Lets all be anxious/depressed together.

herisson

I have my first counselling session tomorrow and im so nervous. I know there is nothing to worry about but i have this fear of opening up too much to people and feeling vulnerable if that makes sense?

soon30

ive been suffering from depression with 7 years now even do there was probably always an underlying depression/anxiety.im on effexor 150mg.my problem is that my depression doesnt seem to be improving even do the meds have helped.i only at best seem to pass through feeling ok on my way up to go back down.i have this feeling of phisical pressure in my head.not like a headache more like my skull is too tight for my brain.i do at times reach the mood that i think i would like to be my normal mood but it doesnt last.
could anyone point me in the right direction as to where i should go to improve my situation.i do believe its a chemical imbalance but how do you get the right balance without having to adjust meds constantly.which i dont think is possible to do correctly as my own brain/body would need to do the regulating would it not?
im not looking for medical advice more to get discussion going about it.i do have a gp and do go to him regularly.
not sure if what im saying will make sense to people who arent in my situation.

also has anyone ever gone to biobalance centre in dublin is it a load of hocus that they might be able to treat what meds struggle to?or is it genuine and worth more of my consideration?.i would love to here from people who have tried this nutritional type of treatment and their opinions

Hersheys

Pixie-Fairy wrote: »

I have my first counselling session tomorrow and im so nervous. I know there is nothing to worry about but i have this fear of opening up too much to people and feeling vulnerable if that makes sense?

Good luck pixie - it's a natural fear. But remember the counsellor is there to help you and the more open you can be the more they can help. Stay strong xx

lowlife

To Anxietygirl...

Well...I know this might sound a little mundane, but top marks for writing such a comprehensive, grammatically correct, and thoroughly understandable piece. A lot of people can't.
I'm from London originally, and the twists and turns in my life that ended up with me living here are stranger than fiction. I got a degree in Physics in London years ago, but regret that I spent a lot of that time boozing and staying up half the night instead of studying, resulting in my getting a 3rd class, albeit with Hons. I regret that and could have done a Ph.D. I've had about 30+ jobs in various places in the world, and have had a lingering fear/depression/anxiety like a monkey on my shoulder for years. I drank like a lunatic for years with some kind of death-wish, but finally managed to stop 8 years ago. I seem to have a need to analyse everything to death, resulting in digging myself into a hole - I've done it several times. People keep telling me how "intelligent" I am, which irritates me even more, because I think that only stupid people use that word. Just enrolled in CBT for the first time to try to work out what the hell is going on in my freaking head. I wish you all the best - hang in there.

LegacyUser

lowlife wrote: »

I wish you all the best - hang in there.

Thanks, but it's gone from bad to worse- myself and my OH are most likely split up tonight.

I told him the other night about my issues and he was pretty ok about it and was supportive. However, we've been in trouble for a bit longer, so the issues with us were already there.
I'm gutted to be losing him, and part of me is angry that he's doing this now when I need support the most. I've had a really tough year, and have tried to never lean on him too much. But now I do really need him he's ending it (after 2 years).

I don't know how much more I can take.

periwinkle

Is anyone else sleeping for Ireland at the moment?

I've been out sick from college since early December due to anxiety and a depression relapse. Thought I was on the mend, was much brighter in myself (change in meds) and was due back at college this week. Well, you couldn't bate me out of bed with a cattle prod. I'm sleeping longer than usual (usual for me in a depressive patch) but when I wake I feel like I'm drugged. I'm so drowsy I can't get up. I haven't felt like that for a while. And when I do get up of course, I've no energy or desire to do anything. I was really anxious last week about the return to college and I think that stress has knocked me back a bit.

Strawberry Fields

periwinkle wrote: »

Is anyone else sleeping for Ireland at the moment?

I've been out sick from college since early December due to anxiety and a depression relapse. Thought I was on the mend, was much brighter in myself (change in meds) and was due back at college this week. Well, you couldn't bate me out of bed with a cattle prod. I'm sleeping longer than usual (usual for me in a depressive patch) but when I wake I feel like I'm drugged. I'm so drowsy I can't get up. I haven't felt like that for a while. And when I do get up of course, I've no energy or desire to do anything. I was really anxious last week about the return to college and I think that stress has knocked me back a bit.

+1 In the morning I fell like I've had a rake of pints, can't wake up feel over medicated and drugged. Rest of the day ups and downs. My shrink got me to split the meds during the day to different times but it hasn't really helped. I'm waiting till I've a few quid to go back and see if I can sort it out but likely outcome is med reduction.

periwinkle

Well I had my anti-depressant dose halved from 300 to 150 before Christmas as I've started on a small dose of a different one.And I take the mood stabiliser twice a day. I dunno, I think it's part of the syndrome for some people. If my Dad didn't wake me up with coffee and the dogs didn't divebomb onto the bed, I'd be asleep for the round of the day at the moment. It's very frustrating as there is stuff I have to do!

At least you know you're not the only one, though.

Kaching

Where Do i join the sleeping for Ireland team . With my record well be taking home gold

Hersheys

Can I have the NOT sleeping for Ireland?

Lightbulb Sun

I have the option of deferring college exams now. It's something I really really don't want to do as it's just putting off the inevitable.

I believe I just can't cope without medical help though. I don't have any medication at the moment and haven't seen my doctor in ages (will soon). My concentration ,focus and motivation is very low and has been for a few months now. The negative symptoms of psychosis make study hugely frustrating. I've watched my academic performance gradually deteriorate over the years due to this illness.

I could maybe handle hearing voices if I didn't have the negative symptoms. There's still some of that going on but it's not a hallucination. I just imagine peoples conversations in my head. These just trigger off from thoughts I have and I can't stop them coming in.

Deferring exams at least gives me time to get my head checked out but there's the downside of the material not being fresh in my head. I'll only go ahead with the exams if I hit a really good streak of concentration tomorrow. Difficult to see that happening though.

On the sleep topic. My sleep cycle has been all over the place since Christmas. I blame myself for this partly. While I was having having a lot of negative thoughts I made this worse for myself by getting into bad patterns of sleep. This has been proven to affect me in the past. I've got to cop on to myself.

As for the medication, I'm in two minds. On one hand I need it to cope but I fear that it will just dampen down my brain til I can't think creatively. I'm a musician and I feel things are clicking into place finally where I'm quite excited about my progress and can really make big strides forward in the next few years.

Call Me Jimmy

Lightbulb Sun wrote: »

I have the option of deferring college exams now. It's something I really really don't want to do as it's just putting off the inevitable.

I believe I just can't cope without medical help though. I don't have any medication at the moment and haven't seen my doctor in ages (will soon). My concentration ,focus and motivation is very low and has been for a few months now. The negative symptoms of psychosis make study hugely frustrating. I've watched my academic performance gradually deteriorate over the years due to this illness.

I could maybe handle hearing voices if I didn't have the negative symptoms. There's still some of that going on but it's not a hallucination. I just imagine peoples conversations in my head. These just trigger off from thoughts I have and I can't stop them coming in.

Deferring exams at least gives me time to get my head checked out but there's the downside of the material not being fresh in my head. I'll only go ahead with the exams if I hit a really good streak of concentration tomorrow. Difficult to see that happening though.

On the sleep topic. My sleep cycle has been all over the place since Christmas. I blame myself for this partly. While I was having having a lot of negative thoughts I made this worse for myself by getting into bad patterns of sleep. This has been proven to affect me in the past. I've got to cop on to myself.

As for the medication, I'm in two minds. On one hand I need it to cope but I fear that it will just dampen down my brain til I can't think creatively. I'm a musician and I feel things are clicking into place finally where I'm quite excited about my progress and can really make big strides forward in the next few years.

Can I ask, is it pretty much constant chatter? Or could you be browsing the web casually and have a while of 'normality'?

Lightbulb Sun

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Can I ask, is it pretty much constant chatter? Or could you be browsing the web casually and have a while of 'normality'?

Yeah, I can have periods where things are more relaxed and focused. It depends how overactive the chatter is I suppose at the time. So yeah , it could be a stress thing that causes the brain chatter. I didn't have these issues until recently. They just pop in to your head and spiral off in a direction of imagining someones (real life friends etc) conversation about you. The conversation could be praising me, sympathizing about me etc.

RubyXI

Hey guys.
I feel so low at the moment. Not sure why.
I'm trying to be positive for the new year.
I've started taking vitamin D and B complex.
I've started doing video diaries to help me with anxiety and being able to talk aloud.
But still feeling so down.

Gremlinertia

I 'm sorry to hear that phi3, it's awful when you're making the effort to do the right things and still nothing coming of it.. I'm still stuck to couch in bits after last weekends events, though trying to pick up - have to return to work tomorrow..

Call Me Jimmy

Good luck gremlin and phi. gremlin, going back to work so soon after a life-changing event might be wise, it could stop a spiral. It might not, it might continue or even make it harder but if your work isn't too difficult and you get on with any of your colleagues in any way I think it will be good for you, without knowing you.

phi, the work your doing will pay off. Possibly not for a long time, but your character is being forged and it will be like granite.

Gremlinertia

Work will be the way to go, anymore time spent festering on couch and it'll be doctor time.. I really can't be without the job to take up some of the week..

Lightbulb Sun

Gremlinertia wrote: »

Work will be the way to go, anymore time spent festering on couch and it'll be doctor time.. I really can't be without the job to take up some of the week..

What's your job like? Do you enjoy it?

Gremlinertia

Lightbulb Sun wrote: »

What's your job like? Do you enjoy it?

Meh, keeps me going. Have to concentrate a good bit, and when i'm working on my own i usually and pretty satisfied with a day well done..

Cliona99

Okay, I've been thinking about posting this for literally two weeks and I'm finally biting the bullet.

I suffer from depression. It's come and gone for the past ten years or so. I'm in the grip of a fairly dire downswing at the moment- hence the vacillation about posting...decision-making goes out the window for me sometimes.

I've been reading the depression/anxiety thread and found it really helpful, in that it gave me hope for the future. But I was wondering if anyone could offer self-help tips of things that helped you personally with depression/anxiety? Things outside of the generic exercise and healthy balanced diet. (I'm doing my best with both of those but bloody hell, it's hard to exercise when just brushing my teeth feels like a mammoth task...)

Also, can anyone suggest specific food/meals that are good for when you have no appetite or interest in eating?


(I've seen my gp, I'm on a waiting list for the psychiatrist, and I'm taking my tablets, so I'm not looking for medical advice at all!).


Thanks for reading that, and sorry it's a bit rambly.

Call Me Jimmy

I'll come back with a longer reply if ye want but for me, mindfulness and generally reducing reality helps, both through objectivity and remembering that neurons are firing together and that a self, some vague 'me' doesn't exist really.

seachto7

My first time posting here. I have just started to see a professional about my problems. Depressed being one of them. I found my first session helped, but my work had suffered greatly. I work freelance, and have neglected it an awful lot over the last few months. Being owed money doesn't help either.

I am making huge deals and issues out of little things, such as people I know hooking up with exes. It shouldn't really matter, but in my head, I have made a huge deal out of it.

As I am trying to make myself "better", I am aware of it at least. It's the ego, but it's hard to separate the ego, as the ego is part of us, and I guess I was always looking for outside validation.....

As I said, I am aware of myself being down and making big deals out of little things. It's hard to battle through the day. The last two days have been hard, and I never thought I would say I can't wait to go to my next "professional session" on Monday evening...

HalloweenJack

On an up but thought I'd post here, instead of only posting when I'm down.

Hope you guys are coping well.

Dunny

Started a job last week and have to say im loving it. Its a great lift.

Hope all is well fellow peeps.

seachto7

I think me being stuck in a rut has a lot to do with things. I need to go back to full time employment as opposed to struggling away freelance, but am waiting for the visa to come out for Canada. This is one thing I'd like to do as well, move abroad for a year or so. It won't fix me, but a new environment, and new surroundings will help somewhat....

Anyone got any tips for some reference books for cognitive behavioral therapy? I don't want to wade through a big book, but something small and handy could be good to refer to for exercises etc. I am seeing a professional as I mentioned, and can't wait until my next session...

L.Jenkins

Seen my GP in relation to having Bipolar Disorder. Haven't been treated for it for years. GP put me on Prozit. So I'm hoping it helps until I get seen by a Psych again.

Hersheys

Feeling very low today. I've to go back to the doctor at some stage this week for a top up script. I don't like being put back on the full whack of meds cos I'm like a zombie on them but at least since I'm back on them I haven't hurt myself. And my writing is more a form of release than turning into a suicide note...

This is going to be a self-serving rant. I'm poor. Really poor. I've got a credit card bill bigger than my bank balance & I've never experienced that before. I'm a student so can't sign on, so unless I get a part time job I don't earn. I have zero funds essentially as I don't have time for a job. How do people survive with no money? Thankfully my family are supportive and I don't have to pay rent, they feed me etc so I'm not paying out for lunches etc. I still have bills to pay (bus, car tax, car insurance, phone, health insurance) so how do I start the figure in my bank balance increasing instead of decreasing?

I know it's a minor problem but I just get so panicked everytime I think about money, and it is the deciding factor for me - if I had money a) I wouldn't live at home & thus be exposed to the psychological abuse and b) I could afford proper psychotherapy and could actually perform in college rather than just plough along.

HalloweenJack

Not having a good day. Feeling very vulnerable and paranoid.

Slept terribly last night. Had some scary dreams and one woke me up and sent me into a panic attack, really struggled to get any decent sleep after that. It was horrible.

I haven't felt this edgy for a long time, it's not nice at all.

Call Me Jimmy

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Not having a good day. Feeling very vulnerable and paranoid.

Slept terribly last night. Had some scary dreams and one woke me up and sent me into a panic attack, really struggled to get any decent sleep after that. It was horrible.

I haven't felt this edgy for a long time, it's not nice at all.

My anxiety would not generally be as high as some people here but I do hate those days where I'm 'spooked' for want of a better word. Usually, like you after a bad nights sleep due to scary dreams. Had one just there and I've luckily snapped out of the after-feeling quite quickly, but I feel your pain

Captain Graphite

I have never gone from "Wow, life is good and I can fix things YAY" to "why oh why won't the ground just open me up and swallow me" so often and so rapidly then in the past few days.

It doesn't matter how hard I try, how much effort I put into something, how much I try to beat the self-defeating voices in my head and overcome everyone's perception of me (that I'm capable but lazy and just a whiner). I can give 100% to something and still end up with 40% return.

Fúck it. Just fúck everything.