Help for someone who helped too much...

Question

i used to help people with serious problems...and i mean SERIOUS PROBLEMS... anyhoo...i stopped helping people becuase something happened and i was showing signs of being depressed...(again)

but i was wondering if people thought i should go back to helping people when all this is over and i feel up to it...

p.s keep in mind i helped ALOT of people with very serious problems.

Answer 1

do unto outhers as you would have them do for you.

Answer 2

Depression is a medical illness and has nothing to do with helping others.  In point of fact, if you are feeling well enough physiologically, if the meds have the physical part of your depression under control, then you might be better emotionally if you are able to do things for others and not sit home and stare at the walls.  I found my depression was better when I was active, once I had the meds in place and I was starting to feel better anyway.  However, if I sat at home and stared at the walls and did not involve myself with other people, I could make myself more depressed.  

Perhaps you don't want to over-extend yourself, but being active in the community and part of a support group is extremely beneficial to someone with a mental illness.  In fact, it is the basis of many "support groups" sponsored by various agencies such as NAMI and others -- being able to see that we are all in the same boat and we can support one another.  You can gain from those other people as much as they can gain from you, regardless of their diagnoses.  (Now, I don't know what their serious problems were, but remember that we all have something to offer one another.)

Good luck and I hope you will see your way to going back to helping others -- or maybe going to some sort of a support group and being a part of it.