Anxiety and/or depression discussion.

Euphoria Intensifies

Hugo Stiglitz wrote: »

I desperately need to learn how to stop being so negative and constantly moaning. I've driven so many people away with it in the past and I can't keep doing so.

Sorry for being like that on here. I know it's a forum about depression and anxiety but still.

Lots of love for ye all. Goodnight.

I don't think you're constantly moaning on here at all Hugo. And even if you were, this is a space for venting and getting things off our chests, so it'd be fine.

I understand what you're saying though. Being negative is a really difficult thing to break out of. Maybe you can use this thread as a tool to help with that? You could post two positive things that happened that day or something.

Hugo Stiglitz

Thanks for the kind words friends. I really appreciate it.

Yeah being negative is hard to break out of, especially when one has been for so long and when things have been tough.

mg1982

I heard CBT is meant to be good for recognising and challenging the negative thoughts. The one session i did go to though i didnt find helpful. But it works for a lot of people.

Where do you guys stand on the nature versus nurture debate, like is it a chemical imbalance that causes depressed mood and irrational thoughts or has it just being our life experience thats formed who we are today.

Hugo Stiglitz

mg1982 wrote: »

I heard CBT is meant to be good for recognising and challenging the negative thoughts. The one session i did go to though i didnt find helpful. But it works for a lot of people.

Where do you guys stand on the nature versus nurture debate, like is it a chemical imbalance that causes depressed mood and irrational thoughts or has it just being our life experience thats formed who we are today.

I've been told it is a chemical imbalance but I suspect that life experiences play a huge page in it in a lot of cases.

mocha please!

Re the CBT, I've been told it takes several regular (e.g. weekly) sessions before it starts to help.

mg1982

mocha please! wrote: »

Re the CBT, I've been told it takes several regular (e.g. weekly) sessions before it starts to help.

I know, should have given it longer than i did. I just thought it wasnt for me.

mocha please!

mg1982 wrote: »

I know, should have given it longer than i did. I just thought it wasnt for me.

Yeah unfortunately there's no one-size-fits-all approach for everyone ... I wish!

Hugo Stiglitz

I tried CBT back before I was medicated. Don't think I was in the right mindset for it. Must give it a try again along with some counselling.

mg1982

Hugo Stiglitz wrote: »

I tried CBT back before I was medicated. Don't think I was in the right mindset for it. Must give it a try again along with some counselling.

Dont think i was either. My head is like a sieve, cant retain information.

Call Me Jimmy

mg1982 wrote: »

I heard CBT is meant to be good for recognising and challenging the negative thoughts. The one session i did go to though i didnt find helpful. But it works for a lot of people.

Where do you guys stand on the nature versus nurture debate, like is it a chemical imbalance that causes depressed mood and irrational thoughts or has it just being our life experience thats formed who we are today.

Not sure if you're aware of this but the main point of CBT is learning techniques, then actually doing exercises on your own, like putting yourself in situations where you can challenge your automatic thoughts (say social situations) and then some analysis of how you handled them, could have handled them better. It's not a passive or theoretical thing. It works because you are basically forced to overcome your fears little by little over time and challenge your core beliefs in the only way they can be, through action.

mg1982

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Not sure if you're aware of this but the main point of CBT is learning techniques, then actually doing exercises on your own, like putting yourself in situations where you can challenge your automatic thoughts (say social situations) and then some analysis of how you handled them, could have handled them better. It's not a passive or theoretical thing. It works because you are basically forced to overcome your fears little by little over time and challenge your core beliefs in the only way they can be, through action.

I think thats why i didnt like it cos i knew i would have to go out and put myself in situations that i didnt want to be in. My anxiety would be so bad i wouldnt be able to analyse or challenge my thought processes. I agree with hugo in that you need to be in the right mindset for that.

Call Me Jimmy

Oh definitely yea.

mg1982

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Oh definitely yea.

Did you find it helped you?

Call Me Jimmy

No but for same reason as you's (I was only a pup too, probably still in teens and had no clue about anything at that stage).

It's hard to say though, if you wait around to be 'ready' to try it, rather than making a decision to do it in good faith, you probably will never feel ready. The old catch 22. But in a deterministic way, maybe a force will push us at some stage.

Call Me Jimmy

Although my attitude towards it is that it's potentially very powerful. intuitively I know it would work.

mg1982

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Although my attitude towards it is that it's potentially very powerful. intuitively I know it would work.

Maybe its something you can look at again. Some people do swear by it so it must be effective.

I was thinking of doing the DBT which has CBT and mindfullness built into it. I know its specifically made for Borderline Personality Disorder but i hear it can be effective for a lot of things.

Gremlinertia

I'm on a dbt course and i'm finding helpful, it takes work alright, and i had previously written mindfulness off as a fad but i've given myself to it and my weekly self-evaluation seems to show improvement which i can feel in myself, it's not quick or simple, i call it a rewiring project because that's pretty much what i'm doing to my brain. For anyone curious look up marsha linehan.

Call Me Jimmy

Very happy for you gremlin, I can only imagine how much work it is and how daunting it probably is. Over a medium amount of time too, really fair play

Euphoria Intensifies

Skipped my therapy appointment today and now I feel really bad and wish I went

Gremlinertia

Euphoria Intensifies wrote: »

Skipped my therapy appointment today and now I feel really bad and wish I went

Try not to beat yourself up, call and reschedule tomorrow, it's not easy to go to appointments when you have no idea how you'll be on the day.

Roquentin

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3110770/How-COOKIES-make-depressed-Certain-fats-baked-goods-make-harder-regulate-moods.html

Gongoozler

I'm not doing good. experience tells me it's not environmental, it's hormonal, but it's still really difficult to ignore all the things that come into my head.

This feels like the couple of months of depressed mood that I've just come out of. I really really hope it's not coming back.

mg1982

Gongoozler wrote: »

I'm not doing good. experience tells me it's not environmental, it's hormonal, but it's still really difficult to ignore all the things that come into my head.

This feels like the couple of months of depressed mood that I've just come out of. I really really hope it's not coming back.

Hopefully its just a blip and you can come out of it.

Gremlinertia

Gong, we'll all have times like that.. Hugs for you I hope it eases soon..

Anon2013

Hi all,
Just wanted to add my input into whether or not it is environmental of hormonal. As part of my degree I study a lot about pyhscology. Learning about how the brain works has really helped me with my anxiety depression. However we have been taught different ideas and one which I really related to was that we are all born with certain genes however it is the environment we live in which has an effect on which genes affect us. When I am going through a stressful time, when I go away for a spa break to a hotel the stress goes when I return the dress comes back. So I really feel it's environmental rather than hormonal however some people are more likely to suffer from anxiety thank to their genes.

Hugo Stiglitz

Anon2013 wrote: »

Hi all,
Just wanted to add my input into whether or not it is environmental of hormonal. As part of my degree I study a lot about pyhscology. Learning about how the brain works has really helped me with my anxiety depression. However we have been taught different ideas and one which I really related to was that we are all born with certain genes however it is the environment we live in which has an effect on which genes affect us. When I am going through a stressful time, when I go away for a spa break to a hotel the stress goes when I return the dress comes back. So I really feel it's environmental rather than hormonal however some people are more likely to suffer from anxiety thank to their genes.

Food for thought there. Thanks for posting that.

When you can't escape it Anon, can you handle the stress well?

Anon2013

Hugo Stiglitz wrote: »

Food for thought there. Thanks for posting that.

When you can't escape it Anon, can you handle the stress well?

Not really no unfortunately, I normally worry to the point where I am getting sick with nerves or having a panic attack. Last month I had a bad few weeks, blood pressure was high, diarrhea and vomiting all physical results of the stress.

Luckily I have an amazing mother who I tell all my worries to and 6 brilliant friends. They know what I am like and are very supportive.

I find listen to music helps, cooking or working out in the garden. I like to keep the mind busy

I am seeing a counsellor who is great. They use CBT and other methods, it's taken a year but it's starting to work. A big thing that the counsellor has said is have a reason to get up every morning, even if it's only the smallest thing like baking a cake.

Hugo Stiglitz

Anon2013 wrote: »

Not really no unfortunately, I normally worry to the point where I am getting sick with nerves or having a panic attack. Last month I had a bad few weeks, blood pressure was high, diarrhea and vomiting all physical results of the stress.

Luckily I have an amazing mother who I tell all my worries to and 6 brilliant friends. They know what I am like and are very supportive.

I find listen to music helps, cooking or working out in the garden. I like to keep the mind busy

I am seeing a counsellor who is great. They use CBT and other methods, it's taken a year but it's starting to work. A big thing that the counsellor has said is have a reason to get up every morning, even if it's only the smallest thing like baking a cake.

Sorry to hear that things can get that bad for you.

It's great to hear that you have a good support network there.

I have to get into minding myself better mentally.

I did some guided meditation using the Headspace app in the car before work today. It's a small start I guess.

SillyMangoX

Heat_Wave wrote: »

Hi Mango,

I'm sorry to hear about your panic attacks. I'm glad you haven't had one in 24 hours and I hope you don't get another!

I'm just wondering, how would you describe a panic attack? I wonder if I've been having them without realising that what I myself am experiencing is an actual panic attack?

I think panic attacks can be different for different people but for me, it starts off that I get dizzy/lightheaded or get like a really intense heat in my chest which spreads (I now know this is the precursor to an attack so can usually snap myself out there and then) if I don't manage to snap myself out, I can get random feelings like that I can't swallow, that parts of my body especially legs are paralysed, or most frightening I get the feeling that I can't breathe. These feelings normally only last for a second or two before I realise I can still do those things but at that stage the adrenaline has kicked in and my heart is pounding and I'm struggling to catch my breath as if I was after running really hard. Then I hyperventilate which causes more dizziness which makes things worse and I usually spend a good 10-20 minutes thrashing around trying to find a position where I don't feel dizzy anymore. Then once the attack starts to subside I go into complete convultions shaking, my entire body top to toe will shiver and I'll feel really nauseous for another while after, then really drained. My mother has discovered a few tricks to help the attack pass faster; she'll either give me a stethoscope and make me listen to my own breathing so I can actually hear the air going into my lungs and know that I am still breathing, or else she'll quiz me on something, usually to do with animals, so I have to concentrate on answering and it takes my mind away from convincing myself that I'm dying! That's just my experience though, I'm sure they hit other people in other ways.
I had one more attack since, a bad one, but it's because of the side effects of the meds. It wasn't till after the attack that I realised I got the exact same side effects last time (severe dizziness!) but now that I know what it is, I know it will pass in about a week so I can talk myself down out of my attacks again

Hope everyone is doing well, it's nice to have someplace to discuss this kind of thing with people who have similar experiences!

mocha please!

Highlight of today - I finally got my own room!!!! After being in here since Sunday. It feels so much better to actually have my own little bit of space and stability. I've packed my stuff away and am just enjoying settling in. I still have nurses and doctors poking their heads around the door every now and then but at least they knock now instead of just swishing in through the curtains!

I had an interesting dream the night I was admitted here. I was at the train station, and an old woman in front of me in a shawl was trying to get through the ticket barriers to get to the platform, but couldn't. I was getting impatient so offered to help her. She was crying, and asked me was she at the right place to get to some local village, I told her it was about a mile's walk away. She expected me to help her get there, she didn't even ask me, just told me to. I reluctantly did. As we were walking along, I was walking quite fast and she kept falling behind and I had to keep going back and grabbing her arm or holding her hand. Eventually we arrived at the address she had wanted to get to. She went up to the doorway of the house, and someone opened it. It was my partner, there with my baby. And the old lady took off her shawl and she wasn't an old lady, she was me - a young, happy, healthy looking smiley me. The way I used to be, the way I should be. And all three of them smiled and waved at me.

If I were one to read into dreams, I would choose to take from that that it's going to be a long, stressful, difficult journey, but that I'm the only one who can do it, and that hopefully there'll be a happy ending to it.

Deeply introspective!