hi there.  i am currently going through some depression.  i decided to go on this site to speak to people with similar experiences.  i am hoping to learn how to deal with things better.  i have been dealing with depression on and off for 26 years, and still have no magical cure lol  would love to hear from anyone who has some good advice on how to deal with getting upset with family, friends, and work-mates when they let you down.  also interested to hear from anyone who has kicked a poker machine habit and how you did it.  look forward to hearing from you :)

You don't mention whether you have tried medication or seen a psychologist or spoken to your GP about about your situation. I assume you have given the length of time you have been experiencing depression. If not start with your GP.                                                                                                                                                                                            All of us who experience the black dog have things in common but there is no similar experience.  Your not having found a magical cure is something that you share with many.  What do you mean when you say you have been dealing with depression? You use that word a few times in your post. How are you dealing with it?                           If you feel that you need to be able to effectively respond with the challenges of life better then you need to gain some insight into what it is that causes you to feel upset in the situations you refer to. It is a normal part of life to be let down by people but we all have the capacity to choose how we respond to that. If you feel upset when you perceive that to be the situation then that is something you must look closely at.                                                  None of us can just expect others to be what we would wish them to be. To respond as we would want them to but we are able to determine for ourselves our responses to that.                                                                                    If you experience depression then you are inclined to not deal very effectively with the world around you. That is something that I know is true for myself. Have you availed yourself of the resources that are available to you in helping you address your problem with gambling?  Your problem with poker machines satisfies some need, some release, that you need to become conscious of and address just as I had to do with my alcoholism. When you gain some insight into a compulsion then that empowers you and enables you to confront it and understand it.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Seek all the help you can because we all need that in dealing with the difficulties of life and those presented by the fact that we are who we are in all our complexity.                                                                                                         It is not a magical cure we need but courage. Philip,