Depression coming back - how to stop it

shulaw

hey am glad you went back to the docs ,i hope you feel better soon have suffered from depresson all my life and its not a nice thing to go through .

helenium

I suffer from depression as well, though mine's quite intertwined with psychosis on top of that. I take fluoxetine and risperidone. My psychiatrist (and GP) has got me doing exercise every day (20 min walk minimum). Furthermore, my day must have structure. I plan something in the morning, afternoon and evening, and make sure I stick to it, however awful I feel. This keeps me from entering a vicious low-function-low-motivation cycle. I try to be very wary of my moods. In the past I've been convinced I am a cold, dead person who does not experience emotions like everyone else. My therapist at the time made me write down everything I did that day and my emotion associated with it alongside. This helped.

As for the anti-depressants, I find they're quite a mild drug as drugs go (any side effects of my anti-depressants are completely washed away by the anti-psychotics). Fortunately, most of the side effects listed on the anti-depressant sheet do not come to the majority of users. The anti-psychotics are very different, where I have experienced at least half of the side effects including incredible drowsiness, tremours and lactation (ugh!). Those side effects on the anti-depressant list are less likely to happen to an average user.

Some people find therapy useful (my therapy sessions were not as great as they've been for some people), especially in straightforward depression. With psychosis, it can be a bit less useful - if I'm going to hear voices I'm going to hear voices. In the UK though, the waiting list for therapy can be 9 months to a year (in my case at least). Alternatively there are charities that provide 'discounted' therapy sessions that are scaled in price depending on your income, and I've heard reports that they are good quality.

Not quite sure if what I've said has been useful or insightful. I hope it's been of some help...

BerryH

Thanks again everyone. Started on the pills last night. They're a different brand to last time, but the same side effects - vertigo-type nausea, trembling. At least the other ones helped me sleep, these seem to make my insomnia even worse.

And I have evidence my boyfriend is cheating on me but just denies everything when confronted, even given the opportunity to leave. Part cause, part effect, I suspect. I'm worried he'd only staying because I'm depressed and he's worried what I'd do, which is what my ex did, but I'd much rather make a clean break now and deal with it all at once. Sigh.

samcee

A clean break from him will help detox your life. My boyfriend of five years cheated on me and I was anxious and in self denial every single day prior to finding out. Sometimes a woman's intuition is pretty spot on. I'm a lot stronger than before after breaking up but it took a year for me to realize it. He told the other girl that he only stayed with me because he was worried about my depression. This angered me. Using my condition to make him sound like the nice guy when the truth was that he only after *one* thing with her.

I just want to say that those who cheat not only let their partner down, but their entire family and friends down to what type of person he is. Staying with you due to your depression is an excuse. Don't give him that ego and think that you need him because you don't. You'll find someone you deserve. Buy yourself a nice outfit, find solace and comfort in good novels and do all those things you couldn't do when you were with him. Make your sense of well being the number one priority.

BerryH

THANK YOU samcee, I really needed to hear that, sounds exactly like my situation.

The trouble is he's living in my flat and hasn't got anywhere for me to kick him out to. Also, however much evidence I put before him he denies and denies and denies, coming up with THE most pathetic excuses only someone completely brainless would accept. Yet, with no way out of the "yes you did" "no I didn't" no-win argument, I'm the one who nearly always ends up apologising to HIM!

Friend request in the post :flowerforyou:

BerryH

On the bright side, the meds make me feel sick as a dog, I can't drink booze but I'm constantly thirsty so drinking gallons of water, and going to the loo (both kids!) ALL the time, so I'm expecting big things from my next weigh-in!