anyone who’s ever read a brochure on depression knows that many of the symptoms are contradictory:

• sleeps too much; sleeps little
• eats more than usual; no appetite
• weight gain; weight loss

and so on. but for people who suffer from depression, it’s important to know what your own symptoms are so you can nip it in the bud.

regular readers know that i’ve been tired more than usual for the past two or three weeks now, and have been sleeping more than i need to. the doctor thinks it’s stress, and perhaps it is: finances, the holidays–nothing more stressful than people who don’t have a mood disorder, certainly. although i have issues that bum me out, they’re nothing to lose hope over. that’s how i know it’s depression.

a lot of people think that people suffering from depression cry all the time and are suicidal. sure, some are, but that’s not true of all of us. what’s important is to be able to recognize your own symptoms, and they can differ from episode to episode. what cinched it for me this time around is that until yesterday, i hadn’t bathed in a week. that certainly isn’t pretty, but it is what it is, and what it is is depression.

when i don’t care about my appearance, it’s depression. when i don’t want to do things i normally like to do, it’s depression. when every little thing like getting a Coke from the fridge or just getting up to go to the bathroom seems like, not just a complete chore but an ordeal, it’s depression.

my next pdoc appointment isn’t for another couple of weeks, but i’m going to call tomorrow to see if he can see me sooner. my meds need adjusting, i’m thinking.

I, Robot (Widescreen Edition)

I, Robot is based on the Isaac Asimov novel of the same name. The year is 2035, the setting: Chicago. U.S. Robotics (USR) is a highly successful manufacturer of robots. These robots have not only made some jobs obsolete, they’re becoming household appliances as well, tending to their owners’ needs so long as they comply with the three laws of robotics:

1. A robot may not harm a human or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the first law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law.

Del Spooner (Will Smith) is a detective prejudiced towards robots, unlike the rest of the population. We learn where this prejudice stems from as the story unfolds, but in the meantime, Spooner’s colleagues think he’s paranoid when it comes to robots.

Spooner receives a phone call and goes to the USR offices to find Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), the robots’ designer, has committed suicide. The detective is convinced it was murder, and furthermore, that the murderer was a robot. With the help of Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan), a USR staff psychologist whose specialty is robotic psyches, Spooner attempts to solve the case

I have a fondness for movies set in Chicago, and this is no exception. The city is recognizable, but buildings have been added and the el is updated. Many elements remain familiar, such as the interiors of people’s homes. This sense of familiarity makes the viewer comfortable with the idea that robots could easily be a part of our everyday lives.

The robots are agile and capable of physical feats that make them seem like very powerful insects, especially when gathered in large numbers. The computer animation is excellent.

A really fun movie if not a little predictable. Would make a great stocking stuffer, though!

a black comedy–of course it is.? i’ll “have fun on the way to the asylum”?? only if i get to kick more paramedics in the crotch.? found at wild abandon – a bipolar blog.

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy

In your life, things are so twisted that you just have to laugh. You may end up insane, but you’ll have fun on the way to the asylum. Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho

the doctor called yesterday with my bloodwork results and thankfully, everything’s fine! he said that all of this tiredness is probably related to stress. he noticed, as did the chiro last week, that my upper back is stiff and tight, which apparently, is stress-related. i thought it was from sleeping wrong. he advised me to take it easy, and if i still feel this way in a month, to see him again.

he left all this info on my voicemail, so i didn’t have a chance to ask him what, exactly, it means to “take it easy.” i sleep for 12 hours at a time now, and that doesn’t include when i start to feel tired later in the day and sleep some more. how much easier could i possibly take it? i think i’m turning into one of my cats. maybe that’s why they couldn’t find anything in my labwork. well, if i start coughing up hairballs, maybe i’ll see the vet, instead.