Science Forums 2

[Chacmool]

Thanks for all the great info, Michaelangelica! It would be interesting to see if researchers can conclusively establish a link between viral infection and depression.

Dear Racoon, I understand that you are a very optimistic person by nature, but please refrain from making antagonistic and hurtful comments. I can assure you that clinical depression is a very real medical problem that affects many people. A person can't snap out of depression, just like he/she can't snap out of diabetes or cancer.

I have been suffering from severe depression all my life. And I'm not exaggerating - I can remember wanting to commit suicide at the age of four. A few years ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and for the first time I started getting treatment. I found psychotherapy to be of very little use, since I understood very well what the problem was and what I should be doing. But I simply wasn't capable of "just being happy" like people kept on telling me. I've tried various medications over the last few years, and I'm now taking a cocktail of four different ones. It seems to be working OK, but I'm always aware of the dark monster lurking beneath.