there are more than a few other people on this board that will take time out from their day too... And there's always a path forward.

Therapists can help some but when you have a chemical imbalance, you probably need medicine.

Just like I can lower my BP a few points by exercising and losing weight, but that's not enough to prevent me from being categorized as having high blood pressure.

I was on anti anxiety/depression medicine for a while and it affected my work enough that I weaned myself off it and told my doctor later (who said they wanted me on it for life). Amongst other things, always get multiple opinions and trust your gut, my uncle is a doctor and not the smartest person I ever met. They also make mistakes and don't care about your health as much as you do.