My Facebook Friend Should See a Doctor

The joke goes like this:  "When does the typical man go to see the doctor?"  "When he can't get the bleeding stopped himself."

I have a Facebook friend who needs to go see a doctor for his depression.  He won't go, more than likely.  He's got coping techniques and he'll get through this.  Plus, you know, he's a guy.  Which by definition means stubborn (not to say stupid.)

But he's having significant symptoms of depression, and says he's "never been diagnosed with clinical depression" but he's having a tough time and the "usual techniques" aren't working.  He doesn't want to leave his house and doesn't want to interact with people and a few other things that are sounding off alarms in my head.

I've encouraged him to go see a doctor, of course, and a few other friends have done so, as well.  Hopefully he'll do it--I'm a little worried about him.  We don't live anywhere near each other; fortunately he does have a small circle of friends who will keep up with him.

But one of the really nasty things about depression is the sense of hopelessness: there's no point seeing a doctor because there's no point to anything.

I take St. John's Wort, a proven natural antidepressant, on a daily basis on my doctor's recommendation.  My last real dysthymic episode, which I talked about here, was the most intense one I've ever had in my life.  If it had gone on two days longer than it did I would have been at my doctor asking for something stronger, and I'm going to bring it up at my next physical.  And I am very much a guy, but it was pretty bad.

The upshot, though, is that even in all my guyness I do endorse talking to a doctor about depression.

And I really hope and pray my friend goes.

God bless, friends.