Depression

[anxious_ant]

fttm said:

TBH it's a lot easier than you might think . I'm Bi-Polar and coping considerably well , have mates who work in mines and oil platforms etc,roughnecks/drillers/engineers who also have anxiety/depression etc and we regularly talk about how are mental health is . All surprisingly open about our circumstances .
Personally , I have no inhibitions about telling people about my mental health , don't make a point of it but should the topic crop up I'm open and up front , even my boss knows . Became so tired of hiding behind the mask I no longer even attempt to , helps an awful lot too .

That's refreshing to hear. Haven't really opened up about mental health issues at work. I find it hard to start the conversation. Previous work I did click with one work colleague (she talked about it first and then the conversation flowed).
Only been with current place circa 2 years and not really know anyone. My boss is a good boss but he doesn't really like to veer into personal stuff. (except if it's related to his hobbies...)
However the company is american and amont the various events from time to time there are mental health related talks. It's in US time so I haven't participated but will make an effort to join the next one.
I find talking really helps. Definitely better than bottling it up. I am very familiar with hiding behind a mask, unfortunately.

[matrignano]

Does anyone have any practical advice on mixing Prozac and Alcohol?

Just started on Prozac yesterday and have a stag do on Friday. Can I get away with 3-4 beers a day or would that already be considered too much/risky mixed with the Prozac?
Or should one really not drink at all?

I haven’t told anyone I’m on antidepressants and I don’t feel ready to. Worse case I’ll just say I’m on antibiotics, but at some point my friends will get suspicious if I stop drinking altogether!

[A500leroy]

V1nce Fox said:

A500leroy said:

25 years in to depression. Still hope to not wake up tomorrow and know nothing about it.

Sorry to hear this.

People would miss you.

No its ok I dont mean it in a bad way. Ive not reached 40 and yet ive done everything i wanted to do so each day now just feels like a waste of time and the earths resources so im ready to go pretty much whenever.Im perfectly sane and operate fine day to day i just cant find a reason (other than my mum still being here) to carry on either doing nothing or finding something to make it worth while.

[fttm]

anxious_ant said:

fttm said:

TBH it's a lot easier than you might think . I'm Bi-Polar and coping considerably well , have mates who work in mines and oil platforms etc,roughnecks/drillers/engineers who also have anxiety/depression etc and we regularly talk about how are mental health is . All surprisingly open about our circumstances .
Personally , I have no inhibitions about telling people about my mental health , don't make a point of it but should the topic crop up I'm open and up front , even my boss knows . Became so tired of hiding behind the mask I no longer even attempt to , helps an awful lot too .

That's refreshing to hear. Haven't really opened up about mental health issues at work. I find it hard to start the conversation. Previous work I did click with one work colleague (she talked about it first and then the conversation flowed).
Only been with current place circa 2 years and not really know anyone. My boss is a good boss but he doesn't really like to veer into personal stuff. (except if it's related to his hobbies...)
However the company is american and amont the various events from time to time there are mental health related talks. It's in US time so I haven't participated but will make an effort to join the next one.
I find talking really helps. Definitely better than bottling it up. I am very familiar with hiding behind a mask, unfortunately.

My company is also an American based corporation , we have an anonymous helpline for personal health/family matters run by an outside business , yours probably does too . I used it once and the support was great , the further scheduled treatment not so , but that wasn't the fault of the helpline . Try it , hopefully YMMV .

[anxious_ant]

fttm said:

My company is also an American based corporation , we have an anonymous helpline for personal health/family matters run by an outside business , yours probably does too . I used it once and the support was great , the further scheduled treatment not so , but that wasn't the fault of the helpline . Try it , hopefully YMMV .

Cheers. Have been looking at the medical cover provided by the company (which I contribute a small amount to). I think there are also options for private therapy sessions at a discounted rate so may explore this option.

[Tekno]

matrignano said:

Does anyone have any practical advice on mixing Prozac and Alcohol?

Just started on Prozac yesterday and have a stag do on Friday. Can I get away with 3-4 beers a day or would that already be considered too much/risky mixed with the Prozac?
Or should one really not drink at all?

I haven’t told anyone I’m on antidepressants and I don’t feel ready to. Worse case I’ll just say I’m on antibiotics, but at some point my friends will get suspicious if I stop drinking altogether!

My strong advice would be to not drink and let the SSRI do its thing. You’ll only negate its effect by drinking and mixing will likely spoon you out slightly - it did me. Enjoy yourself without the booze.

[A500leroy]

I cant change any of it.

Ive found some of the source of my depression and i cant change it.

All of us below a certain income are being told we dont matter anymore.
We are being told our personal transport will be taken off us unless we swap to electric which we cant afford.
We are being told we will have no heating unless we switch to heat pumps which we cant afford.
We are being told that shareholders and profits are more import than people.
My employer is trying to force us into working a flexible (for them) 24/7 routine for a 2% rise (when inflation is 10%) because profits and customers are more important than staff.

The few things i could have contented myself with doing are now out of reach.

It really does feel if you are under average salary your being told to be quiet or go and die.
We cant change any of it.

[Ruskie]

11 years ago I started this thread. Scary.

My life has changed in many ways and I have had many different experiences, but depression is always there in the background. I’m low at the moment and exhausted from covering it up. It will pass it always does, but it feels different this time. I get very little enjoyment out of anything, life is just existing. I have a good partner, a good job, no money worries. Means nothing.

[BobSaunders]

Ruskie said:

I get very little enjoyment out of anything, life is just existing. I have a good partner, a good job, no money worries. Means nothing.

I've been concentrating on wellness and mindfullness, it's making a considerable difference for me in this regard. Turn off the tv and start to focus on myself and my family.

I've discovered reading again, something that i've not managed to achieve in years - i think it is down to the tablets which has given me enough get up and go to allow me to start managing, which has driven a albeit small change which has helped break the negative spiral. I've started with this book, which at least has a few chapters which has resonated with me and helped me understand a couple of things, and identify that the small change is part of a big win.

"Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?: The No 1 Sunday Times bestseller"

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08YVS7L16/ref...

[BobSaunders]

24 days now on Sertaline. I am having a lot more good than bad, but i do have dips and i have noticed this to be a pattern with my body of being dehydrated, hungry, and tired. Also if i've not exercised enough then it causes me to dip.

Work wise, i am in a better place - i'm boyant, able to concentrate, less anxiety, etc. however a chat with my boss on friday about my future has confirmed that i need a new job - there is nothing for me where i am and i've been put in a box after last year. I've not told him or work about my mental health issues - i honestly don't think it matters nor do i actually think it will change anything with them. Whilst i am disappointed and sad about this, it's probably the kick up the bottom that i've needed for a while. However the job market is extremely boyant right now so i can mostly likely find something easily and quickly without much of a fuss which is a step up - so over the next few months i will work on my development points and take time out for me.

[Babber101]

matrignano said:

Does anyone have any practical advice on mixing Prozac and Alcohol?

Just started on Prozac yesterday and have a stag do on Friday. Can I get away with 3-4 beers a day or would that already be considered too much/risky mixed with the Prozac?
Or should one really not drink at all?

I haven’t told anyone I’m on antidepressants and I don’t feel ready to. Worse case I’ll just say I’m on antibiotics, but at some point my friends will get suspicious if I stop drinking altogether!

How did u get Prozac? The most my dr ever gave me was 4 tabs for emergencies
I’ve tried sertraline, cetralopam & Mirtazapine. None have even touched the sides

[jm8403]

Ruskie said:

I am exhausted from covering it up. It will pass it always does, but it feels different this time. I get very little enjoyment out of anything, life is just existing. I have a good partner, a good job, no money worries. Means nothing.

You are far from alone. I am not religious but really wish for you (and I), this is not forever, unfortunately, I think it is.

[JiggyJaggy]

My days just seem to wonder by now. Someone else on the forum also mentioned that they are in their early forties and don't feel that they have much to look forward to. Im in the same boat, no kids, business is draining, health isn't great and have achieved any decent goals and aspirations I set myself. Absolutely zero focus or direction at the moment and seem to see the bad in every single situation...

Sounds similar to the user above actually....

[Jimmy No Hands]

Ruskie said:

11 years ago I started this thread. Scary.

My life has changed in many ways and I have had many different experiences, but depression is always there in the background. I’m low at the moment and exhausted from covering it up. It will pass it always does, but it feels different this time. I get very little enjoyment out of anything, life is just existing. I have a good partner, a good job, no money worries. Means nothing.

I relate to this far more than I thought I would. On paper I have very few worries (not necessarily due to being overly successful or piles of money in the bank, I'm very normal but current circumstance dictates that finance isn't an every day concern because we live very simply) an incredible partner, plenty of friends and social events and some real potential ahead of me in terms of opportunities.

I just feel flat. I don't enjoy gaming anymore, I struggle to sit still enough to watch television. I just seem to day dream. I can't remember the last time I truly relaxed or felt anything other than nothing, really. I sometimes wonder why I don't feel happy, then I drift off fantasising about embarking on some self-sabotage just to spice my life up.

A strange affliction.

[matrignano]

Babber101 said:

How did u get Prozac? The most my dr ever gave me was 4 tabs for emergencies
I’ve tried sertraline, cetralopam & Mirtazapine. None have even touched the sides

Had a first consultation with a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with moderate depression and prescribed fluoxetine for 30 days to begin with.
I didn’t ask for it, he suggested it as a mood leveller with therapy being hopefully the longer term key to my issues.

[Babber101]

I’ve been managing depression and anxiety for 10/11 years. Have managed to hold down a good job and provide for my wife and kids. I had a rough time during lockdown last year whereby I made plans to take drastic action. Have tried various drugs, been to the doctor and seen various psychologists - nothing has really helped. In a fit of desperation I changed jobs at the start of the year and it hasn’t helped, it’s made it worse. More stress and more pressure and I can’t cope. Every night is like an emotional roller coaster in the run up to going to bed.

I feel like I’m holding back the inevitable collapse when I can’t keep the job and money going any more.
Has anybody been through this and found an alternative work/life position that helped alleviate the dark clouds?

[Derek Smith]

Babber101 said:

I’ve been managing depression and anxiety for 10/11 years. Have managed to hold down a good job and provide for my wife and kids. I had a rough time during lockdown last year whereby I made plans to take drastic action. Have tried various drugs, been to the doctor and seen various psychologists - nothing has really helped. In a fit of desperation I changed jobs at the start of the year and it hasn’t helped, it’s made it worse. More stress and more pressure and I can’t cope. Every night is like an emotional roller coaster in the run up to going to bed.

I feel like I’m holding back the inevitable collapse when I can’t keep the job and money going any more.
Has anybody been through this and found an alternative work/life position that helped alleviate the dark clouds?

There's nothing inevitable.

My 'stint' was 'only' about 5 years, but I felt it was there to stay right up until it wasn't. I had the dark thoughts. A psychiatrist was able to pinpoint the cause, which didn't really help. But it can, and normally does, end. There are more pleasant days to come.

I declared myself fit for company about a dozen years ago and overall I've been free. I still get angry, which was virtually unknown before, but normally it has been a reasonable response. In other words, for many of us, it goes in stages. Be able to read a book, go for a walk, then run, play with the kids uninhibited: step at a time. I decided not to measure other than feeling positive or negative. For me, and many others I've talked to, it's been self help, a sort of 'I will beat this bloody curse'. And most of us have.

I still, nearly 20 years from onset, can't watch violence against women or children, especially the latter, on TV. I tried to go back to normal when I was still a bit 'unscheduled' which, for me, was the wrong way. There was a new 'me' at the end, and that's the one I have to live with. In some ways a new you will be an improvement because of what you've gone through. Many, many sufferers who come out the other side, that's the majority, and a big one, say that they feel the experience has improved them in a lot of ways. I agree with this. I now realise I had my eyes, not so much shut, and turned away. Mind you, I would have preferred to change without all that pain.

I cry a lot more now. But, oddly enough, I reckon the depression (PTSD according to one psychiatrist, and not really worth naming for a psychologist - they're all as mad as I was) allows me to ignore stuff. I have cancer. It is being treated. I don't think about it, it doesn't concern me, and I more or less ignore it, but in a good way. Depression taught me what's important. My youngest grandchild is seriously ill, and my wife and I have held each other and cried. I now know what's important in life. I can't believe that, in the old days, I would have kidded myself I could cope with such pressure. My eyes filled just typing that.

I tried disassociating myself from my illness, by looking at me from the outside. It helped, and I once, when using a tape from my psychologist of someone saying nice things, I actually laughed for the first time in years. Thank god I didn't light candles.

There are lots of us around, suffering or having suffered, as you are. Being depressed is not abnormal. We were designed to respond to certain stressors, but not for it to be continuous. I dealt with 3.7 rape and serious sexual offence victims a week on average (I was mad enough to calculate it. To an extent, that's stayed with me) and logically, after two years, going loopy was the only sensible option. You are not odd. You are not weird. You're people.

One day at a time is not an empty suggestion. It works for many, probably the majority. If today has been a bad one, then there's always tomorrow. I tried to work out why bad days were bad and then avoided the triggers.

This too shall pass is another homily that is repeated so often because it is largely true. If you've broken ribs, or had sciatica, you know that the pain can overwhelm at times, but it eventually goes away and you forget the intensity. It'll be the same for you. Beat the bd. It deserves it.

You're not alone in this.

[JiggyJaggy]

Im just wondering if anyone has had a dramatic change of lifestyle in terms of moving country or completely changing careers to start a fresh? Has it had any positive affect?

[Derek Smith]

JiggyJaggy said:

Im just wondering if anyone has had a dramatic change of lifestyle in terms of moving country or completely changing careers to start a fresh? Has it had any positive affect?

What works for one might not work for another. Emigrating is probably more stressful than moving house, and if you've already taking a pounding, it's probably a bit of a risk.

I was put on 'gardening leave' for 14 months before being dumped. That really got to me: I was being paid to stay away from the company I worked for. I went a bit downhill after that, back on the pills for a short period. I took a job that I'd never had and immersed myself in it. Four years on, I was about as good as I'll ever be, which is pretty good, and much, much better than I was, even well before I was diagnosed. I wouldn't recommend it particularly. It was perfect for me, just what I wanted and, vitally, just what I needed. Someone else might do better with a dog to take out on long walks. Drama can work both ways.

If you don't know if it's for you, and it seems that way if you come onto PH for advice, it is as likely to make things worse as better.

[Arnold Cunningham]

How does one start a journey to get some help? Is it literally a case of googling a local psychiatrist and making an appointment?