Quote Originally Posted by mudmucker View Post
I don't percieve the OP as holding a pity party either. Nor do I detect any high degree of self-loathing. I see that this person has found themselves in a percieved difficult time, is somewhat confused on which direction to take, or is experiencing a motivational funk and is trying to sort through something that that hasn't been encountered in her life before. A temporary wall. Mostly looking for tools.

This is her FIRST post. She may not know the players in the game. I've been here since 2006 and would interpret the responses as an appropriate wakeup call or kick in the butt, knowing the internet personalities and temperaments of the responders. If I were new I might not feel that way.

I think salsabike, aggie, kiwi, tg, and NbyNW give sound advice. And because I know Knott, yes Knott too in her tough love way.

And fer crying out loud, counseling doesn't have to be offered for every single malady. Yes she announced feeling depressed but many people can weather through the times without having to run to a counselor for every single setback and I should sure hope that the average person is well aware that counseling is always an option in their lives. Maybe that's too sensible a statement and people do have to be reminded.
The mere fact that you refer to "running to a counselor for every single setback" suggests to me that you perceive some degree of weakness in seeking professional help. It also suggests to me that you don't know how serious depression can be. Would you say the same thing to someone suffering from a serious physical ailment?

For me, seeking help from a counselor was the first step in empowering myself to be happy and fully functional. There was absolutely nothing weak about it. Rather, it took a lot of courage and strength to not only make that call, but to fully commit to the process of therapy.

Depression can be serious business, and people suffering from it, especially if it's acute, often need A LOT of encouragement to seek help because it can be so paralyzing.

If I am misinterpreting what you wrote, then I apologize.