My name is Lynne, I'm 24 years old and I've been depressed since I can remember. When I was young I didn't know what it was called or even that I was different from anyone else. I thought everybody felt like that and just went on with their lives anyway, so I did too. I got really good at hiding it. I had a good childhood -perhaps bullied at school more than normal, but I had a great home life with supportive parents.
I've been trying medications since high school and am still trying to find one that works for me. I did a CBT program in university after my father passed away, but it was years ago and I've gotten out of the habits.
I find people confusing and nerve-wracking. Social interactions that come naturally to other people don't make sense to me, so I avoid them. I'm on module 4 of this program and only just introducing myself on the forum because it encouraged me to do so. It is unlikely I would have without being prompted to do so. (Needless to say, one of the benefits of this program is that there is no actual personal interaction)
I have one excellent source of support in my boyfriend/partner. We've been together for years and he's very supportive. He's a PhD student in Psychology, so he understands depression as much as he can without actually having experienced it. He's great, but I often worry I'm trying his patience (I know, cognitive distortion...).
I've been having trouble with the homework. Not that it's difficult, but remembering and then wanting to do it is challenging. I think I need to redo module 3...
Anyway, that's me, more or less. Hello everyone.