DEPRESSION

[Sparkle]

Has anyone ever suffered from it, and if so, what remedies did you try? I have heard St. John's Wort is effective.

[maddie]

I don't think I've suffered from deep depression as I've seen with some of my ara friends. I usually get angry rather than depressed. I think my anger is a defense mechanism to help expel sorrow. It's certainly easy for a compassionate, aware person to get depressed with all of the injustice toward animals that goes on every moment. One thing that keeps me clear headed is knowing that every moment I spend being angry, I can spend doing something to help. I have a schedule that allows me so much time every week to help and I also have a certain amount of time delegated for myself, to relax and regenerate. If I am feeling particularly angry, I usually grab my leaflets and go out to distribute them regardless if it's my alloted time on my weekly schedule, or I grab some bird seed and nuts and go on a hike in the woods and feed the squirrels and birds. My husband is vegan and involved in activism. I'm lucky to have him and a couple of close friends that are vegan activists as well. It really helps to have like minded people who understand, I know I can call them anytime. I know we will spend time most every week getting out there to do something to help animals. If we let the animal abusing bastards get us down to the point that we are spending time away from helping, it's going to take longer to achieve our goals. It took determined activists to win desegregation in the southern u.s., for example, and we have to remain steady if we are to win. It's so important that we unite and are there for each other and the animals. I'm certainly here for you. I'm going to pm you my email addy if you want to talk privately.
:smallheart: Maddie

ps I always feel great when I take my weekly sublingual B-12 and I've heard the same from friends. I've gotten to where I take half one day and wait 3 days to take the other half. The same is true when I eat my milled flax seed.

[Keykeypie]

Has anyone ever suffered from it, and if so, what remedies did you try? I have heard St. John's Wort is effective.
Hi Sparkle,
are you talking about being depressed over animals and all the cruelty?

Bucause what really helps me, is to go to the PETA2 boards and read
what the all teenagers of this new generation are saying. I never post there because it's really for the kids.....but boy oh boy....what wonderful, smart kids they are......thousands of them.....all vegans......they are going to make the changes happen......just go have a look......you don't have to register.
I bet you'll feel a lot better.....always works for me:)

[Gliondrach]

For clinical depression, St. John's Wort has been shown to be effective. This is for mild to moderate depression. It is not to be used for Bipolar Disorder, though.

It can affect various drugs that may have been prescribed to a sufferer.

There's anecdotal evidence that omega 3 can help.

[maddie]

Here's something you may want to listen to:
http://www.animalvoices.ca/node/70

[Oracl]

It's so important that we unite and are there for each other and the animals. This is so true, maddie. :agree:

I do get very depressed, Sparkle, but I have no magic remedies, I'm afraid. :(

[maddie]

Bucause what really helps me, is to go to the PETA2 boards and read
what the all teenagers of this new generation are saying. I never post there because it's really for the kids.....but boy oh boy....what wonderful, smart kids they are......thousands of them.....all vegans......they are going to make the changes happen......just go have a look......you don't have to register.
I bet you'll feel a lot better.....always works for me:)
I have only heard of peta2, I haven't checked out the site; I have told some of the local kids about it. It is wonderful to see the growing number of teenage vegans/ara's!!! I like to go to the alf forum and watch the liberation videos: http://animalliberationfront.com/MediaCenter/MediaNotes.htm

If you haven't yet seen Shannon Keith's 'Behind the Mask', I would see it. It only has 5 minutes of graphic footage and the rest is pure liberation! Nothing like seeing an animal liberated to lift your spirits. Here's a great interview with Shannon Keith about her film, she's an inspriration in herself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zFaoAlhDl4
http://www.uncagedfilms.com/

[Gliondrach]

Plus I'm also quite shy, and the thought of handing leaflets to people is quite daunting to me.

Generally though, I'm looking forward to it, because I find it fulfilling. When I was 13, I arranged a petition for a ban on the transport of live veal calves. I got between 500 and 1000 signatures, and an article in the paper devoted to my efforts. It's quite depressing to think that in nearly ten years, nothing has changed. Seemed like a lot of signatures at the time...
You might think that you didn't make a difference with the signatures but the newspaper article could have changed some people's thinking. You never know who you might have influenced.

As for handing out leaflets - I think it's better to do it as part of a stall display. When I have done it I have never tried to force leaflets into the hands of passersby because most will just be thrown away. I prefer to hold them out for anyone who is interested in taking one.

Don't get depressed by the thought of how overwhelming it all seems. Most of us can't do much as individuals. But there are thousands of us and together we are strong and we do have an influence. Remember, most of us came to our present beliefs because of something that influenced us.

[maddie]

What helped me to build up my courage was joining a local AR group and going out to demo's and leafleting with them. After a while I didn't mind going out on my own or with a couple of close friends, now I go out alone frequently and it doesn't bother me. One thing that helps is knowing that there are more people like us out there that are just waiting for the information to make the change.

Congrat's on your petition when you were 13!!! Take comfort in knowing that you reached and possibly changed many people, as Gliondrach said.

[thevegantwins]

:( :hbang:

I'm so stressed now. My husband is now depressed, heading towards serious depression over his grandmother. One of my close friends, who lives 1,500 miles from me, is having suicidal thoughts and is suffering from major depression and the supervisor who used to sit behind me 'resigned' last week after failing another drug test, he tried to kill himself this past weekend. He was annoying but didn't deserve to be treated the way he was by our administration. They knew he was suffering from bipolar disorder and was an addict, they knew that for years, yet they did it to him anyway though they allow the addicts they like to stay here until retirement.

Anyway, I'm trying to be strong but this is really rough on me. My husband suffered from major depression about 6 years ago and he literally stayed in our apartment for a year playing computer games. We have kids now and I'm so scared of that happening again. :crying:

[Keykeypie]

Oh gee....I'm really so sorry to hear that. Is his grandmother sick ...does she live close by?
I wish there was something I could say other then I'm certainly sending
you good thoughts....and to your friend too.

Just take a deep breath.....or you know....I sure hope things get better
real soon.

[Gliondrach]

Perhaps having children will help your husband to stay more positive than when he was last depressed. He didn't have them before to occupy his mind. He might know that if he lets his condition affect them they could feel the same as he feels about his grandmother - a sense of wanting to help, but not fully understanding and not knowing what it is like for the suffering person.

I hope he is better soon. And your friend and former colleague.

[Bowwowmeow]

I've been avoiding this thread because I have been depressed. :( It looks like we all need a group hug, at the very least. :hug:

[Gliondrach]

I'm sorry to hear you're suffering, BWM. I hope your various four-footed friends can help to keep you positive.

I'm lucky because I never get depressed. I wish I could share my secret with all of you who need it.

[Pat Sommer]

The support here is wonderful. Keeping positive is a help. But Depression can be a life-threatening disorder: try A,B,C then go and get DRUGS. It might take some experimentation to find what works (one friend used electro-convulsive therapy) but don't rule out anything to feel better.

My father was bipolar before there was meds and I went through a mild depression (untreated) of 2 years in the '80s. What a waste.

Now I go on St. John's a few weeks a year if need be and if that doesn't keep the fear and dread of each new day from my head then I won't shy from getting help.

The world needs us alive and happy!:friends:

[thevegantwins]

As a person who has been visiting different vegan sites for a few years and a social worker, I have noticed that depression seems to be more common in the vegan community versus the non-vegan community. I have 2 hypothesis. The one I believe is more likely is that certain people are just more sensitive to suffering and these people are more likely to make the connection between human suffering and animal suffering and go vegan. This sensitivity makes living in a cruel world difficult hence the depression.

The other hypothesis is that people who are suffering from depression look for like-minded folk and gravitate towards veganism since there seems to be like-minded people within this community.

Good news about my husband. He was seriously depressed on Monday but I told him he needs to spend quality time with the kids in order to realize how much he has. He took them to the playground and that really seemed to perk him up. He called me this morning and they were on the train, heading down the shore to have lunch at our favorite veggy restaurant. He sounded happy but who wouldn't when they had 2 vegan children jumping with joy on their lap? :hyper: :hyper:

[Gliondrach]

That's great news, TVT. How's his grandma?

[thevegantwins]

That's great news, TVT. How's his grandma?
She's doing slightly better on the anti-psychotic medication. He stayed with her for awhile last night and she's still trying to kill herself and saying she wants to die but she seemed slightly more lucid. She keeps pulling her IV's out though and disconnecting her heart monitor. :(

[Gliondrach]

It'll take time for them to find the right balance for her.

[Oracl]

He sounded happy but who wouldn't when they had 2 vegan children jumping with joy on their lap? :hyper: :hyper:
That is good news, TVT. :yea:

Oh and I relate very much to your first hypothesis on depression in vegans. :rubchin: :agree:

[Keykeypie]

Oh.....I'M real glad things are looking up........I know we all tried to send you good thoughts so maybe that did help.

I heard something about ten years ago I'll never forget. Someone on TV was interviewing Anne Lindbergh, the widow of Charles Lindbergh (http://www.charleslindbergh.com/history/index.asp)and the
reporter asked her if it was true that tragedy actually makes a person stronger, because she is certainly a person who suffered many terrible things,
...the murder of her baby son & losing her husband at a young age & what
really got my attention was she just laughed very hard at that question.

Finally, she stopped laughing and said "NO! Tragedy doesn't make you stronger....tragedy knocks you down and makes you feel weak & helpless.
It makes you bitter & makes you question everything you've ever believed
in. It hurts so much you want to die just to get away from the pain"

And I'm thinking....yes, right, now that makes sense.

But she went on to explain: She said, that everything that happened to her
was in the news & opened to the public and that while in one way that made
things difficult, she said that she also got letters from people all over the world......sending love & sympathy. She said that she believes that if someone who suffers a tragic loss, is fortunate enough to have many people,
either close by or far away, sending them love & caring & good energy.....it's that energy that gives the strength you often see in people who've suffered & that you get to keep that strength with you for the rest of your life.

I personally never understood how some people who've been through terrible things really do seem pretty strong but that made a lot of sense.