ask a local pastor. there are bound to be people at a local church who
will be more than willing to help you take care of your daughter;
babysitting, advice, support, whatever. as for jobs, check with senior
centers - i bet there are shut-ins who could use someone to do grocery
shopping or visiting, and there are companies that specialize in sending
people to do that sort of thing. and again, someone at a local church
might know of something.

i'm glad we made you feel better. keep smiling, we're all here for each
other.

hang in there chuck. i know, the most terrifying thing about being
depressed is wondering if you'll ever be happy again. or forgetting what
it's like to be happy. i'm glad hear you want to keep trying. i was
lucky enough to find a counselor i got along with on my first try, but
not everyone is that fortunate. my cousin still hasn't found one that
doesn't drive her crazy. keep at it. i'm pretty sure i speak for
everyone when i say we're all cheering for you.

heck yes, new hampshire! (sorry, i'm not a woman. just excited to see
someone else from NH!)

it really is incredible how sometimes we forget how connected we all
are. everything you experience, someone else is experiencing or has
experienced before. it's a very comforting thought.

it seems said girl from party failed to mention her boyfriend....

"so how do you feel about medical oddities?"

no lie - a girl i met at a party the other night asked me this very
question today. we're going to a museum of medical oddities on
wednesday.

marie is right. i started this thread to be a positive place for someone
who is depressed to see that they aren't alone. sharing your feelings is
important and healthy, but please - do it constructively.

that would make me about 3rd grade...

does anybody else agree that oldsage is appropriately named? (other than
the old part...55 is the new 20!)

oldsage has the right idea. cognitive therapy is the idea that negative
thinking patterns contribute a great deal to depression. learning to
recognize when i was using these negative thinking patterns and
balancing them with healthier thoughts was something my counselor and i
worked on. but depression is more than just thoughts; if you think this
way for too long, it creates a chemical imbalance in your brain. this is
clinical depression. while counseling alone is effective in treating
depression, the most effective treatment is a combination of therapy and
medication. there is nothing wrong with taking medication. some would
argue that we as a society are too medicated. but others would point out
that recognizing depression as a true physical illness is a relatively
recent development. besides, medication is temporary. when the imbalance
is corrected you can taper off. my shrink and i are actually going to
talk about possibly stopping my meds next time i see her. i'm not saying
that everyone who is depressed should be medicated. but i would
encourage everyone who is depressed to talk to a professional and talk
about all the different treatment options.

i close my eyes
and see your face
i block my ears
and hear your voice
i hold my breath
and i still smell you
where ever i am
i can taste you
when i’m all alone
i can still feel you in my arms

medication can be tricky. my friend was bi-polar, and they couldn't seem
to get her meds right. she jumped off the roof of a parking garage this
past summer...

boys love our mommies. he's perfectly normal. be supportive. if his
visits are starting to interfere with your life and needs, then talk to
him about it sensitively. he loves you, and he should be willing to sit
down with you and come up with a compromise.

you can't generalize about this kind of thing. everyone is individual.
oldsage had an incredible experience with a woman who was 7 years older.
i dated a girl who was 4 years older and she turned out to be incredibly
needy and immature.

another user posted a thread about being depressed. i know that she and
i aren't the only ones here who have this problem. if you are or have
suffered from clinical depression, and are comfortable with sharing,
help me let her know that she's not alone. as understanding as people
who haven't experienced this can try to be, it's comforting to hear from
people who have been in the same situation.

that made me smile :)

trust...until it's lost
unconditional love

my aunt figured out how much money she spent a week on cigarettes, and
every week she put that much in the bank as motivation. you could also
try reconditioning. wear a rubber band around your wrist, and every time
you have a craving, snap it against your skin. you will begin to
associate cravings with pain.

go see a professional. i'm depressed too, but with medication and
counseling, i'm ok again. therapists are great; they act as a completely
objective listener. they don't judge, and you can tell them anythinng,
because you don't have to face them when you're out in the real world,
at work or whatnot. writing in a journal also helped me.