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

My manager said that I wasn't fit for work and the doctor seems to concur so I've been given a sick note for two weeks and a prescription for anti-depressants, exercise, making music, more socialising and an end to binge drinking. I can't help thinking the last two are mutually exclusive.

What I really need to do is get a new job but the market don't seem too hot at the moment. I'm keepin' on looking though.

It depends how much you drink: socialising when you are unconscious is fairly difficult (but not impossible)

Look on the bright side: people new to the site will see the status message after your name and think you are some kind of highly inefficient rapist

Actually, the dongle's still broken but Reaper has made me largely apathetic on the replacing it front. Right good it is.

It may or may not be of comfort to you to know that you are not alone. My moods have been ducking freadful for a few weeks now...and for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I've been chucking everything I can at it including lots of exercise and meditation but so far it won't shift. Who's pinched my sparkle?

I may have to try that out. Certainly looks good and I agree with the principle of the thing: it might even make some companies have to buck their ideas up. I'm in self imposed hardware limbo at the moment having saved up enough money to buy a top of the range music laptop and then been unable to decide which one I want. Now I don't want to use my old machines as they are somehow not good enough

Welcome to the exclusive club!

What sort of zombie happy pills have they decided to zonk you on? (Most really do Not Go Well with drink or herbal stuff; so you might have to make an informed Customer decision...

with trying to get a saner type of job!

zdt

GRJ: I have the unusual advantage of knowing why I'm depressed. It's the usual single mid-30s bloke in a big city doing a deteriorating job and creatively unfulfilled stuff. I hadn't twigged that I've been depressed for quite some time (MMF pretty much told me a year ago but I didn't take it on board.) I'm not too keen on the anti-depressant thing but have to get out of this rut somehow. Have a from a fellow downer!

a_a_e: Reaper's still a bit buggy but there are seriously regular updates. It has the advantage that the developer actually spends time on the forums listening to people! Oh, if only the big guns were like that.

T&Y: Citalopram Hydrobromide, 20mg thereof of a morning. I'm just going to give it a quick google.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citalopram

Hmm...seems safer than some of the zonkers they tried out on me; but looks like possible effects on yer sex life!

If TPTB reckon it's "mild to moderate" depression, studies in Germany have shown that St Johns Wort (the herbal thing: Hypericum perforatum) is as effective as low dose of this sort of stuff, but without side effects (but don't take both together!!!!)

*disclaimer* I am not a medical practioner, merely squeaking from my own experience & Google.

zdt

Let's hope that acknowledging that you are depressive, and taking some measures against it will help you to get out of it soon.

I hope things get better. For the second time in as many years I'm seriously worried about my own depressive state. I've had a build-up of the blues over the last two weeks or so and a lot of old emotional wounds have opened up leaving me upset about things I thought I'd dealt with ages ago. Today was particularly horrible, I felt awful until I rationalised and mentally tried to deal with the things bothering me rather than wallowing in poor-me self-pity (which comes extremely easily at the moment).

I wonder if my exciting no-internet adventure will make things better or worse.

And hootoo kinda counts as socialising. Less hugs, but (in general, i think) more stable.

As for depression, there's been a lot around. Between a few bugs going round and a fairly nasty winter, not to mention some trouble economy-wise...

NH

NH: this has been bubbling under for a couple of years but it's good to know that I'm not just being a miserable bugger!

Zagreb: exciting no-internet adventure? Blimey. I am fairly sure that spending too much time online is a contributory factor, but it's got to be better than just watching telly.

B'Elanna: accepting it (as I pretty much did a few months back, but without the official corroboration) should help.

T&Y: I considered St John's Wort but didn't get round to it. I doubt the anti-depressants could make my sex life any worse than it already is. If anything it'll save on the Kleenex bills.

Depression sucks... I've done the medication thing and hope to never go down that road again.

Actually feeling rather low about various things myself at the moment, but nothing too severe and it's all stuff I can deal with (I just need to find a solution).

Roymondo, now is not the best time, but text or phone from tomorrow, and I'd be happy to meet up with you.

I know the feeling, and believe me my Canis niger has the potential of being a Canisauraus gigantiniger!

But I won't let it!!!! I WILL NOT!!!

There is a good life beyond everything. Honest! It is just down to the person to decide what is good.

It may be give up everything and become a Scallop fisherman, or become a mime-artist!

A sumo-wrestler or a hairdresser!

An activist for Greenpeace or a butcher!

Hey! The is but a microcosm of oppportunities...

I live with the negatives and attempt to turn them into positives!

Think small steps equal big strides... Everest was not climbed in a day...

Depression is a pit...

It takes stoicism, faith and friends to find the path out of it, and onto the foothills of happiness, and if we are lucky, the peak of ecstacy and euphoria, a level denied to most of us.

Most of us rotate around the equator of mundanity!!!

I wish you well, and am happy to offer whatever help I can to assist you...

Yes, I noticed your decline into depression, but could do little at the time, as you weren't aware of the situation... Now you are...

So take whatever assistance is offered, but resist the drugs . PLEASE!!!

MMF

Cheers mate. I don't want to do the drug thing but am concerned that refusing might affect the situation at work. It shouldn't, but you never know.

Mind you, as work is part of the problem I possibly shouldn't be too concerned.

I really need to have a look at my life and probably make a bit of a jump. I've been hanging onto comfort zones that aren't really that comfortable!

Ah well, at least we're all in this together. Maybe we can get Bulk discount on Kleenex (which is so useful for so many bodily secretions)

Hell, i feel an Ad campaign coming on...

...imagine the to Marvin Gaye... "Ain't nothin' like the Kleenex baby"

zdt

I'm a text, e-mail or call away!

You can live to work or work to live! It is your choice...

I choose to live to work, as it suits me, but it doesn't suit you...

As we discussed at the 'Late Edition', it is for you to decide!

No one can do it for you, but I am happy to meet and have a chat!!!

Just say when!!!



MMF

Blimey, gosh.... you've got my number too still? Hope it works out, just remember the doctors drugs for this kinda thing won't cure anything just mask symptoms

Sod it, just all get over here with musical instruments of choice & let's play the Blues till they are out of our system! How many times d'you get free invite to sunny South of France!

zdt