response 51 of 125:

Apr 15 20:43 UTC 2002

FWIW, there are other types of mental health professional besides 
therapists. Both happyboy and I have had a lot of experience working 
with depressed people. If you must know, primarily our job was to feed 
people healthy food and also to strongly encourage the depressed ones 
to walk around the block even when they didnt feel like it and whined a 
lot (which was always because they were depressed). This, especially 
when combined with medication usually did the trick and much faster 
than the medications. The medications would kick in in a few weeks but 
the walking around the block and eating good foods could bring 
significant improvements in just a couple of days. 

I also know from my own life that I feel less depressed when I eat well 
and exercise. I also know how very hard it can be to motivate oneself 
to do those things when one is depressed. I have been diagnosed with a 
major depression before as well as dysthymia so I also have some 
personal experience with depression. 

Would Steve be able to engage in any self examination and if he did, 
would it actually help him? Geez, clearly the best thing for Steve in 
resp49 is to stop being depressed but to pretend to be all needy when 
he is around Mary. ;) Seriously though, Steve's delusional self image 
might be serving him well by keeping him in a relationship with Mary 
but it isnt conscience and it also might not be the best thing because 
while he is stuck with Mary the "hand wringer" who needs to be needed, 
he is missing out on having a relationship with Judy who is more 
emotionally healthy and doesnt need for her boyfriend to be depressed 
all the time.

response 53 of 125:

Apr 16 01:51 UTC 2002

yeah...that's *useful*

response 55 of 125:

Apr 16 04:37 UTC 2002

resp:46  I never said they didn't *need* to do those things, I just 
said they usually don't want to do them.  I've had some experience 
with depression myself, both from within and from outside (Jon is 
bipolar).  I know whereof I speak.

response 57 of 125:

Apr 16 13:16 UTC 2002

Actually, Paul - take it as I used to work for slynne and with happyboy - not
for as long, so I usually defer to their judgment of that of my own therapist.
And I have suffered from mild depression on and off in my lifetime.

As for Jamie - I adore Jamie - but what I think of him should have no bearing
on your opinion - his own behaviro is enought at times, dont' you think ? ;)

response 59 of 125:

Apr 16 13:24 UTC 2002

Honestly?  Because you constantly show your ass on this system and I am the
only one who actually stands up for you.

response 61 of 125:

Apr 16 13:49 UTC 2002

#51> FWIW, I was meaning to mostly criticize happyboy. You're just acting
Sindian with the "diet and exercise" shtick, but at least there's something
to it. Happyboy's acting Jamiean, though.
 
Sure, there are other types of mental health professionals than 
therapists,
just as there are other medical professionals than doctors. Two of my friends
are EMTs, and one is training to be a paramedic. I'm sure they're good at
their jobs, but I wouldn't defer to them over a doctor, and I doubt they'd
expect me to.
 
#56> Self-codependency is when both sides of the codependency are internal.
I thought I'd explained it: when your own identity is so tied to being
unhealthy, that you can't imagine what it would be like if you were healthy.
I'd say a reasonable salient example is JEP, with regard to his divorce.
He's
getting so much mileage out of moping about it, that it's become his identity
here. If he wanted to drop that identity, he'd either have to form a new one,
or risk not having one at all. 
 
I'm sure there's a more proper psych term for that, but that's what I call
it... when the person finds themselves asking, "But who would I *be* if I
weren't depressed all the time?"
 
On the "useful" thread> First off, who's to say the reaction isn't conscious,
at least in part? I've been in John's position, forcing myself to stay
depressed to maintain a relationship with someone (*cough* Selena *cough*).
And I can tell you: I got better. I'm nowhere near as bad as I used to be.
And where's Judy? I'm not talking about intimate lovers here, I'm talking
about friends... where are they? Most of my friends are online. I listened
to the "You're missing out on Judy" line and, frankly, it's bullshit. It on;y
works if your baseline, non-depressed personality is one that people want to
be around, and mine doesn't seem to be (at least, not enough to remember to
invite me places). That, and when I'm not depressed, I really don't like a
lot of people... I find most of them to be idiots (which probably explains
why they don't want to be around me ;} ).

response 67 of 125:

Apr 16 15:02 UTC 2002

#66> Lame.
 
#65> You're actually starting to post in a style that indicates that you
actually respect other people. Cf. 66, or your response to slynne's comments
on socialized health care. although I must admit, your vinegar posts are at
least more interesting to read than Happyboy's. You have depth in your
assholiness, he's just an asshole.

response 71 of 125:

Apr 16 17:27 UTC 2002

re67: oooh...are we a witsy bit bitchy today, lumpy?

response 73 of 125:

Apr 16 17:50 UTC 2002

oh my god!