Anxiety and depression thread (Please read OP)

One More Toy

tdf7187 wrote: »

Anxiety off the charts again today.

Whats up do you reckon?

One More Toy

I get awful panic attacks upon waking, I've tried everything including valium, anyone with any suggestions?

Gremlinertia

One More Toy wrote: »

I get awful panic attacks upon waking, I've tried everything including valium, anyone with any suggestions?

You have probably tried but I'd encourage you to work very hard on your breathing, it's the fastest way to adjust heartbeat which will then help the panic become bearable, it's difficult and so I'd suggest you have a breathing exercise on youtube lined up to go on your phone or whatever suits you.
I'll admit I have a lot to work at when it comes to my breathing so I'm no zen master here but my problem is more habitual and pain related

RabbleRouser2k

One More Toy wrote: »

I get awful panic attacks upon waking, I've tried everything including valium, anyone with any suggestions?

Breathing techniques can help. Sometimes 'scrunching up' all your muscles, then releasing them is also helpful. Take your two hands, and SQUEEZE them into fists, like you're trying to crush an imaginary walnut, then release. Do this repeatedly. Do the same with your facial muscles, close your eyes, squeeze em together, hold it for a minute, then release.

Caffeine early in the day can trigger anxiety too, so be wary of that. It causes the mind to race.

cloudatlas

Stress control course by an nhs practitioner is on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKPVA0KhDao

One More Toy

cloudatlas wrote: »

Stress control course by an nhs practitioner is on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKPVA0KhDao

Thanks for this resource, will definitely have a look, it's over an hour long so might have to split it up

YoshiSays

Think some simple stretching is very useful each day. Take it easy at first, then go to touching your toes etc. Normally I can do this but I'd got out of the habit and was so stiff and had become a big anxious ball. A long hot shower followed by a cold shower. Then a decent breakfast. Felt great.

Wanderer78

YoshiSays wrote: »

Think some simple stretching is very useful each day. Take it easy at first, then go to touching your toes etc. Normally I can do this but I'd got out of the habit and was so stiff and had become a big anxious ball. A long hot shower followed by a cold shower. Then a decent breakfast. Felt great.

im doing a morning stretching routine everyday, i love it, it has bits of yoga and pilates in it

One More Toy

Really struggling in the morning, very reliant on valium

tdf7187

One More Toy wrote: »

Really struggling in the morning, very reliant on valium

Don't blame you. I'm not on valium or anything similar, maybe I should be. Alternatively maybe it's better than I'm not as I do have an addictive personality and there would be a risk I might abuse it.

Graces7

YoshiSays wrote: »

Beating myself up cause I was having a lie in. It was only 8:30 on a Sunday. Beautiful morning but the neighbors dog just barking, barking getting in my nerves. I wish they'd tell him to stfu. But they have no consideration for anyone or they are deaf or stupid or something. Really.

By all means ask your neighbours is the dog OK as it is barking a lot? "Does it need the vet? "

Ear plugs? I use them when the dog at the farm starts.

Graces7

One More Toy wrote: »

I get awful panic attacks upon waking, I've tried everything including valium, anyone with any suggestions?

Please take care with Valium. It is horrendously and swiftly addictive and getting off it is literally hellish..

One More Toy

Graces7 wrote: »

Please take care with Valium. It is horrendously and swiftly addictive and getting off it is literally hellish..

I know all too well unfortunately, at the weekends I can get away without them no problem. Doctor gas reduced my dose recently too

New Home

Hi folks, if anyone is interested, there's a programme now on on RTÉ1 where Alastair Campbell talks about his depression - "Depression and me". It's very interesting, he's trying to understand it a bit more, he's talking to a psychiatrist about medications, etc.

https://www.rte.ie/player/onnow

guitarzero

Anyone enthusiastic about the recent developments in psychedelic therapy? Doing a lot of reading around it and it seems pretty credible. Many of the studies are very positive and trials seem to indicate that they can be very beneficial done in the correct setting.
Also been reading about a ketamine derivative being used to alleviate depression and PTSD.
A bit of hope :pac:

Wanderer78

New Home wrote:

Hi folks, if anyone is interested, there's a programme now on on RTÉ1 where Alastair Campbell talks about his depression - "Depression and me". It's very interesting, he's trying to understand it a bit more, he's talking to a psychiatrist about medications, etc.

I've been aware of Campbell and his mental health issues for a long time, I must watch this, something about the man I like

Graces7

One More Toy wrote: »

I know all too well unfortunately, at the weekends I can get away without them no problem. Doctor gas reduced my dose recently too

I was also very reliably informed that one of the side effects of Valium is suicidal thoughts. Which I was suffering badly from when I was on it. And when I stopped, that vanished too. Thankfully. The mind is a fragile and vulnerable organism.

fr336

Hi all long time no post! Hope you are all well or not too bad. Just posting to say after 7 months on Citalopram I"m now in the process of coming off them. I started on 10mg which wasn't too bad but didn't produce huge positive changes. I then increased to standard 20mg dose and god at first I didnt realise but it turned me into a right zombie, groggy in morning, wanting junk food, not enjoying things as much anymore (yes I know depression does that but this was an unnatural feeling altogether) etc. Then a few weeks ago I woke up in middle of night with horrid dizziness and nausea. Had never experienced before. Anyway I struggled on but about a week ago went down from 20mg to 10. Feel less zombie and less tired. Now I wanted to reduce to 5mg but doesn't seem easy to get in tablet form. Anyway today I'm not taking anything, I just really cant take another morning of this crap. I'm not going off it cold turkey I just want to see how I feel tomorrow and go from there. I just need hope and a natural feeling. I'd rather be naturally down than drug down if that makes sense. Also makes me laugh a lot of the withdrawal symptoms are the same as the side effects of being on the thing 😂

PS I'm not running down the meds they work amazingly for some people including my mum. I'm just not suited to it. What they have done is given me perspective and how things like exercise DO work. And also made me grateful for all the stuff I DO have.

Meeoow

fr336 wrote: »

PS I'm not running down the meds they work amazingly for some people including my mum. I'm just not suited to it. What they have done is given me perspective and how things like exercise DO work. And also made me grateful for all the stuff I DO have.

Well done to you. I am glad you are grateful for what you have. It is hard to be thankful for the good things when you have depression.
Can you bite the tablets in half? It is certainly better to taper off them slowly.
Anti depressants worked well for me over the last 19 odd years. But the last time I took them, I got tinnitus from them, which is still with me even after I stopped them.
They probably saved my life 20 years ago, but there can be a price to pay with them, and should only be used when necessary.

New Home

New Home wrote: »

Hi folks, if anyone is interested, there's a programme now on on RTÉ1 where Alastair Campbell talks about his depression - "Depression and me". It's very interesting, he's trying to understand it a bit more, he's talking to a psychiatrist about medications, etc.

https://www.rte.ie/player/onnow

Available on the RTÉ player for the next 30 days.

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/depression-and-me-e1/184365608326

fr336

Well I will be back to taking the Citalopram tomorrow as tonight I feel very grey! Get diet and exercise nailed, THEN go off the meds

YoshiSays

New Home wrote: »

Available on the RTÉ player for the next 30 days.

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/depression-and-me-e1/184365608326

Very good, matter of fact view of depression and treatments. I like the jam jar analogy, where your body/mind can only cope with so much crap and you need to enlarge the jam jar with treatments/exercise/things that give you joy/etc to cope. I would think though, that it should be possible to remove some of the crap too.

tdf7187

A lot of people dismiss Campbell due to the Iraq war fiasco but I agree that he has sensible and helpful things to say about alcoholism and depression. I have read his blog before.

tdf7187

fr336 wrote: »

Well I will be back to taking the Citalopram tomorrow as tonight I feel very grey! Get diet and exercise nailed, THEN go off the meds

I think that makes sense.

RabbleRouser2k

Sleep's gone all over the place the last week or so.

The weather's not helping, especially the pelting rain and hailstones. 20 hour sleeps not abnormal.

Graces7

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Sleep's gone all over the place the last week or so.

The weather's not helping, especially the pelting rain and hailstones. 20 hour sleeps not abnormal.

It is fretting about it that does the damage. I am far more at ese since I just sleep when I sleep etc, but then I have almost no "obligations" to anyone time wise. As long as I can connect with family in Canada a few days a week ie at 3 am here my life and how I live it is mine. And of course I am ooooooooooolld! And we all know about old ladies and our naps and night prowling!

OK; about to reinsert wonderful wax ear plugs and symbolically shut the storm out!

Life is truly awesome.. As long as I have painkillers and cats I can cope with anything. And sleep of course! zzzzzzzzzz

RabbleRouser2k

Graces7 wrote: »

It is fretting about it that does the damage. I am far more at ese since I just sleep when I sleep etc, but then I have almost no "obligations" to anyone time wise. As long as I can connect with family in Canada a few days a week ie at 3 am here my life and how I live it is mine. And of course I am ooooooooooolld! And we all know about old ladies and our naps and night prowling!

OK; about to reinsert wonderful wax ear plugs and symbolically shut the storm out!

Life is truly awesome.. As long as I have painkillers and cats I can cope with anything. And sleep of course! zzzzzzzzzz

I don't like it. It makes me angry to not be productive, like I'm undeserving of life. I don't like missing days.

Wanderer78

RabbleRouser2k wrote:

I don't like it. It makes me angry to not be productive, like I'm undeserving of life. I don't like missing days.

This 'productivity' nonsense is driving me insane, humans are not productive machines, we 're complex emotional beings, please be kind to yourself. it's okay to have sh1tty days, but I do understand the feeling, it's very frustrating

Graces7

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

I don't like it. It makes me angry to not be productive, like I'm undeserving of life. I don't like missing days.

OK; I hear you. NB I am nearly 80 and that does make a difference in attitude.

Little Is expected of me and in fact I work hard at whatever there is to do. But many days through illness I can apparently do very little; not my choice. Not yours either ? It is making a choice that alters this

What do you mean by " productive? Resting etc is also productive as it renews you for the next days. just surviving is productive.

No one is judging you so why judge yourself?

And life is still awesome and wonderful.

Gremlinertia

Mental and physical health pretty low. Disinterest in everything, self care non-existent, i know it will change but it's so tough right now i can't believe that it will..