Depression and anxiety

[Itsnoteasy]

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Not so much a depression/anxiety input here, but as a contributor to this thread in the past, I’d just like to check in and say I’m doing well.

After last years heartbreak split and resultant homelessness, unemployment and financial hit, I’ve now got a settled job, renting a lovely, lovely house and I’ve been single pretty much for a year working on myself.

I workout a lot and the confidence boost gained from that is immeasurable. After a particularly heavy weekend two weeks ago, I took a split second notion to undertake sober October. I doubled up with Stoptober as well and can proudly say I’m now on my 9th day cigarette free which is the longest I’ve went in nearly twenty years. I was never really a weekday drinker but sobriety in the last two weekends has given me a significant boost and much more clarity in my headspace. I was at an all day wedding yesterday amongst a group of friends (about 15 of us who have known each other since we were about 4/5 years old and aside from a straight whisky for a toast with us all, I stuck to non alcoholic lager and didn’t cave with the fags despite obvious temptations)

It’s impossible to adequately convey just how important mindset is. Your situation can be dire or full of potential, it’s absolutely all in the mind.

I hope everyone is doing well and thinking positive.

Well done.

[stu in nottingham]

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Stu, you're a star.





I'm a grown man now (quite an old one at that) and the stuff that affected me so badly in my childhood is (mostly) long gone, but there are probably thousands of people going through similar experiences every day.

As an aside: When I hear of people doing something so worthwhile, it makes me realise how trivial my own job is. All power to their elbow

Thanks for the kind words, Keith. I think at the same time it's important to say that this work has helped me personally as well. Sometime people say things such as 'I couldn't sit listening to problems all day long' but actually, we get to hear of the successes too - people changing their lives, saving relationships, reuniting families and making progress again so that is always fantastic. Thanks too for sharing your story.

Paul Merson has a mention up the thread and this short video featuring him on the subject of brain activity after stimulous from gambling triggers is very interesting and enlightening I thought.

Paul Merson: Football, Gambling & Me
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09y3lgl

[stu in nottingham]

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Not so much a depression/anxiety input here, but as a contributor to this thread in the past, I’d just like to check in and say I’m doing well.

After last years heartbreak split and resultant homelessness, unemployment and financial hit, I’ve now got a settled job, renting a lovely, lovely house and I’ve been single pretty much for a year working on myself.

I workout a lot and the confidence boost gained from that is immeasurable. After a particularly heavy weekend two weeks ago, I took a split second notion to undertake sober October. I doubled up with Stoptober as well and can proudly say I’m now on my 9th day cigarette free which is the longest I’ve went in nearly twenty years. I was never really a weekday drinker but sobriety in the last two weekends has given me a significant boost and much more clarity in my headspace. I was at an all day wedding yesterday amongst a group of friends (about 15 of us who have known each other since we were about 4/5 years old and aside from a straight whisky for a toast with us all, I stuck to non alcoholic lager and didn’t cave with the fags despite obvious temptations)

It’s impossible to adequately convey just how important mindset is. Your situation can be dire or full of potential, it’s absolutely all in the mind.

I hope everyone is doing well and thinking positive.

That is such a fantastic story to read.

Well done to you bud and keep it going eh.

[pacoluna]

Bump

[Hibby70]

On a train to York (to get to Manchester but that's another story). Train delayed due to someone getting hit by a train on the line.

There's a couple in front complaining as their son is picking them up and will be livid.

Some folk can't see beyond their own wee selfish world.

This thread should always be at the top of this forum.

[Santa Cruz]

I've only ever read more recent posts on this thread. I started on page 1 this morning and will keep reading the rest of the thread. It really helped me, so thanks to everyone for that. Posting about my circumstance is not something I'd be comfortable ever doing, so I imagine that was quite a difficult thing to do for some posters. Can I ask anyone who has contributed, did it help once you had wrote down your thoughts/experiences, did you feel a bit of a release from your worries by doing that?

[CropleyWasGod]

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I've only ever read more recent posts on this thread. I started on page 1 this morning and will keep reading the rest of the thread. It really helped me, so thanks to everyone for that. Posting about my circumstance is not something I'd be comfortable ever doing, so I imagine that was quite a difficult thing to do for some posters. Can I ask anyone who has contributed, did it help once you had wrote down your thoughts/experiences, did you feel a bit of a release from your worries by doing that?

I might turn that question back to you and ask "how did it make you feel even writing that?"

Being "out" doesn't sit comfortably with everyone, that's for sure. Doing it on a semi-anonymous site, though, can be a halfway-house for some.

One of my mantras, that I use with clients, is "find what works for you, and keep doing it." If you feel better by sharing on here, or by just reading and absorbing, that's the way to go.

[Santa Cruz]

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I might turn that question back to you and ask "how did it make you feel even writing that?"

Being "out" doesn't sit comfortably with everyone, that's for sure. Doing it on a semi-anonymous site, though, can be a halfway-house for some.

One of my mantras, that I use with clients, is "find what works for you, and keep doing it." If you feel better by sharing on here, or by just reading and absorbing, that's the way to go.

Weirdly, very emotional while typing. I think for me just reading today helped.

[CropleyWasGod]

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Weirdly, very emotional while typing. I think for me just reading today helped.

There is no "weird". It's you. Embrace it.

[Scorrie]

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I've only ever read more recent posts on this thread. I started on page 1 this morning and will keep reading the rest of the thread. It really helped me, so thanks to everyone for that. Posting about my circumstance is not something I'd be comfortable ever doing, so I imagine that was quite a difficult thing to do for some posters. Can I ask anyone who has contributed, did it help once you had wrote down your thoughts/experiences, did you feel a bit of a release from your worries by doing that?

For those of us who suffer from poor mental health, this thread has, for me, been very helpful. I do find the process of writing my thoughts and feelings down hugely helpful so I keep a diary. Some days might not write anything but just getting thoughts down does help me. As CWG says, there’s no “right” way, it’s what works for you to help you firstly get through it and cope and secondly, hopefully develop coping strategies to deal with the future. Everybody’s strategies are different, for me it’s exercise, giving up alcohol, yoga, reading and writing things down . Sharing experience through this thread is also part of this

[Santa Cruz]

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For those of us who suffer from poor mental health, this thread has, for me, been very helpful. I do find the process of writing my thoughts and feelings down hugely helpful so I keep a diary. Some days might not write anything but just getting thoughts down does help me. As CWG says, there’s no “right” way, it’s what works for you to help you firstly get through it and cope and secondly, hopefully develop coping strategies to deal with the future. Everybody’s strategies are different, for me it’s exercise, giving up alcohol, yoga, reading and writing things down . Sharing experience through this thread is also part of this

That's a good idea about the diary. Thanks for replying.

[Scorrie]

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That's a good idea about the diary. Thanks for replying.

No problem. The other good thing about writing things down is that sometimes you can identify certain triggers about what’s causing it when you feel bad. Hope it works for you 👍

[stu in nottingham]

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No problem. The other good thing about writing things down is that sometimes you can identify certain triggers about what’s causing it when you feel bad. Hope it works for you 👍

I'm not much of a diary keeper personally these days but I often find it really helpful for my clients. As you say CWG, very useful too for identifying patterns of behaviour and triggers.

For many there is a need for some kind of dialogue about how they are feeling and sometimes that dialogue can be with yourself. Actually just speaking with a professional and expressing your thoughts can be a very therapeutic experience just simply to 'get it out' especially after internalising those thought for a period of time. I would very regularly hear client say towards the end of their initial session that they feel so much better in just getting things off their chest and out there, particularly with a non-judgmental and impartial professional. It shouldn't be underestimated.

I hope everyone is keeping relatively well at this quite tricky time. Further, I hope they feel able to share a little if that's not the case. There are good people here to offer support.

[Pedantic_Hibee]

It was a bit of a leap of faith for me to write on here as I’m fairly well known. But it was cathartic. I even blogged about it for a while and put my name out there.

One thing I do religiously is journal on a daily basis and that is a huge help. It’s motivating to look back at what i was writing a year ago and seeing how far I have come. If you’re ever feeling a wee bit down; being able to rewind and get that reassurance that you are so much better than you once were is motivation enough to snap out of your mini-funk and realise you’re on a pathway to happiness.

Morning Pages is the app I use on my iPhone to document my thoughts. Sometimes it’s not until you start writing that you begin to unravel so many things that had previously betwixt you.

[Itsnoteasy]

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It was a bit of a leap of faith for me to write on here as I’m fairly well known. But it was cathartic. I even blogged about it for a while and put my name out there.

One thing I do religiously is journal on a daily basis and that is a huge help. It’s motivating to look back at what i was writing a year ago and seeing how far I have come. If you’re ever feeling a wee bit down; being able to rewind and get that reassurance that you are so much better than you once were is motivation enough to snap out of your mini-funk and realise you’re on a pathway to happiness.

Morning Pages is the app I use on my iPhone to document my thoughts. Sometimes it’s not until you start writing that you begin to unravel so many things that had previously betwixt you.

Good to hear you are on an upwards curve.

[Keith_M]

I hope everybody's doing well...

...and you're all getting over yesterday's result as best you can

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Not so much a depression/anxiety input here, but as a contributor to this thread in the past, I’d just like to check in and say I’m doing well.

After last years heartbreak split and resultant homelessness, unemployment and financial hit, I’ve now got a settled job, renting a lovely, lovely house and I’ve been single pretty much for a year working on myself.

I workout a lot and the confidence boost gained from that is immeasurable. After a particularly heavy weekend two weeks ago, I took a split second notion to undertake sober October. I doubled up with Stoptober as well and can proudly say I’m now on my 9th day cigarette free which is the longest I’ve went in nearly twenty years. I was never really a weekday drinker but sobriety in the last two weekends has given me a significant boost and much more clarity in my headspace. I was at an all day wedding yesterday amongst a group of friends (about 15 of us who have known each other since we were about 4/5 years old and aside from a straight whisky for a toast with us all, I stuck to non alcoholic lager and didn’t cave with the fags despite obvious temptations)

It’s impossible to adequately convey just how important mindset is. Your situation can be dire or full of potential, it’s absolutely all in the mind.

I hope everyone is doing well and thinking positive.

You should be very proud of yourself. You've been through hell, and it's a real achievement how far you've come. It's humbling to read of the experiences some people have endured, and it's great to learn your circumstances are much better. Long may your new start continue to prosper

[CropleyWasGod]

For those of you for whom the darkness is an issue....

Happy Solstice.... the days will start to get longer now.

[Just_Jimmy]

****ing covid restrictions

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[AugustaHibs]

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****ing covid restrictions

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Yup.

Can see myself really struggling soon.

[Coco Bryce]

Me too. I've had enough of this ****.

Done everything we were asked to do and still at square 1.

**** it!!

[H18 SFR]

Meant to be hosting this year’s Hogmanay gathering. Reluctantly cancelled but feel I’m being really proactive. One of our circle of friends is very strongly politically minded and we he brings everything from today up I will attack him quite frankly. Thankfully we are a supportive group of friends, folk know it’s a disaster waiting to happen given my mindset.

Someone else leathered him 4 years ago at Hogmanay and he didn’t managed to take anything on-board.

[Pagan Hibernia]

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is coping as best they can with this time of year which can be stressful and dark at the best of times but just feels horrible still with all the covid uncertainty.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has had bad experiences coming off anti-depressants.

I’ve decided to stop taking mine, i had got myself into quite a good place mentally and physically, I work out a lot and have got many coping strategies in place now that I simply didn’t have when I was struggling previously. So I thought I’d try to live without them. Almost as an experiment to see how I would feel.

it’s not going well. Frankly I feel ill. No appetite, constant pains in my stomach, pins and needles in my fingers, fatigue, and mentally hollow and empty. Like I’m walking around in a daze almost.

i suppose just coming off them is not recommended and I knew there would be some effects but has anyone else experienced it? How long does it last? And would you suggest any help?

thanks

[stu in nottingham]

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Hi everyone. Hope everyone is coping as best they can with this time of year which can be stressful and dark at the best of times but just feels horrible still with all the covid uncertainty.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has had bad experiences coming off anti-depressants.

I’ve decided to stop taking mine, i had got myself into quite a good place mentally and physically, I work out a lot and have got many coping strategies in place now that I simply didn’t have when I was struggling previously. So I thought I’d try to live without them. Almost as an experiment to see how I would feel.

it’s not going well. Frankly I feel ill. No appetite, constant pains in my stomach, pins and needles in my fingers, fatigue, and mentally hollow and empty. Like I’m walking around in a daze almost.

i suppose just coming off them is not recommended and I knew there would be some effects but has anyone else experienced it? How long does it last? And would you suggest any help?

thanks

Hi PH, totally understand what you're saying here. It's impossible to generalise about these things as there are so many variables concerning the person the type of medication the person is taking and the interaction between these things too. In many ways you answer your own question, you're right, it's not recommended. What would be helpful for you is to consult your GP regards a medication review. In that, you could discuss your reasons for wanting to stop taking the medication and how it felt for you during your recent experience. There is no need to do this this alone/unsupervised. Your GP is not there to deter or encourage you to take the medication and will discuss it with you. Some medication can cease fairly rapidly, others need more of a weaning off period. Your experience of the side effects you describe indicate that a discussion/review would be appropiate for you. Best wishes mate.

[LunasBoots]

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Hi everyone. Hope everyone is coping as best they can with this time of year which can be stressful and dark at the best of times but just feels horrible still with all the covid uncertainty.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has had bad experiences coming off anti-depressants.

I’ve decided to stop taking mine, i had got myself into quite a good place mentally and physically, I work out a lot and have got many coping strategies in place now that I simply didn’t have when I was struggling previously. So I thought I’d try to live without them. Almost as an experiment to see how I would feel.

it’s not going well. Frankly I feel ill. No appetite, constant pains in my stomach, pins and needles in my fingers, fatigue, and mentally hollow and empty. Like I’m walking around in a daze almost.

i suppose just coming off them is not recommended and I knew there would be some effects but has anyone else experienced it? How long does it last? And would you suggest any help?

thanks

Have tried to come off mine many a time and each time i'm certain i can do it, lasted a month and a half but the effects where over bearing so had to reinstate, while i dont want to be on them i feel i dont really have a choice as without some kind of rehab to get off them it just isnt going to happen for me.

As far as im aware depending on the length of time on them recovery can take a long time even years, its not a fast process, i had all of those effects when i tried to just not take them anymore, i made myself ill peeing blood, stomach agony, not eating, a what i describe as a vertigo feeling, high anxiety, random moments of crying etc (paroxetine), i would go to your GP and get checked out, at the end of the day you dont want to do anything that may make you ill or in hospital.

I would suggest you probaly need to reinstate for a while and once ready ask the doctor to wean you off as slowly as possible, i dont think many doctors even know the effects of coming off them from my own experience.

[hibsbollah]

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Hi everyone. Hope everyone is coping as best they can with this time of year which can be stressful and dark at the best of times but just feels horrible still with all the covid uncertainty.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has had bad experiences coming off anti-depressants.

I’ve decided to stop taking mine, i had got myself into quite a good place mentally and physically, I work out a lot and have got many coping strategies in place now that I simply didn’t have when I was struggling previously. So I thought I’d try to live without them. Almost as an experiment to see how I would feel.

it’s not going well. Frankly I feel ill. No appetite, constant pains in my stomach, pins and needles in my fingers, fatigue, and mentally hollow and empty. Like I’m walking around in a daze almost.

i suppose just coming off them is not recommended and I knew there would be some effects but has anyone else experienced it? How long does it last? And would you suggest any help?

thanks

I have had extremely bad experiences coming off anti depressants in the past. To the point where it was far worse than the depression it was supposed to be dealing with. There are messageboards and support groups on line that I found very helpful and supportive. As Stu says, use your GP and any support you can, BUT be aware that everyone has different reactions to different medications, there are so many ADs out there. I tried Mirtazapine for a few weeks, found it wasnt working for me and then started to taper off and got really awful stomach cramps in the morning which lasted about 3 weeks. It was pretty scary. But Mirtazapine was recommended by a lot of people as one you could easily come off with little side effects! Which just goes to show that there is no one size fits all.

Coming off Seroxat (paroxetine) was just a horrible experience. If i had any idea what it was like i would have stayed on it. And theres no easy answers, for some people, meds work and trying to come off is a bad idea.

Your GP will probably advise you taper off gradually, by halfing your dose and halfing it again after a week or so, but I found i had to taper very very VERY gradually, with a few miligrams reduction each time which i could only do by moving to liquid from tablet. My personal experience is the medical establishment tends to advise some people to come off faster than they can deal with.

Im in a great place now but i remember what its like and its really tough and i sympathise, let us know how it goes.



Christmas can be a really difficult time for people, and this Christmas is uniquely hard with everything thats going on in the world and being separate from loved ones. God only knows how we're all coping. I just wanted to reach out to folk on this thread who have contributed and given us all food for thought and wish you all well over the festive period. Its such a great resource and ive learned a lot from it personally

[Pagan Hibernia]

Thanks guys.

I’ll speak to my gp and see what she says.

best wishes for Christmas to everyone.

[CropleyWasGod]

Anxiety UK have developed a free guide for those who struggle with Christmas.

I can't upload it, but you can get it here:-

https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/product...ant-downloads/

It might be the best present you give yourself or a loved one.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Anxiety UK have developed a free guide for those who struggle with Christmas.

I can't upload it, but you can get it here:-

https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/product...ant-downloads/

It might be the best present you give yourself or a loved one.

Must admit I'm feeling stressed out and can't get into the Christmas spirit. It's been a hell of a year for various reasons. Just trying to keep busy and hold off the OCD traits!

[McD]

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Must admit I'm feeling stressed out and can't get into the Christmas spirit. It's been a hell of a year for various reasons. Just trying to keep busy and hold off the OCD traits!

I’ve been feeling very stressed for a little while now, couple of very mild, almost panic attacks at work, and very low as well.

like yourself I’ve just not been feeling Christmas at all this year, putting a smile on for the bairn and family, but tbh I can see the 27th coming far enough