Does depression affect you? How severely?

Comments and suggestions appreciated

Yep, but it is improving. Either I'm getting over it, or the apparently lucky future that now seems available is smoothing the bumps. I used to get really sad all of the time, but now I seem to generally be able to control it.

looks like I'm first to vote for medication
>.>

my depression is mostly hormone driven at this point (as in a crappy body that failed to get me surgery a month ago).

just taking it a day at a time...

Usually I'm an incredibly happy person, but a couple times I year (usually eitehr when I'm really burnt out and need a change of pace, or when things change more quickly than I can adjust), I tend to fall into major ruts. Right now is one of those times.

Usually exercising and keeping some kind of a consistent sleep schedule help a lot. Of course, I've been doing neither, lately, so it's no wonder I'm so depressed. (Having a social life helps, too, but lately I've kind of been avoiding human contact because I feel like I annoy everyone... but then I feel like I'm being annoying by dissappearing off the face of the earth, so I compensate by making pathetic attempts at staying involved with people.)

...things get better, though. They always do. A positive outlook can do wonders!

If I become stagnant, or stoic, I will fall into a depression (or rut, either one). But, I deal with it. I 'buck it up' and move on. Though, rare occasion my own bodily issues will make me - at times - severely pessimistic. It bothers me, but I divert it into motivation, if that makes sense.

Yes... Sad to say that depression has severely affected my life since about the age of 8.  It seems to come in waves; with this last bout really coming when I was 20.  It is like a pain in my soul, that numbs everything.  I know there are those out there that believe that depression, or any psychological disorder for that manner, is "all in the head".  But after experiencing it again and again, it is deeply rooted; as most of my family has experienced depression too.  Whenever I am depressed, I have an increased level of apathy for others, think life is not worth living, increased cynicism, can't find joy front situations, etc.  In other words, it sucks.  Luckily, right now I am doing fine and without depression in my life.  It has affected me fairly severely, though I have not seriously tried to take my own life.  Depression is the worst for me.   

Most of my life, I've had mood swings. I call them my high, my flat and my down.

I've never been offered any sort of treatment for these. Mainly because the only time I have asked for it when I've had my down.

When I've been in my flat, I'm fine and hope things stay that way. When I have my high I'm intollerably silly and annoying. I say things I regret and do really stupid things.

As I've gotten older, I've stabilised a lot. I rarely get my highs now. My downs are just a pain which I put up with until they go.

dont know if youd call it depression but definite phases where i just want to hide under my duvet for days on end and just ignore the world. theyre also the days when i dont care what i look like and treat my  partner like ->-bleeped-<- which makes me feel even worse. i know i'm doing it just can't seem to stop it

Often times I cry myself to sleep...I think I am ugly and sometimes overweight and then sometimes I cry because people at school are so brutal towards me and then also there's my family and stress.

I don't do anything dangerous though but still the emotionally pain hurts...

2nd on meds. bipolar and no meds got insane. I didn't leave my house for a year due to depression. I have slept through things no one should. the stories I could tell but leave it as it was bad. Meds don't end it but they do make it so I can cope at least.

I get depressed rarely over this, I'm more depressed because I'm lonely which is caused by my SAD.  I currently take meds for the SAD, which happen to also be meds for depression (I'm also happily in therapy to help with the SAD, which will also help with the depression).

I voted, but I'm not saying what for. My lips are sealed!! 

I have the occasional off days like any human being and once in a blue moon it goes on for a few days on a stretch but I've only once in my life experienced anything longterm and that was over 30 years ago! So I'm one of the 4 (so far) who voted rarely...

Mind you I rather object to the implication that someone who never gets depressed would be insensitive enough not to care about those who do. That is a rather silly and needless kicker (in my opinion) and it probably skews the results of what is a genuinely interesting question. It will be interesting to see if there is anyone brave enough to vote for never despite the implication that by so choosing they are admiting to being a heartless robot...

Dearheart

I have suffered through depression until that magical day when I was told that all of my predilections was because I was transgendered. Gone was the guilt associated with my crossdressing. Gone was the guilt of me shaving my legs, arms, underarms, etc. From that day forward, I embraced and accepted myself. Being transgendered is very complex, but know this hon... there is nothing wrong with you.

Be at peace with yourself.

Love

Brenda

Hi Gorgeous

As you know. Lots of depression but getting less since HRT. It was crippling. I'm on medication, works for me most of the time. I've had sessions with psychologists, a complete waste of time.

My theory is that TG people cannot live how they wish so there is always a conundrum that affects how we feel. Once we can deal with the 'issue'
whatever that may be, we can start to feel comfortable in our skin again.

I think it also important to examine the issue(s); accepting our gender is one thing, living our gender is another and then altering our primary and secondary sexual characteristics is yet another. I think that each of these stages affects our depressive levels. Or at least I hope so

Cindy

I ticked the "sometimes I don't want to get out of bed" and "I deal with it".

Like any other stubborn "bloke" I just clench my teeth and go "no I'm fine".

If I had looked at this a couple of months ago I would have gone for the first 2 and the last. Since then I have come out of a deep trough of depression that has dragged me down for most of the last 40 or so years, with periods of remission.

Anyone who dismisses Depression as "all in the head" has missed the point totally as it really IS in the head, in the same way that Diabetes is in the Pancreas.  No one tells Diabetics they should stop using their Insulin, and "get over it".

Finally after finding an SSRI antidepressant that worked I am back to something approaching normality.  If anyone is taking something and it doesn't seem to be working, or has stopped working, it is generally recommended that a different medication be tried.
 
No matter how bad it gets , it will eventually pass. It is just that sometimes it is so hard to wait, and the ability to cope with everyday things feels so limited. That in itself compounds the problem too.

Exercise really does help, but again lack of motivation can sabotage our best intentions, so doing something in company is a help.

I find that with the way my life is travelling at the moment, it's time to start back on the green & blue pill of anti-depression. My old psychiatrist essentially booted me out the door once I revealed the transgender issues to him. I stopped taking the medicine he prescribed because he never gave me a clear idea for how long I should or shouldn't be taking them, and after he gave me the kick I had no real inclination to take pills that he said I needed.

At the time I stopped, life was actually pretty good, but it tends to be the way of things.

The only downside is the immediate side-effects of these pills, like nausea. Oh well, I can probably sleep through it.

When I realized what was wrong with me-I swear I sat up at 2:30 AM and my mind shouted I'm transgendered-I found the first peace I've really known for 50 years. I can accept being trans.
Before that periodic severe depression. On depression meds for maybe 20 years. I kept going and raised a child
Attempts?-Many, many. Only before my child was born & after she was grown

Now I feel entirely different-I'm suddenly remembering how I felt when I reached puberty and realized that I was trapped forever.(Then there was no escape or treatment). and crying tears that heal instead of hurt. I made the best of it and learned to even appreciate all the things my feminine life taught me but I was never really okay or happy. Till now.


JJ

I read these posts, then suddnely started to choke on my cup of tea. Now that I have finished coughing my lungs out I wonder whether it was psychogenic, rather than having had too many glasses of red earlier?

As I said in my earlier reply, nothing wrong with med's if you need them.

As for Psych's who don't do what they are paid for-sack them! You are employing them, they are not doing you a favour. If you didn't perform your boss would fire you.
The more I read here , the more I believe I have found the right answer.