Depression

Hi

It is taking me a lot of courage to post this so please don't judge me, I am looking for advice not sympathy.

I have suffered from depression in the past and spent many years on anti-depressants. I came off the tablets about three years ago and I felt great. About two years ago my weight loss journey began and for a long time I have felt 'good'.

Recently I have felt myself 'going down' again and I am increasingly feeling like I'm on the way to another 'meltdown'. I saw the Dr yesterday and he wanted me to go back on the tablets and to be signed off work. I said no to both, but promised to go back if I don't feel better soon. I want to beat this and see going back on the tablets as a backwards step. Most people I've spoken to automatically say 'don't go back on the tablets'. I need some impartial advice. What should I do?

I just want to ask if anyone who's been a situation like this can give me any advice or suggest any alternatives to anti-depressants. I am going to try to up my exercise to see if that helps (sometimes a real struggle because I just don't have the energy).

Thank you for not judging me.

S :blushing:

I've had a nervous breakdown and bouts of depression all my life and it's only now at 33 I've realised how to combat mine and I take a vitamin B complex every day, work out 5 times a week and do all the healthy stuff and I'm not saying I'm hundred percent, but I'm getting there... I find a lot of foods and caffeine used to bring me down.

Hope you feel better soon x

Good luck, I understand what it is like it is so hard, me myself, I put on such a brave from most of the time but find that my energy levels are always so low find that putting on the brave front drains more energy. Their are days where I can hardly get out of bed to do anything at all. I suffered for around 7 years been on off tablets so I can see why you may not want to go back on the tablets.

My tips are the following

- exercise even when you have no energy try to push through it, maybe ask a friend to go for a walk round some place nice like a beach of something with water, that always helps me.

- as much as you may not want to go out sometimes ask friends to go out with you even for breakfast or go to lunch something low key as I find when I am depressed I want to do nothing at all but I should try to do break out of my comfort zone more as it helps.

- speak to your employer about it to see if they have anything they can do to support you, maybe go part time for a month or two (depending on your financial situation) most employers want to help where they can, mine are really great.

- maybe get a blood test too, to see if your lacking nutrients like iron etc

- keep doing what your doing by being on MFP and track food / exercise!

- cut negative people / energy draining people out of your life (we all have those)

- I downloaded an IPHONE app called "Moody Me" and you can track your moods each day writing down the reasons why you may be feeling down then when you see your doctor / psychologist next you can discuss the reasons for why your are feeling down

& most of all GOOD LUCK.

Thanks for the app thing! will look at that myself lol

I have gone through similar issues with depression, although I've never been on depression meds. I do, however, have a hypothyroid issue, which can CAUSE depression. If you can find a doc in your area who is both an M.D. and a naturopath, they'll test all of your systems and see what's going on to see if the depression has a physical cause other than a chemical issue in the brain. I totally feel for you, and NO ONE should judge you for being depressed. It is an illness, not an option. When my thyroid gets out of whack, I can feel myself physically going down, akin to being in an elevator. This last time my thyroid got off (last week), my doctor tried to give me Zoloft. I am opting to work on my thyroid first and THEN move on to depression meds if the depression does not lift.

Hugs to you, I hope you get this figured out soon. Hang in there, so many of us are with you; you are not alone.

Good luck, I understand what it is like it is so hard, me myself, I put on such a brave from most of the time but find that my energy levels are always so low find that putting on the brave front drains more energy. Their are days where I can hardly get out of bed to do anything at all. I suffered for around 7 years been on off tablets so I can see why you may not want to go back on the tablets.

My tips are the following

- exercise even when you have no energy try to push through it, maybe ask a friend to go for a walk round some place nice like a beach of something with water, that always helps me.

- as much as you may not want to go out sometimes ask friends to go out with you even for breakfast or go to lunch something low key as I find when I am depressed I want to do nothing at all but I should try to do break out of my comfort zone more as it helps.

- speak to your employer about it to see if they have anything they can do to support you, maybe go part time for a month or two (depending on your financial situation) most employers want to help where they can, mine are really great.

- maybe get a blood test too, to see if your lacking nutrients like iron etc

- keep doing what your doing by being on MFP and track food / exercise!

- cut negative people / energy draining people out of your life (we all have those)

- I downloaded an IPHONE app called "Moody Me" and you can track your moods each day writing down the reasons why you may be feeling down then when you see your doctor / psychologist next you can discuss the reasons for why your are feeling down

& most of all GOOD LUCK.

Thanks for the app thing! will look at that myself lol

My pleasure

Good luck, I understand what it is like it is so hard, me myself, I put on such a brave from most of the time but find that my energy levels are always so low find that putting on the brave front drains more energy. Their are days where I can hardly get out of bed to do anything at all. I suffered for around 7 years been on off tablets so I can see why you may not want to go back on the tablets.

My tips are the following

- exercise even when you have no energy try to push through it, maybe ask a friend to go for a walk round some place nice like a beach of something with water, that always helps me.

- as much as you may not want to go out sometimes ask friends to go out with you even for breakfast or go to lunch something low key as I find when I am depressed I want to do nothing at all but I should try to do break out of my comfort zone more as it helps.

- speak to your employer about it to see if they have anything they can do to support you, maybe go part time for a month or two (depending on your financial situation) most employers want to help where they can, mine are really great.

- maybe get a blood test too, to see if your lacking nutrients like iron etc

- keep doing what your doing by being on MFP and track food / exercise!

- cut negative people / energy draining people out of your life (we all have those)

- I downloaded an IPHONE app called "Moody Me" and you can track your moods each day writing down the reasons why you may be feeling down then when you see your doctor / psychologist next you can discuss the reasons for why your are feeling down

& most of all GOOD LUCK.

Thanks for the app thing! will look at that myself lol

My pleasure

These are awesome suggestions!! Thanks for sharing.

Hi - I am a practising psychotherapist and I work with a lot of clients suffering from depression. There are several things you can do to help, the most important one being not to judge yourself!

Try these things, they may help;
1. Check your diet, ensuring that you are including;

* Complex carbohydrates,which will will help enhance the proper absorption of typtophan more effectively. Carbohydrates may also boost serotonin activity in the brain.
Leading food sources of complex carbohydrates:broccoli, brown rice, potatoes, pasta, whole wheat and grains.

* folic acid
Because folic acid is often deficient in people with depressive symptoms, getting more of this vitamin through foods may help. The vitamin appears to havethe ability to reduce the high levels of homocysteine associated with depression.
Leading food sources of folic acid: asparagus,spinach, avocados, Brussels sprouts, Savoy cabbage,
beans, chick-peas, soybeans, lentils, oranges, peas, turkey, broccoli.

*omega-3 fatty acids
Certain omega-3 fatty acids may be beneficial for depression.
Leading food sources of omega-3 fatty acids: salmon*, trout*, tuna*, flax oil, rapeseed oil,pumpkin seeds, soya beans, almonds.

*tryptophan
Lean protein, containing tryptophan and Lphenylalanine, encourages the brain to produce the endorphins serotonin and noradrenaline.
Leading food sources of tryptophan: organic lean meat, organic poultry (especially turkey), game
and free-range eggs. Source http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/feeding-minds/

2. Ensure you exercise regularly - this releases endorphins which are your natural anti-depressants
3. Consider herbal remedies like St John's Wort
4. Give yourself a break and if you need some anti-depressants to tied you over, don't punish yourself by resisting
5. Consider some talking therapy, either Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or Hypno-Psychotherapy - it really can help

I hope this helps - all the best xxxx

I also suffer from depression. I have tried everything, some caused a lot of weight gain also. I am now on Lamectal which has been a godsend. May I ask why you are so anti medication?

Have you done any counseling? It might be a good idea rather than trying to go it alone. A counselor can also give you a more realistic idea of whether you need to go back on the meds or not. Your doctor saw you for one appointment and I'm sure just talked about symptoms, not your depression itself. A counselor can try to help you get to the root of things so you can learn strategies to "pull yourself out".

You could also look at a more mild anti-depressant. When I was getting divorced, I was really depressed and my MD put me on a low dose of Celexa. It helped even me out and gave me the focus to start getting things done again, but it didn't give me any noticeable side effects and if I accidentally missed a dose, it didn't bother me. Not saying you should take that med in particular, just giving an example of something that might be a compromise.

It's good that you can feel yourself going down hill... some people can't. But just because you can feel it, doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Don't be afraid to reach out and get help. If you can't do a counselor, consider looking for a local support group. Sometimes just talking to other people who've had similar experiences can do a world of good.

Good luck to you.
Jen

THIS, THIS, THIS.

Been there, and the medications help me, so I stay on them. I don't like them and they can cause weight gain and make it even more challenging to lose weight, but without them I would be a potato on the couch watching TV all day and night.
Exercise helps once you do it, the biggest hurdle is getting started. I go for 2-3 days and then give myself a non-food reward.
Eating healthy has also helped, getting in the proper nutrition makes it easier for your brain to make the "happy chemicals".
Drinking enough water also helps to flush out your system and get rid of things in your body that can effect you.
I try to limit TV viewing because I find that only makes the depression worse. Instead I do a lot of coloring... something that is mindless but enjoyable and gets me moving more than vegging on the couch. When I feel better, I add in other artistic projects that make me feel good about myself and my abilities.
The most important thing that I do is to pray and meditate on Bible stories. I find that when I bring my problems to God, it helps me not to be as anxious and depressed, there is hope for life.
I also go to a therapist and talk to my friends about what is really going on. Sometimes that is a challenge because I want to just pretend like everything is OK, but when it is not, I have a support system in place.
Hope some of those thoughts help!

I have bipolar disorder, which is slightly different from depression, but here's how I feel about pills:

Take them. There's no shame in it. There's no reason you shouldn't "depend" on them. If you needed heart medicine, would you stop taking it if there was still a problem? Would you take the cast off a broken leg too soon? It's the same thing. It's an illness, and the medication helps with that. Taking off work is your decision. That all depends on how you feel. Of course, taking meds is also your decision, but I feel like that is something else entirely.

What I'm saying is, if there is something out there that will help, why not utilize it? I'd be nowhere but a psychiatric hospital without my medication. I know how crippling depression can be.

I understand the feeling of not wanting meds. It feels like a crutch, like you're not doing any of the work yourself and are just looking for a "band-aid." But you aren't. You're just doing what you can to feel better. Of course, diet helps (as some posters mentioned), and exercise helps, but if those aren't pulling you out of the darkness, there's nothing wrong with finding something that will.

Feel free to add me if you want to talk.

I think it is very important for you to have a small project or goal like this one. Do not be discouraged or let anyone discourage you! Concentrate on the nice things life has to offer you. You should give acupunture a try, it actually helps a lot with depression and anxiety. Also, have you tried things like yoga and tai-chi? SMILE!!!

I agree with you on this....baby steps. You made the good choice of helping yourself and getting yourself healthy. Take care! :flowerforyou:

Hi,

The first and very positive thing that I have noticed is that you do have a courage. That is excellent.
The second also important moment is that you said no to anti-depressants. That means that you have decided to go your way, fighting the the root cause of the meltdown, and not the symptoms.
There are many good advices already replied here on MFP, there are many good advices you can find yourself on the net too. The fight may not be easy, the road may not be always straight, but there are many good people around who are willing to help.

Begin with small steps. Gradually increase goals. You can feel better. You should feel better. If you having problems even with the first steps, what to do, how, when, why, just tell us/me.

Your suggestion is also very very good. Exercise. This will help you a lot. It is incredible how helpful is to walk everyday, 30,40,50 minutes. As much as you like. Exercise=more Endorphins=less stress=more energy=more self-esteem=......

Go for it. You can do it.

And do not forget...a good friend is better than therapy. If you need this kind of friend-therapy, please, just write down what are your feeling.

I know someone who is going through something similar. This person told the doctor they wanted to try something natural first and if that didn't work, they would go on the meds. The doctor was very impressed that they didn't want to go on the meds right away. Here is what the doctor suggested. St. John's Wart, Vitamin D, more sunlight, and exercise. If this doesn't help in a month or so, meds will be prescribed. If you don't get some relief with natural means, please don't hesitate to go on the meds. You wouldn't turn down meds for diabetes if you couldn't get your symptoms under control with diet and exercise alone. Depression is a medical condition, and it often requires medical intervention. Best of luck.

I have been through this and I don't blame you for wanting to try to improve with out the meds but just remember, our brain chemistry can go out of wack and there is nothing we can do about it. That's what the medication is for. Unless something negative is impacting your life right now I would say try the medication. If there is something negative impacting your life, do what you can to rectify it and see if that helps.

There is no shame in taking antidepressants. It most definitely isn't a step backward. I've been taking them for years, and they work.