How many Warriors have depression, anxiety, or other similar problems?

With the exception of Depression. There's been a lot of headway made in this area, a lot of commercials about depression and the different medications. "Depression hurts..." and those kinds of things.

That's a good thing too, because thankfully depression isn't as life-threatening an illness as say, schizophrenia or a serious psychotic disorder. The condition is also being recognized as needing more than just a "cheer up, you'll be okay" attitude from friends, family and coworkers.

Depending on the level of depression, people can become suicidal, so it is a serious illness, but it's not been one that people are too afraid to admit having today.

Technical Anxiety is a good one for me too, Sal. I often have to ask my boys how to do something.It's a darn good thing we are much smarter in other ways! But technical stuff--ugh, now that is stress!

I was diagnosed with major clinical depression for the third time about 12 years ago and simply am not able to go without my meds. I take 100mg Zoloft daily.

I was also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as well.

And finally, after being diagnosed with sleep apnea, PCOS and Fibromyalgia, most of my teen year "difficulties" plus what caused me to lose three jobs in less than five years and finally end up on permanent disability now makes sense.

I still go through minor bouts of depression and anxiety even now at home and regularly on my meds. But it's not anywhere near as bad as it is if I'm not taking my meds (think Linda Blair in the Exorcist! ).

But I can relate to the feeling of hopelessness. There are no words to describe how much of a total failure I felt like for a long, long time until all of the medical diagnoses came back and there was a "name" for one after the other medical conditions I had - ALL of which have depression as a symptom.

Going through the list of major clinical depression symptoms, the only one I didn't have was suicide. Thankfully.

I mean, I went from someone who could run circles around any younger person in the office on any day. I was the ultimate multi-tasker!

Ten years down the road, I was forgetting so many things that thought I was going through early dementia or Alzheimer's. Then I'd come home and crawl in a corner and just cry and cry. For absolutely NO reason at all, other than I thought I was losing my mind and it scared the bejeezes out of me.

Another ten years later after multiple diagnoses, I was able to go on permanent disability with absolutely no rebuttal from SS and no hearings. It was expedited and granted on the spot.

That in itself is depressing! And my meds ended up being increased again.

It's an uphill battle at times, especially if you're a woman because we have myriad other problems that guys don't have, and those "things" also come with depression as a wonderful side effect.

On the positive side - - I'm working from home. I don't have a bitchy boss hanging over me. I don't have to multi-task; I can do one thing at a time until it's complete so I don't get frustrated or confused. And my online buddies are a hell of a lot more fun than many of the "real" people I had to deal with in the corporate office every day.

There's practically an entire YouTube community devoted to depression - and PCOS and Fibro ... we crazy people are everywhere!

amen to that.

I had very negative parents, siblings and friends, way back. told me I gave up on life!!, so glad I came through the other side.

This IM thing aint easy, and in my early days, I felt like I was failing. But Thanks to the WF and other people like TR, they helped emmensly.

Use the negativity around me to succeed, if you know what I mean.