Depression & Anxiety: Are There Any Answers?

PretentiousApe

Okay, so I've been suffering from clinical depression for the past few years. I've been on Prozac and Efexor, and I'm currently taking Lexapro. It seems like there's no real cure for my depression. I feel as though the medication is just numbing the pain that I should be feeling.

None of my friends really have any problems with depression, so I don't really have anyone around me who knows what it's like.

I'm basically looking for some advice and I'd like to hear other people's stories.

Cheers.

DenMan

Sorry to hear about your problems PretentiousApe. You will get much better responses if this thread was moved to Long Term Illness. Hopefully somebody will move it over there very soon. As someone who has (and being honest still do to a lesser extent) suffered from depression in life I understand a little of what you are going through? What is it do you think that has you down? A person can be on as much medication as they need but in the end you have to acknowledge or at least try and face what is eating away at you.That is the big journey. Coming to terms with your problems will give you tremendous encouragement and satisfaction. You will benefit from it (trust me).

Sinall

I know what you mean when you say the medication is numbing the pain that you should be feeling - you feel like you are one step removed from everything. With anti-depressants you can wonder whether the pain is just being blocked or are all emotions being blocked.

I took Cipramil for six years and then changed to Effexor which I found very good. Counselling helped me understand the causes or roots of my depression and also helped me to spot the thought patterns that were affecting me negatively. It's hard to change the mental habits of a lifetime.

In the last few months I have tried homeopathy, which I have really found amazing. I would have been quite cynical about things like that but thought maybe a multi pronged approach (medication, counselling, homeopathy, diet etc...) might produce some results. I feel less fragile since I have started the homeopathy, less like I might just shatter into a million pieces and never recover. I feel more resilient and am starting to enjoy things again, which honestly has not been the case for the last 7 or 8 years.

DenMan

Personally I was on Cipramil for five years. There is no doubt that it was of huge benefit to me. The reason why I was on it was because I had huge problems with my mood, and was prescribed Cipramil. I was told that at the time the medication would help but in order to heal I needed to confront my problems as in the long term that would be of much more benefit to me.

PretentiousApe

I find it really hard to confront my problems in a positive/constructive way. I always just end up blaming myself and spiralling into a deeper depression. Homeopathy sounds interesting, but I'm not the kinda person who is succeptable to a placebo effect.

I'm so frustrated by my depression, right now. It's really getting in the way of my life. I'm sick of this circle my life seems to be going in; depression preventing me from doing things that could possibly relieve my depression, if only a little bit.

I really appreciate the advice, lads, cheers. It's good to hear from like-minded types. I'm just desperate to shake this depression once and for all, but I know it doesn't work like that.

LegacyUser

i recommend cypramil also. helped me through a rough patch. as for the anxiety, you need to find out whats bugging you and causing it. for me, it was the fear of not being able to perform at work. it caused me to freeze up when i got something difficult to do at work, thus making me even more stressed.

I had CBT (Cognative behavourial therapy) to help me get over this. CBT makes you aware of the symptoms of your anxiety, so you know when you are sliding into anxiety and depression. when you are aware of that your brain is doing, you can conciously break the cycle.

when i used to get a taxing issue, id defferr it, by checking my email, browsing the web ,, anything but look at the issue. then i was under more pressure as it became even more difficult to push myself to do the task and i was runing out of time.

now when this happens, i can see myself procrastanating, and conciously push myself to do the task, thus breaking the cycle, and proving to myself i can do the task, thus increasing my confidence. its tough at first but works.
something like that might help you.

Tablets are a help, like a shoulder to lean on while you regain your balance and composure, but should only be used (IMO) alongside therapy to help illeviate the issue at its root. tablets sould rarely be a long term solution. best of luck and im sure you will pull yourself up from this.

PretentiousApe

I'm not sure what cognitive behavourial therapy entails. Could someone please explain to me what it is?

Leslie91

Yep concur...

CBT is v good and I am on Cipramil right now.

Have u been to counselling?. I'm fortunate in that I found a great counsellor who along with the Meds etc has helped me greatly.

I know the places u have been with depression, I've been there. It is perfectly ok for 'others' (my friends included) to not have a clue what u are going through, remember that.

I told my friends to be careful what they say to me. If they even try to understand/empathise that is half the battle.

Good luck with it... for everyone it is different, turns out I had been ill for years and only had it diagnosed 2 years ago. Recovery varies so don't be put off if it seems like you are not improving.

JuliusCaesar

PretentiousApe wrote: »

I'm not sure what cognitive behavourial therapy entails. Could someone please explain to me what it is?

There are two accrediting organisations for CBT : BABCP and the Irish Council for Psychotherapy/CBT Section. They both have lists of therapists (look under REpublic of Ireland on the BABCP site)

The European Association for CBT also has a lot of information about CBT in many different languages.

Santa Claus

I was on Lexapro in the past and the best way I could describe it was it was like a mute button for your emotion, you wouldn't get very down but you wouldn't get very happy either.

What worked for me was the medication along with CBT. The only problem was that when I looked about 3 years ago I had to wait 6 months for my first appointment with a private therapist and there seemed to be no CBT available through the public health system !

PretentiousApe

Yeah, money is an issue when choosing a method of dealing with this. I'm presuming that CBT doesn't come cheap...?

LegacyUser

CBT is available via the health system. i got it free. i also got pushed up the ladder so to speak as i was deemed a serious case. i dont know the cryteria, but AFAIK, if your doctor recommends that you get pushed up the list, youl get it quicker.

the best way i can describe CBT is it makes you aware of your behavior.

in the beginning, when i got a difficult task to do at work i would procrastinate, surf the web, send emails, walk about, anything to forget about the task in hand. id then get close to a deadline and panic. id start shaking have a tremble in my voice, couldnt concentrate and id put myself down as being useless for not being able to do what should be an easy task. my confidence would get even lower as a result and id be in an even worse state next time around

All this just Happened, i didnt make it happen, or realize it happened, but it happened. with CBT, you observe yourself. you work out what happens when you start to go downhill. with me the first step was procrastinating when recieving a task at work. so, to try to break the cycle i had to realize when i was procrastinating and force myself to stop. not as easy as it sounds when your in a panic cycle!

next step was to break the task down, even simple tasks into managable chunks. each time i got a part of it done right id congratulate myself in my head, thus building my confidence.

you have to really try hard to realise the signs that signal your falling into your anxiety/depression cycle but it becomes second nature after a bit of practice.

CBT helps you identify these signs so you can calm your self long enough to break the cycle and build up your confidence.

thats a simplified explination of CBT, but its how I can best describe it. please someone correct me if you think i explained it incorrectly.


It makes you very self aware, and I also think its great for self improvment, after you have worked your way out of your depression.


Best of luck

wexford1

Recovery CBT meetings are 'Mental healths best kept secret'. And they're cheap €3 (or nothing if you can't afford it. nobodys turned away). I never believed you do anything about depresion/anxiety until i started going to these meetings. you have to appreciate that it does take time and effort but the managements of your mental health is is lifelong task. don't go expecting that you'll be cured in the first meeting, in fact it takes a couple of meetings just to understand whats going on. Many people drop out after one or two meetings and its a shame because they don't know what they're missing.

http://www.recovery-inc.org/

http://www.recovery-inc-ireland.ie/meetings4print.htm

DeiseChick87

know exactly what u mean. i started off on lexapro, then effexor, then amatriptline & got changed to anafranil today. Ughh some dose...but something will eventaually work - hopefully.

Advised 2go to aniexty management in brook house. Will know more soon

the madness wing of depression website has a gud chat room thingy, def check it out !!!

LegacyUser

how do you find the anafranil DeiseChick87?