Thanks all. Lots of kind words and lots of sense being talked.
Thanks also for not letting it descend into "i'm right..... you are wrong."
This really isn't just a Mountain Bike website site is it! Thanks for the help.
To all those who have DM'd me. Thank you.
Lunge..... Trying to reply but DM not working. (Just wanted to say thanks for the kind words. I might just take you up on your offer - If I can get DM's to work.!)
Thanks all.
20mg Cytolpram/ day here for work related issues.
Lots of excellent advice has been laid out on this thread and I can only echo the praise for TJ's insight. The pills don't make you happy. For me they calm my anxiety to a level that I can deal with it. I suffer from catastrophising situations in that I just focus on the worst case scenario and end up spiralling with anxiety to the point I can't actually function in order to do something about the situation. The Cytolopram takes the peaks and troughs and moderates them. The highs are not so high that I get silly giddy and reckless and the lows are not so low that I can't see the solution. They allow me to make decisions to deal with the problems. But they don't take the problems away.
The price of paper is going up. Good content is hard to create and pay for and then even harder to recoup the money from. The advertising market is in chaos and rates are impossible to predict. etc. These problems are there and are not going away but where previously I'd sit and stare at them and ultimately fail to deal with them, I can now face them and take rational decisions and act.
But the critical thing is that it's not just the drug that is helping. I also have people to talk to and I get support. I have had CBT and it was transformative - that's where I first heard the word 'catastrophise'. CBT gave me actual real strategies to deal with the feelings of anxiety and stress that previously were overwhelming. I also talk to a none CBT counsellor once a month and I can't stress enough how amazing it is to talk to effectively a stranger about your problems. I was amazed at what came out because I wasn't inhibited by friendship, love or any kind of emotional connection to the person I was talking to.
My story (and yours will differ) is one where the chemical input is part of a suite of therapies. 'Happy pills' don't make you happy but they may calm the water enough to help you deal with the real issues in your life.
OP,
You sound to me like you need a break (or a 50km ride out)
I sometimes feel a little of what you describe, and definitely find that a decent ride out helps.
I also often take my jetboil and once I’ve found the right spot, make a cuppa and sit with that for a while.
Everyone needs a little help now and then, whether it’s meds, or exercise, or getting your partner on the nest.
I had a mini meltdown at work (staff room) a few months ago, where i spilled out something that had been bothering me for decades.
Several people have told me since that they thought i was very brave to get it all out in the open, and it wasn’t easy, but with the benefit of 4 months hindsight I’m feeling a lot happier and now know it was the right thing to do.
So, I’ll say, well done for getting your issues out in the open, and I hope that whatever route you decide to go re: treatment, it works out well for you.
Marty.
I agree with the view that counselling is better than medication some of it depends on what is driving your changes in mood. In my case conselling helped but there was also an issue with how quickly happy chemicals in my brain were absorbed too quickly leading to mood swings. The drugs help this by slowing down the reabsorption so drugs maybe part of the answer
+1 for the happy pills don't make you happy brigade.
They level your mood at a level that I found unacceptably low. I felt like a zombie living in a grey haze and had to stop them.
I found it much more acceptable to find strategies to help me deal with the troughs if it meant i could still occasionaly enjoy the peaks.
Having said all that abut the pills - there is no "one size fits all" solution and there is a range of interventions to chose from from "quit your job" and "take the pills" to "6 sessions of CBT to give you tools to cope" to " deep psychotherapy to root out those deep disordered thoughts. Its a bit pick and choose and find what suits you / what you need and that set of choices is not a once and forever choice - you can change your choices. What works for one person may not work for another
Some folk also need validation of their feelings
I know someone who was really struggling with stress and anxiety. Just going to the GP who validated their feelings ie " what you are feeling is real and significant, you are not being a wuss" made a huge difference
A few years ago i was really struggling at work having been moved into an area I really did not have the skills for. I struggled on until I had a panic attack on the way to work. I went to my boss, told them, was moved to an area I was much more comfortable with and was fine. Removing the stressor was enough for me
So - go to your GP with an open mind. H0pefully you get a good one who will listen and give you a range of options.
You are not alone as you can see. IIRC 1/3 of us with have some mental health issues that needs treatment at some point in their lives. Its difficult to do , its not weakness to say you need help and above all - speak to your partner!
good luck
IME, some med's for anxiety and depression are effective but bloody difficult to get off.
Particularly SSRIs. Yes after a few weeks they do leave you with a "fair and normal" amount of residual serotonin and that lifts the mood, dilutes black thoughts and generally helps in coping with the rigours of our daily lives.
Getting off SSRIs, again IME, was hellish.
So before you jump in, think about the bit where you want to stop taking them.
Good luck.
@Simon_Semtex, very strange, I'll try messaging you again.
@cougar, @drac, as mods can you send me e-mail address to Simon above, it's in my profile.
The time to speak to your GP is now.
It would appear to be a controversial view, but I found that SSRI's have been amazing.
They give you time to think rationally.
They give you time to access other services that will be beneficial in understanding yourself.
They may change some aspects of your personality, but it's a temporary change. Don't beat yourself up about it.
Depression is awful.
People who have posted about how SSRI's are no 'real' answer are just as bad as those who tell you to 'Pull Yourself Together'.
They have worked for my OH very well. Reducing stress, depression and anxiety. Setraline
& she's still the same person.
Rusty - I think we have a bit of a misunderstanding - perhaps what you said is how I meant to say it.
SSRIs are an absolute lifesaver - and to use them as yo have done is what I meant to try to say
"They give you time to think rationally.
They give you time to access other services that will be beneficial in understanding yourself."
this is the key point - they do not cure the depression but they give you the time and space to do so
Happy pills are generally reserved for Friday or Saturday nights and are available in bulk at decent prices. Don't expect your doctor to prescribe them.
And yes, go get stoned. Forget about life for an hour or two. Find yourself some time and space where you're not thinking about the day to day.
Everyone gets sad and down. The smile on our face is often just a veneer hiding the turmoil /boredom /stress that everyone experiences.
Can't comment on the pills but I was hearing recently about the psychological benefits of disrupting your sleep patterns with the odd (very) late night. When you're really whacked and you get that completely unconscious sleep it's good therapy without the counsellor or the comedown.
Thanks to all who have helped me over the last few days. Still can't comprehend the amazing level of support from what is just a mountain bike forum. Really really big thank-you.
I've contacted my old counsellor and have booked a session. I've also contacted my GP and have accepted the pills.
I know i'm not at breaking point yet but wanted to bullet proof myself before I got too bad. So have pretty much said "Yes" to all offers of help. Also gonna start the HeadSpace App.
Think I need to invest a bit of time in me.
Feels like i've just gone out and bought a truck load of new tools.
Think i need to go out for a ride now.
Thanks again everyone. Feelin better today.
Great to hear Simon!
flange
SubscriberAs mentioned, ‘happy pills’ don’t make you happy, they just make you not give a shit.
That isn't my experience, with citalopram and sertraline (both ssris). They don't "make me happy", but they do make me less anxious and less stressed.
I've often described them as a difficulty slider.
Even physiologically, pills are only part of the solution.
It may sound patronising, but start with healthy eating, exercising, socialising, sleeping, alcohol intake, screen time, etc.
Pills may help but all those basics will as well. Good luck with everything.
