Depression [Aware Helpline 1890 303 302] (1 Viewer)

[psyzzle wazzle]

I've suffered with depression my whole life, past 5 years seem to have been a lot better but life has changed recently and I seem to be slipping back into it badly. I would like to know if anyone has any tried and tested reccommendations for natural anti-depressants? I've always tried to avoid prescribed drugs but I'm getting kinda desperate.

 

[flashback]

nice one psyzzle, knowing that its creeping back on you, that its starting again, and recognising that you need to control it means that you are still in control.

Feeling overcome and paralysed means that you are no longer in control. This is a way harder state to get out of.


So, yeah, non-drug ways to deal with depression.
I can tell you how I cope with my depression, without drugs, but, you know, you're not me and i don;t think there is any one size fits all remedy for it.
How I deal with it is basically :

Routine,
Order,
and the Bike.

To summarise, all of the above are about me taking control. I want to have control back over my body and my surroundings, and through this control I can ameliorate depression. All of them overlap for me.

Routine :
Wake up at a certain time, every day. Every day. Including Saturday and Sunday. Go to bed at a certain time, every day. Read a book in bed. Try to get up reasonably early, and immediately go outside, and try and get some sun on your face. Even if its cloudy, just stay outside for 10 minutes. This is to do with doing a hard reset on your circadian clock. Then go about your daily business.
For example for me that was wake, sun on face, eat, and then get on the bike and spend five hours riding, get home, go to work, get home, sleep. Day in day out.

Order :
I felt better if everything was in order. If there was no jobs hanging over me, the dishes were clean, my clothes were washed and put away, and I was generally on top of things. This, for me, means a lot for some reason. Seeing dirty dishes in the sink, clothes on the floor, any of that makes me feel that I am slipping out of control. If everything is in order, I feel better. Also, this applies to drink too, I don;t want to drink when I'm getting down, again its to do with order and control. I'd regularly go off the gargle for a year or two. Your mates will give you shit about this, but you can figure out an excuse usually.

The Bike:
Yeah, so, I go out on the bike. I find that it allows me to focus on nothing, and to abstract myself from my body. When I am on the bike, doing a long climb or something I will have something very like an out of body experience. I would be in quite a lot of pain, but this pain is abstracted, not connected to me, its just something that I watch from a distance, and monitor.
It doesn't have to be a bike, obviously. Something like yoga for instance seems to give a similar buzz. I am sure there are any number of exercise props you can substitute in here. My mate was a boxer in Cabra, and he would be saying that even during fights he'd not be thinking about the fight at all really, he;d be wondering what's for dinner, and other removed things.
Its hard to explain; but I find the distancing of yourself from your body, that focus, to be theraputic.
As well as that, you are pumping all sorts of chemicals (endorphins and so on) into your body that will actually make you feel good. These basically are drugs, or its what drugs will try to emulate at least.

That's what worked for me.
You'll notice that other people is not something I am interested in. I feel that its too much work, and it would be unspeakably shit, having to hang around with me if I'm down. So I will not inflict this on others. I did meet others to go for cycles, but its perfectly ok to sit on a bike for 5 hours with someone beside you and not feel obliged to chatter all the time.


Obviously this all makes me sound like a robot, and, I dunno, maybe I am. Maybe we all are to some extent. (Deep.)
But, this is as clear as I can be, this is the essense of how I deal with things.
Hopefully it will be of some sort of assistance.

 

[Reets]

Like flashback said, I can only say what works for me and I'm not sure how relevant some of it is as I've ups and downs to keep under control and a lazy bastard.

I've learned when things are likely to get bad again and try to stop it as early as possible by keeping busy, could be just an hour walk or a gig, I know a packed room might be the last place you want to be but it gets you out for a few hours and is a good distraction.
There's days I know well in advance are going to be horrific so I make sure I've something on that day, I've a 2 month anniversary coming up that coincides with some other related things so I'm going to the zoo with my daughter, as I've already told her I can't back out of it.
I'm not great around new people and when I'm down it's even worse but I make myself do it anyway and try new things, again it takes me out of the situation I'm in and my comfort zone.
Try to figure out if it's something external that's making it worse, take control of the situation even if just realising there's a reason you feel this way is taking control of your life.
This might not make much sense but works or sounds like the same old crap everyone says but it works for me.
Hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Clementine]

Know the feeling. What I did was skip every 6th or so intake until I was comfortable with that. Then I moved it down progressively until I was skipping every 2nd intake. Then missing two intakes but taking the third until that was ok and then when missing three intakes and so on.

I've heard that because of their long "half life" that it's not really a runner to stop taking them (SSRIs) abruptly.

Fair play to you and good luck with it.

thank you, for both the advice and the encouragement.

while i am here...anyone know any good therapists in the Cork city area that work out of hours (i.e. after 6pm) and are around the 50euro or if possible less mark? although to be honest at the moment any stranger who knows nothing about me, my life and the people in it would do to talk to.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

thank you, for both the advice and the encouragement.

while i am here...anyone know any good therapists in the Cork city area that work out of hours (i.e. after 6pm) and are around the 50euro or if possible less mark? although to be honest at the moment any stranger who knows nothing about me, my life and the people in it would do to talk to.

not being a smart ass but the samaritans?

 

[Clementine]

not being a smart ass but the samaritans?

ha, that actually occurred to me right after i posted

 

[cpr]

I know a few people who work for the Samaritans and they are really sound, salt of the earth lovely types so give em a go.

 

[psyzzle wazzle]

Flashback, Riath, thanks. All really useful information for people suffering with depression which I'm sure will be of great help to anyone reading this thread. I have to say that I already implement these tips in my life, in some shape or form as it is and agree that such structures are key to beating depression. My current wave of depression stems from emotional pain and as such I would like to know of any herbal medicinal tried and tested recommendations as that's one thing I've never tried. Sorry, I should have been more specific.

 

[Cryptid]

Sam-e? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosyl_methionine. I've no idea whether it's any good though or not.

Have you tried packing in the booze for a while? I blame everything on drink/drugs.

 

[nooleen]

yeah, balls to booze. everything magically picks up when you stop drinking. that said, i'm half ratarsed and stoically on the way to incapacitation right now.

that's probably not relevant to people who aren't alcos though.

 

[Juno]

Sam-e? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Adenosyl_methionine. I've no idea whether it's any good though or not.
.

Don't even think about that unless you're under medical supervision. Seriously anything that acts on your serotonin and noradrenaline receptors strongly enough to induce mania and to have caused serotonin syndrome is not to be fucked with. And increased levels of homocysteine can be dangerous depending on your medical history. Not saying it doesn't work, some of the trials that have been done are apparently sound enough but others are dodgy and really downplay the significance of those sort of side-effects.

 

[whathappen?]

has anyone here ever just walked out of a job due to depression anxiety and panic attacks? What are the options? Getting the doctor to give certs week after week and then handing in notice isn't an option as that is cause even more anxiety. Sorry now but I am a bit panicked at the moment.

 

[Unicron]

has anyone here ever just walked out of a job due to depression anxiety and panic attacks? What are the options? Getting the doctor to give certs week after week and then handing in notice isn't an option as that is cause even more anxiety. Sorry now but I am a bit panicked at the moment.

Kinda, I let my contract run out and didn't renew it when the asked me to stay.

 

[cpr]

has anyone here ever just walked out of a job due to depression anxiety and panic attacks? What are the options? Getting the doctor to give certs week after week and then handing in notice isn't an option as that is cause even more anxiety. Sorry now but I am a bit panicked at the moment.

Can't you just resign rather than going through the rigmarole of doctors certs etc?Is the stress due to bullying in the workplace or unfair treatment?if so, it is worth speaking to the citizens advice bureau before making any decisions on that front. I know several people who have gone out sick long term from work and it rarely ends well.

good luck.
x

 

[flashback]

hey, whatthappen, are you in a union? If you are not you could PM me, and I could try to ask someone if they know of anyone that might give you advice. If you are in a union, you should contact your rep and explain your situation.

Basically work related stress is recognised as a fairly big deal, and there are some provisions made for it.

em, so how long have you been in the position?
If its more than 2 years I think the advice would be to go out on sick leave. Once you are on sick leave I would try and to take it easy for a while, and then start looking for a new job. Once the sick leave expires, I think you are entitled to take holiday. If its less than 2 years they can pretty much can you for any reason, and you have little enough come back.

I've forgotten how all this stuff works now, and have it mixed up with US law etc.
You should talk to someone who knows about this, who can give you your options clearly.

Things are not going to get better (in my experience). You probably need to get a new job, fairly lively.

 

[dudley]

if you just resign without doctors cert it puts you in a bad position with social welfare, who will penalise you and not pay out for a few months.
so if you can, talk to a gp and get a cert from them saying they recommended you quit

 

[stray]

hi, I read the forum but don't usually post. Just wanted to see if anyone else has been on Sertraniche before. I think its an Irish brand of Zoloft or sertraline. My doctor prescribed it today and I took one dose, but have been feeling crazy side effects already.

She said it probably wouldn't have any effect on my mood for at least 2 weeks, but that it might cause some nausea. At the moment I feel like I'm on pills, but without any of the desirable effects, maybe more like a come-down from pills (although I've never used drugs much) - i.e. my jaw is constantly involuntarily clenching, my leg/foot/muscles are twitching (as soon as I become conscious and stop one it just moves somewhere else) or just tensed/clenched, if I'm zoning out or just not paying attention to myself then I find my eyes are opened too wide or my lips are pursed. This is all since early this afternoon, with me taking the 25mg dose the doc recommended for the first 2 or 3 days which I'm supposed to boost to 50mg after that.
Is this something that happens with sertraniche when you start first? will it go away in a few days when my body starts to adjust? I should probably just try to call the doctor in the morning about it before I take the second dose, but I'm also having trouble telling for sure whether I'm just being totally over-dramatic about it. I'd prefer not to take more doses if this tends to be a side effect that doesn't go away if you get it, because I've read it can take a while to wean off it.
This was the second or third time this year that a doctor has suggested antidepressants to me, and although I'd been reluctant about it up til now I pretty much just went in looking for some today because I've tried a few logical options already and I really can't afford to mess things up at work at the moment (it's been affecting me meeting deadlines, making people pissed off at me, etc). But I can't be going around looking like a maniac either. I'm always swinging between thinking I should just suck it up and get on with things, that I'm being melodramatic and reminding myself that it was once possible to be happy doing everyday things and not feel completely hopeless, anxious, lost, nervous, pointless and overwhelmed by everything every time something small goes wrong.
Anyway, has anyone else had these symptoms from sertraniche, and do they go away or did you end up having to change medication?

 

[Cryptid]

hi, I read the forum but don't usually post. Just wanted to see if anyone else has been on Sertraniche before. I think its an Irish brand of Zoloft or sertraline. My doctor prescribed it today and I took one dose, but have been feeling crazy side effects already.

She said it probably wouldn't have any effect on my mood for at least 2 weeks, but that it might cause some nausea. At the moment I feel like I'm on pills, but without any of the desirable effects, maybe more like a come-down from pills (although I've never used drugs much) - i.e. my jaw is constantly involuntarily clenching, my leg/foot/muscles are twitching (as soon as I become conscious and stop one it just moves somewhere else) or just tensed/clenched, if I'm zoning out or just not paying attention to myself then I find my eyes are opened too wide or my lips are pursed. This is all since early this afternoon, with me taking the 25mg dose the doc recommended for the first 2 or 3 days which I'm supposed to boost to 50mg after that.
Is this something that happens with sertraniche when you start first? will it go away in a few days when my body starts to adjust? I should probably just try to call the doctor in the morning about it before I take the second dose, but I'm also having trouble telling for sure whether I'm just being totally over-dramatic about it. I'd prefer not to take more doses if this tends to be a side effect that doesn't go away if you get it, because I've read it can take a while to wean off it.
This was the second or third time this year that a doctor has suggested antidepressants to me, and although I'd been reluctant about it up til now I pretty much just went in looking for some today because I've tried a few logical options already and I really can't afford to mess things up at work at the moment (it's been affecting me meeting deadlines, making people pissed off at me, etc). But I can't be going around looking like a maniac either. I'm always swinging between thinking I should just suck it up and get on with things, that I'm being melodramatic and reminding myself that it was once possible to be happy doing everyday things and not feel completely hopeless, anxious, lost, nervous, pointless and overwhelmed by everything every time something small goes wrong.
Anyway, has anyone else had these symptoms from sertraniche, and do they go away or did you end up having to change medication?

Hi. It sounds to me like Akathisia (I'm not a doctor so it's a guess). There are side effect drugs such as Cogentin or Kemadrin. If it is that, it's a general, less publicised, side effect of many psycho-active "medications". If you're not sure about this, I strongly recommend that you get a second opinion. It's your brain that your doctor is making guesses about. If you end up with tardive diskinesia - believe me - blinking and twitching involuntarily is not a good condition. Would post more only I have to go to work. Best of luck with it.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akathisia[/ame]
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardive_dyskinesia[/ame]

 

[stray]

Thanks for replying. It does sound like that alright. The doctor told me what she was putting me on was supposed to be quite mild and that 25mg was a really small dose. The effects I felt last night weren't small though and they're only fading now. I must be very sensitive to medication, or else I was worried that maybe this is something that happens if you take an antidepressant when you don't need to (like, maybe I only imagined I was depressed or made a big deal out of something totally normal) but I haven't been able to find anything online to confirm that fear.
I'll be talking to another doctor about it later today.

 

[Cryptid]

Thanks for replying. It does sound like that alright. The doctor told me what she was putting me on was supposed to be quite mild and that 25mg was a really small dose. The effects I felt last night weren't small though and they're only fading now. I must be very sensitive to medication, or else I was worried that maybe this is something that happens if you take an antidepressant when you don't need to (like, maybe I only imagined I was depressed or made a big deal out of something totally normal) but I haven't been able to find anything online to confirm that fear.
I'll be talking to another doctor about it later today.

From looking at the patient information leaflet: http://www.realmentalhealth.com/medications/sertraline_patient.asp

25mg per day does seem like the lower dose. It's usually 50mg, but for Stress/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder it's 25mg, accellerated to 50mg in the 2nd week.

According to the sertaline patient information leaflet:

More common Zoloft side effects may include: Abdominal pain, agitation, anxiety, constipation, decreased sex drive, diarrhea or loose stools, difficulty with ejaculation, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, gas, headache, decreased appetite, increased sweating, indigestion, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, pain, rash, sleepiness, sore throat, tingling or pins and needles, tremor, vision problems, vomiting

There's also a list of less common side effects on that page. From similiar experiences to yourself, those descriptions are quite euphemistic.