losing interest in the ukulele

It seems I am losing interest in the ukulele...I don't practice anymore and I may pickup my ukes once a month if that....I have seemed to have lost interest in life general...I stay in bed most of the time, I don't do things with my family, and I don't even go upstairs to eat any more.. I am one sad case I guess.

November used to be my depression month. Not anymore for me.

You are not alone. Go talk to a doctor . Do something.

Trucker - these sound like the classic symptoms of serious depression. It is something that can be treated, as I have known several people and relatives who have been treated for it. Its nothing to be ashamed of, anymore than getting a cold or some other ailment is. Please think about getting some professional help for it. At least talk to someone close to you about it.

Sounds like you are depressed. I used to be. I went to talk to a psychologist. It was very helpful. Maybe that might help you feel better also. I knew I was in trouble when I stopped reading books. Life sure can get better. Good Luck. PM me if you want to chat.
Sukie

Well, maybe we can cheer you up, trucker! Stick around. Seriously. Stay here. Stay well. As a person who in the last year:

1) Had a stroke that could easily have been lights out for me and subsequent heart surgery in hopes to prevent the next one, and...
2) Just had surgery to fix a perforated colon that also could have been lights out

I can tell you this: Your family loves you, and your family needs you. There's tons of support here and elsewhere if you need it, so take advantage. I can't tell you how to shake your blues, other than PLAYING the blues on your uke, but this place is a good start, as music is good for the soul!

hi armytrucker

as has been said, those are classic depression symptoms brother. As someone who has suffered from depression most of my life, you can manage it mate...first stop is your local GP...a little chat with him or her...and they should be able to prescribe something to help relieve you of some of these symptoms. I have experienced exactly what you are describing...untreated...for years mate...I tried so many different kinds of medication these past twenty years, mostly without much success. It is only in the last few months I have found something which seems to be helping a lot...it's not a bad thing...don't feel guilt about it or blame yourself, depression is a very complicated issue and often, may be a genetic thing. If you have that kind of clinical depression, medication will help you enormously.

And your family will be missing you. I know what it's like to be there in body but totally disconnected emotionally. believe me mate, your family are missing you and what their dad / husband back. The fact that you have spoken of your feelings here says to me you want some help. I used to wallow in the oppressive feelings, almost enjoy them just to spite myself...but that doesn'r t work mate...I have noticed with my new medication that my general outlook has gotten less pessimistic and the old tunnel vision has widened. I've started to appreciate things differently and my family, most importantly are starting to see the real person underneath. Please take the first step trucker. Quicker you do so the quicker you can start to take some control over the situation and not feel so helpless. you're not a sad case...you're a good man who is having a tough time and just need someone in whom to confide.

And like Sukie said, please send a PM or 3...I'm a rambler, but I'm a good listener too bro.

blessings, eugene.

armytrucker,

I second what others have said. Those are depression symptoms. If it helps at all, there are two positives in this. #1, there are people right here who don't even know you but who care and want to help, and #2, you've already taken a first step by posting and being willing to talk about it. I urge you to talk about it some more. We can all help you get through this. This is a tough time of year for a lot of us.

We'll worry about the uke later. Job 1 is making sure you're okay.

-Pete

Aloha ArmyTrucker77,
Staying in bed and withdrawn from life will just make things worse man....find something that peeks your intrest and get out and mingle and socialize..
Your family misses you, isnt that a reason for a change.....You need to seek some motivation and insipration...don't give up on life....Seek medical help
if it is beyond your control...Classic symptoms of chronic depression seldom cures itself...if you need someone to talk to, were all here for you man!!
Take up our offers, maybe the best way to start is with us...sometimes outsiders can help more than family and friends....Good Luck and don't give
up!!!! MM Stan..

Also, I take it from your screen name you are a vet. If your symptoms are at all PTSD related, perhaps you could reach out to some of the vets here. Haolejohn and Tudorp come to mind, but there may be others here as well. This, coming from a civilian... Excuse me if I'm over-reaching here - it was just a thought.

Put things in perspective - realize the positive things you have in life - and do try to get some help, please!!!!

Our society treats things like depression as a psychological illness when it is caused by a chemical imbalance. If you had a chemical imbalance with your thyroid, people wouldn't be telling you just to cheer up...they'd tell you to go see someone. Depression should be treated the same way. You should go talk to someone. It can really help.

I'll be praying for ya bro.

One thing that is important is to be physically active even though it might the last thing you might want to do. It has to do with the body's chemistry, lack of activity can fuel depression.

hoosierhiver said:

One thing that is important is to be physically active even though it might the last thing you might want to do. It has to do with the body's chemistry, lack of activity can fuel depression.

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yes it can.

afeistyfiesta said:

...people wouldn't be telling you just to cheer up...they'd tell you to go see someone. Depression should be treated the same way. You should go talk to someone. It can really help.

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I hope you didn't take my first post as a mere "cheer up" kind of thing, as it was only the lighter side of my intent, if you will. I apologise if it seemed that way, but if you look at the rest of it, and the subsequent post, you'll find deeper advice than that. My point there was the importance of family in light of my recent experiences. I too, have been helped with chemical treatment for depression, so I'm with you there. And Armytrucker, if you're reading this, please post again soon. As you can see, there is genuine concern here for you in this positive community, as well as love and support when you need it. Stay strong. We're all pulling for you!

What great words of wisdom from all. So cool to hear what you all have to say to Armytrucker. I am a licensed therapist and I work with people dealing with depression all the time. Physical activity, a medical evaluation (some medical conditions cause depression), an evaluation for medication for depression, psychotherapy, and increased support and connections with friends and family are all of great help. I have worked with hundreds of clients who begin in a very dark place and when they open themselves to the things that are helpful, I see dramatic improvements. These are my hopes for you armytrucker.....

As others have said, get help and support....reach out and things can and will change.

all i can really think of besides everything everyone else has said is to maybe try and pick up another hobby that you've always wanted to try...if you get yourself excited about something new, you'll feel refreshed, and once you feel better, you'll be picking your uke back up in no time!

RyanMFT said:

What great words of wisdom from all. So cool to hear what you all have to say to Armytrucker. I am a licensed therapist and I work with people dealing with depression all the time. Physical activity, a medical evaluation (some medical conditions cause depression), an evaluation for medication for depression, psychotherapy, and increased support and connections with friends and family are all of great help. I have worked with hundreds of clients who begin in a very dark place and when they open themselves to the things that are helpful, I see dramatic improvements. These are my hopes for you armytrucker.....

As others have said, get help and support....reach out and things can and will change.

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Thanks Ryan, I was hoping you would weigh in. Some encouraging words from someone like you are badly needed here. This sort of thing is like the old "layers of an onion" analogy, the first layer being armytrucker's original post, which seems to be a cry for help and a good first step. So you see armytrucker, you are not without resources. It truly is an amazing community here in the underground. Please don't hesitate to take advantage. We'll be thinking about you!

I used to have extremely bad depression, it comes and goes now but I've been learning how to deal with it and I am infinitely better than I was. First yes, you should just go see someone about it, no big deal, that's why people become psychologists or therapists. One major thing that I find I have to do is really think about things that I enjoy, or used to enjoy, or things that I wish I could do. well instead of wishing I just try to force myself to do them, and I have a blast! But one major thing that deters me or makes me just be like "oh I'll just stay home instead' is Video Games and TV, and when I'm distracting myself with video games or TV, I'm not having fun with EITHER ONE, so what's the point? I try now to only play games with my good friends, and only watch TV with people, otherwise it feeds my depression. ALSO, a really really really big thing in helping me with my depression was my ukulele, I had a uke before, but it was a crappy uke, didn't inspire me to play, when I upgraded though I really pulled out of it. Now I spend most of the time that I would be playing games or watching TV playing my uke instead, looking up music theory on the internet, making music and posting videos of it!

Life is short. Life is a banquet, get some help and come back to the feast. Truly, this world is full of amazing experiences.

Wishing you some peace!