The Big D is hitting hard....

Dude, you posting here regularly is all the thanks we need.

Chronic depression sufferer here, too.  Just went back on Zoloft a couple months ago.

I think the only thing that keeps me going some days is my job.  I love the work I do, but the Big D fights me.  The one thing I really enjoy, and depression sometimes keeps me from it.  I set my own hours, and some days I just feel too blah to go to work... but I feel to blah to do anything else, which means I sit on the couch and watch a marathon of Firefly and feel worse.

Keep moving, keep loving, and know that this is just where you are right now.  It doesn't define you despite how it may feel like it controls you.  You are not your depression.

Above all, PM me any time.  Seriously.  Any. Time.

I guess I don't really consider myself "depressed", but this time of year sure does kick my butt.  Go to work in the dark, come home in the dark.  Never see the sun on the rare days I'm not at work.  Bleh.  And whomever invented "Daylight Savings Time" should be put on the list of great enemies of mankind.

Didn't really drop in here to complain, just to be the 2nd/3rd whatever to recommend taking that trip to the Air Force Museum.  That place is my Disneyworld.  Don't bother to take a camera, because the pics never turn out anyway.  Take 2 days if you can, otherwise you'll never be able to see it all.  You need to have time to read the placards to really soak in what you're looking at.  I think what I love most about that place is the smell.  Machine oil, old metal and canvas is the best I can describe it.  Man, now you've got me wanting to go back. 

My fil has severe depression. He refuses to talk about it or admit to it. When he is on meds he is a real pleasure to be around. When he’s off, well he’s not. I know he’s from a different generation where men never admit they might need help but damn. I don’t get it. Once I got help and got regulated the thought of not makes me queasy. 

I don’t get the resistance to admit that you’re human and could use help. 

Wife's back to work, and I'm now sick. Probably picked it up at the hospital. 

Whatever you do don’t be listening to any of that annoying Christmas music... I love singing Christmas songs but some of that music is just too much 

Nope. I don't do christmas music. 

Sick like at home or sick like working through it and making long days?

We just finished post Thanskgiving with a bug ripping through my house.  First the kids then me down for 1.5 days (like in bed) and then my wife the 2nd grade teacher stayed home Mon. Tues and Weds.  

Good luck.  Binge watch something via Netflix or Amazon.  

Started with raw throat and general icky sensation. Still working through it, too much at work right now not to. Besides, my two main helpers are either tied up with more pressing projects or worse illness staying home than me. So yeah... I don't know why I feel the pressure. 

Reading thru this thread, it's on some strange level good to know I'm not alone. 

Curtis - I think I have an idea what you mean.  (Apart from the Firefly thing - 8 hours of Kaylee always helps to cheer me up - shiny...)  I read once someone described it as an elephant on your chest.  Some days the elephant is bigger than others.  Many days it's all I can do to get to work and once I get home, I just dont have the energy to do more.  When I'm at work and busy, I can lock the elephant out of the room for awhile, actually feel motivated and sometimes excited to be there, though.  

It's been quite awhile (months) since I've done anything on either one of my two project cars, and I'm not on GRM as much as I used to be; partly due to having nothing to talk about or ask stupid questions about. 

Also, I'll put in yet another rec for the AF Museum.  I havent been back since the 4th bay opened, but its just an amazing place.  If you watched Wings in the 90s, most of what you saw on those shows is there, plus the Presidential fleet. 

Jeebus this winter will just not end. I swear days like today I feel half ready to explode and half ready to cry. 

we're a bit further north this year than we have been

I'll tell you, it being light out from 7am to 3pm takes a toll on you... even with various winter festivities

one nice thing, though, is that the days start getting "noticeably" longer pretty quickly.  Heck, it was 60degF here today!  Hang in there, warmer weather is on the way.

Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend! 

It's like someone turned the lights on again after work. 

In reply to John Welsh :

DST is the worst part of winter.   It's dark when I go to work and by the time running kids everywhere, dark again.

I severely dislike DST. Especially here. We're on the same time as NYC. summer it's daylight until 11pm, winter its always dark. 

I can't recall anyone ever saying that they like Daylight Saving Time. Ever..

In reply to bobzilla :

You guys really need to move south. Or at least get out of IN for a couple weeks every winter. 

Seriously, moving down here is the second-best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health.

In reply to bobzilla :  

Winter can’t end soon enough. It’s dark when I leave, it’s dark when I get home, and a E36 M3 show in between.  Since I’m home alone most of the week I usually don’t bother turning any lights on, I just sit in bed and read my kindle.  On the bright side my electric bill is about half what it was last year.

Thanks for posting all this.

After helping my wife deal with her depression for the past 20 years, I had my first bout with it last year and have been struggling on and off with it since. I got some professional help, no meds but some counseling and some perspective.

I can't really add anything to this other than  it's about the worst thing I've ever dealt with and it sucks.

In reply to Pete Gossett :

If I didn't love what I do I think we would to be honest. She's a water girl. She can't get enough. We are opening a lab in South America.... maybe I could go there? I'm finally making good money, I've got a great position and I literally learn new and interesting things every day. I can't leave it. 

Some clarification on why my job is important.... the wife is a teacher, special ed self-contained classroom. She's been doing it over 20 years. She's fast approaching burn out. So I need to be able to pick up the slack when she finally does burn out. We have no debt other than the mortgage which will be done in 3 years so I fully expect her to finally tell the state, the horrific parents and the school administration to GFY in about 3 years and a day. 

In reply to Pete Gossett :

I'm working on it. I desperately need to move south. I was off yesterday, didn't have treatment and stayed inside all day as I didn't want to have to bundle up to tinker in 34 degree weather and it was too windy to replace the hood on the 323 solo. 

I worry that HR managers in areas I'm submitting resumes to are dismissing me based on location in spite of my willingness and desire to relocate :shrug: 

In reply to captdownshift :

Look for areas with military bases. That kind of thing is so common around here that no one would think twice & just presume your spouse/partner is military. 

The cold is bad enough, but this freaking rain has not let up for a YEAR.  I think we had the most ever rainfall for this area last year, and it isn't any different this year.  The river is up and the ground is soggy.  Unreal.