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I just want to add to the lists comment before. When I was really bad we (me and my partner) used to make a list of three things.
For example:
1) Wash the dishes (only the bits needed for dinner)
2) Hang the washing up outside
3) Get Dressed
I couldn't cope with anymore and anything that wasn't completed sent me straight back to bed.
I was really lucky and my partner took me biking, at first it was at night so there was noone around - I couldn't leave the house. Eventually I started riding on my own. Then I started a blog, that got me out more as I only blogged about riding. Now I am addicted to riding and starting riding more with people.
It's impossible to know what one person needs, but I also really rate CBT. Best thing I did BUT for me with tablets it wouldn't have worked. They sorted me enough so I could at least leave the house!
I owe a lot to my partner, but now I know the signs and will never get like that again. I don't think I can ever say it won't come back, but I will do my best to make sure it doesn't.
I am currently reducing the dose of the meds I'm on and have seemed fine, but the physical withdrawal was horrible!
Be Lucky and If you cant be Lucky,,, Top Yourself.
Be Lucky and If you cant be Lucky,,, Top Yourself.
there's always one innit?
@sfb
do you feel lucky ?? 😉
do you feel lucky ??
I don't think I need luck, I make my own, though I suppose I'm extraordinarily lucky as well:o)
Well until redthunder came along that was very useful. And timely.
Thank you all.
I can thoroughly recommend CBT. Be under no illusion though that it 'cures' depression; it simply gives you a set of very powerful tools for dealing with the issues surrounding why you get depressed (i.e. self esteem, self worth, etc.).
I still get depressed, but it rarely lasts and I am more confident and assured of myself now than I ever have been. Just need to work on my looks now 😉 😀
Sorry to jump on the thread late....
I've suffered depression for a few years now. It came about pretty quick.... pretty much had a complete breakdown after my mind just gave up. Had a lot of time off work (7 months) and during this time I got into bikes on the recommendation of my doctor. I was on pills which helped to an extent, but they were just a temporary tool to allow me to get back to being able to manage my life. CBT helped me much more than the pills. Planning a structure to my day and getting into the routine of doing things is a big factor, but not punishing yourself if you can't stick to the plan is even bigger. I learned to think differently and to manage my feelings (about myself) and as I got more exercise and more into a routine I became more confident and more able to add more tasks/goals into each day.
Don't be ashamed of depression, it's a debilitating illness that affects everyone differently and what works for some may not work for others. Be proud of the fact that you have been able to talk about it..... I didn't until it was too late. Good luck with the recovery.
Nice thread, it's good to talk people. 🙂
What a great thread. People are wonderful if you give them the opportunity aren't they? 🙂
Can't really add much to what's already been said - but would just like to offer support.
If I could just suggest one thing:
Give yourself a small treat everyday - dance around the room to your favourite tune, read a couple of pages from a favourite book, eat a small piece of your favourite chocolate etc.
Do this whether you feel like it or not.
I also found that listening to Radio 2 in the morning, instead of all the negativity on Radio 4 helped a lot at the time as well.
Positive music (Culture Shock, Onwards and Upwards in my case) was a huge help - great to dance to!
And remember, no matter how long it has been going on, you [b]will[/b] feel better.
I have been watching this thread with interest as the missus mother is bipolar manic.
However the best thing about the thread is people are talking about a subject which to some is personal but to many is pretty misunderstood
🙂
I did read somewhere about excercise and some kind of hormone serotonin maybe
well biking aint a bad thing if your depressed
I did read somewhere about excercise and some kind of hormone serotonin maybewell biking aint a bad thing if your depressed
This is absolutely true. However, the problem often is that it can be very hard to get out at times when it would probably benefit you most. When it takes all you have got to get out of bed, going out on a bike ride can sometimes just not be acheivable.
I'm pretty open about my mental health issues but it is a big deal for a lot of people and there still is prejudice about. A lot of people do want to keep things secret and, to a degree, there can be good reason too; I'm in the process of buying a house and you'd be suprised what a history of mental health and an inpatient stay in a psychiatric unit years ago can do for you insurance prospects.
It's good to have people sharing experiences though, in my experience on of the worst things about depression and other mental health issues is the feeling of isolation and that somehow you're something weird and unique, it can be a huge help to realise just how common all this actually is.
I agree PJay, I actually think that a lot of the reason I'm more open about it now is that from reading threads on here for the last 5 years or so I have realised that I am not alone and it's so much more widespread than you realise.
Can i ask a couple of questions - i know there are links and stuff but i'd like some experience
1) when do you go from just being a bit lost and strugglign to cope to depression - is there a sort of tipping point
2) On the same theme - what are the signs of a breakdown, key indicators etc
Just interested for a variety of reasons.
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...
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.
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?
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.
low energy, loss of interest, appetite changes, sleep changes, poor concentration etc
Christ, you've just reeled off a familiar list!
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.
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)
Ta all thanks for the replies - very very interesting and I appreciate it.
"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. 🙂
Just out of interest has anyone had their thyroid checked?
might sound odd but !!!
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)
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 [i]those days[/i], 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.
[i]compositepro - Member
Just out of interest has anyone had their thyroid checked?
might sound odd but !!! [/i]
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.
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.
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
there are a lot of links between various hormone imbalances and depression apparently, as I discovered when reading up about something else.