Thread: Depression and stress, etc

Hello everyone,
I just thought I would be really honest and share some experiences. Honestly, have you ever had a fight with depression?

I have had depression for a few years and went on anti-depressants. I was only on them for about a year. (I'm 21) I'm not sure if I still have it.

What's upsetting me lately is fights with my brothers and parents, the ongoing struggle of weight loss, the lack of a car of my own and living at home. I had to move back home recently, as college didn't work out so it really sucks, big time. I just really want to be in my own place but I can't get the dole.

How depressing is that? It's so difficult at times to have the motivation for anything.

Hi Nini,

Yes, I am currently on Anti-d's. I think I have been fighting it for a number of years, and finally accepted that I needed support. Weight and home circumstances have played a part in how I feel, but I'm not going to let them drag me down any more.

Everyone has good days and bad days, its recognising when you need a bit of help that is the tricky bit

xxx

Hi Nini,

I have suffered with depression on and off for 14 years but have been particularly bad for the last 4 1/2 years so am on antidepressants. I often find it a real struggle to diet too as my motivation dwindles when i get low. Hopefully with the support of the wonderful people on here we can both get through the lows easier and with sticking to the diet. If you ever want to chat please feel free to pm me.

xxxx

Thank you ladies for writing! I have been ok the last week now. It's just a day to day thing. I hope both of you are doing well, weight-wise and emotionally! :-) x

you are so right - it is a case of taking things a day at a time...interestingly one of the side effects of my anti-d's (citalopram) is that i've totally lost my appetite and have lost 5lb this week! am not expecting this to be a long term thing sadly!

xxx

I'm on citalopram too and don't seem to want to eat quite as much as did before. I do feel a bit fuller earlier than i did on my old tablets. Well done your loss Rach. That's fab :-)

Nini - i agree about having to take it one day at a time. some days i have really bad days and then i struggle with the diet but when i am feeling good i feel really positive and find it easier to stick to it. I need to learn a way to cope so i don't pig out on the down days. Glad to hear you've been ok this last week but please come find me if ever you do wish to talk coz you feel down. I am a good listener.

I have never had depression, as such, but I have suffered work related stress/burnout. I work in an office, in a job which has lots to do and where I am very keen to be seen to be working hard. Over the last few months I have ended up working long hours, including weekends. I ended up constantly anxious and constantly working on adrenaline - using chocolate and energy drinks to keep up my energy. Finally I got so tired, I didn't feel anything at all..... I went to the doctors and she prescribed anti-depressants to deal with the anxiety. I spoke to my Manager and we are implementing solutions, so that I work normal hours and have more support. It's the early stages of a solution.

I am in the process of dieting - 2 stone off in 11 weeks. While I am not hungry on my Diet Chef meal plan, the biggest struggle I have had is discovering how to manage my anxiety and tiredness - I used to use food. Now I am trying to find other solutions.

Hi I suffer with depression, Ive been prescribed venlofaxine but havnt started taking them yet. The side affects worry me and last time I was on medication for this they made me worse and cant afford to feel worse as have to atleast try and keep a clear mind because of everything thats going on at the moment.

Ive just started going to the gym this week. My doctor gave me a prescription for health works as my local leisure centre gives a special rate if have a form from the doctor. Im near Southampton but Im sure other leisure centres have this. It may be worth trying as been reading alot lately how exercise increases the seratonin chemical in the brain.

Im just trying to go down the natural route first before taking the meds. Ive suffered with depression for about 18 years on and off its hard work plodding on each day and hard when you dont have the energy or motivation to try and make circumstances better.

Im trying baby steps but if all else fails im going on the anti depressants as just want to feel ok instead of waking up every morning full of dread for the day ahead.

Hope things start working out for you.

I have been through the fight and came out the other end. I had years on ADs and am on a period of coming off of them now. I had therapy for 3 months and I have turned my life around. My depression was all down to anxiety apparently and I wouldn't go out so I could avoid becoming anxious....yet this year I went to the first day of the Harrods sale. You can get through it. Just keep strong x

Morning Karen

Seen you post on the decluttering thread. My advice from personal experience, take the tablets. They are a useful springboard to help you start to get better. I faced a huge hurdle in accepting that I needed to take them, but days of waking up not wanting to breathe and struggling through the day are not worth it. They help break the terrible inertia and despondency that is there. This then helps get the ball rolling to enable us to put in better coping mechanisms to stop getting as low again and start getting better.

They are not a magic solution, they do not cure. For me though they evened things out a little and allowed me to start seeing the wood from the trees again.

To all who are in the throws of depression it sucks big time. Some days are worse than others. It does pass. Be kind to yourself and do what you can when you can xx

I'm almost two weeks into taking citalopram and I am far less anxious, I'm okay about leaving the house now, and I can hold a conversation without worrying that I am going to burst into tears.

I think I needed anti-d's for a long time, and I tried all sorts of things to try and overcome how I was feeling, but they are working well for me and hopefully they will continue to do so.

Give them the chance to help you, you might find they do the trick.

xxx

I have fibromyalgia/pain and depression is something I have fought since I was in my teens. I've taken anti depressants in the past but not now as they never really helped for me, they just made me feel worse. I fight it with a sense of humour (easier said than done) but it really has been the best way to deal with it for me.

Depression is a bloody awful thing. It induces such shame. As if we are less of a person to admit to it. I mean we should be able to cope .. shouldn't we?

I am a very sucessful career woman, who functions very well in work however my depression has often been a blight on my life. I find I can exist in work, but then my personal life sucks.

Some of the most high achievers are women who suffer from depression. AFter all it is the curse of the over achiever and the strong. So if you are fighting this bloody awful disease and it is a disease rather than a mood when it is bad... keep hanging on in there. For some of us medication works, for some talking, others exercise. Claim what works for you and use it. Take time to heal it is as important as healing a broken limb.

Thus endeth the rant. lol Dont ask me what impact this has on our weight so go figure !

Hi all, I suffer from depression especially in the last year as everything seemed to kinda get worse for me. I tried antid's and unfortunately they only managed to make me feel worse. Then I put on more weight and I hit rock bottom. Id been overweight before this so with another 2 stone gain I felt really awful. i realise that extra weight makes/contributes to making my depression worse so Im tackling that at the mo. I know its not just the weight so Im also trying to work on confidence and self esteem issues.

Like another poster above, Im fine with my job and its the only thing I seem to do right. However, I realise I get anxious over it and have a Perfectionist mentality with regards to it, so Im trying to counterract this too. Im off on my summer hols at mo but when I return Im going to chill a small bit because no job is worth destroying your mental health either. Although Im competent in my job i was heading towards burn out and nothing is worth that.

Depression is a serious illness whereby sufferers have to take care of themselves and stop being so hard on ourselves. I think it can be combatted by changing expectations of yourself, believing in yourself and loving yourself. Sounds New Age but its the way to go. Also, HOPE is the big thing, there is always hope no matter what any of us think. When you have Hope and a belief that things will change, we're halfway there to total healing. HOPE OF A NEW BEGINNING IS HEALING