I'd have to agree with the general direction of your comment. I've been clinically depressed for about 10 years, since about 1/2 way through high school. I've gone through the entire gambit of antidepressants; starting on zoloft, to lexipro, to prozac, to just about everything; but I'm back on zoloft and I've had an VNS implant, and I'm actually starting to feel amazingly better through a combination of drugs, treatment, psychotherapy, and finally getting back into my hobbies of computer related things. I started using Linux and learning administration when I was a junior in high school, but when I was depressed I couldn't focus on anything. I used to read voraciously, learn as much as I could, as I'm sure many geeks did in middle school / high school. When I was depressed I couldn't focus on anything, even not leaving bed for a week. But when I got myself a leg up with zoloft and the VNS implant, I was able to focus more on things that really used to interest me in computers, like administration, programming and other things along those lines. I'm still trying to finish my degree in CS, but I think now that I've been free of the most debilitating effects of depression. I'm able to focus on things in life other than just feeling wrecked. Focus on hobbies is a great help, but not something that I think can happen without first getting rid of the most basic of destructive impulses that come from a serious depression. For anyone that is going through the worst of it, I'd just like to say that it *will* get better, and things aren't as bad as they might seem. Depression is something that I think will be with me for my life, but I will be able to work through it, and I think other people will can definitely work through it too. Getting and keeping hobbies is a step in the right direction.
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I'd have to agree with the general direction of your comment. I've been clinically depressed for about 10 years, since about 1/2 way through high school. I've gone through the entire gambit of antidepressants; starting on zoloft, to lexipro, to prozac, to just about everything; but I'm back on zoloft and I've had an VNS implant, and I'm actually starting to feel amazingly better through a combination of drugs, treatment, psychotherapy, and finally getting back into my hobbies of computer related things. I started using Linux and learning administration when I was a junior in high school, but when I was depressed I couldn't focus on anything. I used to read voraciously, learn as much as I could, as I'm sure many geeks did in middle school / high school. When I was depressed I couldn't focus on anything, even not leaving bed for a week. But when I got myself a leg up with zoloft and the VNS implant, I was able to focus more on things that really used to interest me in computers, like administration, programming and other things along those lines. I'm still trying to finish my degree in CS, but I think now that I've been free of the most debilitating effects of depression. I'm able to focus on things in life other than just feeling wrecked. Focus on hobbies is a great help, but not something that I think can happen without first getting rid of the most basic of destructive impulses that come from a serious depression. For anyone that is going through the worst of it, I'd just like to say that it *will* get better, and things aren't as bad as they might seem. Depression is something that I think will be with me for my life, but I will be able to work through it, and I think other people will can definitely work through it too. Getting and keeping hobbies is a step in the right direction.