Skydiving and Depression

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I'm not really qualified to comment on the biological aspects, though I did go through some pretty brutal situational depression some years ago. I did find that mechanisms I tried to use to escape that -- alcohol, drugs and whatnot, only ever make things worse when you come down off them. Of course, those things didn't have the awesome people you get to hang out with when skydiving. Actually socializing instead of just clamming up in a shell might make a difference.

I know a number of people who've gone through trying to get medicated for it, with mixed results. It looks like a difficult balancing act, trying to find one that works with side effects that are tolerable. Also seems like the balance can change at the drop of a hat. When they get it right, it's like they're completely different people. So if you think that "happy" is not possible in the human condition, I'd suggest that you explore medication as a solution. Perhaps you'll discover you were wrong about that.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[lynnjump 0]

Quote

[Shredex 0]

Give yourself a goal. And keep that goal in mind.
For me it's Proximity Base Wingsuiting. Won't be able to do it for several years but it keeps driving me forward to reach the goal.

What will I do afterwards? Who knows, more fun stuff :P

[airtwardo 6]

4 year old thread...sure hope the OP is OK.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[potatoman 0]

I too have depression, but only mildly, not really suicidal, but I can tell you, sometimes I feel so down... I don;t like medication, it flattens your emotions etc. I do however see my skydiving as a way out.
WHY: At the club I don't worry about anything else but jumping. I get away from the house. I have a different set of friends there, and they don't care if I am normal or not. Good beer helps too. If I do two days of serious jumping, I feel good about it for a while, not just 20min, and I still have the footage. (Note that I always talk to myself directly after the jump, and I always listen to what adrenalin crap I talk)
At home, I have like most others, my favourite DVD's, the ones you can sit and watch for hours, and that also keeps my mind busy.
I also cycle, on the rollers in the living room. Cycle while watching skyjumping is seriously relaxing.
Trust me, you are not alone, and probably not the worst of one in this sick world. Hang in there, and focus all the bad you feel into something you love.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Ugh I have GOT to learn to start looking at the dates on these! Maybe I should do some custom CSS to make them blink or something...

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[steve1 5]

I think there are a ton of people who turn to skydiving to treat their depression. The bottom line is that it helps a lot.

I work as a licensed mental health therapist. I also have had depression issues. I wish I could say, all you have to do to conquer depression is see a shrink and maybe get some meds. It's a lot more difficult than that.

Most of my relatives treat their depression with alcohol. My brother drank himself to death. My old man was an abusive, neglectful, drunk who did his best to cope with life, but failed miserably. I swore I'd never be like that.

Adrenaline sports are one way that I was able to cope. Rodeoing, skydiving, etc. helped a lot. When I was jumping, or getting on a bronc, that was all that I thought about. I was in the moment. The high from that lasted a long time. Call it an escape if you want. All I knew was that life had meaning when I was doing that.

Lifting weights, running, nature, being around horses, hunting, and fishing, were all things that helped me a lot. Nature had a huge healing affect.

My wife and kids were the best of all. Without them I wouldn't have made it.

Working in the mental health field, I have seen a lot of depressed people who stay depressed. I wish I was more optimistic. I know there are a lot of good therapists out there, but there are some really crappy ones as well. Sometimes it takes a lot of looking to find a therapist who will help.

I tried medication for several years. Zoloft helped me a lot. My daughter said that Zoloft saved her life. It has side affects though. This is a medication they give sex offenders in prison. It can have a big affect on your sex drive.

I skydived while taking Zoloft. I really felt I did better in the air with it. I was more observant.

I tried Welbruton for a while. I felt positively wierd while taking that. There's nothing in it that helps anxiery. It has no affect on your sex drive, but it made me stupid. I would go to pick up my carpoolers in the morning and miss the turn. I couldn't remember stuff. I would never skydive on a medication like that.

I'm not taking any meds. now. Yes, I need them, but I'm trying to get by without. I hate the side affects. You're not supposed to skydive or fly when you're taking anti-depressants. I know a lot of people do anyway.

I had a therapist for a while who seemed very good. He made sense out of things I was troubled by.

A few years back he jumped off of a bridge. He parked his car, and without hesitation he went over the edge. I heard his health was bad. Maybe he too suffered from depression.

Depression is a huge killer. It disables lot's of people. It hurts like hell. I wish more people understoond this terrible disease.

If sports like skydiving give meaning to your life, that's a good thing.....

[pchapman 261]

As this thread was revived, I'll note that one other big thread I recall on skydiving, depression, and meds was http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3837829, that dealt with the awkward issue of tandem instructors with FAA medicals. If they don't get help, they can jump. If they do get help for their condition, they get grounded...

[Karen89 0]

Dealt with depression as a teenager. It got better the older I get. I just handle it in a different way as an adult.

But I decided if I am having an emotional day, I will not jump while upset. If ever I am on a plane ride up, and I am on the verge of tears I will not jump.

[Krip 2]

Hi Steve

I've got OLD it's also a killer, and haven't found any meds to delay the sands of time.

But it is fun wakeing up every morning and reading four year old threads
A good sense of humor helps, now I just need to learn to keep my head in the sand and stop listening to the news. Talk about depression.



Thats can give a

One Jump Wonder

[potatoman 0]

Do you know Marvin, from the Hitchikers Guide?

I bought the movie just for that guy. He always cheers me up, even if I find out I just posted in a 4year old post.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
Davelepka - "This isn't an x-box, or a Chevy truck forum"
Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.