Anxiety and depression thread (Please read OP)

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122479400#Comment_122479400

I didn't think 5-HT was available in Ireland.

RabbleRouser2k

I got 5-HTP, years ago, before it was taken off the market. It messed me up big time. Would not recommend it.

connecting Dots

It's not. I get it sent from England or whenever I'm up the North I can pick it up in most health food shops. Available over the counter there

connecting Dots

Interesting. Do you mind me asking what happened and after how long did you notice the bad effects?

I've been taking it for 3 months now and got to say my Anxeity is so much better, this really is the biggest improvement I've felt and with that I'm less cranky so that's always a plus.

HHave not had one negative side effect thankfully but interested to find out as much as I can.

RabbleRouser2k

Long time, no post.

My mum was in a community hospital, for weeks. We saw enormous improvements in her. Eating more, gaining weight. Being able to move about. Even making phone calls, something she hadn't been able to do for months. Her mind and her focus was really great. Had to move her into a convalescence home after the community hospital. Private care, with her meals cooked for her, because her house needed to be adapted (toilet rails, Wider areas for walking aids, new doors etc). She gained more independence, was able to move about. Had a zimmer frame due to knee surgeries, but was able to go to the bathroom on her own. Staff even noted she was getting stronger.
Well, her care seemed to have been neglected in the last few weeks due to a number of factors I won't go into. But it was notable a head cold went untreated, and she became dehydrated. This lead to a chest infection and hospitalization, over a week ago.

Her scan in late April showed lung nodules, and a doctor suspected malignancy. But it required another scan, and that was cancelled months later (no reason given at the time, today it was because she was too frail at the time). Well, her hospitalization required another thoracic scan. The nodules have grown. This is not good news. They have also said she's frail, and requires two people to help her to do things like get out of bed. This was not the case months ago, even a few weeks ago. I've gone into hospital every day, to help maintain her care. I thought staff would see me as a nuisance, but it's been the opposite. You see how under resourced hospitals are the more you get in on the ground floor. I was helping my mum to eat, but she's started feeding herself. All this after a little over a week.

I'm trying to hold onto hope. It sounds foolish, but it's the only thing keeping me going.

Woodcutting

@RabbleRouser2k

I can't quote you . Well done for going to the hospital to help your mother .Good wishes to her, sorry she seems to have deteriorated.

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122879353#Comment_122879353

Thanks Woodcutting. She's gotten a lot stronger. Is eating more and more, and has gained muscle and (whispers) fat. She's gotten more confident with her walk, and now the hospital want her to do physio.

She can feed herself, complain, watch tv, listen to music, make phone calls and so on. The hospital staff told me she has been nicknamed 'The Trophy' because she made such a dramatic turnaround, and showed such an incredible improvement, that they are seeing her as an incredible win, a complete turnaround, like winning a championship-hence the name, 'the Trophy' (From what we were told, her condition was so bad when she came into the hospital, they couldn't do Obs-needless to say, they believed it was the end). Two or three nurses have said that she has gotten incredibly strong. Her stats are incredible, and her humor and colour have come back again. .. And the staff, I genuinely cannot say enough good about them. I went in, every day, from the day after her admission (she went in at night, on a Weekday, over a month ago), to help my mum out. I thought I'd be a seen as a nuisance. Far from it. I sat there, I talked to other patients, helped my mum eat before she could feed herself, ran errands for other patients (so many of them love their sweets). I think the nurses kind of liked having someone there who didn't talk 'shop'- who talked everything else. Or brought the newspaper (or chocolate-you'd be surprised how much they love chocolate- keeps the energy up). Sometimes, you'd have a patient who had a really bad infection, and it caused confusion (common with something like a UTI) so they thought they were in a shop, or a restaurant, and would try and get out of bed despite not being able to walk very well and 'pay for the items' like their blankets or pillows. Then you'd have to call a nurse.

There were a few patients like that, sadly their time came. They ate less and less, got out of bed less and less, and one of them, I had to leave the room when their family came to take them to a private room to say goodbye. It was their time, but it brought back a lot of emotions and memories. But you come to realise it's an honour to help them leave this life. Not a prize. Not some kind of trophy. I sat there thinking 'I hope it's like that when my time comes'.

That was a few weeks ago.

Since then, there's a bug that's gotten into the hospital. That and the floods mean the hospital has limited visitors. A few hospital staff members homes got hit by the rain. I hope they are okay. I know my cousin is friends with a lot of them and has been asking for help with stuff like clothes and washing..

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122789476#Comment_122789476

How are you and your mum doing?

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122945409#Comment_122945409

Hi JP Liz, thank you for asking. My mum was discharged from hospital just over two weeks ago now.

My mum is doing remarkably well. She's in a rehabiliation/ convalescence home (different to her previous one). And she's come along incredibly. She got a kidney infection, which did worry us, but got a prescription for it. Went into see her a day after she told us she had a kidney infection, and she was eating, drinking liquids, giving orders, walking around, being very independent. She does have to keep her fluid intake up, to make sure she avoids any kidney complaints, and (like everyone) anti-biotics can sometimes have side-effects that you need water to get out of your system. She watches TV, reads the newspapers, does her physio exercises.
She has praise for the staff, praise for the food. Needs very little if any assistance on anything. She's building herself up, day by day.

And you know my mum has energy to spare when she spends it complaining for an hour or so. If you ask her how she feels, she says better than ever. She jokes around with the staff, with people.
And she looks it too. Her energy has increased. She only needs one assistant to help her (before she had two, but her confidence has grown), and that's mainly due to her being tall and needing stuff raised up for her. Her footing has gotten so much stronger, and she will eat everything put in front of her. I haven't seen her this well in over a year.
And I'm not the only one who's noticed it.

It's been a remarkable turnaround. I got the feeling the medical staff, when she was discharged, would have hugged her only there was a bug in the hospital and couldn't risk contamination.

One More Toy

Are there any good podcasts out there that relate to anxiety and depression?

Deregos.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122962124#Comment_122962124

I like listening to these with John Moe, author of The Hilarious World of Depression.

https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/depresh-mode/

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122962124#Comment_122962124

dime a dozen, dont listen to any but i follow some therapists on youtube, some do podcasts, a broad search on the likes of podtail or player.fm would probably reveal many

some therapists i follow that do do podcasts:

https://www.youtube.com/%40Katimorton/videos

https://www.youtube.com/%40DrKimSage/videos

i follow others that dont seem to do podcasts, but do youtube, i can post them if you like, but a quick search on youtube itself will reveal many

Gremlinertia

Grief cast by a female comedian about her own loss is good - carriad Lloyd (forgive my spelling) is the lady behind it..

JP Liz V1

How are we all after Christmas, I wish ye all the best for 2025

RabbleRouser2k

Same to you JP Liz.

Deregos.

Lately, It appears to me that people are quicker and more willing to open up about their own mental health difficulties.

Over the Christmas holidays I bumped into a couple of old friends. One i hadn't seen in years, and was pleasantly surprised how he firstly put out the little feelers, then once the conversation got going, we easily chatted away about our mutual issues like we'd been discussing them everyday for the last twenty years.

Or perhaps it's just me that's getting more comfortable with opening up to others? Either way it's a positive development.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123010201#Comment_123010201

we definitely are, thank god, it also could be your personality, that people feel open around you, of being able to be vulnerable, its a testament to you, its still not easy to be open about such issues, i still struggle with it, so well done

SuperBowserWorld

I think there are lots of big and small things that cause the overall anxiety and follow on depression.

Today I had an annual hospital appointment which cleared up a few things for another year at least, so that was a chuck of anxiety gone. Like literally a weight gone. Thing is, it builds up slowly over the year until it reaches a nadir before the next appointment. And that's just one thing.

But, it's giving me some breathing room. It also means I can step back a bit and just observe all the **** that my mind was racing though, not just generated by me, but all the **** generated externally.

Deregos.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123010216#Comment_123010216

@Wanderer78 Honestly, I'm not sure you're aware how much what you said in that post means to me personally. My wife had just earlier today intimated much the same sentiment to me, but hearing it seconded from you on here, really makes me feel like I maybe turning a corner of some consequence in my anxiety battles. So thank you.

I pray that your own situation continually improves and that you also find renewed strengths and resolve for climbing those mental mountains that every new day brings.

Andy.

carzony

Recently started taking beta blockers again for the first time in years for my panic disorder.

Yesterday was the first time in years that I was able to travel a far distance from my home and carry passengers in my car without a panic attack.

currently feeling very ''free'' absolutely exhausted though ha

I was dreading yesterdays long journey for weeks.

Gizmo55

28 years since I basically broke overnight. I'm finding mindfulness and meditation is giving me hope. Amazing reading the stories on here, helps so much. Good luck to everyone.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123053432#Comment_123053432

been doing yoga for a few years, and taking meditation classes off and on for a while, started doing more meditation at home during christmas, its all definitely helping

Gremlinertia

Not really been on here lately, things are really not good with my mentals, Mrs G is brave but it's tough right now.

One More Toy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123067362#Comment_123067362

Stay strong Grem, always here if in need of a chat. Hope things get better soon

Woodcutting

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123067362#Comment_123067362

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123067362#Comment_123067362

Good luck I have seen how you always support others when you can .

Gremlinertia

Wife finally has surgery date, hoping the situation with the mass hasn't drastically changed since November thanks for the lovely posts here

Voltex

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123053427#Comment_123053427

I was prescribed Lexapro for my OCD and anxiety recently as it had become so severe. My doctor also checked my BP as I have a long history of BP issues. I'm currently on 2 meds which have been working ok…..but on this occasion, my Blood Pressure was 194/104. Doc was very concerned by this so added a Beta Blocker….which I took straight away. Within 2 hours the physical effects of my anxiety dropped dramatically. It gave me a sense of being able to breathe again.

I am hoping the SSRIs will help bring me down too…..as I also engaged with CBT which will hopefully get a longer-term solution to my OCD/anxiety.

SuperBowserWorld

Exhausted and burned out. Not sleeping very well so that's a huge factor. Just too much **** going on to be able to deal with normal every day stuff. I look at all the things people are doing with their lives on various channels here and it just seems alien to me. I'm mentally wrecked.

RabbleRouser2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123258320#Comment_123258320

I swear I could have written this. It has been like that the last week or more.