Let's talk about depression

[Droopy]

I'm currently suffering from low-grade depression. It's not like the high-test depression that almost killed me, but it's serious enough that my psychiatrist prescribed me an anti-depressant. I was prescribed the drug about three weeks ago and I haven't noticed a significant change yet. My symptoms are that I'm sleeping a lot; a general feeling if gloom and doom throughout the day; low energy; and loss of interest in things that make me happy. Since taking the anti-depressant I've noticed that I sleep slightly less and that's about it. I've heard that it can take a month for anti-depressants to kick in so hopefully I'm on the verge of feeling better.

One of the things that gets me feeling even more down when I'm depressed is that I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and those memories really come back to haunt me. When the memory comes up it's like I'm reliving the moment of the mistake and all the feelings that I had when the mistake occurred are as fresh as if the incident just happened. I will always have those memories, but they are particularly intense when I'm feeling down.

I'm betting that there are a lot of people here that are currently or will be suffering from depression. So, for those of you who have suffered or are suffering from depression: what kind of tips can you offer that we can use to help get us through feeling down all the time? I'm talking more than just having a temporary case of the blues. I'm talking about feeling down all the time. Feeling like you've lost something important in your life and you don't know if you're ever going to get it back. Feeling like the world has lost all of it's color and now you can only see in black and white. Feeling like you've lost your love. Feeling like all hope is lost.

I mentioned that I once suffered from what I call "high-test" depression. I have schizoaffective disorder and one of the symptoms of that illness is psychosis. I was extremely paranoid. Ultra paranoid. I thought everybody was out to either hurt or control me including my own family. I thought people could read my mind and had access to my most private thoughts. I thought the people on the radio and the tv were talking directly to me and there was some hidden message that was meant exclusively for me. I think you can see how this can lead to high-test depression. I used to come home from work and sit and just stare off into space losing all track of time having no thoughts, just being completely blank. It's like I was so traumatized by what I was going through that what was left of my mind decided to shut down. I was so depressed that it slowed me down physically. I spent many nights just laying in bed unable to go to sleep, but so tired that I could hardly move. That, my friends, is high-test depression and it almost killed me. Fortunately for me, my high-test depression was caused by psychosis (I know you're thinking: fortunately?) because it was easily remedied by an antipsychotic that had an immediate affect. After three days of hospitalization I was almost back to being a normal person. After seven days it was like all that stuff that had been going through my mind was a distant memory and I was ready to start life anew.

If you have a case of the blues right now, take care of yourself. Watch your emotions closely and if the blues last for a long time contact someone in the mental health field and get checked out. For those of you who have been diagnosed with depression keep on keeping on and let me know how you deal with the illness. If you think you have high-test depression get to a hospital now. That's the only thing that could save my life.

[Ann Arbor Dem]

1. Droopy

Have you talked with your pyschiatrist about the dosage of your anti-depressant? You probably know that it takes many of them a few weeks to take effect fully. In my experiences with various anti-depressants over the last 15 years, I have followed up with my doc after about 3 weeks to talk about whether the dosage is working. If the expected change has not happened, then we've upped the dosage.

One of the best books I've come across is "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David Burns. The title might sound silly, but it's a great cognitive therapy tool. Over the years, I have been able to identify self-defeating thought patterns (which are typically followed by self-defeating action and mental/phsysical paralysis, in my case) as they are emerging, rather than when they are in full-swing. This book helps you figure yours out through reading and practical exercises.

[Droopy]

2. I plan on talking to my psychiatrist about my dosage

if what I'm taking doesn't help pretty soon. The problem is I only see him once every 3 months and my next appointment isn't until early February. I don't know if I can get in to see him before then because my case isn't really urgent and he's a pretty busy guy.

I will see about getting the book you recommended. Is it available in most major book stores?

[Ann Arbor Dem]

3. I know how hard it can be to move an appointment up sometimes...

It might be worth calling you doc's office and finding out if you can do a telephone med check with him. Or maybe you could do it by email. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to wait until Feb. if the dosage isn't working for you. I've done that in the past when my psychiatrist has been booked up and I can't get in for a regular appointment.

I'm sure Borders and Barnes & Noble carry the Burns book. It's very helpful!

[DemExpat]

4. The Handbook? Or his book on the new mood therapy?

I looked this up on Amazon, and it looks helpful. I have been looking for a good cognitive therapy self-help book.
For myself, but also for my young adult daughter who also grapples with problems from time to time, as many of us do...

Good to nip stuff in the bud in life before things settle into patterns!

Thanks for the suggestion. :thumbsup:

:hug:


DemEx

[Ann Arbor Dem]

5. All of his books are great!

I've read and used "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" as well.

Another incredible book is "Women Who Think Too Much: How to Break Free of Overthinking and Reclaim Your Life" by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema. It's about women and rumination (overthinking). She researches women and depression.

Here's a link to a related NY Times article;

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/psych/news/department/news/?id=115

[FuzzySlippers]

8. I also have the Burns' Ten Days to Self-Esteem.

It makes a good companion volume to Feeling Good. It has exercises and depression and anxiety inventories to check your progress. I haven't been able to force myself to make much headway through it though.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. I suffer from chronic lifelong depression

but I can't really give you any coping advice because I haven't ever really learned to cope with it. I mostly just distract myself hanging on the internet or reading.

I think in my case it's so ingrained that it's just part of who I am and I don't know how to live my life any other way. Fortunately, that's not the case for you.

I would give it another week on the medication, then do whatever you have to to get an appointment with your doctor. You really should be seeing him more frequently anytime you're starting on a new medication since there can be a lot of fine tuning involved.

It's also possible that this particular medication won't work for you, in which case you need to try a different one.

I hope you get it taken care of quickly and get things back on track.:)

[Droopy]

7. Thank you Crunchy Frog

I will see about getting an appointment sooner if I don't start feeling well soon. I don't think he put me on a very high dosage so that may be why I've noticed a slight improvement but nothing all that great.

I don't think you should see your depression as being ingrained in who you are. I've talked to you before on this topic and I know you've tried just about everything and nothing has worked, but don't give up. You are not your illness.

[Make7]

9. This is the most important book I've read on depression.

"Depression-Free, Naturally" by Joan Matthews Larson. Check it out at Amazon.com.

The theory is that your body needs the right kinds of food and nutrition for you to be mentally healthy. Not everyone needs the same thing - I needed to reduce refined carbohydrates and add omega-3 fatty acids. Helped me sleep better in two days. This book has been a big part of solving the puzzle for me. I have been dealing with this on and off for over 15 years, I have read LOTS of books on the subject and this one helped me more than any other.

I have taken different drugs and this worked better than any of them, with no side effects. (Well, I did lose about 10 lbs when I changed what I ate so drastically.) It took effect more quickly and it makes me feel more like me, than when I'm on anti-depressants. I feel better than I have in years, just by feeding my brain what it needs. Go figure.

Take care all,
Make7

[BeHereNow]

10. I am SO with you on this treatment!

what the "experts" never tell you is that ALL of
the drugs are synthetic versions of what exists naturally.
However, they can not patent what exists in nature,
and therefore the damage done by synthetics
which actually worsen the condition they are
prescribed to treat over time by "fooling" the sysytem
and further destroying the body's own ability
to manufacture or eliminate the deficiencies or
toxicities causing the condition of illness.
I found orthomolecular treatement ten years ago
and I am symptom and pharma cartel drug free.
I wish more western practitioners would acknowledge
the effiacy of evidence based medicine.
I feel very fortunate to have found doctors who do.
I have a holistic dentist, an OB-GYN who prescribes
natural hormone for me (saved my life) and a general
practitioner who have all been willing to learn about and
implement orthomolecular treatment in my various
needs. I have never felt better!
BHN

[smirkymonkey]

11. Hi BHN!

:hi:

Maybe you could start a post on how you overcame your depression/issues without drugs. I feel the same way - I don't want to be dependent on the pharma industry - and I think that long term these drugs do more harm than good.

Would love to hear more of your experience if you don't feel like starting another post on it. :)

[terrya]

12. My depression makes me feel....just empty.

Just utterly, completely, devoid of any emotion. This is bad for me, right now. My way of dealing with depression is to stay in bed as long as I can. I can stay in bed the entire weekend. I have a low grade depression. But I find I have a hard time being productive at work...keeping focused on work. Sleep is my way of dealing with it.

I take Celexa and Wellbutrin. But sometimes, my depression seems resistant to them. Particularly with the attached low self-esteem that goes with it.

I'm glad this forum is around.

Terry

[Droopy]

13. Hang in there, terrya

Tell your doctor that the meds you are currently taking don't seem to be cutting it. You may need an increased dosage or to try something totally different.

I started this thread a little while back and I am feeling much better now. My anti-depressant just kicked in over the last week or so. I feel like my normal self again, but I understand what you are going through. I tended to deal with my recent depression with sleep, too. I was sleeping an average of 12 hours a day and on Sundays, my day off, it wasn't uncommon for me to sleep 14-16 hours. I am down to about 9 hours of sleep a day now. Don't give up and accept your depression. Do every thing you can to defeat it.

[terrya]

15. Thank you, Droopy.

Those are excellent suggestions. When I was in counselling (not right now, because of financial problems), my counsellor suggested that I force myself out of the house. Droopy...it's so easy to find refuge in sleep. It's...there. I'm not very good at explaining this. But I grab onto the thing I'm most comfortable with...and staying in bed for hours upon hours at a time is something I know.

I want to get better, Droopy. I really do. I don't like being like this.

Thank you for your excellent suggestions. I feel better just talking to you. :-)

T

[DemExpat]

14. You could try a tip I read about recently of naturally

dealing with depression with sleep deprivation - maybe skipping a night's sleep altogether, and in the longer term cutting your sleeping time down to 6-7 hours a night.

Sounds weird, but too much sleep can act as a depressant as well, according to this doctor, and in my experience as well.
It becomes a vicious circle, doesn't it, of feeling depressed and wanting only to sleep, but then sleeping so much keeping you from doing anything exciting or fulfilling in your day, and then this mechanism might work too.....sleeping too much becoming a depressant itself!

It might be worth experimenting with this imo....at first you might feel fatigued, but perhaps also elevation of your mood. :-)

Seems safe enough of a tip to try - especially since you say you are sleeping the whole weekend away. :boring:

It would be up to you to discover the best sleeping schedule for long term after experimenting with less sleep for a short period!

I would perhaps stay up for one night, (hang in front of the computer if you can't find anything to do all night..:D) and then have a few normal nights sleep, then try sleeping for about 6-7 hours instead of 8-10....

Oh yes, and a morning walk in sunshine is known to alleviate milder forms of depression as well if done on a fairly regular basis.

:hug:

DemEx

[terrya]

16. Again, good suggestions.

I mentioned to Droopy about my counsellor telling me to get out of the house. Walk in the neighborhood. There's an excellent coffee shop near my apartment. Lively, with nice people working there. I can just go there...be out among people again. Depression feeds on loneliness, I know. Maybe...joining the human race again.

Thank you for your suggestions, DemEx. I like this group very much. :-)

:hug:

T