Testing Depression:
A journey through severe depression, hospitalization, and medication.
 

If this is your first time here, you might want to read in reverse order, from the beginning. "Testing Depression" is my true story about being hospitalized for depression.

A quick summary up to this point:

I arrived at the hospital in a police car. I was examined by the entry nurse, and then by a doctor on the unit. I met two nurses, Meg and Dorothy, and two other patients, Charlie and Louisa. I was on fifteen-minute checks. I struggled to remember the causes of my depression. My only medication at this point was Ortho-Tricyclen (birth control pills).

April 25, 2005

Responding

It sometimes can take me a few days to respond to emails and comments. I am very grateful for them, though, and love to respond; it just takes me a little longer sometimes because I am writing about experiences that I have been afraid to think about for a few years, and often once I write about them I just need a few days to let those memories settle in my mind.

My deepest thanks to all who have left notes for me. I have also been meaning to set up a blogroll so that I can acknowledge and thank new friends, as well as just to show everyone the blogs that I like to visit. I will hopefully do this soon.

Filed under: About this Website — testing depression @ 2:28 am
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April 12, 2005

Fictitious Names

If this were a private diary, I would use everyone’s real names while writing down my memories. But since it’s public, I don’t think that would be a very good idea.

I’ve been referring to the people in my memories very generally, using phrases such as “the policewoman” and “the nurse”. It is starting to become tedious, so I plan to make up fictional names in the entries that follow. Or is it “fictitious”? Who knows. Both seem correct, according to Merriam-Webster.

The fictional names will be completely unrelated to the real names. Instead, I’ll name them whatever I feel like naming them. For example, I will probably name my doctor at the hospital “Dr. Spaceman” because he was a weirdo with spacey eyes, and I’ll name the nurse who gave me the tour “Meg” because she reminded me of a horizontally- and vertically-compressed Meg Ryan.

Filed under: About this Website — testing depression @ 1:18 pm
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April 6, 2005

Testing Depression

This website/weblog is about my experiences with depression. I have kept my experiences locked up inside of my head for years, but now I want to share them.

I was hospitalized a few years ago, and I will be writing about those memories because I am beginning to forget them. It was a very strange experience that I never wish to endure again, but it was also very unique and fascinating.

I also plan to write about my experiences with psychological testing, therapy, and medication. I have been through countless treatments, probably more than the average person.

I have named this website “Testing Depression” because I have been tested for and by depression in so many ways, and now I am recovering. I am testing depression back after it has tested me so much. By reflecting on my memories of depression, and by expressing my long-hidden thoughts, I am recovering from a mental illness which few have been known to overcome.

If you are considering therapy, medication, or other treatment for depression, my experiences may be helpful, but please consult your doctor before making any decisions. Everyone’s body is different, and people react differently to different treatments.

Filed under: Feelings and Emotions, The Hospital, Medication, Therapy, About this Website — testing depression @ 6:00 pm
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