Posted by SLS on November 19, 2009, at 17:09:20
In reply to Why do I feel suicidal?, posted by Meltingpot on November 19, 2009, at 16:34:30
> Can somebody who has mild depression feel suicidal and somebody with severe depression not feel suicidal?
Sure. People with agitated depression can be suicidal. Even people in mixed states who are activated can be suicidal. Mania is no absolute protection against suicide.
At my baseline unmedicated depressed state, I am not plagued by thoughts of suicide. I am not sure of all the reasons why. However, there have been drugs that have made me feel crushed by suicidal thoughts. This usually is accompanied by anxiety. I believe that there is a neurochemical substrate for suicidality that is not necessarily concordant with cognitive slowing or psychomotor retardation.
If you haven't investigated it yet, perhaps psychotherapy can help you address the content of your suicidal thoughts and enable you to be better able to deal with them when they arise.
> I just don't really know what I suffer from anymore. If I'm depressed or just suffer from a complete lack of interest in life or in living.
Could be both.
> I do know though that when I was on medication and feeling well I enjoyed life and felt interested in a lot of things.Once upon a time...
I remember it well.
> All I'm interested in is finding something to make me interested again.
That's only logical.
Still, you might find better ways to live your life with your current psychobiological state. Psychotherapy might help you make the most of what you have to work with while working towards the return of your mental health. The key to having psychotherapy be productive in this role is if the therapists fully understands the biological nature of your depressive disorder. It would be helpful if the therapist also acts as a life-coach.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:926250
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091117/msgs/926254.html