Depression. Anxiety. Panic Attacks. etc

[JustSkye]

VS,


Not to be too voyeuristic, but I wonder if your AV is an actual picture of you? The pic captures something quite nice and it inspires something in me. The person is caught being pensive it seems. The green eyes, auburn hair, lovely shape of the face all coalesce into something beautiful. Then the porcelain finger tip that touches the lip and teeth sets if off perfectly. You could be thinking of a lover just after he boards a train, or sitting at a breakfast nook pondering your day. Then, as I view it again, it elicits a longing for me to be what's on your mind.


SxRx

Thank you, Sx

As Quili said, it is indeed me. He's the only one here to see the live version.



*blows a kiss to Quili*

 

[somberReality]

I just found this thread and glad i did.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression in may 2000. I remember my first panic attack when i was 5, for what reason i'm not sure.

I will be sure to check out the links. Thanks for having this thread.

 

[Quoll]

I just found this thread and glad i did.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression in may 2000. I remember my first panic attack when i was 5, for what reason i'm not sure.

I will be sure to check out the links. Thanks for having this thread.

I hope you can find something useful here, I haven't finished posting all the links in the thread yet (got swallowed up by the darkness for quite awhile) so keep checking every now and then.
Feel free to ask for help, advice, or just rant and rave if that's what's needed.

ps: I like your current av.

 

[Fflow]

Hi there, SR.

I pop in and out of the thread from time to time, just to check in.

The folks here are all very supportive, kind, and welcoming. Please feel free to share if you feel like it.

*hugs*

srw

 

[somberReality]

I hope you can find something useful here, I haven't finished posting all the links in the thread yet (got swallowed up by the darkness for quite awhile) so keep checking every now and then.
Feel free to ask for help, advice, or just rant and rave if that's what's needed.

ps: I like your current av.

Aww thanks, it is me and goes with the name so.......

And i took the pic myself woot woot!!

 

[SxRx]

Belated Reply

Thank you, Sx

As Quili said, it is indeed me. He's the only one here to see the live version.



*blows a kiss to Quili*

You're welcome. Lucky Quili, eh?


SxRx

 

[JustSkye]

You're welcome. Lucky Quili, eh?


SxRx

I think I'm the lucky one.

 

[curl4ever]

Exercise as therapy for depression

Hi!
I thought I could make a little contribution from this week's news:

By Susan Brink, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 17, 2007
REGULAR exercise could help lift the cloud of major depression as effectively as an antidepressant, new research shows.

"A lot of people know from their own experience that when they exercise, they feel better," says James A. Blumenthal, a professor of psychology at Duke University and lead author of the study. But such anecdotes and gut feelings don't amount to clinical proof. So Blumenthal conducted a placebo-controlled clinical trial, the first time the gold standard of research has been used to compare exercise with antidepressants for treatment of major depression.

He sorted 202 patients into four groups. After 16 weeks, 47% of the people who took the antidepressant Zoloft improved. But some 45% of those who exercised in supervised groups improved, and 40% of those who exercised on their own improved, a statistically insignificant difference from the drug group result. About 30% of those in the placebo group improved, a finding consistent with the placebo effect.

Exercise, Blumenthal speculates, may increase endorphin or serotonin levels, so-called feel-good brain chemicals. The study was published in the September issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-capsule17sep17,1,7827754.story?coll=la-headlines-health

This was the focus of my latest literotica story, so it was nice to see that the hard clinical evidence has improved!

Best wishes to all,
curl

 

[Fflow]

Also, adrenalin is only broken down by using the large muscle systems, like in the legs. So for people who suffer from anxiety, exercise is a critical componant to management.

Thanks for sharing!

srw

 

[curl4ever]

Also, adrenalin is only broken down by using the large muscle systems, like in the legs. So for people who suffer from anxiety, exercise is a critical componant to management.

Thanks for sharing!

srw

I had no idea things were that specific. That is a very interesting physiological connection that I will have to remember.

Thank YOU very much for sharing!
- curl

 

[pleasantville]

I have been dual diagnosed with anxiety attacks and depression now for 5 years. I ignored all of the signs for 14 years of my marriage. Finally my ex had enough and said she wanted a divorce. I finally got help and started taking paxcil. The first two weeks after being on the meds I noticed that things that use to "set me off" I would feel this rush of andrenelin kick in and then slowly drop off. It was an incredible feeling of gaining control of my life. My three daughters and I talked about me changing my behavior and they told me the would get afraid of me because I would yell and hit the wall. I was never so ashamed of myself! I vowed to never allow myself to get like that again. A few years ago my doctor wanted to ease me off the meds, this lasted about 2 months and I felt like I was loosing thst self control. I know that I will never be off the meds again and beside for the 20 lbs. of weight gain, (which I am fighting) I don't want to be off. My daughters call paxcil my little happy pills. I talk to support groups about being honest to yourself and not being ashamed to ask for help. Good luck to each of you!

 

[Fflow]

Thanks for sharing your success story, PV. I know of many people who have benefitted significantly from meds. Unfortunately, my wife had a terrible experience with Prozac, the results of which remain many years after stopping their use. I'd be open to any treatment that works, and whose risks and side effects are not worse than the problems they're addressing.

Peace!

srw

 

[SxRx]

Fflow,

Unfortunately, Prozac is a medication that was prescribed by the millions and millions. It became the drug every family doctor and some psychiatrists began to prescribe for too many folks and all the wrong reasons.(Read the various books on this - Talking to Prozac, etc.) As such, it was not discreetly administered for the right reasons and in tapering doses up and down as patient reactions dictated. For some people Prozac is the greatest thing since sliced bread. For others it was a living hell.

Of late, the jazz has settled down and now Prozac is more carefully prescribed as it should have been from the beginning. As it turns out it was no wonder drug that could cure all ills.

Medication should only be a part of a carefully considered treatment plan between a patient, his doctor and the family. As most of you have discovered the meds do not stop the cycles from tripping in your biochemical system. You'll still feel it click on and off, it just gives you that edge to be able to have more awareness and curb it so it's manageable. It's one tool. Other include: support groups, supportive families, overcoming self-isolationism, diet and exercise, doing the normal routine parts of life, etc.

You might check out something called the Wellness Recovery Action Plan developed by a professional who 'lost' a decade to bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression. She fought back and as a result has a wide range of tools to help the consumer overcome their disability. I could find her website if anyone is interested. She is a dynamite.


SxRx

 

[Mazuri]

After talking with my husband and putting things in place over the last few weeks, I have my initial assessment with the mental health office tomorrow. Hopefully, we can figure out what's going on and work on a plan to get things back in balance. I am both terrified and excited about tomorrow. I am hopeful in a way I've been in a long time

 

[Quoll]

After talking with my husband and putting things in place over the last few weeks, I have my initial assessment with the mental health office tomorrow. Hopefully, we can figure out what's going on and work on a plan to get things back in balance. I am both terrified and excited about tomorrow. I am hopeful in a way I've been in a long time

Good luck tomorrow, sometimes just being able to make the decision to start can be a huge weight of your shoulders.
I hope all goes well.

 

[Mazuri]

Good luck tomorrow, sometimes just being able to make the decision to start can be a huge weight of your shoulders.
I hope all goes well.

Thank you The hardest was telling my husband how bad it all was along with some background information he didn't know. With his support, and he's been wonderful, I'm going in today with a great feeling of taking my life back.

 

[Fflow]

Congrats for finding the courage to open up, accepting the need for help, and asking for it. I know that this is a first step toward a better life!

*hugs*

 

[Fflow]

You might check out something called the Wellness Recovery Action Plan developed by a professional who 'lost' a decade to bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression. She fought back and as a result has a wide range of tools to help the consumer overcome their disability. I could find her website if anyone is interested. She is a dynamite.


SxRx

Thanks, SxRx! I think that this is the WRAP. Thanks for that great resource.

I've not delved into this here before, but I think I'll take this opportunity to address my challenges. Part of it is practical, and part is emotional, I think. The practical stuff relates to living in a disordered environment. It seems that simply taking stuff and throwing it away is a real challenge, as is needlessly bringing stuff into the house. I live with my wife and daughter, so I have some natural containment forces at work. My 'space' is confined to one small room that is basically filled with stuff. (not all bad, or unimportant, but filled to the point where there's a narrow path from the door to my computer.) Now, I think it important to say that my older brother suffers from this same problem, as did my mother's sister and, to a far lesser extent, my father. My mother was very ordered in her home, but was a compulsive shopper/buyer.

Emotionally, I often feel overwhelmed, helpless, and depressed even though I'm, externally, a generally positive and cheerful person. I find it exceedingly difficult to ask for help in dealing with these issues because I, for some reason, believe that I should be able to solve these things myself, and because I feel great shame and embarrassment that I can't.

I don't know if this is a chemical problem, psychological/emotional, or what... but it is a great burdon from which I desperately wish I could escape.

Anyway, I've played around here and finally realized that I needed to voice these things. Thank you all for creating a safe place for me to do so.

Peace.

srw

 

[SxRx]

Fflow,

First, thanks so much for finding the link to the WRAP. It's a wonderful tool and is geared towards autonomy and interdependence of the individual which I like a great deal over the 'medical model' where someone tells you what's wrong with you and what you need, etc.

Second, thanks for your courage and honesty in presenting your challenges here. I respect that immensely. I hope you can find your pathway to wellness and liberation.

Yes, we tend to feel that way about the 'invisible' illness or difficulty don't we. Why, I should lift myself up by my own bootstraps and such. Yet, if you had broken leg, you would immediately seek out the right professional help with no embarrassment whatsoever, unless you feel embarrassed about how you broke your leg.

Your situation sounds a little like Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder that is often associated with Depression. Sometimes, an antidepressant can help alleviate both the depression and the compulsion to do repetitive things that are not productive. Wellbutrin comes to mind as a medication sometimes prescribed for this. As you describe your family history, it suggests a biochemical, perhaps genetic predisposition to this habituation.

Perhaps you could ask your family doctor about these things. If you have a good one, you should be able to discuss this and get some help or a referral without the least sense of embarrassment or feeling ill at ease .


John

 

[Mazuri]

As an update from today's appointment, they have made a tentative diagnosis (until more information is gathered from multiple sessions) of PMDD - Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. He has me referred to a therapist and wants to see me again in a month, at which meeting we'll re-evaluate the diagnosis, the success of therapy alone, and consider adding ADs (either all the time or just for the week of my PMS) into the mix.

It was a good meeting. I'm glad I went

 

[Fflow]

John, thanks for your insights and support. As I said, just articulating things felt good. I'll follow Mazuri's example and schedule an appointment.

Peace!

srw

 

[HockeyShark]

I have suffered Panic and Anxiety all of my life, or at least as far back as i can remember as a kid. Depression too.

I have had every medical exam under the sun, been part of a study, in and out of the ER dozens of times, and over the years been on several meds.

a few months ago my mom died suddenly, and pow, i was back in the muddle of it again with a vengance. Nightmares were the worst, because even in sleep I couldn't escape it. I was hopitalized for 5 days up until last monday.

I now am on more meds than ever, and feel some days like a zombie. But it beats the fear, terror, and feelings of deep deep depression.

I read a lot of books, do a lot of research on web, and pray. Mediatation helps, and i think I will start yoga soon too.

it is a horrible affliction, I hope all who suffer find a path that will work for them to bring them back to health. And NEVER Give up.

 

[bobsgirl]

I think I made an unwise choice about medication. Last summer I was put back on an antidepressant that I had gone off previously because of side effects. This drug works like a charm for me, depression- and anxiety-wise. But the side effects are hell. The doctor thought maybe with a lower dose, the side effects would be less. That's not been the case, unfortunately.

I am in the process of weaning myself off this drug, and I feel like hell. Sorry for the whining, but it's really got me down.

 

[Raven_Sunset]

side effects really suck, trust me..... you should see if there is another drug that's similar that you could try?

 

[emptynester]

I am in the process of weaning myself off this drug, and I feel like hell. Sorry for the whining, but it's really got me down.

Hang in there BG. Just keep in mind that with each passing day you are one step closer to taking your life back.