View Full Version : Depression
porshiepoo
09-Apr-08, 17:37
Wasn't sure whether to start this thread but I really wanted to know the thoughts and feelings of others on it.
Is it just the time of year, the lack of sunshine? Are there many others of you feeling low? depressed? plain old sad? I can't be the only one surely?
I've tried kicking myself into snapping out of it, gave myself a right good talking to and just when I think I'm getting over the worst of it ....... smack, I feel so very sad again.
I'm not one for tears - anyone who really knows me will vouch for that. I would rather stick a poker in my eye than cry, but it's getting harder and harder no to just burst into tears at the slightest, often stupidest thing. I'm hoping that it's the time of year, the next few days of sunshine might give me a happy boost, I've even booked a holiday to Margarita Island for January next year just so I can avoid the lack of sun.
I have everything to be happy and grateful about. I own my own home, my kids are great, my hubby loves me more than anything, I love where I live. So what is wrong with me?
So how are all you other sufferers coping? Is your SAD easing with the daylight hours? Any miracle cure I can try?
Hello there ,NO you are not the only one feeling low at this time just want you to know that.
Billy Boy
09-Apr-08, 17:47
lol are you sure your not SAD because your going through the change of life ;):lol:
lots of people have had positive results from using the SAD daylight lamps. There not cheap but hey whats money when your feeling low.
Sapphire2803
09-Apr-08, 17:54
lol are you sure your not SAD because your going through the change of life ;):lol:
What, already? I somehow doubt it.
Porshie's only a young'un you know!
Nope you're not the only one, seems like every other person I speak to has been feeling low this last week or so, the one's who already felt low before that are really miserable now.
I haven't slept properly for about a week and I just have no get up and go, miserable at the drop of a hat. No reason for it, so I've put it down to the weather. I find that if I pretend to be happy, keep smiling it sort of rubs off after a while, whereas if I let myself feel unhappy, it gets worse fast.
It's a bit like in finding nemo... Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...
Billy Boy
09-Apr-08, 17:57
ooops sorry porshipoo, :eek: its just that you come across in your posts as someone of the more maturer age lol :lol:
Porshiepoo, I'd suggest you have a chat with your GP, if you haven't already.
If you've been feeling this way for a while and the gloom and sadness aren't lifting, no matter what you do, it might be worth discussing anti depressants with your doctor. For some people (and I was one, years and years ago, when I had no reason to feel sad and every reason to feel cheerful) they can make such a difference -you just feel like yourself again.
Not trying to force medication on you as I try to avoid pills and potions whenever possible, but please don't feel you should be able to pull yourself together. If you're suffering from depression, it is an illness and there's no shame, and every reason, in asking for treatment for it.
Having said that, quite a few folk I know do seem to be feeling pretty low at the moment. :( Whatever you decide, I hope you feel much better soon.
porshiepoo
09-Apr-08, 18:11
Thanks for the replies.
Angela, I know what you're saying about the tablets. Unfortunately I'm on medication for Narcolepsy and depression tablets don't really mix well with the medication. lol. I had PND after I had the girls and the tablets really helped but alas, I can't take them now.
Billy Boy: Really! The change of life???? lol. Nope if my mums anything to go by, I've got ages yet. lol.
98Elite: Yes, my brothers son has used the lamp and swears by it, but I've been like this for months now, years even when I look back and I don't think it's seasonal, so would the lamp work???
Sapphire2803: Pretending to be happy is asking for trouble me thinks. I know you're putting a brave face on cos it's what gets you through the days...... torturous days........ but eventually you'll snap. Either that or you'll just stop functioning. I think you need to see a doc too.
Hmmmmm, it's so easy for me to tell someone else to see a doc but not quite so easy to see one myself. Think I'll just keep swimming too.
Moureen: Thank you. I've pm'd you back.
Sapphire2803
09-Apr-08, 18:23
You're probably right, I should. Problem is last time I did that, he cut me off mid sentence and threw a prescription at me, thereafter he was just happy to keep chucking anti depressants at me. I find that I have good days and bad days. I also think that a lot of it is due to where i live and the isolation. Don't get me wrong, I love where I live, but it can be lonely, especially when hubby is working away. My kids are company, but it's not the same. It would be nice to have something to talk about anyway, every story I have to tell, hubby already knows and vice versa.
I haven't had a night out since last July, never had a night out in Caithness.
So, if I'm honest I don't need pills, I need a life :)
But, I think that the weather (SAD maybe) definitely makes matters worse from time to time.
If I really thought that my depression was caused by an underlying trauma or something, then I would be more worried about myself.
Like I said, if I can meet a few people and get out more, I reckon it'll be 3/4 of the battle. So, I'll just work towards that. :D
Hey Sapphire 2803 and any one else out there that think they need a night out to bannish the blues I am up for it !!!! I have been out once in Thurso since I moved up in 2006 and ended up with such a hang over I vowed NEVER AGAIN but I could force myself to drown a weeeeee glass of wine!!!!.
Sapphire2803
09-Apr-08, 20:12
Hey Sapphire 2803 and any one else out there that think they need a night out to bannish the blues I am up for it !!!! I have been out once in Thurso since I moved up in 2006 and ended up with such a hang over I vowed NEVER AGAIN but I could force myself to drown a weeeeee glass of wine!!!!.
I'd go for that. of course it straight away starts the Wick/Thurso debate. Where's better, who can get to where etc. :lol: However, I'll go with the majority.
After payday though. :roll:
cuddlepop
09-Apr-08, 20:46
I dont think its just you as there's a few people I know me included that are feeling rather "sad" at the moment.
The clocks have changed and the days are getting longer so giving us more of a chance to get out and about in natural daylight.It does help as does a good balanced diet.Porridge for breakfast is a good start.
Dont be so hard on yourself Porshie as you did lose your "shadow" not that long ago.:(
the charlatans
09-Apr-08, 20:47
Porshie, if i remember rightly you are a crafter, certainly i know you are an animal lover.
My bit of advice would be to dig into your craft box, have a good rumage and make a mess, don't pressure yourself into making anything but find things you've not seen in a while and after lots and lots of mess it might pick you up a bit. Always works for me.
Also, go for walks with the dog, or cat, or sheep, or whatever is handy, exercise and fresh air in the daylight are a great help, get your endorphins going. Plus you can tell all your woes to your animal and they will just nod in agreement because they are so happy to be out for a walk with you.
And don't suffer in silence.
I think we will be getting more cheerful now that the sun is out, i know it certainly makes me feel better.
I have ordered a sun lamp from Tesco, my friend says she feels a big difference since getting her one and she sleeps better and wakes better.
An underactive thyroid or anemia can make you feel depressed, as can lack of sleep, ask your gp for a blood test.
i am suffering from depression but wont go to the doctor and dont want pills which i think make you feel more down. I am trying to sort myself out and getting out in the sunshine as much as possible.
A good thing to do is get out and exercise. Take the first step (pun intended). It may not change your life but 20-30 min of exercise a day will make you feel a lot better.
A good thing to do is get out and exercise. Take the first step (pun intended). It may not change your life but 20-30 min of exercise a day will make you feel a lot better.
Yes well said.
We are not so keen on prescribing anti depressants unless really needed, and they really shouldn't be prescribed for mild depression etc, there are far more enjoyable ways to lift that feeling.
You brain is a chemical highway and so many things can alter your chemical and brain wave patterns.
Did you know for example that smiling alone can introduce a chemical buzz...
The seasons can effect people, and getting out into some sunshine could help. Equally a good healthy food intake can help also, and many patients tell me about chocolate, lol.
Like i said in my previous post, we are more than willing to put on a virtual support group, lessons and mini courses on tips and tricks on how to beat depression etc if people are interested, and then we have the old black arts (complementary medicine) for people who want another option in their toolbox.
porshiepoo
10-Apr-08, 09:06
Fran I know what you mean about not wanting to go to the doctor. I'm so frightened of getting that 'so what do you want me to do about it' tone. Doctors seem all too happy to chuck pills at you for things now and that just treats the symptoms (for a while) and doesn't deal with the problem, and if we knew what the problem was we wouldn't be blinking depressed would we!
It's a vicious circle!
Unfortunately sleep apnoea comes with the territory. My brain apparrantly doesn't shut down properly at night and most of the time I don't get past the dream state into deep sleep which is where our body takes time to regenerate itself. I feel like the living dead most of the time. lol.
The other problem I have is that the meds I take for Narcolepsy seem to leave me with a false persona I think. Apparrantly the meds aren't addictive but if I miss just one dose (take 2 doses a day) I get angry, irritable and more depressed than ever. An hour or so after taking the dose I have this 'nothing phases me' attitude. To be honest I don't know which is the real me - the depressed, angry one or the blase one! Either way the blase one isn't getting much of a look in at the mo anyway cos I'm down 80% of the time.
Charlatans: I get out as much as I can cos I figure the same way you do. We have 4 acres here and am building a house (still) so there's always lots to do. I'm trying to enjoy the veg gardening and gardening used to be one of my biggest passions before I moved here. I do seem to get annoyed and upset that the weather here (we're right by the sea) means I can't garden the way I'd like but I'm determined to be more realistic with my planting this year.
I guess you know how it helps to talk to your animals sometimes? I do still have 4 dogs but TBH since I lost Woo Woos there's no joy in them anymore. I know that sounds awful and perhaps depression is making the loss of Woo woo harder to deal with.
I'll get over it in time.
You're right about the crafting too. I'm scrapbooking at the mo and it does help, although I'm already worried about colour choice, I think feeling low has made an impact on my design. lol.
Fran I know what you mean about not wanting to go to the doctor. I'm so frightened of getting that 'so what do you want me to do about it' tone. Doctors seem all too happy to chuck pills at you for things now and that just treats the symptoms (for a while) and doesn't deal with the problem, and if we knew what the problem was we wouldn't be blinking depressed would we!
It's a vicious circle!
I would like to think that not all are like that, and that is not the stance we take at Dunbeath, in fact we are amongst the lowest prescriber's, if not the lowest prescriber practice of anti depressants in Caithness, simply because in some cases they are not indicated, and in other cases patients want an alternative.
The way i see it is that GP's like other medical professionals are employed individuals and paid via tax money etc, and are just like a plumber etc, with only with a different level of responsibility. Equally guide lines are there to supposedly give patients choice and informed information. If my GP or consultant etc doesnt provide me the relevant information, or service i make him or her damn well know i am unhappy and ask for ways of providing me an adequate treatment plan etc.
I do believe medicine needs to change in its approach and participation and become within reason more accessible to clients on the whole, but equally their are some great General Practitioners out there that are really in the position due to vocation and not just occupation.
Porshie, I'm sorry, I'd quite forgotten about your narcolepsy.
I'm certainly not an advocate of anti depressants (or indeed any drugs) if they can be avoided, but they were a great help to me when I suffered from PND and I know quite a few people who have really benefited from them.
Much more recently, when I lost my husband, I found doctors were just desperate to get me to take them, but I refused, since it seemed quite natural that I should feel very sad, and that in time I would be able to work through my grief. I didn't want to take drugs to suppress my feelings.
A lot of GPs don't seem to know what else to do beyond reaching for the prescription pad and to be fair they often can't provide people with alternative therapies free of charge. A good GP should listen to you of course and discuss the available options with you.
If you can, vote with your feet and move to a doctor who will give you the service you want. We do pay for the NHS! I know that's not always possible though, and I have certainly had much better service from alternative practioners -but I've had to pay for it.
The one thing I'd like to suggest, porshsie, is aromatherapy -some essential oils are very uplifting, others really calming. I found that aromatherapy and a SAD lamp got me through the last winter in a much better state of mind. :)
porshiepoo
10-Apr-08, 10:08
I would like to think that not all are like that, and that is not the stance we take at Dunbeath, in fact we are amongst the lowest prescriber's, if not the lowest prescriber practice of anti depressants in Caithness, simply because in some cases they are not indicated, and in other cases patients want an alternative.
I'd love an alternative to pills, unfortunately my GP doesn't offer this service. :(
I think perhaps I misread a tone when talking to the doctor about such things because I feel ridiculous and ashamed to be mentioning it in the first place and maybe even paranoid that doctor will think I should just get over it. I also think that because it can be a side effect of Modafinil that I'll just be told to accept it and move on.
The way i see it is that GP's like other medical professionals are employed individuals and paid via tax money etc, and are just like a plumber etc, with only with a different level of responsibility. Equally guide lines are there to supposedly give patients choice and informed information. If my GP or consultant etc doesnt provide me the relevant information, or service i make him or her damn well know i am unhappy and ask for ways of providing me an adequate treatment plan etc.
I don't feel confident enough at the moment to override or question anything that a doctor would tell me or prescribe to me. Plus there's also that hope of a lifeline - the doctor says these pills will lift the blackness, so I'll take them. Before you know it, the tablets ability to help has become addictive and the thought of 'going it alone' leads to a whole new set of problems. It's a path I'm reluctant to go down again.
The more I have to put my case forward to the GP, have to keep going back cos they seem to think that if we return several times it's proof we must be feeling how we say we are, and the more I'm questioned over the same thing, the more paranoid I feel that the doc thinks I'm just being silly.
I do believe medicine needs to change in its approach and participation and become within reason more accessible to clients on the whole, but equally their are some great General Practitioners out there that are really in the position due to vocation and not just occupation.
Unfortunately though, this isn't made readily available to the public. We have to know enough first to be able to then start questioning what is available and where. It would be great if at some point this sort of alternative treatment is available and offered as an option alongside traditional methods as it is at your surgery. We can but hope.
porshiepoo
10-Apr-08, 10:11
Like i said in my previous post, we are more than willing to put on a virtual support group, lessons and mini courses on tips and tricks on how to beat depression etc if people are interested, and then we have the old black arts (complementary medicine) for people who want another option in their toolbox.[/QUOTE]
Well I for one think that's a terriffic idea and very generous. Thank you
porshiepoo
10-Apr-08, 10:18
Porshie, I'm sorry, I'd quite forgotten about your narcolepsy.
I'm certainly not an advocate of anti depressants (or indeed any drugs) if they can be avoided, but they were a great help to me when I suffered from PND and I know quite a few people who have really benefited from them.
Much more recently, when I lost my husband, I found doctors were just desperate to get me to take them, but I refused, since it seemed quite natural that I should feel very sad, and that in time I would be able to work through my grief. I didn't want to take drugs to suppress my feelings.
A lot of GPs don't seem to know what else to do beyond reaching for the prescription pad and to be fair they often can't provide people with alternative therapies free of charge. A good GP should listen to you of course and discuss the available options with you.
If you can, vote with your feet and move to a doctor who will give you the service you want. We do pay for the NHS! I know that's not always possible though, and I have certainly had much better service from alternative practioners -but I've had to pay for it.
The one thing I'd like to suggest, porshsie, is aromatherapy -some essential oils are very uplifting, others really calming. I found that aromatherapy and a SAD lamp got me through the last winter in a much better state of mind. :)
I'm sorry you lost your husband. I was talking to someone earlier in a similar situation and as I said to them, I don't know how you find the strength to get through the loss of someone so vital and close. You must have great strength of character to be able to turn down anti-depressants at such a vulnerable stage in your life - especially as you know they're able to help. The fact that you were able to understand you needed to go through this grief naturally and unhindered is also amazing to me, I think it's an amazingly brave thing to be able to face that head on.
Last year my niece died at 23 to cervical cancer and I still don't know how her parents and her sister cope. She was such an energetic and positive personality and spent the few months she fought concerned about the effect it had on the rest of us rather than herself. Amazing girl.
Well I am happy :cool: so I must be bucking the trend.
As said previously exercise, of mind and body, is the key.
I never have the time to dwell on life's negatives.
What about trying St Johns Wort - it seems to work! :)
What about trying St Johns Wort - it seems to work!
no if yer on 'e pill tho - counteracts it [evil]
ats a shame yer no feelin great porshiepoo...
id be kwite happy til pm ye wi some spells til keep awie negativity...if ye think they will help...;)
no if yer on 'e pill tho - counteracts it [evil]
ats a shame yer no feelin great porshiepoo...
id be kwite happy til pm ye wi some spells til keep awie negativity...if ye think they will help...;)
Gosh I didn't know that!
Well I am happy :cool: so I must be bucking the trend.
As said previously exercise, of mind and body, is the key.
I never have the time to dwell on life's negatives.
Well I am glad you live like that not a bad place to be
But sometimes life can kick you in the teeth be it a illness for which there is no cure and excercise advised to help but in order to do that excercise you have to be able to move or get out of bed in the first place
Also bereavement and the loss of people very close to you 2 within 4 months can give the feel good factor a bashing
Winter weather dark days and nights Ah thank goodness for SAD lamp
Lastly If you have always been employed and loved the job you have done all your life and that has to go through ill health when you are not near retiring age can have a awful effect
silverfox57
10-Apr-08, 19:32
Well I am glad you live like that not a bad place to be
But sometimes life can kick you in the teeth be it a illness for which there is no cure and excercise advised to help but in order to that excercise you have to be able to move or get out of bed in the first place
Also bereavement and the loss of people very close to you 2 within 4 months can give the feel good factor a bashing
Winter weather dark days and nights Ah thank goodness for SAD lamp
Lastly If you have always been employed and loved the job you have done all your life and that has to go through ill health when you are not near retiring age can have a awful effect
ann thanks for posting repley,was going reply with just as you said, I also think it is very inportant how to post on peoples health on forum,
Tighsonas4
10-Apr-08, 20:48
DEPRESSION
would attempt to comment unless i had walked in the other persons shoes
a knock at the door or a phone call can change your life in a split second
ONE WHO KNOWS tony
thats it !!! this is Cyber space at the end of the day
BUT
If anyone can help all be it we all have things to bear in many walks of life be it a Illness , Bereavement , Pet Dying ,end of a Relationship or Friendly or not so friendly banter
As long as people can go on relating there life experiences someone somewhere will take that experience and learn from it
and be positive and go on living
Its not all doom and gloom there is always
Light at the End of the Tunnel
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