For Those of You Who've Had Very Serious Depression!!

Della said:
I had a short spell of it the year I quit smoking and soon after something really bad happened in my life. The bad thing plus the lack of my usual coping method and the change in brain chemistry with the missing nicotine sent me into a very dark place. I was also living in England at the time with no friends or family around.

Time passed and everything got better, but that experience made me forever deeply sympathetic to those of you who have a chronic tendency toward depression. Sending hugs to all of you.
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It sounds as though you had good reason to get depressed. Eventually you 'healed' and returned to normal. This is the problem with many people.....what they regard as depression is actually a perfectly normal reaction to something which has happened to them. This is not a mental health problem, in fact, there would be a problem if they were not affected in this way.
 
As Pinky had mentioned in a previous post, the past creeping back, is so true, and it's a job to push it away.....but.....one must try to do that, in order to continue with some kind of peace.

I find winters extremely hard.....being so long.....not a lot of sun.....seasonal depression.
This winter has been the hardest ever.

Am i a walking drug store?......seems my meds of 240 mg a day, is so much more than what some of you are taking.
 

carouselsilver said:
I have read about diet changes being a major factor in relieving depression! I also discovered a natural remedy called 5HTP which is amazingly effective. I suffered from depression since childhood abuse, and other trauma in young adulthood. I am not advocating any special treatment, just threw that in there about the 5HTP.

I have had counseling, medication, medical marijuana, etc. I find that one thing that can trigger depression, surprisingly, is white sugar. All my life I have used sugar as my "drug of choice." After joining a support group I gained a lot more control over it.
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I have some 5HTP on hand and take it in the morning if I wake up in an unsettled state. Also take L-Theanine to help elevates levels of GABA, as well as serotonin and dopamine.
 
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dseag2 said:
When my mother was in hospice they administered Trazodone for sleep. I am now taking it as well, and it does help me sleep, but I've also learned it was originally used as an anti-depressant. I've been taking Lexapro for 17 years for depression. So, I guess I am now getting multiple medications for depression. Anyway, I feel great.
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After treatment for Hep C my sleep (and entire being) was a hot mess, so got a script for Trazodone. I discontinued it 5 years ago but recently requested the prescription reinstated. It helped a bit but I again discontinued it due to nightly uncomfortable priapism, which negates any sleep benefit.
 
I don't get traditional seasonal depression. I like winter and the cooler weather. I have lived in Washington state where it snowed.

The drought and climate change certainly makes me feel depressed also.

@carouselsilver I'm with you on the sugar. I really need to cut back on it which I have done before. Cravings don't last more than a few days I've found.
 
FastTrax said:
Where have you been?????????????????????? Do you know you have been on the SF-MIA thread for many moons? So how are you? How's Casey Jones doing?
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Hi there @FastTrax I am okay just seem to be getting older fast :confused:
Casey Jones aka SIL is doing just fine and he seems to be enjoying his train driving except
the necessity to wear a mask when at work is annoying to say the least
Mask mandates are supposed to end on 14th April except for public transport and anything health related
How have you been? I do pop in here from time to time for a look see ;)
 
peramangkelder said:
Hi there @FastTrax I am okay just seem to be getting older fast :confused:
Casey Jones aka SIL is doing just fine and he seems to be enjoying his train driving except
the necessity to wear a mask when at work is annoying to say the least
Mask mandates are supposed to end on 14th April except for public transport and anything health related
How have you been? I do pop in here from time to time for a look see ;)
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I'm fine. Just happy to know you are still here and Casey J. is fine too. Be blessed.
 
dseag2 said:
When my mother was in hospice they administered Trazodone for sleep. I am now taking it as well, and it does help me sleep, but I've also learned it was originally used as an anti-depressant. I've been taking Lexapro for 17 years for depression. So, I guess I am now getting multiple medications for depression. Anyway, I feel great.
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@dseag2 I've been taking a low dose of Lexapro since 2016 for anxiety and depression following the sudden death of my younger brother. The sadness was overwhelming. We were very close, dating back to our earliest days of childhood. The Lexapro took a while to work but I feel wonderful now. It hasn't dulled the wonderful memories of my brother - those will always live on in my heart.
 
How can you tell if you are clinically depressed or your life is depressing? Totally joyful times I think are just fairly brief episodes compared to the rest of the time when we are just keeping on keeping on. Sometimes I think we just expect too much of life.
 
Chet said:
How can you tell if you are clinically depressed or your life is depressing? Totally joyful times I think are just fairly brief episodes compared to the rest of the time when we are just keeping on keeping on. Sometimes I think we just expect too much of life.
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For me, it was a matter of getting through a day without crying, without feeling like I couldn't breathe at times. I don't know if I was diagnosed as clinically depressed but I was sad beyond measure and the medication helped.
 
Della said:
Cognitive Behavior Therapy was what helped me most, too. I had anticipatory anxiety so bad that I would start to panic every time the phone would ring and if I had to call back to the states to see how things were going I would start to shake. Those little behavior tricks of logging and rating my fears really helped me start to regain a sense of control.
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So, we do have something in common? Let's put the Anita Bryant/Christianity thread behind us and realize that people are people with the same issues and interests. I knew I liked you for some reason. (Sorry to everyone else for resurrecting this thread.)
 
Seems like this thread has gone dormant, but I'll post anyways. I've been dealing with depression most of my life. It's been really apparent the 17 years or so. 17 years ago there was an event that pushed me over the edge. I've been on multiple meds, in therapy and even tried TMS. Nothing seems to work. The last couple of years on meds were the worst. I was out of it and family and friends were worried that something drastic was wrong with me. I had dramatic weight loss and was like a zombie. After being on meds for many years with no relief I finally had enough and got off all my meds. It hasn't been easy, but I do feel. I don't say feel better because I'm not sure I feel better, but at least I can feel. I'm learning to deal with my feelings rather than hoping a med will be the magic cure. The last few days I feel like I'm back sliding some. I hate the way it feels and I guess I'm just looking for some people with common experiences with depression. I have a supportive family and will be with them this holiday weekend. I feel for all of you that deal with depression. It sucks. God Bless!
 
dseag2 said:
I went through severe depression 17 years ago. Many misinterpret depression as severe sadness. It also involves anxiousness and the unwillingness to perform everyday tasks.

I didn't want to get out of bed. I dreaded going into work because I also had anxiety. I lost a lot of weight and was always nervous. My depression was due to Body Dysmorphic Disorder so every time I passed a mirror I had panic attacks.

I went to a great therapist who took me back to my 9 year-old self. I had all those memories bottled up and just bawled when I recalled them. I have been on anti-depressants since then, but Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has really been the therapy that has seen me through this. I have spent days without the anti-depressants and have been fine. When we learn to truly know what makes us tick it can all be okay!
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Thanks for sharing that. Depression is not just sadness, it effects every aspect of your life. Anxiety, fear, isolation, unable just to do normal everyday things. Pile on top of that the struggle to act like nothing is wrong is just exhausting.
 
TC Steve said:
Seems like this thread has gone dormant, but I'll post anyways. I've been dealing with depression most of my life. It's been really apparent the 17 years or so. 17 years ago there was an event that pushed me over the edge. I've been on multiple meds, in therapy and even tried TMS. Nothing seems to work. The last couple of years on meds were the worst. I was out of it and family and friends were worried that something drastic was wrong with me. I had dramatic weight loss and was like a zombie. After being on meds for many years with no relief I finally had enough and got off all my meds. It hasn't been easy, but I do feel. I don't say feel better because I'm not sure I feel better, but at least I can feel. I'm learning to deal with my feelings rather than hoping a med will be the magic cure. The last few days I feel like I'm back sliding some. I hate the way it feels and I guess I'm just looking for some people with common experiences with depression. I have a supportive family and will be with them this holiday weekend. I feel for all of you that deal with depression. It sucks. God Bless!
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Glad you shared. Sometimes talking about it with others who can empathize helps.
For some of us Talk therapies are more helpful than meds. (Transactional, Analysis, CBT), but some need meds to stabilize them enough to focus on such.therapies and develop healthy coping strategies.
We each have to find what works for us.
 
TC Steve said:
Seems like this thread has gone dormant, but I'll post anyways. I've been dealing with depression most of my life. It's been really apparent the 17 years or so. 17 years ago there was an event that pushed me over the edge. I've been on multiple mthatds, in therapy and even tried TMS. Nothing seems to work. The last couple of years on meds were the worst. I was out of it and family and friends were worried that something drastic was wrong with me. I had dramatic weight loss and was like a zombie. After being on meds for many years with no relief I finally had enough and got off all my meds. It hasn't been easy, but I do feel. I don't say feel better because I'm not sure I feel better, but at least I can feel. I'm learning to deal with my feelings rather than hoping a med will be the magic cure. The last few days I feel like I'm back sliding some. I hate the way it feels and I guess I'm just looking for some people with common experiences with depression. I have a supportive family and will be with them this holiday weekend. I feel for all of you that deal with depression. It sucks. God Bless!
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THANK YOU for sharing.....
To all of us here dealing with that " D " word.....Sharing with each other can bring great comfort.
ENJOY your holiday weekend.
 
As I mentioned earlier I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety and put on an anti-depressant and a benzodiazapine 14 years ago. I can not quit them because of side effects of withdrawal. I just found out that people are smoking benzo's with fentanyl., which is deadly. So much mental suffering has been exasperated by drugs. Alcohol, opium, tranquilizers...etc. Please if you do use a drug, be careful to use as sparingly as possible.

 

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