Clairabel

I just wanted to get a conversation going about mental health, awareness and people's own experiences with mental health conditions.

I've suffered from moderate depression since I was very young, having been diagnosed at 13 and having anxiety too. This has since gone into severe depression, after having a breakdown a few months ago - I've gone through four different antidepressants before settling on venlafaxine 150mg and waiting on a CBT appointment. Currently off work, but hopefully with these new meds I'll be able to recover and get back into normal life.

Anyone else have a history with mental health conditions? Want to dispel any rumours? (No, I'm not crazy, I'm just depressed - stop looking at me like I'm going to throw poo at you) Anyone?

I'm in my second year at university - alas, that's probably going to end soon seeing as I've been juggling uni, a job and looking after my disabled mom. Ah well. I'll always have my A-Levels and that useless Diploma of Higher Education...

@Erzs: Thanks - if I do have to drop out (which may be redundant seeing as the university have already withdrawn me from my course) then I'll either explore a new education route, or pick up my degree when I'm better off financially in the future. My mom would hate to see me quit education altogether, but she is my priority over everything else.

This sounds really familiar somehow, but for the life of me I can't think of what it was called...

@ItBeStefYo: How can you say you hate your mom because she asked you to do the washing up? You say you have a problem with authority and you go on about how hard you work on assignments and essays... boo-fucking-hoo. I''ve been caring for my mom since my dad died when I was 15 after she nearly died of cancer when I was 8. I help her around the house, I do the shopping, pay a chunk of the bills, phone people for her (she had cancer in her mouth and had two-thirds of her tongue removed which has greatly affected her speech), I take time off work to look after her when she's ill, I took three weeks off last year unpaid to look after her when she broke her hip after a fall - but you know what? She's my mom. She gave birth to me, she's looked after me, she's been there when no-one else has - why the hell wouldn't I look after her?

And for the record, I've been at university, and given how much time I've spent looking after my mom, my grades have suffered and I'm now having to work out if I should drop out of my final year for now to look after her more - leaving me with a fuckton of debt and no degree, but it's worth it knowing I'm looking after my mom.

I've done this all on my own, because my dad's dead and my mom needs me, and spiteful, petulant people like you do my head in. At least your mom has the strength to do things herself, and has the money to pay for her ungrateful kid's university fees. At least you have the opportunity to go and live with your dad. At least you can go to university guilt-free, knowing your mom is okay at home without you.

You want advice? Stop acting like a child, do the fucking washing up, try cooking your own meals and treating your mom like the woman who gave you life instead of a skivvy.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Seriously, the game is so cute and addictive, I can't help but smile when I'm playing it.

9, but I really want to play 6 myself after hearing nothing but good things about it.

We're not getting a midnight release in the UK because America's going to be getting the midnight showing - however, we are getting a 5am showing in Birmingham.

Screw that. Me and my boyfriend are going to a showing at 9.30am though...

I'm having so much trouble triggering bosses and getting shards/other items, I have no idea what I'm doing.

I think it all depends on what you want from the phone. If you aren't fussed about apps beyond the standard social networking ones, and you just want a simple interface for calls, texts and emails, plus music etc, then from what I've heard you can't go wrong with a Windows phone, they're really good now and the Nokia Lumia, as well as the HTC Radar are both good phones.

If you want a bit more freedom for customisation and the chance to make your phone look different whenever you need it to, as well as greater access to apps, then Android is a good way to go. HTC phones are good premium models, but I rate the Samsung Galaxy SII as well as the Sony Ericsson Xperia S - these will be cheaper given the recent release of the Galaxy SIII.

I'm a bit of a phone nerd (long story) so I carry this useless knowledge around.