h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am at Cambridge University and I think there are a lot of very depressed people here. I have talked to very few people who actually still like their subject a few weeks into their first term. I believe this is because the principle of this university seem to be to make every task just that little bit too hard so you can't quite get it. The Univerity counselling service is completely overrun. When I first went there I was put on a waiting list - as number 99. Fortunately I got I a little quicker than that, but I couldn't help thinking that someone else would have had to wait very much longer.
In the end, the only thing that actually made me feel any better was antidepressants. I can only recommend them.
Obviously if you have serious issues, it is neccessary to sort those out first - but if you frequently find yourself feeling depressed without any apparent reason, I think this is the only way. And you really won't turn into a zombie.
Everyone told me, oh, you shouldn't do that, you don't want to get your happiness out of some chemicals, you'll walk around with this stupid grin on you face, it'll just make you feel bland... etc.
But all it really does it take the sadness away. And it leaves you free to sort out your life.

Yep, I agree totally. Antidepressants are a tool that can help give you perspective and breathing space to look at the other issues that might be contributing to your depression. They're not a 'quick fix' or instant 'happy pills' - but they can certainly lift one out of the suicidal desparation when it seems like there are no other resources.

Then maybe you can look at some of the expectations and pressures that you feel under, and decide how to deal with them - especially in a university context. I think that Oxbridge can be worse for this - you've got everything crammed into an 8 week term, and all the stereotypes of having to have a brilliant time at the 'cream' of universities. I did 2 terms at Oxford before dropping out from depression and related problems. I started again on a totally different course at a totally different uni a few years later. Best thing I ever did.

absolutely. I think the 8 week term is the most stupid thing ever. 8 weeks of running about and stressing until you collapse completely and go home to mommy for a couple of weeks. I definitely think we need a little revolution here. But to change something at Cambridge takes at least 20 years or so.

Why do these places try to kill people instead of teach them? Here in South Africa I actually attempted suicide and very nearly succeeded because I was unable to keep up with the university work. It was not entirely the authorities' fault, it was also a result of partying too much, I started to abuse alcohol and was soon in miserable shape. But that was also a kind of social institution - in the hostels people are encouraged to do all kinds of wild and dangerous things in the name of 'fun'. This often ends up hurting people badly. I did not become depressed, in fact I became quite insane! As a result of my university experience I 'lost' about eight years of my life and I still don't have a university degree!

I appreciate that many people find that anti-depressants work but I strongly advise trying all other options first. I suffered from depression for a very long time but never received adequate help and support. I become socially isolated as friends all abandoned me and so I became involved in a new social group comprising totally of drug addicts, alcoholics and mentally ill people. Although I felt as if I had found people who understood me, the group just encouraged self-destructive behaviour in each other.

I was started on anti-depressants at 15, but by 19 I was on a nasty cocktail of anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, mood stabilisers, sedatives and occassionally benzodiazapines. The mix of this cocktail of psychotropic medications would change every other week. I tried to commit suicide a number of times and was finally sent to a psychiatric hospital as a day patient (there were no inpatient beds luckily). I didn't start to make any recovery or progress until the day when I was discharged with no support and so stopped all my medication. I haven't looked back since then.

I made the decision to look at my life and see what I could improve for myself. University contributed to my depression, so I made the HUGE decision to leave. It was very difficult and I was left with no social support, but I got a job and found that this gave me free time to relax. The job was not a difficult one, but working helped me to, rebuild my confidence, relearn communication skills, meet and form new social networks and most importantly it helped me to make a decision about my future. I am back at college now, doing a course I love and enjoy. I am planning for my future; previously I saw no future other than death for myself. Most importantly, I am seeing a counsellor every week. I am not seeing the counsellor because I feel depressed, but I am seeing the counsellor so I can resolve all previous issues that had never been dealt with and learn new and effective coping mechanisms. In the same way that I have given up smoking and try to eat properly to ensure good physical health, I am seeing the counsellor to ensure good mental health.

Even if a person does not suffer from depression or any other form of mental illness, they need to be aware of possible problems and the steps they can take to promote their own healthy mental health. Your mental health needs looking after as well as your physical health.

Sounds like you've had some good successes, deackie! Thanks for sharing all of that! Hope things keep going well for you!

I hope things are going all right for you now. I don't think people realise quite how dangerous alcohol can be. Don't worry about not having a degree, just find what it is you want to do and do it. Whatever you do you'll be a success.

alcohol i very very evil

*agrees wholeheartedly*. It's a depressant to begin with, and can lead to all sorts of nasty consequences. Plus, use it too often, and you end up having to deal wtih alcoholism as well as depression.

I don't know that I would go as far as to say that alcohol is evil, I enjoy a nice pint of too much, but I think that people need more awareness of the problems it can cause and need to be sensible with their drinking. It may be fun to get drunk, but it is not fun to vomit blood and bile, or have your liver function greatly deteriorate. People think that alcoholics are scruffy, old men but I have had friends that were alcoholics and became addicted in their teens.

Certainly the practice of self-medicating with alcohol (and illegal drugs) when a person has a mental illness, just agravates the problem and can have detrimental effects.

Only 20 years? I would think at least a couple of centuries. I agree that the 8 week term is totally insane - everyone at any normal university thinks that you are just lucky because you get really long holidays but in fact the intensity if a term is far in excess of any other uni in Britain - apart from Oxford I assume. The thing is that because of the way supervisions work, giving you at least one unmissable deadlne a week, there is no time to get even slightly behind...even if depression starts out as just a few days of feeling down, it is cumulative becuase you get more and more behind, paniced, under pressure, sleep deprived - and there is SO much pressure not to slip from the very people, your tutor and your director of studies, who are supposed to be supporting you. No wonder the counselling service is overloaded. Although I'm sure there are a whole lot of cambridge students who are to scared of being accused of 'failure' to go or just can't fit an appoitment into their schedules... Sorry to whine but it was a relief to write this down...

I'm at Oxford and have just been diagnosed with clinical depression. I think the Oxbridge system is swings and roundabouts as regards causing or contributing to this sort of thing. On the one hand I definitely agree that the 8 week term doesn't help at all and that the tutorial/supervison system means the stress of important deadline every week. I also think that Oxford is simply full of high-achievers and perfectionists, often with low self-esteem and real anxieties about failure. However, if you have a tutor you get on with, there are real advantages to the tutorial system too - you have regular contact with the person responsible for setting your work. Both my tutors have been immensely helpful - reducing my workload, reasurring me that I'm not a complete academic failure and stressing that they are there for me to talk to if I need to.
One other advantage to university is that you have a support network of friends nearby, if you're open about what's going on. In my case it's their support that's helping me get through each day. The fact that people haven't given up on me helps me know, rationally at least, that I will get through and come out the other side of this, even if It doesn't feel very like that at the moment. So, for anyone else in a similar situation, in the words of my tutor "hang in there!"