How to tell you're climbing out of depression?

Posted , 4 users are following.

I recently posted about wondering if I've fallen out of love with my boyfriend though I feel like my depression has gotten better. But it got me thinking... how can you tell if your depression has really gotten better or if it is still sticking around? 

I feel good! I'm friendly and want to go out with friends again and I'm finding interest in things I used to love to do - I lost those major points of my personality when I went into my slump of depression. To me, that makes me feel like I've gotten much better. But what if I haven't? How do I tell? I feel like that is such a simple thing to see. 

I've read a lot of fourms about people who have gone through this but all that I've read involve the person still having depression or not even being treated for it. Falling out of love seems to be very common when people have depression and/or are on medication. I'm on Wellbutrin XL 300 mg a day but, what gives me doubt about it being my depression or medication's fault is that I haven't found anything online or from my doctor that would suggest it makes you fall out of love. 

For a little while I was numb to feeling because I was just so exhausted of being depressed but that isn't the case anymore. Can anyone tell me about their experience snapping out of depression for the most part? What was it like? How did you know? Were there any signs that you thought you were getting better but you really still had depression? 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi panda I'm sure you havnt had a reply on this yet because it's so hard to reply to this post Infact it's took me a while to think to answer the post if I'm honest.

    I'm not sure if you have depression or not so I wouldn't want to speculate on that however I don't think you ever snap out of depression I'm not sure someone can say see that person they used to have depression but there all better now

    I think depression stays with you for ever there are easy times times of doubt and times where your so happy you feel like your walking on air the the thing is it takes the smallest thing to bring that air walking feeling crashing down with a huge bump kinda like your mind is punishing you for feeling good ya know

    Depression itself is like life it's a rollacoaster up down left right over and over your mood goes from happy to sad to feeling good about self to totally hating yourself sometimes it doesn't even need a reason you can just wake up near to tears and stay like that for days for no reason it's all in your head hence the term mental illness to be honest I really do hope you don't have it because believe me it's not a nice thing to have

    Good luck with your medication and I hope your future is a bright one

    • Posted

      I was diagnosed with depression over the summer so this is all quite new to me. They referred to my depression as "high functioning" where I can hold conversations but am falling apart on the inside type of thing. For a while I was low functioning - completely floored,hated looking at myself in the mirror every morning, hated doing anything. My doctor told me since no one had it in my family is was very likely onset by a car accident I was in a year ago. He told me it may be something that only stays with me a few years, so I guess I was under the wrong impression. I don't know anyone personally who had gone through anything like this so I'm just kind of finding my way through and learning along the way.

      I guess I should be grateful that I feel good and hope that I can continue to manage it then.

    • Posted

      Hi panda I'm sorry Hun I was not implying you knew nothing about it and I'm sorry if you took it that way

      What I mean is I've never in all the years I've had depression ever heard of someone getting better from it I've heard they manage it well what with meds and theropy but new it's completely gone I guess time will tell

      Although I'm glad you are finding yourself in a good place at the moment and we all will be here if you ever fall ya know!

      Good luck Hun x

  • Posted

    Depression does stay with u forever u could go years feeling fine like I did and then one day boom you're back down.. I found once I came out of my manic episode that the feelings I had while I was dealing with that were completely different.. I thought I didn't love my husband anymore during that time bUT after I snapped out of the episode it did love him as much as I did before. Depression is tricky you'll feel things u never have before

    • Posted

      May I ask if during that time, did you ever think about other men? Being interested in or with them?

      I was just diagnosed with depression over the summer after a car accident I was in. My doctor said the depression and anxiety were likely onset by the accident, and it may be something that only stays with me for a few years because it doesn't run in my family. That made me very hopeful.

      I'm sorry to hear your experience as well as the others that I've heard over the past few days. I've definitely learned how much depression can mess with your brain and feelings. It's just so difficult to separate what is fiction and what is reality with my moods and feelings.

    • Posted

      Hi Panda. My emotions changed when I started to fall into depression and I was diagnosed a few months later with major depressive disorder with psychosis. Once I was on the right meds for me and they kicked in I felt like myself again. I had none of the mental or physical symptoms I experienced while I was sick. Do you feel like your old self again, or do you still have some depressive symptoms? I was very lucky to get my life back and I hope others on this forum will be happy and healthy again too. Keep in touch.

      Take care,

      Phyllis

    • Posted

      As much as I hate it yes I thought about other men. It caused some problems cause I was talking to another guy
    • Posted

      I feel almost 100% like my old self again, that I can remember anyway. It's been a while since I've been myself - before the depression and anxiety set in, I was having issues with pain while being intimate which really ruined my day-to-day emotions. I think I'm still a little shy or hold myself back because I get nervous or awkward sometimes, but I'm starting to be happy with myself once again. I don't hate myself for all of the medical issues I have anymore. I have some bad days every now and then, but I mostly feel like I've improved. Except for the whole boyfriend situation where I never once felt I didn't love him through my darkest times and now all of a sudden I think I feel better and don't feel connected to him. Thank you so much for your insight. 

    • Posted

      I'm sorry to bring up such tough times. I, too, feel the same way you once did, so I thought it may have been a sign I'm better and it's time to get over him. I've been talking to other guys - was even almost intimate with one but stopped it because I need to focus on myself for while my boyfriend and I are on this break. I'm ashamed of my behavior but it feels very natural and right. Hearing stories like yours make me wonder if I am still depressed but don't realize it - but I don't think that's possible if I feel like I'm in a good place. Perhaps it's time to let go and focus on my own health and figure out how exactly I feel about myself. Thank you so much for your honesty and insight. 

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