Anxiety/Possible Depression. Any help please?

I can relate.

I would personally avoid the medication (unless it's the ultimate recourse) because if you do that you never fight what causes your anxiety in the first place and you are not solving any of the underlying problems, you're just getting rid of your anxiety artificially (with the drugs).

Same as someone who would go to liposuction every month and keep eating an insane amount of food: it would be a bit pointless.

My best tip here (and sorry if I cannot offer much) would be to call some friends (or perhaps meet new people) that enjoy doing the same activities as you. For example, find yourself a yoga buddy that can drag you out of bed, or even just go out and change your mind.

Don't let this "mood" get the best of you, I am sure there are so many people out there that would like to have you around (people that you have met already or people who are waiting for someone like you)!

When melancholy invades my senses, I try to focus on my goals and why they are important.

What must I do today to bring me closer to my goals. Also, I identify my challenges and have a plan of attack.
Be a person of action - not reaction.

All Is Possible

I know that there are no simple ways to just wake up one morning and feel like you have everything under control. Please listen to a old man (42) you can only do what you can do and so when life is firing at you from all angles just remember that you are hand crafted by a master maker that doesn't make any mistakes. I so wish I could say that life gets easier it doesn't but life is so much more full when you let yourself just enjoy it. Sorry for the cheesy type answers but I know in my life I kinda live by a motto that at first glance seems not to helpful but I am telling you when I embraced it my life got a lot more manageable. The motto is : "It is what it is" It helps me remember that I only control so much of my life and that other and other things way out of my control do the rest. I know this isn't much help but know that you are not alone in your feelings.

Mark

Another reason I'm asking is because when I was put on my first prescription medication (non-mood related) it was the reason I gained so much weight, hair loss, and numerous other things and I would really prefer not being on another medication that will affect me trying to lose weight or cause me to gain any more weight or cause me distress. I would really like any advice on how you guys cope with such things or any natural stress relievers that you guys have done.

There are lots of different meds out there. Mine has caused none of these.

I was told I suffered from depression and was put on citalopram. Cutting a long story short, I really suffered some nasty side effects as a result of those tablets which I should not have been put on. I was suffering stress as a result of a boss who was a bully, I wasnt depressed.

So depression and stress are not the same thing and if I were you, I would stay well away from medications and I would stay well away from someone who will possibly look to put a "label" on you. I've spoken to a few people who tell me they are ADD and such like because they've been told they are by someone and they just pack in trying to be "normal" and they just own their label. Its funny how there are so many people with ADD nowadays.

Anyways, I would strongly suggest that you look into the causes of your stress and deal with them. Are there things in your life that are getting to you? Do you have aspects of your life that you feel are out of control? Are you letting tasks or correspondence pile up ignored?

Take a look at CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Theory) for a possible underlying cause of your emotions and get yoruself back into yoga. Its all to easy to - especially this time of year - give in to the desire to hibernate until the sun comes back. You might even be suffering from SAD due to lack of sunlight at this time of year and we've just come out of the most stressful time of the year.

So, I would look at your life and figure out what is stressing you and deal with it. Its all too easy to let thigns build up, but you wil feel better for dealing with things. I'd then make a deliberate effort to get out the house and meet people and get some daylight. Exercise is a great stress releiver, as is a massage or going for a walk or listening to some nice music. You can also try hypnotism (my fiancee had amazing results from this).

And for those advocating medication, I was put on AD's 17 years ago. I came off them after 2 years and have since had doctors tell me I'm depressed at various times. I told them I wasnt and that I was suffering from a natural response to the things that life sometimes throws at you. For instance when my best friend (previous fiancee) died of leukaemia I was devastated. I was very, very down and I was prescribed meds and told I was depressed. I told the doctor that I wasn't depressed I was instead very upset by the loss I'd suffered and it was natural and good to feel those emotions. I told them I would not take thier pills. I didnt and I coped. I have never taken AD's since I learnt the side effects they can and do cause (I had memory loss, violent mood swings, lack of interest in sex, inability to orgasm and others). I've coped. Yes, life has been tough at times, but life is tough at times. Sometimes I get really fed up, but I know that feeling will pass and it does. We just do not know enough about ADs nor the interactions they can and do have with the chemicals in the brain. I'd rather be down and me than a chemical zombie.

However, each to their own. Some people with serious mental health problems do benefit from medication and are able to function in society which they otherwise would not be able to do. I dont think you sounds like you are suffering from serious mental health problems, but I cant tell much aside from what I gleaned from your posts.

Try at least to sort yourself out first and take medications as a very last resort, which is what they should be.

Hi. I have GAD. I recommend you see a doctor and not rely on a forum for help. It could be more serious than you think.

I made an appointment to see one. But it's two weeks away.

I am so sorry! Some things that help me destress in the meantime:

1. Coloring in a coloring book (no really, it works.)
2. Cleaning my house (though I'm told I shouldn't do this, because it's my way of fixating)
3. Zumba
4. Running
5. Staying busy

Please feel free to add me or message me if you ever need to talk. I totally understand how you're feeling.

Hi, fellow anxiety sufferer here :-)

Exercise and Yoga practice can certainly help but anxiety disorders are a problem inside your brain, so there's only so much external stuff can do to help.

The thing that's helped me the most is vipassana meditation. There's a good introduction to it here:
http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/techniques/Vipassana.htm

You don't have to worry about all the Buddhist trappings, it's really a solid meditation technique that works completely seperate from any religious (or non religious) beliefs you might have. If you want a good book on it from a completely non-religious western point of view you could try: "wherever you go, there you are" by John Kabbat Zinn.

Sometimes (may times in fact) the anxiety disorder is an actual biological disorder. It can be a malfunction of a variety of brain chemical balances and is best helped with medication and cognitive behavioral therapy. A good psychiatrist (not a psychologist or therapist... they are different), will be able to help you to determine if your anxiety is external circumstances or an actual biological issue, and they'll be able to help you medicinally if you feel you need it.

I suffered from depression and anxiety in silence for years. Like many of the above posters I thought medication was a last resort. I tried everything...I mean everything. I finally realized that if I were diabetic I would see nothing wrong using insulin....depression and anxiety aren't a made up problem. They are a real medical problem as described above. Over that past several years I have been through several different medications and seem to have finally found the one that works for me. As I see it the side effects (if any) are minimal to the way that the depression and anxiety were controlling my life. I am not at all saying that the meds are a cure all. I still have my ups ands downs, I still take some good supplements, still do meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques. I also have found that I do need a good friend to talk to when I get really down. But I just worry about people thinking that meds are so bad for you. At least talk to your doctor about the options.

i feel whats helped me is a good support system. i have a great pal that is doing the weight loss with me and her motiviation has helped. you also have to help yourself, dont put yourself in stressful situations, its ok to back away and come back.

HI! Greetings from another North Carolinian...in fact, I'm not too far from you if you are in Greenville. I am in Rocky Mount.

I also like many of these other people can relate as I have always suffered with anxiety and depression. In the past, I have tried anti-depressants but I never found one that didn't have some weird side effect that was hard for me to deal with. This past year though, I started ovarian failure (or what some of us southerners like to call "the change" ) and that just made everything amplified like 10x more. So some of it could be hormonal or thyroid-related. Don't just assume that you have a mental illness. If you go to your doctor, ask them to do a panel and check your thyroid before you agree to go on an anti-depressant.

Secondly, because I was so depressed and I needed help but did not have good results with SSRI's. My doctor suggested that I try St. John's Wort. (I would not try this though without your doctor's advice because it can interact with other medications). St. John's Wort, along with my hormone therapy has been a life-saver for me. I am so much more upbeat and happy. Prior to this, I had to take something to sleep every night (like Xanax). I have not had to take a Xanax since I started. I do take melatonin (natural sleep aid) though, because I have always suffered from insomnia.

Another thing to think about though is could it be OCD? My 12 year old was diagnosed with OCD. OCD is not the clean-freak disease everyone thinks it is. OCD is when you have an overwhelming fear or you get a thought stuck in your head that you can not get rid of even though you know it isn't an irrational thought, and then feeling compelled to do some kind of ritual to try to alleviate the thought (which usually doesnt' work). You have to have both the obsession and the compulsion component for it to be OCD. Compulsions can be anything. Hers were mostly hand-washing and counting. If you need more info about this, feel free to message me and I will be glad to help you as much as I know.

Good luck!!!