Posted by Dinah on February 11, 2009, at 17:29:39
In reply to Anyone else think about it this way? *may trigger*, posted by TherapyGirl on February 11, 2009, at 16:28:05
I think of my problems more as like diabetes. It'll never be something I put behind me, because it has a strong biological component. But with medication, and therapy, and hopefully lifestyle changes, I muddle along as best I can.
It's hard to say what the future holds. We don't know how our lives will turn out. Even people with terminal illnesses often die of something else. Diabetes might eventually cause my death. But I could die in an accident or by violence or by some other illness that actually isn't related.
Depression, like diabetes, can be terminal. Either directly or indirectly. But with any chronic long term illness, there's no way to say if it will be in your case.
My mother's family is chock full of absolutely ancient diabetics. Even a long time ago without the current drugs. I'm not saying it didn't affect or harm their lives, because of course it did. But diagnosis isn't destiny.
Saying it could be terminal is respecting the reality. Treating seriously something that is serious. Saying it will be terminal isn't respecting the other realities of life. Depression isn't all of your life, or even all of your biology. Any number of forces both positive and negative exert influence on your fate at any given time.
poster:Dinah
thread:879490
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090129/msgs/879502.html