suggestions, pretty please...

[tronada]

been there, done it, still doing it.......

Don't give up, for anyone in the same situation from anxiety, depression, panic attacks, ptsd, whatever you want to call this stuff.
I think for most of my life, I've suffered from some sort of depression or anxiety or something, without having a name for it. This is just the way it is. Some days are good and some terribly bad. How do you get past it? I have no clue. I'm still trying.
I've been told all the names and tried most of the meds. None of it worked. I've been trying natural stuff too. Not sure how that's going, but I'm going to keep trying.
Sometimes I don't wonder if this is just the way my life is supposed to be. Do I deserve to be happy? And why do I? You are right, Skye, it's the kids that keep you going, but it's still so hard.
The last 2 weeks have been esp. bad for me. The closer it gets to Christmas, the worse I feel. I just can't get into it at all. All I want to do is go away somewhere and be alone, but that aint happening. Doubt it ever will.
Anyway, I've been checking into actual physical causes like pollution, food additives, chemicals in the drinking water, changes in your bodies alkalinity - ph levels and that. It's some pretty scary stuff, but a lot of it makes a great deal of sense. Our bodies are dumping grounds for so much unnatural stuff, it's a wonder to me that we are not sicker. Some of us are.
Well, I've rambled enough. To everyone, including myself, hang in there. Perhaps if more of us hang together, we can make some progress. It helps a lot coming on Lit. I never knew there were so many caring people out there. That helps a lot. That and the fact that I can be anonymous. I am a bit of a recluse and shy. But I'm working on it.
(((((( )))))) for everyone!!!

tronada

 

[JustSkye]

Thank you for all the advice that has been forthcoming. It's been so very helpful! Thank you too for some of the Gb friends for dropping in and replying. It seems to be a much kinder side here and I know I will almost always get good advice.

Do any of you find that certain things trigger your depression?

 

[Quoll]

Thank you for all the advice that has been forthcoming. It's been so very helpful! Thank you too for some of the Gb friends for dropping in and replying. It seems to be a much kinder side here and I know I will almost always get good advice.

Do any of you find that certain things trigger your depression?

Only impending doom Which for me could be anything from fear of losing job (actually losing job not really the fear, it`s having to deal with social security people, would rather be broke.) to going down the street (some days)
Plus as I mentioned earlier some antibiotics.

Not sure what triggered my initial episode, my SM suspects it was her miscarriage, (I handled it like a typical bloke, buried it. ) but once it started it didn`t ease up until I went on the meds.

Hope you are getting on top of it Skye

 

[Quoll]

It seems to be a much kinder side here and I know I will almost always get good advice.

You`ve come over from the dark side?

 

[funwdi]

Hmmm

Tired? Your age? What you are doing? How many hours you are sleeping? If you are in your 30's, you might want to get your thyroid checked. Otherwise...are you drinking alcohol at night? You might want to stop one - 2 hours before bedtime and eat a light meal by 8 pm. Also...do you drink enough water? A tired feeling may be from being dehydrated. OR you may have SAD. It all depends on a lot of factors!

 

[beazoner]

dollface0007-
Thanks for your comment. I was amazed that no one had mentioned depression and how to seek help. She seemed really desperate. Hope things improve soon.

 

[JustSkye]

Only impending doom Which for me could be anything from fear of losing job (actually losing job not really the fear, it`s having to deal with social security people, would rather be broke.) to going down the street (some days)
Plus as I mentioned earlier some antibiotics.

Not sure what triggered my initial episode, my SM suspects it was her miscarriage, (I handled it like a typical bloke, buried it. ) but once it started it didn`t ease up until I went on the meds.

Hope you are getting on top of it Skye

I'm getting there. I think every time I have an episode of depression I'm going to post here and see the times of the month that it happens and why. And see if there are patterns and whatnot.


Thank you for making me smile

 

[JustSkye]

You`ve come over from the dark side?

yes. It can be quite dark and uncaring there sometimes. But over all they have been good to me. It's just better sometimes posting things of this nature here. I feel I get better views ( imo ) over here.

 

[JustSkye]

Re: Hmmm

Tired? Your age? What you are doing? How many hours you are sleeping? If you are in your 30's, you might want to get your thyroid checked. Otherwise...are you drinking alcohol at night? You might want to stop one - 2 hours before bedtime and eat a light meal by 8 pm. Also...do you drink enough water? A tired feeling may be from being dehydrated. OR you may have SAD. It all depends on a lot of factors!

I have checked most of these things and some of it does factor in.

Thank you

 

[JustSkye]

dollface0007-
Thanks for your comment. I was amazed that no one had mentioned depression and how to seek help. She seemed really desperate. Hope things improve soon.

Thank you, Beazoner. I do have my moments and some of them can be quite bad. But I needed to work through it and it's better today. Thank you.

 

[Quoll]

I'm getting there. I think every time I have an episode of depression I'm going to post here and see the times of the month that it happens and why. And see if there are patterns and whatnot.


Thank you for making me smile

Great idea, apart from showing patterns it also helps to break the self inflicted isolation.
I too notice a definite cyclical nature about it.
When things were bad I`d be lucky to have one good week in three, these days it`s almost the reverse and the bad days are just bad not horrifying.

One thing I am slowly learning is that self esteem plays a big part in maintaining stability.
You have to find things about yourself that you like and are proud of.
Not easy when all this shit is going on in your head.
Start small eg:"I am a good parent, today I didn`t kill the children"


If I got a genuine smile out of you then you are doing great it`s because I`m such a clever and caring person (self esteem thing) (it`sokay to lie to yourself)


Could be interesting to compare with your patterns.
http://www.qns.com/html/weborhythm/

 

[Quoll]

 

[JustSkye]

thank you! it's beautiful!

 

[Debbie]

You could try changing little things in your life.

Your diet, time alone, doing things that make you feel good.

IE reading, long baths, fun time with your kids, singing, a journal might help. Definitely good friends works.

Be honest with yourself most of all.

You aren't superwoman and need time out too.

http://www.eat-online.net/english/education/depression_and_diet/depression_and_diet.htm

"Might a vitamin deficiency be the primary cause of some depressions? Not all the answers on diet and depression are in. But, while research continues, there are some areas of your diet that you can work on now. Each of the diet recommendations below are consistent with good health, but may also help improve symptoms of low energy and mood depressions."

 

[JustSkye]

You could try changing little things in your life.

Your diet, time alone, doing things that make you feel good.

IE reading, long baths, fun time with your kids, singing, a journal might help. Definitely good friends works.

Be honest with yourself most of all.

You aren't superwoman and need time out too.

http://www.eat-online.net/english/education/depression_and_diet/depression_and_diet.htm

"Might a vitamin deficiency be the primary cause of some depressions? Not all the answers on diet and depression are in. But, while research continues, there are some areas of your diet that you can work on now. Each of the diet recommendations below are consistent with good health, but may also help improve symptoms of low energy and mood depressions."

Thank you, Debbie! It's good to hear from you. I'm making changes slowly but surely.

 

[TamedTiger]

I know you said you had no money for medication, but there are also natural alternatives.

St. John's Wort has been used for depression forever, and it has been highly effective for many people.

The trick is not to buy the first bottle you see, as many of them don't contain enough of the herb to make a difference.

Try this web site - it's got a message board for people who take it, tips from people who use it, personal stories, etc. It also tells you which is the best to buy, any and all side effects, etc.

http://www.sjwinfo.org/

You can take it until you feel better overall. St. John's Wort can often be a helping hand until you feel better on your own.

It's worth a shot. Hope everything works out, and you feel better. Hang in there.

 

[SweetErika]

I know you said you had no money for medication, but there are also natural alternatives.

St. John's Wort has been used for depression forever, and it has been highly effective for many people.

The trick is not to buy the first bottle you see, as many of them don't contain enough of the herb to make a difference.

Try this web site - it's got a message board for people who take it, tips from people who use it, personal stories, etc. It also tells you which is the best to buy, any and all side effects, etc.

http://www.sjwinfo.org/

You can take it until you feel better overall. St. John's Wort can often be a helping hand until you feel better on your own.

It's worth a shot. Hope everything works out, and you feel better. Hang in there.

I mentioned this earlier, but you can not take it until you feel better. It's only recommended for 7-14 days, and for some people, it can be very harmful. It can also interact with other medications and raise blood pressure. I'm an advocate of alternative therapies, but you have to be so careful with them!

 

[TamedTiger]

Sorry, I didn't read through all the posts so I didn't know if anyone had mentioned it.

Some people take it all their lives, without harm ... it all depends on a person's general health, situation, and any other drug they may be taking. Some people take anti-depressants from prescriptions their whole lives and those are much worse than St. John's Wort.

Anyway, it's why I included the web site which has lots of information, both from doctors and patients.

Definitely, though, anything with which you self medicate requires research and a knowledge of your medical history and overall health.

 

[Quoll]

Hi Skye,
How was your day?
oops
Probably should be " Hope you have a good day

Damn time zones?!?!

 

[zhukov1943]

Do you have any friends with children?

I don't know about you, but it's impossible for me to stay depressed when I'm playing with my friends' children - playing "tackle" football with a 6-year old, Barbies with a 5-year old, or "peek-a-boo" with a 14 month old might cure your woes, at least for a little while.

 

[londonaberdeen]

MHO

I'm going to throw in my experience for what it's worth.

The worst thing you can do is try to sit down and type or post on a site what's depressing you. All that happens is you sit and think about it while typing your story. You get further depressed with nothing positive coming your way.

What ever has cause this lact of self worth can't be resolved by dwelling on it, it becomes the bitter never ending circle.

Break the cycle, feel positive. Someone has already suggested the fact you need to start small but think positive. Like today I was a good parent. Anytime you think something bad, straight away think something good, force yourself to think something good.

Talk to people, not about how you feel or what you need. Just try to make sure this doesn't dominate your life. Socialise, about kids, get involved in their play groups.
I'm guessing by your name city life isn't the problem, more like too small a community and no where to go. Turn that to an advantage - look at all the space and FANTASTIC scenery when out for a walk.

I guess my one piece of advice is think happy positive thoughts. Don't dwell on the problems as it only breeds unhappiness.

From someone who'se been there.

 

[dollface007]

Re: MHO

I'm going to throw in my experience for what it's worth.

The worst thing you can do is try to sit down and type or post on a site what's depressing you. All that happens is you sit and think about it while typing your story. You get further depressed with nothing positive coming your way.

What ever has cause this lact of self worth can't be resolved by dwelling on it, it becomes the bitter never ending circle.

Break the cycle, feel positive. Someone has already suggested the fact you need to start small but think positive. Like today I was a good parent. Anytime you think something bad, straight away think something good, force yourself to think something good.

Talk to people, not about how you feel or what you need. Just try to make sure this doesn't dominate your life. Socialise, about kids, get involved in their play groups.
I'm guessing by your name city life isn't the problem, more like too small a community and no where to go. Turn that to an advantage - look at all the space and FANTASTIC scenery when out for a walk.

I guess my one piece of advice is think happy positive thoughts. Don't dwell on the problems as it only breeds unhappiness.

From someone who'se been there.

I disagree with the first part of your post. Writing down your problems can be very cathartic. People with depression and anxiety tend to bottle up their problems and, therefore, isolate themselves from others. Depression and anxiety often come about through rigid thought processes; therefore, thinking about your problems as you write them down might expand and deepen your thoughts. Also, writing about your problems can help you to eventually speak about your problems if you are afraid to do so.

I definitely agree that positive thinking (or cutting out the negative inner dialogue) is a key to recovery. Perhaps Vermillion Skye should consider both writing about her problems AND writing about positive things and things she is thankful for each day.

 

[beazoner]

Skyy-

I think one thing that can help someone feeling depressed is to stay very busy. its hard to feel bad when you're busy. And a great way to do this is volunteer to help those with more problems than you have. Elderly folks, needy children, people who are ill. If you have time volunteering at a hospital,childrens home, nursing home,etc.can do wonders for a person. You are doing very rewarding work while meeting people with problems that may make you feel your problems aren't quite as bad as you thought.

 

[JustSkye]

Thank you everyone for responding and replying and giving caring bits.

So far so good lately. I have moments where I start to feel little nudges of it and have to shake my head and push it away and keep going. The holiday has been so wonderful. The best in years.

I think the depression that has tried to creep in has been from missing a few in my life. And other things I am realizing the hard way. But today was another day. A better day. And I'm alive and loved.

 

[babydoll2u]

I've felt that way many times throughout my life, and exercise, a good diet, taking time to de-stress, social interaction, and doing small things I enjoy help A LOT. Can you turn to friends or a group for support as well?

Some natural supplements have also helped. Make sure you're getting enough magnesium, B vitamins, etc. (do some research on natural therapies for depression and anxiety). St. John's Wort has also helped me at times, but you want to make sure you research it thoroughly before taking it, as it can have some serious side effects.

If none of that helps or it gets worse, many doctors and clinics have sliding scale fees based on income/family size, and they often have samples or will help you get medications for free through a patient assistance program.

I'm glad someone mentioned St. John's Wort.
This is a natural anti-depressant, and I know of quite a few people who have switched to it from antidepressants such as Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, etc. and have had great success. But as mentioned, please do the research on it.

I have been where you are several times in just the past few months. I was in a real bad place just last night and I thank God for a sweet friend here at Lit who was online to help me through it.

If you ever need a listening ear, I'm only a pm or im away

Peggy