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Let's do a poll among FReepers. How many of you are depressed? Anyone? Anyone?

I admit, the DUmmies are funny, but let's not make lite of a real illness.

Depression, anxiety, mood disorders and other mentall illnesses are very real problems, treated by very real doctors, who prescribe very real medications. Unfortunately the stigma attached to mental illness is quite present and quite perverse. You wouldn't laugh and poke fun of a diabetic who needed insulin. Or a cancer victim who needed chemotherapy. But we have no problem holding depressed people and their medications up to be ridiculed and made fun of.

The World Health Organization has reported that by 2010 Depression will be the cause of more lost work days than any other illness (including cold/flu). The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill reports that 1 in 30 Americans will attempt suicide because of an mental illness (diagnosed or undiagnosed).

The postings on the DUmmie FUnnies are amusing. I'm a subscriber to myself. And most of the postings are to be ridiculed and laughed at. But please do not make generalizations about depression.

I'm BirBear. I've been a FReeper for years. And I suffer from chronic major depressive episodes.

I'm simply saying that it seems there is a MUCH higher percentage of depressed DUmmies than depressed FReepers. Now, whether they are ACTUALLY clinically depressed, or they're just negative people, I don't know. I suspect the latter.

I did not make light of mental illness or anything of the sort. When real, I'm sure it can be terrible. I know about real neurlogical problems; I have a severely autistic, retarded child.

I am in terrible pain. My apartment is still in shambles and I have trouble doing household tasks like dishes and laundry. Money is so tight I lived the last week on cream of wheat. It's been a year since a second MRI was requested and Sacramento keep cutting Medi-Cal...so no MRI. I'm pretty sure I've developed a third herniated disc in my lower back.

I have 2 herniated discs in my lumbar spine, in the middle of a lower curvature, and I'm on meds for it. I don't whine like this. And if her herniated discs are for real, she can get injections in the spine that numbs the nerves. I'd do that but as I get older, the curvature gets worse. I need the discomfort to alert me that something could be worse. Anyway, I did laundry yesterday. I did laundry today. I'll do laundry and house cleaning tomorrow too. I do most of the dishes. I shovel snow in winter. (carefully.with a push shovel) Anyway, this womans' attitude causes 90% of her problems. I'd bet on it!

I don't think Freepers are belittling mental illness. But I believe they're (DUmmies) not truly ill. They sound like spoiled children that can't deal with reality (life is not fair! WAH!) so they take psych meds to hide from it.

I understand depression is a bad thing but what we find so amusing is the fact that most of their depression comes from losing an election. Over reacting, I think. Also, if a person has true clinical depression, you aren't going to go to a DR who just reinforces your depression which is what these people are doing. I think these doctors are just adding to their depression. I, too, suffered from depression for years but no one around me even knew it. It was just good old menapause. But it was very real but I didn't go around wearing my depression on my sleeve which is what these people are doing. I think some of them are being melodramatic, too.