Posted by SLS on July 21, 2006, at 8:56:58
In reply to Re: Thoughts on Depression and other diagnoses..., posted by stargazer on July 21, 2006, at 8:10:45
Hi.
Here's a dose of reality. There is no way I can read your entire post. It is just too long. My limit is about 6 sentences today. I can perhaps skim a little more. Anyway...
> Thanks for clarifying some of what I said, I know what you are saying. I wish I had the focus or understanding of what is being said at times and feel that perhaps I'm not doing enough for myself to beat this thing.
One of the worst lies that depression tells us is that we are not good enough. It does this in many ways, but one of its cruelest strategies is to have us compare ourselves to others while filtering out the good stuff and magnifying the bad stuff. This is a cognitive distortion.
> I have had it for so long I just get tired of knowing what to do and some of the posts I can understand, many baffle me and require too much focus and concentration for me to follow.
Welcome to the club. You are not alone.
> I'm not sure because this is what I have struggled with my whole life.
Me too. I always wondered why I never liked reading as an adolescent. The only book I read cover-to-cover was "Jaws". It was just too much of a chore. My concentration or focus was impaired, and it was a true labor to get through an entire paragraph.
After having skimmed through the rest of your post, I see that you have thought very seriously and honestly about your current and historical experiences, and shared those thoughts here with courage. I think you have hit the targets that most of us have also seen hit by this ravaging set of illnesses. I, for one, appreciate your candor. It is not something I myself display very often, and I admire others when I see them doing it. I think everyone learns and profits from such experiences.
Please don't see yourself as weak or behind some sort of learning curve. I feel the same way sometimes. Again, this is a cognitive distortion produced by the depression. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and your strengths show, whether you recognize them or not, so please continue to post if you have the inclination.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:668858
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060717/msgs/668905.html