Anxiety/Possible Depression. Any help please?

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  • Elizabeth_M
    Elizabeth_M Posts: 562 Member
    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.

    I'm not advocating drugs, and certainly if you have SITUATIONAL depression, you can get through that without drugs. But, if all else fails, it might be something more chemical.
  • Hambone23
    Hambone23 Posts: 486 Member
    Sometimes anxiety and depression pass. Unless you have a real history of it, you may not need drugs or only for a short amount of time. (You -can- insist on weight neutral drugs. I do. Always.) But if this is dragging you or your studies down, it's better to address it. I nearly failed out of my first year of college this way before I got my act together. It ain't worth it.

    Exercise is the obvious go-to to help make you feel better. So is more sleep. But my doctor has also recommended a good multivitamin, fish oil, and a simple B vitamin complex. All are pretty easy ways to deal with energy, moderate depression, and stress. The other way to deal with it is to meditate. It helps to get your mind back in order. (And coloring books are the bomb.)

    Also, are you getting enough "you" time? Relax a little. Carve out some time just for you where you can do anything you want to do: veg in front of the tv, play a game, read a book, work at something like a hobby.

    But to be honest, I think you should see your counselor. I saw mine when I was having trouble my freshman year. She gave me 10 free therapy sessions, and actually, it helped just to talk about things with someone you're not intimately involved with. Plus, if she sees anything "wrong," she'll bring it up in session and you deal with it properly.
  • Peg27
    Peg27 Posts: 1 Member
    By my estimation, you should have seen the doctor now, and hopefully you have some answers and a roadmap to your recovery. I myself have suffered from several bouts of depression and anxiety, all attributable to stressful situations in my life. These situation specific episodes responded very well to talk-therapy, relaxation excercises, and making small behavioural changes that had big impacts on my life. I did not need any medication to help me recover and become my normal cheerful self again.
    My husband however suffers from major depression, and will probably need to be on medication for the rest of his life. No amount of talk therapy, yoga, meditation, or exercise are going to help if your problem is a biochemical insufficiency of seratonin and epinephrine. Those things will help but only after you start restoring your brain to biochemical good health. And, this is really important: it may take several tries, of varying dosages and varying medications, before you find the right one to help you. The first medication my husband was on made him so sleepy he couldn't drive, and he constantly had an upset stomach. It also did not effectively lift his depression. The second one worked much better (welbutrin) and once he found the right dosage, made an enormous difference in his quality of life, with virtually no side effects.
    Major depression and anxiety are crippling, and potentially fatal. It is so important to get the right help from a qualified physician. It's also important to eat well, exercise a little, and maintain all possible contact with family and friends, as long as they aren't part of the problem. It is possible you may need medication for only a short period of time. Or you may not need any at all. Or you may, like my husband and many others, need anti-depressants like a diabetic needs insulin. Only your doctor will be able to tell you for sure. Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • Ericacea
    Ericacea Posts: 45
    Hi! I empathize with your problems quite a bit. I'm now a grad student (biological sciences), but have struggled with depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems since high school. I also have some body image problems, and have gained weight from prescription meds.

    I might be biased because I am a scientist, but I have a lot of faith in medicine when it's administered and used correctly. Whatever your other medication is for, if you have a good doctor, I'm sure he/she perscribed it for good reason. Still, talk to them about how you are unhappy with the weight gain it has caused. You might be able to go on a similar med that your body will react differently too, or they might be able to tweak the dosage.

    It's also a good idea to see a doctor about your possible mental health issues. A lot of people talk about the problems with psych meds. While there are some problems, many are public misconceptions. Some people really do need these medications, and should stay on them with the advice of a doctor, rather than looking at it as a temporary fix. Of course, therapy can also help some people, especially in combination with meds. That being said, almost all people will go through periods of anxiety and/or depression in their lives, the variation is largely in the severity. I HIGHLY recommend the book "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression" by Andrew Solomon. It's a little long, but it's a very personal, yet well-balanced look at the experiences and treatment of people with depression, anxiety, and bipolar today. One more thing about depression meds: some do cause weight gain in some people, but others caused weight loss. In many cases, if you feel fewer symptoms of your depression, you are more likely to feel energized to exercise and more positive about your diet, which always helps!

    Finally, I'll give you a few things that have helped me and might help you:
    Obviously, you are trying to eat well and exercise, which is great. Trying to have a steady sleep schedule might help your sleeping problems, but if not, meds or relaxation exercises might help.

    I do yoga, and it is both a decent workout and a GREAT way to relax and feel positive about your body. It helps to take a class, if you can afford it.

    Take a little time each day and do something that makes you happy. You're probably busy like all of us, and I know depression makes me feel like everything sucks. Still, I try to take a little bit of time to spoil myself, and it helps. I'm not saying this will change your life outlook, but if you like reading, doing your nails, throwing darts, taking a walk, petting a dog, etc., do it for a bit and see if it doesn't boost your mood temporarily.

    Good luck! I'd be happy to talk more if you want.
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