Fallout from Brad Delp's Suicide Continues

[Saint John]

A noted professor in the field of psychiatry is publicly challenging some of the myths about depression. Prof. Malcolm Lader, emeritus professor of clinical psychopharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry, London, says that fewer people are subject to depression than currently believed. For the real story on busting myths about depression, however, let's dig deeper.
When it comes to clinical depression, the biggest myth of all is that depression is a disease that you can't do anything about and, therefore, you need prescription drugs to "rebalance your brain chemistry." It's one of the greatest hoaxes of modern medicine, and it's generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues for drug companies. In reality, practically all cases of so-called clinical depression can be completely reversed with three simple things: 1) radical shifts to a healthy diet rich in essential fatty acids like GLA and completely absent any processed foods. 2) Regular physical fitness activites that include both a cardiovascular and strength training component (at least 4 days a week). 3) Regular exposure to natural sunlight, for at least one hour a day, directly on the skin with no sunscreen.

Show me a depressed person, and I'll show you someone who has absolutely not done these three things. In fact, I've never met a person who does these three things and is depressed. Not one. I don't believe there are any. That's because depression is actually just the natural cause-and-effect outcome that results from poor nutritional habits combined with a lack of physical exercise and avoidance of natural sunlight. It's really that simple. You don't need prescription drugs to fight depression, you need to get back to nature.

Oh, I know your doctor has probably told you that depression is an "illness" and you have no control over it. That's the old propaganda line taught to them by the pharmaceutical companies and medical journals. That belief system generates lots of profits for the drug companies. If you fall for it, they've got you trapped in their little mind game. The only way you can take control over your own mental health is to let loose of those beliefs and realize that you were born to be healthy and happy, and all you have to do is return to nature to find it. In nature, you eat wholesome foods, not processed foods like white flour and high fructose corn syrup. In nature, you move your body every day, you don't sit behind a desk for your entire life. In nature, you get sunshine on your skin, you don't hide behind sunscreens loaded with toxic perfumes and cancer-causing chemicals. Just get back to nature and, in a short period of time, you'll feel a whole lot better about life, too. Suddenly, your so-called "clinical depression" will be nothing but a memory.

[StevePerryHair]

A noted professor in the field of psychiatry is publicly challenging some of the myths about depression. Prof. Malcolm Lader, emeritus professor of clinical psychopharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry, London, says that fewer people are subject to depression than currently believed. For the real story on busting myths about depression, however, let's dig deeper.
When it comes to clinical depression, the biggest myth of all is that depression is a disease that you can't do anything about and, therefore, you need prescription drugs to "rebalance your brain chemistry." It's one of the greatest hoaxes of modern medicine, and it's generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues for drug companies. In reality, practically all cases of so-called clinical depression can be completely reversed with three simple things: 1) radical shifts to a healthy diet rich in essential fatty acids like GLA and completely absent any processed foods. 2) Regular physical fitness activites that include both a cardiovascular and strength training component (at least 4 days a week). 3) Regular exposure to natural sunlight, for at least one hour a day, directly on the skin with no sunscreen.

Show me a depressed person, and I'll show you someone who has absolutely not done these three things. In fact, I've never met a person who does these three things and is depressed. Not one. I don't believe there are any. That's because depression is actually just the natural cause-and-effect outcome that results from poor nutritional habits combined with a lack of physical exercise and avoidance of natural sunlight. It's really that simple. You don't need prescription drugs to fight depression, you need to get back to nature.

Oh, I know your doctor has probably told you that depression is an "illness" and you have no control over it. That's the old propaganda line taught to them by the pharmaceutical companies and medical journals. That belief system generates lots of profits for the drug companies. If you fall for it, they've got you trapped in their little mind game. The only way you can take control over your own mental health is to let loose of those beliefs and realize that you were born to be healthy and happy, and all you have to do is return to nature to find it. In nature, you eat wholesome foods, not processed foods like white flour and high fructose corn syrup. In nature, you move your body every day, you don't sit behind a desk for your entire life. In nature, you get sunshine on your skin, you don't hide behind sunscreens loaded with toxic perfumes and cancer-causing chemicals. Just get back to nature and, in a short period of time, you'll feel a whole lot better about life, too. Suddenly, your so-called "clinical depression" will be nothing but a memory.

This sounds like something Parfait would have written..... if he could write in English

[Andrew]

Dan, clinical depression is a disorder of the brain. Same with Parkinson's disease. I suppose your prescription for that would be to relax and stop shaking? I mean seriously how hard is that? Buck up and hold still right?

Brilliant response, RWF! Unfortunately, some simply don't recognize that depression, alcoholism, et. al. are actually diseases. There is enough medical evidence that suggests not all of us are wired the same (even though some would have you believe otherwise). Dave Duerson (who was a defensive back on the 1985 Super Bowl winning Bears team) just shot himself through the heart a couple of days ago, and by all accounts, everyone claims that he was the happiest guy on the planet and nobody has any explanation for how or why something like this happened. Luckily, Duerson donated his brain (and my understanding is that he wrote about donating his brain in a note that he left behind) to medical research, and perhaps they can come up with some explanation for why someone reaches this point while most (thankfully) would never even consider it.

That also explains why some Vietnam Vets were able to suck it up and get well, while others remain fucked up wrecks. Mental illness is just not a "one size fits all" deal. I've always believed that until one lives in the afflicted one's shoes, one has no idea what is "real" to that person, so best not to judge.

Amen.

[Saint John]

I'd like to apologize to anyone I may have offended in this thread. I'm strong in my beliefs on this subject, but a few here have personal scars and/or ongoing battles and my goal is to keep people alive and fighting ... even if it may not always seem that way. Keep fighting and keep caring.

-Dan

[Andrew]

I'd like to apologize to anyone I may have offended in this thread. I'm strong in my beliefs on this subject, but a few here have personal scars and/or ongoing battles and my goal is to keep people alive and fighting ... even if it may not always seem that way. Keep fighting and keep caring.

-Dan

And let that be the last word. Thank you Dan.

[Michigan Girl]

I'd like to apologize to anyone I may have offended in this thread. I'm strong in my beliefs on this subject, but a few here have personal scars and/or ongoing battles and my goal is to keep people alive and fighting ... even if it may not always seem that way. Keep fighting and keep caring.

-Dan

And let that be the last word. Thank you Dan.

It was a good thread and folks may have learned a thing or two ...we can hope!!

I think that's very admirable, SJ ...good last word!!

[Don]

Melodicrock.com - Creating better people one post at a time.

[Behshad]

I'd like to know who the fucn hacked into Saint John's account

No but seriously , good on you mate. And Dan too

[Rick]

Melodicrock.com - Creating better people one post at a time.

[conversationpc]

I'll tackle alcoholism. It's not a disease and that's a fact. If I put a beer in front of someone they have 2 choices ... to drink it or not. Period. It's a question of willpower. Some may have more than others and some may have the tendency to crave it more, but, in the end, you always have a choice in the matter. Always and without exception. Unlike cancer ... which is a disease.

I agree with you about alcoholism. I don't think that or any other addiction is a disease.

Tobacco leads to nicotine addiction as beer can lead to alcoholism.

Tobacco can lead to lung cancer as beer (in excess) can lead to liver disease.

I believe the addictions can lead to the disease, the addiction is not the disease itself.

Agreed. If you're going to call those things diseases (they aren't) then you can call basically anything a disease. Look, I'm overweight. I did it to myself. No one else did. There are lots of people who want to call it a disease but it comes down to a choice you make. Yes, once you're deep into it, it may be a lot harder for you to change the habit than someone who doesn't struggle with it, but it's still a choice. Plain and simple.

[conversationpc]

Melodicrock.com - Creating better people one post at a time.

I like the statement in my sig better.

[Joe Vana]

I'd like to apologize to anyone I may have offended in this thread. I'm strong in my beliefs on this subject, but a few here have personal scars and/or ongoing battles and my goal is to keep people alive and fighting ... even if it may not always seem that way. Keep fighting and keep caring.

-Dan

Excellent!

[Voyager]

I've been awfully hard on Brad Delp in the past and this article cements my belief that he was a troubled and selfish soul. I don't care how severe your depression is. When you have people that love you, especially children, you battle and fight until something or someone other than yourself takes your life. He quit on his children, family and friends. I can't begin to imagine the amount of cowardice it must take to peacefully end your life knowing that your pain is going to be over, but that of your loved ones is just beginning. If that were my dad, I would have went and shit on his casket.

I can't imagine the depth of depression it would take. It's way beyond cowardice. I hope you and I never get to that level of despair that we see no other way out. I am sure he resisted the temptation to end it all for many years for the same reasons you outlined. But one dark day he had too much pain, and that was a sad day for rock and roll and for his family.

Speaking of shitting on your dad's casket - that's exactly what I should do. My dad bailed on me, my 6-month old brother, and my mom when I was 18 months old. He fucked around with a few women and had more kids, then went on a drunken crime spree and ended up in jail until I was 18. Now THAT is a fucking loser and a coward. He died last year, and I didn't bother to attend his funeral.

At least Brad had an excuse. My dad's choices were simply for his own pleasure and lust. Harming or killing yourself is the opposite of indulging in selfish pleasure, and is usually driven by a disorder such as borderline personality disorder or major depressive disorder, both of which are known causes of self injury and suicide. It's something that takes over the mind, similar to the way the epidemic of traumatic brain injuries among football players and former boxers has caused thousands of them to lose their memory, get major depression, or even go psycho with rage and kill themselves and/or others.

The brain controls everything, and when it gets damaged - all bets are off. If the part that controls memory, emotion, or cognition gets damaged - those parts obviously will not be functioning properly.

If a child or adult breaks an arm playing football, the doctor will place the arm in a cast or operate to realign displaced bones. After a couple of months the arm will be healed and, following some rehab, the story of the broken arm will be over. With good results, no chronic complications will develop.

The story of a head injury is different. In some cases, the injury may cause only minimal symptoms for a child or adult, but long-term effects may cause problems that could last an entire lifetime.

Everyone is concerned if the injury causes a concussion. An NFL study from 2004 revealed that 9.3 percent of professional football players who suffered a concussion also had loss of consciousness. Up to 40 percent of those with head injuries suffered major depression later in life.

The brain weighs about 3 pounds, and is protected from the outside by the thick bones of the skull. Unfortunately, the brain is not firmly attached to the skull and easily moves if the head is bumped or hit from the side. When this happens, a concussion can result, causing loss of memory, confusion, disorientation and unsteady walking and balance.

In many cases, all those complications may disappear within minutes, or they may last for hours or days. The real danger occurs when symptoms disappear fast and the person injured assumes it was just a minor injury. Too often, the injured person makes light of the injury, tells no one, and continues to play.

But a concussion can have serious long-term side effects, and repeated head injuries compound the problem. As the years go by, the injured person may have chronic memory problems, sleep disturbance, poor concentration, irritability and a change in personality. Depression is very common. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may surface early.

Studies have found an abnormally high number of NFL players that are unable to control their rage and emotions, hear voices, commit suicide, and suffer early dementia. All of these players have one thing in common – TBI (traumatic brain injury) due to concussions.

[JSS]

I came to this thread from a source I'll leave unnamed but I was intrigued to see what was being discussed since I am someone who had to deal with this first hand not even 2 years ago. The wounds are still not healed nor will probably ever be. Losing someone close to a tragic accident or health issue is so different than from a self inflicted act, especially when there wasn't a single indication it could occur in a million years!

You think you know the ones closest to you but on the contrary, those are the ones who hide the deepest scars. I could never foresee Marcel taking his life nor could I foresee the decline he fell into to do so. I spoke to him the day before, literally 7 hours before he did it...we laughed, joked & were contemplating the new album in which he said he had all the songs ready to go. We never spoke of anything too negative in his life that seemed troubling enough for me to imagine I would be the last to speak to him ever.

The images of what he did, the loss I feel daily, especially when I see one of our albums or listen to our songs or even come across images together is simply heartbreaking. The things that run through my head on a daily basis of what I wish I could have said or done to save my friend, maybe even prolonging his life further in getting him out of his funk...but I realize now it was too deep rooted for even someone like me whom he trusted & respected 1000% to turn to for help. There is rarely a cry for help from those who know it's inevitable.

I pray I never have to experience this again as long as I live...it's hard enough losing acquaintances, peers, loved ones, etc., but to lose them in this way, when one might feel there was a chance to possibly show there that light at the end of a miserable, dark tunnel, is something too difficult to cope with...

[Voyager]

Sorry for your loss JSS.

[Rick]

I came to this thread from a source I'll leave unnamed but I was intrigued to see what was being discussed since I am someone who had to deal with this first hand not even 2 years ago. The wounds are still not healed nor will probably ever be. Losing someone close to a tragic accident or health issue is so different than from a self inflicted act, especially when there wasn't a single indication it could occur in a million years!

You think you know the ones closest to you but on the contrary, those are the ones who hide the deepest scars. I could never foresee Marcel taking his life nor could I foresee the decline he fell into to do so. I spoke to him the day before, literally 7 hours before he did it...we laughed, joked & were contemplating the new album in which he said he had all the songs ready to go. We never spoke of anything too negative in his life that seemed troubling enough for me to imagine I would be the last to speak to him ever.

The images of what he did, the loss I feel daily, especially when I see one of our albums or listen to our songs or even come across images together is simply heartbreaking. The things that run through my head on a daily basis of what I wish I could have said or done to save my friend, maybe even prolonging his life further in getting him out of his funk...but I realize now it was too deep rooted for even someone like me whom he trusted & respected 1000% to turn to for help. There is rarely a cry for help from those who know it's inevitable.

I pray I never have to experience this again as long as I live...it's hard enough losing acquaintances, peers, loved ones, etc., but to lose them in this way, when one might feel there was a chance to possibly show there that light at the end of a miserable, dark tunnel, is something too difficult to cope with...

Marcel is with you, always. You carry on his legacy. He lives in you, in the music you make and the stories you tell. As hard as it is, take comfort in knowing he loved you like a brother. You made him laugh and smile, when he otherwise wouldn't have. Additionally, I saw an excellent video of you with Stryper singing "Peace Of Mind", so you continue Delp's legacy, as well. I know you take huge pride in all of that, as you should. Peace, Jeff.

[Enigma869]

I came to this thread from a source I'll leave unnamed but I was intrigued to see what was being discussed since I am someone who had to deal with this first hand not even 2 years ago. The wounds are still not healed nor will probably ever be. Losing someone close to a tragic accident or health issue is so different than from a self inflicted act, especially when there wasn't a single indication it could occur in a million years!

You think you know the ones closest to you but on the contrary, those are the ones who hide the deepest scars. I could never foresee Marcel taking his life nor could I foresee the decline he fell into to do so. I spoke to him the day before, literally 7 hours before he did it...we laughed, joked & were contemplating the new album in which he said he had all the songs ready to go. We never spoke of anything too negative in his life that seemed troubling enough for me to imagine I would be the last to speak to him ever.

The images of what he did, the loss I feel daily, especially when I see one of our albums or listen to our songs or even come across images together is simply heartbreaking. The things that run through my head on a daily basis of what I wish I could have said or done to save my friend, maybe even prolonging his life further in getting him out of his funk...but I realize now it was too deep rooted for even someone like me whom he trusted & respected 1000% to turn to for help. There is rarely a cry for help from those who know it's inevitable.

I pray I never have to experience this again as long as I live...it's hard enough losing acquaintances, peers, loved ones, etc., but to lose them in this way, when one might feel there was a chance to possibly show there that light at the end of a miserable, dark tunnel, is something too difficult to cope with...

Sorry to hear of your loss Jeff. I didn't realize that this issue had touched you on such a personal level. It truly is a tragic story and I can understand how truly helpless one must feel having to accept the realization that they simply didn't know enough to help their loved one. It cements my point that there are sometimes no obvious signs. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether someone accepts clinical depression as a real disease or not (but again, I'm not sure what more compelling proof someone needs). The bottom line is that those who make the decision to end their life are in a REALLY dark place and they truly believe that they have no other choice. It's a very sad story all the way around. By all accounts, Brad was a really good guy. He simply wasn't someone who was equipped to deal with life's stresses. Thank you for sharing your very personal thoughts.

[Melissa]

we all have different capacities for grief and pain

I love this line because it's so true. Hence why we shouldn't judge others in their times of grief and pain.

[mikemarrs]

i had an uncle who took pride in being a very tough man.probably had something to do with him being short.i saw him beat up men twice his size.never ever saw him be afraid of anything or show fear.when he told me to do something i did it because i didn't want to get on his bad side.he had a beautiful wife and raised two kids.he went and found out he had diabetes and it quickly affected his health.he also found out kidney issues and had to start dialysis.a lot of this was brought on by drinking.he lost his job and got to where he could barely get around.

in the last four or five years his wife got badly addicted to drugs and left him.anyway in just a year or so just from getting down physically and his wife leaving he ended up taking his own life.ironically he had a friend there that was living with him and knew he was down.he told the friend he was taking a bath and he'd be out shortly.after thinking maybe he had been in there a bit too long the friend went in there and found him in the tub with his wrists slit dead.he died at the age of 50.i think people also do these things when health issues or major life changes happen.some people can't handle changes and it affects them greatly.

[Rip Rokken]

I've been awfully hard on Brad Delp in the past and this article cements my belief that he was a troubled and selfish soul. I don't care how severe your depression is. When you have people that love you, especially children, you battle and fight until something or someone other than yourself takes your life. He quit on his children, family and friends. I can't begin to imagine the amount of cowardice it must take to peacefully end your life knowing that your pain is going to be over, but that of your loved ones is just beginning. If that were my dad, I would have went and shit on his casket.

Fuck me SJ. I'm not going to war with you on this again, but you clearly pain yourself as completely ignorant in reagrds to depression and what it does to a person. You simply cannot comprehend that it alters your mind. It puts you in another reality altogether and selfish has NOTHING to do with it. Please don't ever let me hear you say that again. EVER.

People with depression - severe or not - can fight the urges of self harm, but that battle is not always winnable, nor is it something you can just cast aside. It goes when it is ready to go and sometimes that can last a lifetime. It comes and goes and he did NOT quit on anyone. Dude, I hate you saying that. Deporession takes control of your hormones, your mind, chemicals within your body.

If you want to discuss more, I'll happily do so via PM. Otherwise please don't comment on what you know little of.

I have gone through some shit that you couldn't even fucking fathom, pal. Stuff that kept me holed up for almost 2 years and tore a big fucking part of my heart out, and it's never coming back. That said, I prayed, ran, worked out, cried, stayed up for days, drank, got high, broke shit, but I could NEVER imagine my mother standing over my casket. I would rather be sentenced to an eternity in hell than put her through that. So pardon the fuck out of me if I think this asshole was selfish and so are other people that can't hack "real life." Because to insinuate that these people were justified in their actions is telling me that I somehow did the wrong thing. I will never believe that his suicide was anything but a conscious choice to end his pain. Hell, his letters paint a picture of a guy having a rough go with things and admitting that he's tired of fighting. That's called quitting and, to me, it's selfish.

Edit: My contributions in this thread are over, per Andrew's request. But I had to have a say.

Not everyone can do what you did though, Dan. I applaud you for sure, and this is a compliment - I don't have an impression of you as a guy for whom conflict on average is painful. I don't think it is for a good percentage of people, and it makes them much better suited for survival in our world. I don't have that gift, and reading this story, I can identify with how he felt very strongly with regards to conflict and the feelings of isolation it can bring. At work, home, friendships, just out there in the world, in traffic, wherever. Each time someone lashes out with utter disregard for the person they are attacking, it can be emotionally brutal and damaging. Eventually, defense mechanisms develop, and solitude is one of them. I personally spend much more time alone than around other people, and prefer it that way. Yes, I do think suicide can be a very selfish act. I also know that it's seen by some as the only real escape from the pain of a life surrounded by extremely selfish people who take, take, take without giving back. Last year, a client of mine committed suicide over problems with (and caused by) his psycho wife. I asked an employee who knew them well how she was holding up and if she seemed sad, and he said "Not really, she's just extremely pissed." ***F*** those people anyway...

When I read Delp's thoughts to Tom Scholz about wanting to go out for a beer sometime, I knew exactly what it's like to be there, particularly when it comes to a-hole co-workers. He probably wished more than anything that they could have been friendly like that, but their chemistry hadn't really allowed for that kind of a friendship. A friend outed his frustrations to Scholz, so he felt the need to 'manage' the extra tension it would cause by extending that olive branch. Brad Delp probably would have thrived in a Utopian world where everyone was sincere, thoughtful and kind to each other. So would I. Best case, we find a few people who are to surround ourselves with, and enjoy that sphere. I wish he hadn't done what he did, but I can relate.

[Rip Rokken]

I certainly sympathize with your situation too, and it's obviously much different than what I mentioned in my last post. It would be nice to hear Tom Scholz express the same feelings toward Delp as you do with Marcel, instead of suing people out of concern for how his own reputation has been damaged. Maybe he has, but one can't tell from this article. I think if it were me, I'd prefer to do a heartfelt interview of my own instead of whipping out the attorneys.

Very sorry again for your loss, Jeff, and especially that you have to struggle with those painful feelings daily.

[yulog]

I never understood the "coward" label placed on someone who takes their own life. Humans by design have an automatic safety shut off to do harm to themselves. To go against that and know that you are going to die by your own hands takes a lot fight to go against what you are wired to never let happen.One could say that someone is a coward for leaving their family behind, but hanging around depressed all the time bringing your family down really isn't pleasant for wife or kids and if your depressed for 30 yrs would you really want to be that wife or kid...no you don't because 99% of all people dont know what to do with a severely depressed person(professionals in the field have not fully figured this out otherwise we would have a lot more people getting well, and trust me they are not getting better) Living with someone who has a debilitating disease such as depression sucks the life out of you .

Depression is a defect, and whether you consider it a disease or not it works like a disease, it effects all types black, white, man, woman , adult, child...its widespread thru every country and we really do not have a cure. The longer you have it the more chance there will be a fatality. its important to know that someone who is depressed is consumed by it and is not in the state of mind of thinking about others. They only want it to go away so they can feel normal again.

[S2M]

Time to chime in here. Depression is marked by a skewed sense of perception. It has little to do with 'bucking up, and tolerating life'. A depressed person feels totally helpless(assumed perception). Imagine the worst thing that could happen to you. Be it a rejection letter from a publisher, a failed attempt at the Bar Exam....or even a breakup with a significant other....Evey individual has something that they consider the worst thing ever. For you it could be being embarassed in public(humiliation). For me, it could be failing at a marriage(just an example). It really isn't, as many have said here, fair to judge someone else because the thing that is the worst thing for them may seem quite mundane to you and I....that being said - after the what is examined, we are left with the why - and that usually where the skewed sense of reality comes into effect. To question someone's will to live is valid. Personally, as someone who has studied depression, and have had small bouts of it myself at various points in my life - I *do* find it sort of a cop out. To me, depression is a symptom of a quite larger diagnosis....whatever that may be. Just like someone listening to Ozzy, then killing herself. You had to have had a deep psychological issue to do that in the first place...Depression if first and foremost marked by a skewed sense of perception. Cause thngs are very rarely - that bad. But are perceived as such....

[Marabelle]

Depression is wicked. Depression is that black cloud you see over the actor's head on those commercials and you hear in Eygore's voice in the Winnie the Pooh animated shows or books or the echo in the voices of our friends, families, neighbors, strangers or the folks who commit violent acts of rage. He can be the gas station attendant. He can be the guy in the grocery store. It can be any or everybody. It does not care about your race, your ethnicity, your age, your sex or your wealth. It can claim you at any early age or later in life. Years ago people were locked away in houses away from the rest of the world because they weren't feeling well or because "aunt Sue has a headache" or "uncle Bob is under the weather" or we had family or knew folks who would take to the bed and stay there for weeks or months on end. Children of divorce may suddenly become detached and withdrawn. There are all kinds of reasons why someone is depressed. It's individual. But it can claim you with such force and take you to your knees. Its insidious and can be a very deadly disease. You see it on their faces, the way a person talks or walks or it's the heavy burden of sadness which is over whelming and burdensome. Each and every day it seems as if another block has been placed on their back weighing them down.

Sometimes it is seasonal. The winter months can be a slow road to sadness and despair. Spring usually brings a reprieve for some and not for others. There are tears. There is hopelessness. Worthlessness. Doubt. Lo self esteem. Devastating sadness and despair. Sleep is soothing and people can sleep for 20 hours or more a day. It can isolate you from your friends. It is selfish. All you can think about it yourself and everything you have done wrong and how you mistreated others. Or, how did you end up in this state? Or it can become vengeful and you think about how others have mistreated you and done you wrong. People can become paranoid. You can talk to the person and you can look into their eyes and just see emptiness. The person you know or had known is just no longer there anymore. Personal hygiene and daily routine and schedule becomes less important.

Some people self medicate with drugs to ease their suffering. People forget that the depression returns as an old lost friend time and again. Some people are able to pull themselves out of it. Some people isolate themselves in the house. Some people act out on their feelings of anger and rage. Some people kill themselves. You can have cutters who mutilate themselves. Sometimes you have multiple diagnosis of depressive disorders, mood disorder, dual diagnosis or adjustment disorders or seasonal affective disorders or a combination of diagnosis. There are mild depressions, moderate and severe.

Most people in our everyday lives find ourselves in situations which effect our mood and usually we can talk our way out of the sadness and move on. There are people who get stuck in the mood and flounder and feel sorry for themselves and it takes them a bit longer to get themselves back together. And then there are those who may be severely depressed and start collecting guns, engaging in violent arguments with others, using drugs, hiding and isolating themselves in their homes, barricading the doors, not talking to family or friends; or may become delusional and hallucinate. Schizoaffective disorders. Bi-polar disorders. There are all kinds of disorders. The severely depressed are the people that concern mental health professionals the most. These are the people who can be the most unpredictable. They can be the most violent. They can be very impulsive. They can be very explosive. They are so sad.

Even with the lowest of lows, the most severest of depression and anxiety; anti depressant and anti axiety drugs are usually the most helpful method to treat the mood disorder. This along with supportive and reality therapies. Cognitive therapy. Hospitalization. Exercise. Getting off any mood altering drugs. There are quite a few supplemental treatment modalities. A person has to have a very close and trusting relationship with their doctor and therapist. I've seen miracles happen. All I know is that people can get better. It takes time and trust. They have to be a participant in their treatment. It is a partnership. People can't stand on the sidelines. It's hard work but eventually people will feel better. I am a hopeful and optimistic person. I don't easily give up on people.

When people are called "coward' I think people say that because to them the depressed person does not try to get help or seem to want to get better; they are so depressed they do not know how to get help and feel lost. When people say the depressed person is selfish it's because the person is so immersed in their own pain they do not consider any one feelings other then their own because all they know is that they can't live another day with the pain and anguish of depression. To some people death is an escape. Having to get up and face another day is just too much. Having to face financial problems, personal conflict, or responsibilities of life is more then some people can handle.

Depression is treatable. People do get better. I would encourage anyone I know who is in need of care to get help.