That's on campus... Now, speaking from experience as a retired us army soldier, depression is more. It's ptsd, post traumatic stress disorder, which I have been currently fighting for 4 days. I do see a therapy group but it only does so much and I'm even on medications. The problem is I go to the VA hospital and those doctors can only see so many people in a day and are booked far out. So, say I need to see a doctor about this, I wouldn't get in until 3-4 months. And even outside doctors want to do a preliminary checkup if you haven't been seen by them before. The mental health issue is a serious matter. Unfortunately, when help is needed professionally, it's a long wait and that person depending on how severe it is, probably doesn't have much time. This is no joke. It's a very serious matter. Suicide rates for military veterans are high. And yet, the help is not where it should be when needed.
But at least you didn't need to read a piece of paper to know that services were offered at the VA. That's my only point. I agree that there just isn't enough help available to help all the ones in need, but people should know as adults where to at least start seeking help whether it's available or not. There's never going you be someone taking your hand and saying "everything is gonna be ok" that's just the way the world works. You and you alone are responsible for you. If you need help its out there, you just have to ask
Thank you for your comments. I wouldn't waste your time darling. Clearly from his responses and his attitude towards my point, he has never properly experienced depression or any other mental health issue. So he can't speak or tell us to "get off our arses to find help" when he doesn't know what it like.
How can people ask if they don't know where to go ? This is my point which you keep missing. Example: if you're driving along a motorway where do you know where you're going if there's no signs directing you where to go.
True to an extent, because first going through the VA and even calling them the first thing they say/give you is depression/suicide pamphlets. Which I've seen most throw away, yet Herr days later that they've taken their life. Technically, it depends on the person and what they do with that knowledge/helpful guide given to them. There's also, if you're an independent study, self help books. The passing of my grandma sent me over the edge that I got two speeding tickets in one week. That forced me to open my eyes. Therapy wasn't helping and I had to take matters into my own hands. Bought myself a self help workbook on getting over death. Guess what? It helped. So, it depends on the person... Some need help to get help and others know when to get help.
That's just it. People don't know where to go. Society marks people like us who fight mental illness daily as a danger. Like ptsd for example. Say I get a job and they find out I have ptsd. They will freak out thinking I'm going to shoot the place up, but I'm not because I don't have an "aggressive" or "physical" ptsd. People, however place people like us in one or two categories... Stable or Not Stable. That's all society and it comes back always to media who blow it way out of proportion. Making it harder on those with mental illness to look/get help because of being categorized by society.
@Irish. That is true but there is help. Society may judge you for getting it but it's available. There's a difference between not being able to FIND help and not being able to RECEIVE help because of the stigma that society may place upon you.
I think your story is an uplifting one Irish. You realized that you weren't yourself or living up to your positive potential and did something about it. Many people today have all this opportunity to get better and just choose not to take advantage of it. Now I know that comments will be made that "Depressed people cannot just get up and seek help" but it seems to me that's exactly what you did. Even when the programs offered to you weren't working, you didn't give up. You persevered and sought help through different channels until you found what worked for you. I'm going to assume that was hard for you, but you did it anyway. This is the message I'm trying to convey to these people. Just because there's a piece of paper in your pamphlet telling you exactly what to do in case of a problem...its ulitmately up to you to fix it. And if a piece of paper helps facilitate that fine...but really it's a matter of having enough self worth and preservation to get out and find help
It basically comes down to it you've passed the point of giving up. There were many, many times I wanted to give up. Times where I thought things were so bad I thought of and attempted suicide, but that little glimmer of hope always came through telling me is a permanent solution what I need for a temporary problem? No, it isn't. Sometimes depression, untreated, can be so bad that even with help it'll be hard. Sometimes being placed in a psych ward makes it harder and people find out and treat you differently. I know because when I was medvaced (think that's correct spelling) from Cuba to Portsmouth Virginia I was placed in a psych ward for having seizures. Yea, not fun. I seen homicidal and suicidal people stay for three days and leave. Myself, with seizures, was in the psych ward for 3 weeks, before being stationed with the wounded warrior unit in Fort Eustis Virginia. Once there, I told the command what happened, since I knew nothing of the area and they helped me get the right help. It took multiple tries, but I eventually got through it. To this day, I believe my case worker was having a mid life crisis.
Sorry. But the feeling still applies...glad you're still with us and thanks again for serving (That's what I get for just replying and not creeping profiles) :lol:
My imput is that by not promoting that they offer help some that need it won't find it and then it is lost because they feel there is a lack of need... I know this to be true from experience. I have ptsd and post-partum depression and though it took awhile to do so I actively sought help I hit dead end after dead end and eventually gave up. An example: I called my insurance and requested help to be asked a few questions and told I did not qualify as depressed on their scale but they would send me to a counseling center per my request, they referred me to a substance abuse center.. The only counseling they offer that has any familiarity with any ptsd but wouldn't take me as I've never been an addict. Things got worse and I reached out again. I did not find the help I sought but I did find the answer why. I found that not only my county but the whole "district or section" my county resides in has ZERO specialists to deal with what are called peri-partum mood disorders. The hospitals did not advertise or tell mothers they had help and few found it looking on thier own so they closed the programs due to "lack of need" in the area... I know there is help out there but I can't get to it and had the places that offered help reached out they would not have found there to be a lack of need. I have begun working with a mother run support group that has reached out just to our immediate area thru an early childhood schooling program and has found a large need but it is a long hard road to fix this problem, especially as most of us trying to fix this broken system are still struggling. Also, just my opinion, I believe everyone has a right to their opinion but the moment you attack or belittle someone else's opinion you open yourself to the same criticism.
@vance lol did I say he does not have a right to speak ? No I did not so don't try and twist my words thanks. I was just advising quimy not to bother wasting their time typing a long message. And yes experiencing something can outrule common sense because you can't be handing out advice on something you have no actual experience on. It's like me trying to give advice to someone on how to climb mountain Everest, yet I've never climbed a mountain in my life
This whole stigma of depressing is disgusting. Some people sit there and just say oh just get off your ass and do it yourself blah blah. If you truly experienced what actual depression is. You would not be saying those types of things. Because you would of experience why that person doesn't want to get out of bed, why they think their life is worthless and that they're just existing not living. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Not everyone is strong that they can walk up to a clinic and say they need help. Some need more assistance than others. So when you got people like smurf trying to bash down saying that we shouldn't be providing extra help or promoting the services. Its Just proving that this stigma is still around.