LETS ALL LAUGH AT PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION!!

Chiquitita

Nesf I hope you get some sleep tonight, you must be running on empty. Electric blanket or hot water bottle and bed!!

Chiquitita

Tomorrow I think i'm staying in bed for the day, I havent stayed in bed in over 3 weeks as the medication doesn't seem to let me or something? Going to test myself and see if I can do it without having the obsessive worries running wild.

Wish me luck :eek:

The One Doctor

Chiquitita wrote: »

Tomorrow I think i'm staying in bed for the day, I havent stayed in bed in over 3 weeks as the medication doesn't seem to let me or something? Going to test myself and see if I can do it without having the obsessive worries running wild.

Wish me luck :eek:

I have a mantra I use for obsessive worries... actually I say it inside my head all the time:

'Shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shut the fuck up shut the fuck up...' and so on. The more I do it, the less worries I have. Actually it's got to the point where I can say it to myself just once and the worries do just that.

Try it, works.

Chiquitita

Haha...i'll try it from now on...saying the alphabet over and over doesnt seem to be as effective as it was before...

Shut the f*ck up brain

The One Doctor

Chiquitita wrote: »

Haha...i'll try it from now on...saying the alphabet over and over doesnt seem to be as effective as it was before...

Shut the f*ck up brain

There's another handy one I use... smile. Doesn't have to be at anything, just smile. Human neurology is hardwired to fire off feelgood chemicals when smiling.

Chiquitita

What meds are you on?

Mine have certainly stopped the sheer terror I used to experience, I havent cried in a week so thats progress. Plus they're allowing me to sleep (even if im having nightmares most nights)

Chiquitita

Im on good old prozac. A lot of people here seem to be prescribed lexapro?

snausages

Yeah. I think it causes me focus issues. But maybe that's a problem I have anyway.

snausages

Yikes. Not very encouraging.

snausages

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Shit. That was just my reaction to it. It's been very effective for some people, changed their lives. Give it a chance but keep your doctor updated. Anti Depressants effect everyone differently.

It makes me feel like a numb emotionless zombie. I don't want to do **** but sleep. Can't even be bothered making food most of the time, gotten so skinny the past few weeks. I'm not as panicky as I was but I'm not entirely sure my current condition is an improvement.

PTH2009

since i started anti depressents i have put on so much weight so im thinking of going off them because of the weight issue.

I lost my mam recently so my mood may go down but personally concered about the weight gain

lukesmom

PTH2009 wrote: »

since i started anti depressents i have put on so much weight so im thinking of going off them because of the weight issue.

I lost my mam recently so my mood may go down but personally concered about the weight gain

Firstly my sympathies with the loss of your mam. Make sure you consult your doctor if you want to withdraw from your meds.
I'm the same with the cocktail of meds I've put on over one and a half stone. Hate the weight gain but its better than being in the dark pit I was in.

I changed from Lustral to Cymbalta, works very well for me. Was an easy switch to, at first I wa terrified of switching thought the comedown from Lustral would be terrible.

Cymbalta certainly dried up some tears for me.

Chiquitita

Prozac has certainly dried my tears, which is an improvementx100. Now if only I could stop these thoughts

Reiketsu

I'm up all hours because I can't just switch off. It's so annoying. I just take wee naps here and there.

DeVore

TommieBoy wrote: »

emmm ...what is CBT? ...if you don't mind me asking?

yeaaaah, you probably dont want to Google that acronym

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy

Chiquitita

DeVore wrote: »

yeaaaah, you probably dont want to Google that acronym

*googles* :P

The One Doctor

The really interesting thing about depression is that it's essentially unwanted thoughts created by a chemical imbalance in the brain. What's important to understand is that we all change our brain's chemistry all the time.

A few examples:

1. Imagine you're walking along and suddenly stumble a bit. Your brain thinks you're going to fall and squirts a bit of adrenaline into your bloodstream. Whoosh, all thoughts flutter away.

2. Ever been horny and depressed at the same time? Thought not. Again, chemicals flooding the brain. A real women is required for this bit, porn doesn't have close to the same kick.

3. Laughter - again, whoosh, no more thoughts.

The key is to create these chemicals deliberately - adrenaline and endorphins are the most common drugs you can create - there are more but they're outside of the scope of this post. There's a reason doctors and psychiatrists recommend exercise, it's fecking great for improving your mood. Thing is, they rarely recommend the really fun exercise - sex. I'm not sure why, maybe they don't like other people having fun while they talk about Freud. Ironic, really.

Ideally of course, the best way to get all these chemicals is to have sex on while bouncing on a trampoline and watching your favourite comedy show, but let's be realistic. A couple of kilometers walk or a short swim will work wonders once the hardest bit is overcome - putting your coat on and going out the door. After that, watch something funny on TV and convince the missus to put on her favourite stockings.

The above might seem a bit frivolous, but it works for me and quite a lot of other people who I've done my best to help along the way. And the mantra 'shut the fuck up, shut the fuck up' works wonders inside your head.

I could go on for days with techniques galore, but these very few basic ones will help, I promise. Sorry for the ramblings, it's a subject that's very close to my heart and it frustrates me that so many people are within grasp of helping themselves and aren't being told the tricks that help. BTW, I'm not advocating going without antidepressants or anything like that - whatever helps is great.

DeVore

thats what I call "staying in the now". Being present entirely, no thoughts lingering from that thing that happened, maybe years ago, or that dread of something that hasnt (and probably wont!) happen in the future. Every sense needs to be located here, now. Dont wallow in the past or sweat the future.

Get up, get out, get on. Get up out of the chair, even to walk around the room. Ideally out of the house but sometimes you cant, like when at work. Get out of the situation. Be that just going to the canteen for a coffee. Ideally it means getting out for some socialising but definitely out of whatever physical situation you are in. Get on, to your friends. Get on with what needs your attention right now. Get on to someone who you feel you can talk to.

Shouting "shut up" at your head can work but it treats a symptom. And that symptom will come back. CBT/Counselling attacks the causes and that mantra really helps me keep on top of it these days.

There's definitely hope, always hope. 2 years ago I could never have dreamed I could manage things as I am now. I'd have laughed at you and probably mocked you if you tried to convince me otherwise. Things can change for the worse in the future for me, I know that. What I never knew was that they could change this positively.

Call Me Jimmy

I like your post for its pragmatism. Feeling negative can be overwhelming in a way that makes it hard to see the wood for the trees and many of us can feel like it's a thing that we are stuck with indefinitely - with no idea how to get out of it.

One thing I'd be interested to hear is, has anyone here been tested for seratonin production? Say when about to start SSRI's, has anyone been told that their body cannot sufficiently produce enough serotonin? Is there a standard test available?

How does someone know they have clinical depression for example, which I assume to be that chronic lack of capability for serotonin production, without such a test? Is that not a bit of a life-sentence?

Call Me Jimmy

Also inspired by Doc's post, one trick to beating any noise or yoyo-ing in the brain is meditation. Due to very concerted efforts on the part of a handful of doctors, I believe it is the future of western medicine. The change is underway, nowadays almost everybody is aware of Mindfulness. This didn't just happen overnight, it took an overwhelming success rate and campaigns for the wider medical community to begin to take notice. There is now a fair amount of research ongoing.

You will not have any idea how big an impact meditation can have on your brain. Neuroscientific research is ongoing at the moment, some preliminary studies have shown the positive effects. This is added to previous research which relied on patient accounts, and positive effects on physical illnesses. Hospitals now have optional courses as part of treatment.

A quick google of mindfulness can get you started. A meditation I am doing at the moment is simply a counting of each in breath and out breath, while focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of the nostrils. Anyone can do it.

I look forward to the day when doctors can say to patients, 'meditation WILL cure you', and prescribe it. What patients need, especially those with psychological disorders, is belief.

The One Doctor

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Also inspired by Doc's post, one trick to beating any noise or yoyo-ing in the brain is meditation....

A meditation I am doing at the moment is simply a counting of each in breath and out breath, while focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of the nostrils. Anyone can do it.

Damn! Knew I'd forgotten something! Spot on, meditation works very well and the technique described above is very effective. Well recommended.

lukesmom

Sounds good my psychologist is starting meditation with me at my next session next week.

Chiquitita

Are nervous and/or excited to try it out?

lukesmom

Chiquitita wrote: »

Are nervous and/or excited to try it out?

Yeah looking forward to trying it out, I hope it helps me with my busy brain to quieten my thoughts down a bit. Ended my relationship with Doctor google 3 weeks ago and it has had a positive effect on me.

Chiquitita

Haha doctor google...he's an awful d*ckhead!

lukesmom

I know haha an arsehole if I ever met one he gets into your head lol

Turtwig

lukesmom wrote: »

I know haha an arsehole if I ever met one he gets into your head lol

Worse thing about doctor google is that other family members may google **** too. I was diagnosing with some deadly artery condition by my brother. He was worried sick, it was affecting his work performance and generally everything. Took almost a full year and a half to convince him it wasn't serious.

Google can feck right off. :mad:

The only thing you should ask Doctor Google about is hypochondria. :pac: I've had pain in my left shoulder area for the last few months. Doctor Google would tell me I'm having a heart attack! My actual doctor has told me it's a muscle injury.

I've been doing better for the last few weeks. Went for a walk this morning in the sunshine and even though it was cold, I felt amazing. The weather certainly has an effect on me. I've had some unusual dreams as of late but I can manage that.

Calibos

LoL. I've been doing the STFU thing for years when negative memories popped up in my head.

Something that I've been doing when feeling stressed, anxious or when not able to sleep is to watch ASMR Youtube Videos. For anyone who doesn't know what that is they should google ASMR. Basically it was that goosepimply kind of semi pleasurable wave up your back/spine/scalp etc that you might have gotten at various times. Common triggers for the phenomena are Bob Ross Painting Videos. Remember that white middle-aged painter with an afro from the 70's. One of my triggers was watching the Window cleaner cleaning our windows. It might have been one of your teachers explaining a problem quietly into your ear. It might be getting your hair washed/cut in a hair dresser. Some theories about what this phenomena might derive from are that its a throwback to the pleasure/relaxation/bonding that primates derive from grooming. Other theories are that its hyperactive mirror neurons/empathy part of the brain triggering the sensations in the rest of the nervous system based on the fact that a lot of triggers are related to paying attention to others performing deliberate actions or the heightened concentration required to listen to whispers which are another very common trigger.

Not all people experience ASMR though, but if you do experience it then being able to trigger it almost on command by watching ASMR videos is a great way to de-stress, relax, put yourself to sleep etc. Its not sexual in anyway BTW. One of my favourite ASMR content creators is an English Bloke who does Haircut, Cranial Nerve/Eye exam etc roleplays. Tingle city for me and I'm straight. Ditto with my real life Window Cleaner trigger. Our Window cleaner was an Oul Fella It was all about watching his deliberate hand motions with the squigee and rubber water blade and the squeeks from the window. Would get the tingles from the top of my scalp to the tips of my toes.

Both ASMR viewers and content creators all seem to use it to de-stress, relax and help them sleep and anecdotally all seem to have or still do suffer from stress and anxiety and insomnia etc and use ASMR to help treat.

My own pet theory is that the benefit derived from a lot of alternative therapies/codology like Reiki and reflexology etc is actually ASMR in action. I was once involved in a thread here about Alt Med and a girl defending Reiki said that it didn't matter what we said about the Jedi Reiki practitioner waving her hands over her body and using the force to balance her life force chakras or energies or whatever. She felt something very real when the Reiki person waved their hands over her. To me she was describing my Window Cleaner sensations that I eventually found out was this thing called ASMR. Lying on a comfortable floor mat with soothing music in the background, a person within their personal space talking in a soothing calming voice making deliberate hand movements over her body and waves of sensation flowing all over the recipients body. Classic ASMR in my book. She could save a fortune watching ASMR youtube videos instead of paying a Jedi Reiki Master!

To cut a long story short. ASMR has worked for me. Its probably similar and/or an alternative to meditation for those that might not be able to switch off all by themselves.