<story><title>Experimental depression treatment is nearly 80% effective in controlled study</title><url>https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/10/depression-treatment.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>rubicon33</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve had depression for 20+ years and the best way I would describe it is like this:&lt;p&gt;Think of that little &amp;quot;kick&amp;quot; you get when you think of something you want to do.  Maybe you like eating ice cream, maybe you like playing tennis, whatever it is... that feeling, that subconscious little mental boost that gets you up off your ass, and moving... is completely absent in the depressed mind.&lt;p&gt;That spark that initiates and sustains action, is simply not there.  Tasks, even small ones, are giant and the future is hopeless.</text></item><item><author>pcurve</author><text>“I don’t procrastinate anymore,” he added. “I’m sleeping better. I completely quit alcohol. I’m walking my dog and playing the guitar again, for nothing more than the sheer joy of it.”  Most importantly, he said, “I’m remaining positive and being respectful of others. These are big changes in my life.”&lt;p&gt;Serious question: are these typical signs of depression?  Now I&amp;#x27;m wondering if I have depression.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>xapata</author><text>It took me a while to realize that most people don&amp;#x27;t consider suicide as one of a few strategies to deal with everyday problems.  Thought process: I don&amp;#x27;t want to do my homework.  I could (A) get up and do it, or (B) kill myself.  Happily, I&amp;#x27;ve learned to dissociate myself from the part of my consciousness that thinks that way.</text></comment>
<story><title>Experimental depression treatment is nearly 80% effective in controlled study</title><url>https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/10/depression-treatment.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>rubicon33</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve had depression for 20+ years and the best way I would describe it is like this:&lt;p&gt;Think of that little &amp;quot;kick&amp;quot; you get when you think of something you want to do.  Maybe you like eating ice cream, maybe you like playing tennis, whatever it is... that feeling, that subconscious little mental boost that gets you up off your ass, and moving... is completely absent in the depressed mind.&lt;p&gt;That spark that initiates and sustains action, is simply not there.  Tasks, even small ones, are giant and the future is hopeless.</text></item><item><author>pcurve</author><text>“I don’t procrastinate anymore,” he added. “I’m sleeping better. I completely quit alcohol. I’m walking my dog and playing the guitar again, for nothing more than the sheer joy of it.”  Most importantly, he said, “I’m remaining positive and being respectful of others. These are big changes in my life.”&lt;p&gt;Serious question: are these typical signs of depression?  Now I&amp;#x27;m wondering if I have depression.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>d1lanka</author><text>&amp;quot;You asked me how depression felt, and this is all I could come up with.
It feels like I’m walking upstream through a current strong enough to pull me under four times over.&lt;p&gt;There are others with me but they are walking along the banks telling me to “just get out of the water.”&lt;p&gt;But instead of extending a hand in help, they just move on and leave me behind.&lt;p&gt;Every once in a while I find a rock that is strong enough for me to lean on, And I can rest for a bit.&lt;p&gt;But the rocks always get tired of holding me up, and when they let go, I’m left drowning, thrown 50 feet back again.&lt;p&gt;And nothing is harder than standing up in that current when everything in you is telling you how much easier things would be if you just let yourself get dragged under.&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;—Unknown</text></comment>