Best depression-related communities online?

August 28, 2006 12:15 PM

In your opinion, what are the best online resources for people with depression? (e.g. communities, forums, web-based magazines etc).

My Google-fu sucks and I don't have it in me (too depressed, heh) to sift through page after page of crap, fake spammy sites advertising cheap antidepressants and the more "professional" but cookie-cutter sites like WebMD that all spout the same clinical crap over & over again.

I'm looking for interactive supportive sites for people dealing with somewhat severe depression. Do any exist? What are your favorites?

I guess I'm looking for someplace to go when it's 3 am and I still can't sleep and I need to read something that might make me a bit more optimistic about how I've been feeling for the past few months.

posted by tastybrains to health & fitness (15 answers total)

I don't know if this is quite what you're looking for, but it's basically an online CBT workbook. I find it pretty interesting.

MoodGYM.
posted by fuzzbean at 12:19 PM on August 28, 2006

Try Crazy Boards. It's very informative.

Specifically, here is the depression portion of the board entitled "Depression - Let a WHAT Be My Fucking Umbrella? (Sod You, Perry Como)."

There's also another section on meds called "Antidepressants – If You're Crappy and You Know It."

Hang in there. You're not the only one. There have been many discussions of depression on mefi and meds taken by mefites.

At least see your family doctor if you are in bad shape and haven't talked to anyone. The hardest part is dragging your butt out of bed and telling someone. :)
posted by bim at 12:33 PM on August 28, 2006

I now see from your earlier posts that you are talking to someone and trying meds. Good. I wish you well.
posted by bim at 12:42 PM on August 28, 2006

If there is an anxiety component to your depression (and maybe even if there isn't), I highly recommend the community at TAPIR. They have a boards on all kinds of topics and a chat option as well. I have found it to be a great place to go when I'm feeling at my worst.
posted by annaramma at 12:54 PM on August 28, 2006

So far, I've found Wings of Madness to be one of the better, active communities out there.
posted by melorama at 1:07 PM on August 28, 2006

You need either Wing of Madness or Beating the Beast. They both have a forum full of supportive folk...who are also usually awake at 3am and need somewhere to go. These are people who know all about therapists and meds and what it's like and are from all over the world and pretty friendly.

Wing of Madness has been around for a long time, but the forum part shut down for a bit a few years ago when its founder had a baby. That's when Beating the Beast emerged, so people still had a place to talk. Now both are back up and running - I believe some people float back and forth, but others have a preference for one or the other.
posted by meerkatty at 1:11 PM on August 28, 2006

The folks at Table Talk (via Salon.com) are incredibly supportive. You can find depression support in many threads there.

Member Lounge > Psychological and emotional issues and concerns (can be viewed by members only)
Health & Science > AntiDepressants: What has worked for you?
Social Issues > Van Gogh on Prozac
Member Lounge > Melancholy Mamas (can be viewed by members only)
Private Life > Out of the Blue and Into the Black
Families Who Think > Postpartum Thread, or What the Hell Happened to Me?
posted by jeanmari at 1:34 PM on August 28, 2006

"I'm feeling OK with time release welbutrin and a low dose of concerta. Recently diagnosed with ADD, and new to the concerta. That combo has fairly low (sexual) side effects and seems to work for me, at this moment. I'm done having children, but I did go off everything when pregnant. Why yes, I was totally crazy postpartum. I did try to do my husband in with some very old meatloaf. Not saying I'm proud of it, or that it worked. "


I forgot to add that some of the posters there can be pretty funny. I can't post some of the very best quotes here because they are in the Members Only view, but, dang, I like my fellow depressives to have a dark sense of humor.
posted by jeanmari at 1:52 PM on August 28, 2006

Thank you guys, so much. I've bookmarked all of these sites - I can't "best answer" any of them, because they all look like what I've been looking for and it will take some lurking & posting to figure out where I'll eventually settle.

As an added benefit, I can stop posting my depression related questions on AskMe and post them on more topical forums since you all have pointed me to some good ones. Thanks again!
posted by tastybrains at 3:19 PM on August 28, 2006

I also like http://www.depressionet.com.au/. They have message boards, chat, fact sheets and other good stuff.
posted by andraste at 3:27 PM on August 28, 2006

You might also consider "Dr. Bob" which is moderated. I think it is one of the better sites on the web re ongoing discussions on medication. Dr Bob is a psychiatrist at Northwestern--while he does not directly participate it draws a fairly knowledgeable group of lay people. It also has an excellent search function for past ? and A. There are also other forums and links on his site that are quite good. If you decide to visit "psychobabble" is the forum on medication. You will see the other forums listed on the left. Good Luck
http://www.dr-bob.org/
posted by rmhsinc at 3:32 PM on August 28, 2006

Trapped Minds is very helpful, for me at least. It's a message board, no doctors, but it's pretty safe. I recommend it highly.
posted by 7878ponce at 6:31 PM on August 28, 2006

info..forum..chat...nice people/
posted by meeshell at 6:40 PM on August 28, 2006

Mental Health Sanctuary has a chat, Journey Towards Freedom has a chat, Walkers in Darkness has a chat, DBSA has online support groups. The Depression Center has an online cognitive behavioral therapy course (with a session diary, moodtracker chart, and stuff like that).

Here's an abstract about internet support groups for depression -- I bet the other articles & cites would be an interesting read.
posted by oldtimey at 7:33 PM on August 28, 2006

Check out Madgrrls. I've been on it for several years. It is "private" and closely moderated. A great community, I've met lots of the people IRL.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 5:44 PM on September 3, 2006