Aa
Will this situation cause me to forever be depressed?
I am in a situation here that I believe might leave me either depressed, in panic, or both all day everyday for my entire life. I have developed a phobia of being in situations I cannot escape from. There are these thoughts (realizations) I have that are there all day everyday which all involve me being in a sitation I forever cannot escape from. One of these thoughts (which is the thought I'm having now) is that my nose is forever constantly there in my view and there is forever constantly no escape from that situation. Because of this, the depression and fear from this thought is constantly there (and perhaps will be there forever).
As many people would know who suffer from depression and panic disorder is that there is absolutely no way in talking yourself out of it or even talking yourself into calming it down. I realize that the words "trapped" and "can't escape" do not apply in this (as well as the other situations I'm in) and, therefore, I shouldn't feel like I can't escape. I also realize that fear is a response to danger and that since there is no danger, there is no reason to fear this thought about my nose (as well as all these other thoughts I'm having). But even so, this has absolutely no effect whatsoever against these thoughts.
So I have a very important question here which is that people who do have treatment resistant depression are people who never get better and never fully recover. As for me though, I do not have treatment resistant depression because there were many situations in my life that have caused me chronic depression, but I have completely gotten over the depression in each and every one of those situations (it took perhaps 6-12 months for each and every one of these situations), but I have managed to achieve this.
But this is where the question comes in which is that even for people such as me who do not have treatment resistant depression and have completely gotten over depression many times in many situations, is it possible for me to forever be depressed in a certain situation (the situation I am in now)? In other words, does it instead depend on the situation itself as to whether you will completely get over your depression or not and that it does not depend on if you are someone who has completely gotten over depression many times in many other situations?
If, for example, someone who does not have depression were to live his/her entire life burning in a lake of fire (Hell), this person would obviously feel depressed (hopeless and such). But would this person's depression be chronic and last forever, or would he/she completely get over the depression despite all his/her pain and suffering in Hell? And if this person never completely gets over the depression, would it of been because he/she has allowed it? I ask this because if you are someone with either no depression or like me who has completely gotten over it in many situations, then according to science, wouldn't you be able to completely get over depression in any situation and that the only way not to is to allow it?
The reason my situation is causing me depression is because I realize that I now have a panic disorder and that it's highely likely to forever be there and that I will have some (if not many) panic attacks each day and that there is no escape from this. I notice something which is that unlike my depression which gets better, the fear is something that never gets better (so I might be treatment resistant in terms of this panic disorder). I think it might be because, unlike depression which is something for me that is a temporary response to a problem in life, fear is actually a learned behavior that does not go away on its own and has to be reduced through exposure therapy. But even then I do not know if exposure therapy will even work because, as I just stated, I might be treatment resistant which is why I ask this next question.
If you are in a constant fearful situation such as a lion constantly chasing after you all day everyday, then the fear response to that situation will be constant all day everyday. You will have one panic attack immediately after another non-stop (of course, there will be moments of rest in which the mind is worn out from panic and has to regain its energy for more panic to happen). I feel that this is my situation. Since the situation I'm in is also a constant fearful situation (which is that my nose is constantly forever in my view and there is constantly forever no escape from that situation), this is the reason why I fear I will have one panic attack immediately after another constantly everyday for perhaps the rest of my life. Most normal panic attack sufferers only experience maybe 1 or 2 panic attacks per day because they do not percieve that they are in a constant fearful situation in which there is forever no escape. They only instead percieve a fearful situation in which there is no escape only once in a while (hence the reason why they only experience very few panic attacks per day). But as for me, I feel that my situation is the worst case scenario if my fear of my nose being in my view does get to a 10 (on a severity scale of 1-10) because of the fact that I, unlike most normal panic attack sufferers, do percieve that I am in a constant fearful situation in which there is forever no escape.
But there are methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Therapy to help. But even with these methods, there are people who don't respond or have very little response. One might assume it is because these people have chosen to think negative which prevented the therapy from being effective, but there are people who try their absolute best in not thinking negative and such and still have hardly any response to these methods. Therefore, what are all the reasons behind this? Would it simply be because it is just a fear that they absolutely cannot get over despite all therapy and everything else? But I do not see how that would make any sense because with exposure therapy, it's through having panic attacks that the brain realizes that there is no danger and that there is no reason to panic which is how the fear gets better over time. Therefore, even if this is a fear that this person absolutely cannot get over, then shouldn't exposure therapy take care of this fear anyway? Also, how does the brain make the realization that there is no reason to panic when a panic attack is experienced? Furthermore, does the brain still make this realization even in the situation I'm in (which is that I know that there is no reason to panic, but even so, I feel that the fear of constantly having one panic attack immediately after another for perhaps my entire life is an overwhelming fear that no positive realizations or therapy can help even despite the fact that I realize that it can't be proven if that will or is even possible to happen)?
In conclusion, I am not yet at that point where the fear is at a 10 (it was though at a 10 at one point before the depression came in and halted it). The reason for this is because the chronic depression I am experiencing is actually preventing (holding off) the fear. The fear might have been stopped by the depression, but that does not get rid of the fear. I notice that when there are moments where the depression goes down, the fear returns. If it weren't for this depression, I just might be in a situation where I am panicing practically all day.
Unfortunately, this leaves me with no choice but to either: A.) Have no depression and forever panic, or B.) Have no panic and forever be depressed. And since my fear is what's causing my depression knowing that I cannot escape this fear, unless I can completely get over this fear, then I'm thinking that the depression will forever be there.
As many people would know who suffer from depression and panic disorder is that there is absolutely no way in talking yourself out of it or even talking yourself into calming it down. I realize that the words "trapped" and "can't escape" do not apply in this (as well as the other situations I'm in) and, therefore, I shouldn't feel like I can't escape. I also realize that fear is a response to danger and that since there is no danger, there is no reason to fear this thought about my nose (as well as all these other thoughts I'm having). But even so, this has absolutely no effect whatsoever against these thoughts.
So I have a very important question here which is that people who do have treatment resistant depression are people who never get better and never fully recover. As for me though, I do not have treatment resistant depression because there were many situations in my life that have caused me chronic depression, but I have completely gotten over the depression in each and every one of those situations (it took perhaps 6-12 months for each and every one of these situations), but I have managed to achieve this.
But this is where the question comes in which is that even for people such as me who do not have treatment resistant depression and have completely gotten over depression many times in many situations, is it possible for me to forever be depressed in a certain situation (the situation I am in now)? In other words, does it instead depend on the situation itself as to whether you will completely get over your depression or not and that it does not depend on if you are someone who has completely gotten over depression many times in many other situations?
If, for example, someone who does not have depression were to live his/her entire life burning in a lake of fire (Hell), this person would obviously feel depressed (hopeless and such). But would this person's depression be chronic and last forever, or would he/she completely get over the depression despite all his/her pain and suffering in Hell? And if this person never completely gets over the depression, would it of been because he/she has allowed it? I ask this because if you are someone with either no depression or like me who has completely gotten over it in many situations, then according to science, wouldn't you be able to completely get over depression in any situation and that the only way not to is to allow it?
The reason my situation is causing me depression is because I realize that I now have a panic disorder and that it's highely likely to forever be there and that I will have some (if not many) panic attacks each day and that there is no escape from this. I notice something which is that unlike my depression which gets better, the fear is something that never gets better (so I might be treatment resistant in terms of this panic disorder). I think it might be because, unlike depression which is something for me that is a temporary response to a problem in life, fear is actually a learned behavior that does not go away on its own and has to be reduced through exposure therapy. But even then I do not know if exposure therapy will even work because, as I just stated, I might be treatment resistant which is why I ask this next question.
If you are in a constant fearful situation such as a lion constantly chasing after you all day everyday, then the fear response to that situation will be constant all day everyday. You will have one panic attack immediately after another non-stop (of course, there will be moments of rest in which the mind is worn out from panic and has to regain its energy for more panic to happen). I feel that this is my situation. Since the situation I'm in is also a constant fearful situation (which is that my nose is constantly forever in my view and there is constantly forever no escape from that situation), this is the reason why I fear I will have one panic attack immediately after another constantly everyday for perhaps the rest of my life. Most normal panic attack sufferers only experience maybe 1 or 2 panic attacks per day because they do not percieve that they are in a constant fearful situation in which there is forever no escape. They only instead percieve a fearful situation in which there is no escape only once in a while (hence the reason why they only experience very few panic attacks per day). But as for me, I feel that my situation is the worst case scenario if my fear of my nose being in my view does get to a 10 (on a severity scale of 1-10) because of the fact that I, unlike most normal panic attack sufferers, do percieve that I am in a constant fearful situation in which there is forever no escape.
But there are methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Therapy to help. But even with these methods, there are people who don't respond or have very little response. One might assume it is because these people have chosen to think negative which prevented the therapy from being effective, but there are people who try their absolute best in not thinking negative and such and still have hardly any response to these methods. Therefore, what are all the reasons behind this? Would it simply be because it is just a fear that they absolutely cannot get over despite all therapy and everything else? But I do not see how that would make any sense because with exposure therapy, it's through having panic attacks that the brain realizes that there is no danger and that there is no reason to panic which is how the fear gets better over time. Therefore, even if this is a fear that this person absolutely cannot get over, then shouldn't exposure therapy take care of this fear anyway? Also, how does the brain make the realization that there is no reason to panic when a panic attack is experienced? Furthermore, does the brain still make this realization even in the situation I'm in (which is that I know that there is no reason to panic, but even so, I feel that the fear of constantly having one panic attack immediately after another for perhaps my entire life is an overwhelming fear that no positive realizations or therapy can help even despite the fact that I realize that it can't be proven if that will or is even possible to happen)?
In conclusion, I am not yet at that point where the fear is at a 10 (it was though at a 10 at one point before the depression came in and halted it). The reason for this is because the chronic depression I am experiencing is actually preventing (holding off) the fear. The fear might have been stopped by the depression, but that does not get rid of the fear. I notice that when there are moments where the depression goes down, the fear returns. If it weren't for this depression, I just might be in a situation where I am panicing practically all day.
Unfortunately, this leaves me with no choice but to either: A.) Have no depression and forever panic, or B.) Have no panic and forever be depressed. And since my fear is what's causing my depression knowing that I cannot escape this fear, unless I can completely get over this fear, then I'm thinking that the depression will forever be there.
Until you have tried every anti-depressant along with every possible combination of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, and mood stabilizer you can't say that you will always be depressed. Actually, with each anti-depressant, only ~30% of the people who try it will find it effective. The ~60% will have to try another. I have tried some SSRI's, SNRI's without finding an effective one. Now I am on an MAOI and ECT and my depression is much improved. Don't give up. A solution is out there.
Matt, we've been over the way mental illness works many times. The "science" is based mostly on theories. I've told you that very little about the brain has been proven as a FACT.
All I can tell you is of course you won't be depressed for the rest of your life...if you address the issues and help yourself, both by getting professional help, and also by being proactive about the things YOU are doing to help yourself.
You get way too stuck on these analytical questions, which will only serve to frustrate you, because depression isn't like cancer or diabetes, it's not as easy to just say....."here are the facts...". With depression, there are theories. What you need to focus on is the positive, and the fact that many many people manage depression just fine.
All I can tell you is of course you won't be depressed for the rest of your life...if you address the issues and help yourself, both by getting professional help, and also by being proactive about the things YOU are doing to help yourself.
You get way too stuck on these analytical questions, which will only serve to frustrate you, because depression isn't like cancer or diabetes, it's not as easy to just say....."here are the facts...". With depression, there are theories. What you need to focus on is the positive, and the fact that many many people manage depression just fine.
Thanks for the encouragement. But the reason I am here talking about it and asking the question whether I will be depressed forever or not is because if someone can convince me that I won't be and will get over it just like how I did with all those other situations I was in, then this will give me a bit more hope and this hope would then likely be the extra boost I need that will actually get rid of the depression completely later on.
Therefore, as I stated before, what would be the scientific reason for someone such as myself who has completely gotten over many depressive situations in life to actually feel forever depressed in this situation? Wouldn't, according to science, if you have already completely gotten over your depression in many situations, then shouldn't that mean you will be able to completely get over depression in any situation? If not, could someone who has scientific knowledge of how the brain works give me a scientific explanation as to why that is? If so, then go ahead and give me the scientific information that proves this and this will give me the hope needed to completely overcome this depression.
Therefore, as I stated before, what would be the scientific reason for someone such as myself who has completely gotten over many depressive situations in life to actually feel forever depressed in this situation? Wouldn't, according to science, if you have already completely gotten over your depression in many situations, then shouldn't that mean you will be able to completely get over depression in any situation? If not, could someone who has scientific knowledge of how the brain works give me a scientific explanation as to why that is? If so, then go ahead and give me the scientific information that proves this and this will give me the hope needed to completely overcome this depression.
HI again Matt.
You are WAY WAY WAY over thinking all of this dear!
It does stink to have to live with anxiety (panic) and depression, but it IS possible to manage it, completely. I'm living proof of that. My panic has left me basically home bound in many times in my life. I pushed, I worked hard at it, I got therapy, and did a lot of work on my own, with the help of medications to help minimize the symptoms.
It's about changing the way you think, truly. It's as simple as that, and there are many ways to accomplish that. Therapy, distraction, getting on with life...are some of the best ways to do that.
Your brain is your own worst enemy, with your cyclic thinking. Being a deep thinker is a great thing, but not for an anxiety prone person. You have to learn when and how to shut it off.
Remind me again what you've done to address the anxiety and depression?
You are WAY WAY WAY over thinking all of this dear!
It does stink to have to live with anxiety (panic) and depression, but it IS possible to manage it, completely. I'm living proof of that. My panic has left me basically home bound in many times in my life. I pushed, I worked hard at it, I got therapy, and did a lot of work on my own, with the help of medications to help minimize the symptoms.
It's about changing the way you think, truly. It's as simple as that, and there are many ways to accomplish that. Therapy, distraction, getting on with life...are some of the best ways to do that.
Your brain is your own worst enemy, with your cyclic thinking. Being a deep thinker is a great thing, but not for an anxiety prone person. You have to learn when and how to shut it off.
Remind me again what you've done to address the anxiety and depression?
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