Hi friends, thanks to me being really tired (I've got a cold) and some wonderfully kind bloggers linking to me (Thanks Camarena Circus and Postpartum Progress!)I thought I would do a shout out for Depression Profiles. It's been quite a while since I posted one and they are so important!
What is a Depression Profile, you ask? Well, that is what I call the short interviews I post with other depressed people. In a Depression Profile you can share your story your own way, like Doc did, or you can just answer my questions and I'll post it in a Q&A format, like Annalee chose. You don't have to be a member of the LDS Church, like Courtney. I just want to know about you. Oh, and you can be totally anonymous if you want.
I want to reiterate how important these profiles are. Depression is a tricky illness and everybody (the media, well-meaning bishops/doctors/teachers/anyone in authority positions, spouses, children, parents, men, women . . .you get the idea) wants to simplify it. They want it to be easy to spot and easy to treat. But depression is a varied thing and the only way we can understand it is to share our experiences. So, please, if you feel like you can, share your story here. We all benefit from each other's wisdom and perspective!
If you would like to share your story, email me at lolapalooza AT hotmail DOT com. Please put "depression profile" in the subject line so I know you aren't a spammer :)
Oh, and if you like to take quizzes about yourself (and what red-blooded American doesn't?) try this one: What type of depression are you? The coding is bad/ugly, but it's interesting. I came out with cyclothymic disorder. Since the quiz is only five questions long, I took it twice just to be sure. Never heard of it before but it sounds interesting! Too bad I don't really have "episodes of hypomania", though. My therapist will love this *wink*.
6 comments:
Ooh, I am impressed with the results (though my pickyness at spelling nearly sent me up the wall while taking it...grrr). It nailed my diagnosis given by professionals: Dysthymic Disorder.
(anon for this--but you know me personally...)
OK, for the uninitiated, what is Dysthymics Disorder or cyclothymic Disorder? What are the differences?
I am a member of the church and have dealt with anxiety and deprssion for 24 yrs. YAY!!!!! I have been seeing the same Dr. for that amount of time also. I am happy and healthy (today) ha ha ha I will drop you a line.
Kelly--If you click on the link in the post under cyclothymic disorder it will tell you what it is. But here is the short version: The DSM IV is the manual psychologists and psychiatrists use to determine what particular affliction their patient has. The illnesses/conditions/disorders are quite specific. When it comes to depression, there are actually only a few ways to be technically depressed. The one you are probably most familiar with is Major Depressive Disorder. That is the disorder most people think of when they envision depression. But for people who don't meet the criteria for that there are a whole slew of other depression-like disorders. Cyclothymic disorder is like bipolar-light. You know, lots of emotional swings but not as dramatic as bipolar. Dysthymic disorder is the technical term for chronic, mild-moderate depression. Technically speaking, there is no such thing as "mild depression"--no matter what the journalists tell you!
Nana-I hope you do email me and share you story! Your blog has such a vibrant energy. I'm interested to hear how you managed being depressed and vibrant at the same time!
Hi, I found you through Suzanne's blog. I thought you might like to read this post on my blog:
http://suerichardson.blogspot.com/2008/07/if-problem-gets-solved-does-it-really.html
Oh, and this one, too:
http://suerichardson.blogspot.com/2007/07/confessions-of-anxiety-ridden-mother.html
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