Depression and mindfulness

Originally posted by bozwell ↑

Talking of coma, a bit off-topic. On a thread about 15 years ago it was a very quiet and dull time, a poster commented on how quiet it was,
and said, "I think I am going into a comma".
I replied immediately saying " I hope you don't go into a full stop!"

Seriously though Pinto, about mental illness, it is my contention that we probably all have a threshold beyond which we may be
susceptible.
So many factors, Heredity, circumstance, trauma, life circumstance, (Tonights 4 Corners about a truly evil religion comes to mind, Jay Dubs).
We can be tipped over into psychosis, catatonia, depression of varying degrees, etc.
Some of us have for some reason just like all of the above have had a lifelong resilience, none of which we can claim superiority or blame.
Probably simply fate.
Closest I have come to a coma was almost daily for about ten years in my twenties on the piss, I would drink myself into one.

Never got or felt suicidal though, although I half knew I was drinking myself to death, couldn't envision any life beyond about 35y.o.
A crisis of misery, despair and hopelessness led me to AA. 51 years sober now, Come next Anzac Day I'll be 80, and 52 years sober next
Easter Monday, wouldn't be dead for quids.

Just watch out for that bloody comma.

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you've had some interesting experiences there. I've had alcohol in my life for 2 long periods and either totally alcohol free or almost free for two long periods - the latter of which I'm in now.

It's been an interesting experience, I guess I was never addicted because I was able to give it up really easily when I wanted to - that was when I was about 35 or 36 and I had begun drinking at around 18 or 19.
Later, when I went to Uni - I decided to drink. That too was interesting. But the most drinking I ever did was when I lived with a hellbitch.
I noticed that when she disappeared for a week or so - that I drank too much the first night - then, zip. That was a heads up that it was a response to stress. Later, when still in the relationship I stopped - and, have had very very little since.

It's interesting lately because I would love to sit on some outside terraces and have a drink - but, grog makes me feel like crap and, I'm very fit atm, and I've wanted to try a crap diet for a while - so, about ? 6 weeks back - I went on a crap diet - which included Coke.
So, I thought - this will be good - I can go and sit outside with the rest of the frogs and I can have a Coke --------- well, that was even worse - it's quite addictive, but, the difference in my feeling well - was dramatic - so, I ran the experiment for a month and now, I'm back on a diet that has no crap in it - took about a week to begin to feel 'normal' - the descent into feeling like crap was almost immediate - certainly by the second day.

But, now I still have a problem - I'd love to have something to drink on the terraces - but, water doesn't cut it (I will try and see if I can buy still water - the only point being the experience of sitting there) ------ mineral water, I don't like and when I want to go for a drink - I can't do coffee - too late in the day - and, the frogs have totally shit coffee anyway.

As far as depression goes - I honestly think that we know very little yet. We know even less about anhedonia - I've been wanting to read some research on anhedonia when it's not associated with mental illness ------------ yes, I've found that there are cases of it with no association - but, to see studies of those - is almost impossible to find - because as soon as you look for anything about it - you get miles of articles and mentions where it's associated with depression and the like.