If there is no lift in mood after 14 days then it is advisable to go and see a GP.
interesting, I waited 30 years...
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confidence and depression
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Posted 3 years ago #
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NZCol,
In a strict medical sense there is no such condition as a Nervous Breakdown and it is rather a lay term given to either a severe case of Anxiety or Depression.
In practice Anxiety and Depression seem to be inextricably linked, the Anxious individual will often show symptons of Depression whilst the Depressed individual may often display symptons of Anxiety. Since the front line treatment for both is the same these days a SSRI Anti-depressant then I am not really sure GPs spend too much time trying to distinguish between the two. The individual who 20 years ago was diagnosed with Anxiety and prescribed Valium (Diazapam) is now more likely to be diagnosed as Depressed and prescribed Prozac or Seroxat etc
It is interesting that today Depression is more often characterized by the persistant psychological symptons (low mood etc) whereas at it root Depression, I am led to believe, is principally physical in nature (low energy, loss of interest, appetite changes, sleep changes, poor concentration etc). This in itself may be down to the presence of the SSRI drugs what work principally on the psychological symptons and are better suited to milder cases of Depression.
I recognise from painful personal experience the symptons muddypuddle lists and these would be common in people who are severely depressed. Yes the breadth and severity of the symptons may vary from one indiviudal to another but there would be considerable overlap and commonality.
I have become severely depressed twice in my life (ie to the point where you can barely look after yourself (e.g. too much effort to undertake basic human needs e.g. to shower and feed oneself, suicidal ideation etc). And on neither occassion did I see it (the tipping point) coming although with the benefit of hindsight if I look back hard enough the symptons were there. And both times I effectively "fell of a cliff" overnight.
Posted 3 years ago # -
1. It is a known fact that feeling low and miserable for 14 days is an indicator that you may be depressed. If there is no lift in mood after 14 days then it is advisable to go and see a GP.
I didn't know that. I (like most on here I would imagine) waited a lot longer than that before going to my gp.
On a related topic, can anyone tell me what a panic attack feels like?
Posted 3 years ago # -
whereas at it root Depression, I am led to believe, is principally physical in nature (low energy, loss of interest, appetite changes, sleep changes, poor concentration etc).
this must be the behaviourist approach ? I'd argue it was backwards and these symptoms result from lack of motivation and self loathing.
Interestingly I've never had any kind of sleep problems, despite chronic depression, barring excited anticipation and small babies.
Posted 3 years ago # -
low energy, loss of interest, appetite changes, sleep changes, poor concentration etc
Christ, you've just reeled off a familiar list!
Posted 3 years ago # -
SFB,
I feel the ambiguity ("which came first the chicken or the egg") may lie in what is a physcial sympton versus a psychological one; and also what may be a root cause for one individual may be only a sympton for another.
For example, I can easily see that low self-esteem, self loathing and lack of self-confidence may be a contributory factor to one person's depression; but for others it is merely a sympton of the disease/illness. Certainly my periods of severe depression have left me scarred and my confidence is perhaps not what it once was.
Interestingly, the earlier generation anti-depressant drugs (1950's - 70's) worked almost exclusively on the Noradrenaline system rather than the Serotonin system and eased the symptons of depression by raising an individual's energy levels.
Today, there are some leading experts who would argue that the modern day SSRIs are not really anti-depressant drugs in the conventional sense and they are predominantly Anxiolytic in nature. However, following the fallout from the Valium generation of the 1970s-80s where it was found that the minor tranquillizers produced high levels of physical dependence with major withdrawl symptons, then it was impossible to market these drugs as an alternative to the likes of Valium etc.
Nevertheless the SSRIs are clearly proven to help with mild to moderate cases of Depression. Together with the fact that there is a consensus of opinion that the Serotonin system governs appetite and sleep (physical symptons)rather than psychological ones only seems to demonstrate how complex an illness Depression really is.
But from my experience a GP does always seem to look for one or more of the vital physical symptons of depression (especially changes in sleep patterns and appetite) along with the low mood to help with their diagnoses of Depression.
And if they cant find them ... well I suspect they will still reach a conclusion of Depression and prescribe an SSRI knowing it has a reasonable chance of leading to some improvement.
Posted 3 years ago # -
with the fact that there is a consensus of opinion that the Serotonin system governs appetite and sleep (physical symptons)rather than psychological ones only seems to demonstrate how complex an illness Depression really is.
also how many different body systems involve serotonin!
But from my experience a GP does always seem to look for one or more of the vital physical symptons of depression (especially changes in sleep patterns and appetite)
I never had either of these, just cyclic misery/mania with longer periods of suicidal gloom. The manic phase was brilliant, but for me shortlived :o)
Posted 3 years ago # -
Ta all thanks for the replies - very very interesting and I appreciate it.
Posted 3 years ago # -
"The "tipping point" for me was my short term memory completely abandoned me to the point that I made two serious mistakes at work. Whether it was right or wrong, I choose to end my contract and go sick before I was sacked. I managed to stay in control of my situation"
my sympathys, muddy puddle,
This exactly what happened to me, and I ended up resigning before I was sacked,I was gutted after 20 years service that my previous employer would not recognise my illness at the time, and at least put me in a position,temporeraly, of less responsibility.
I had no written or verbal warning,and the "mistakes" I made were common within the job,they just seemed to use these as a reason to use the "disaplinary procedure" and the whole thing snowballed from there.
Bloomin union said it was a "watertight case" and saw no weaknesses within it,the odd thing is i have seen lots of different specialists,and yet I have never actually been diagnosed as suffering with deppression, yet after reading all these threads I can see all of the symptoms in the last year or so.
It is very easy to dwell on the negativity,I think there is some merit in looking outwards,rather than within.It has been said in previous posts every case is different,the first step is recognising it,and doing something about it.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Just out of interest has anyone had their thyroid checked?
might sound odd but !!!
Posted 3 years ago # -
It is very easy to dwell on the negativity
well, that's at the core of depression
I think there is some merit in looking outwards,rather than within.
by all means be sociable, so long as you hold back from inflicting your troubles on others, but also bear in mind that you must discover the resources within yourself, because it takes constant attention to avoid slipping down again (though this becomes semi-automatic in time)
Posted 3 years ago # -
can anyone tell me what a panic attack feels like?
Well I can try to describe what mine felt like. Everybody's experience will be different.
A "mild" attack would feel like a gradually increasing sense of unease. Everything would slowly start to feel "odd", then increasingly unpleasant and uncomfortable. Sometime I would wake up and have the feeling as soon as I opened my eyes that "something" was wrong. I knew by this time that this was one of those days, but there really doesn't seem anything you can do about it.
I can recall being the passenger in a van stuck in traffic in a city, and suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the amount of activity around me. Everything from the ads on every available surface, shouting noxious bollox, the aggression inherent in the activity of driving a vehicle through narrow busy angry streets (or so it seemed to me). After the first few times I had a fair idea what was happening to me, but the worst aspect of the experience was that although I knew this, although I knew I was having some sort of panic attack, it felt impossible to gain any grip or control over the fear and deluge of emotion.
That's the mild end of the spectrum. The really bad attacks would feel like the world turning inside out, reality falling apart and every worst emotion imaginable flying without control through my mind, at the same time as me knowing I was having a panic attack.
It's very frightening knowing it's irrational, but still feeling it 100% and not being able to rationalise it away.
Posted 3 years ago # -
compositepro - Member
Just out of interest has anyone had their thyroid checked?might sound odd but !!!
I have an underactive thyroid but have been taking Thyroxine (sp?) for several years. I have my TSH levels checked regularly and the Drs always re-test whenever the Depression/Anxiety re-appears. Sadly the levels are always fine otherwise that would no doubt be a quick fix.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Just out of interest has anyone had their thyroid checked?
yes, but relating to something else, was normal.
Thanks for the descriptions of panic attacks.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I was just wondering as low thyroid is very underdiagnosed in men and after reading the descriptions posted above there are very strong links between thyroid disorders and depression...Im no doctor just speaking from experience
Posted 3 years ago # -
there are a lot of links between various hormone imbalances and depression apparently, as I discovered when reading up about something else.
Posted 3 years ago #
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