That biggest barrier you have overcome?

py2006 · 29-07-2011 12:32PM

g'em wrote: »

During my worst bout (2002-2004) I don't think I could have recovered without medication, it helped bring me back to a point where I was able to deal with simply thinking of trying to recover. Without it I quite honestly couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I've had occasional bouts since then and exercise (and by extension having a goal to focus on) and CBT have helped massively, I only once re-medicated and didn't enjoy the experience at all. Just having the faith that it too shall pass, even when it seems like the most unlikely thing in the world, was what I held on to.

Chicken Run wrote: »

I'm trying that at the moment, I have been on ADs in the past and they were worthwhile and helped a lot.
CBT was a big forward step and I use it to stave off the worst days, and also admitting to myself that there's no harm in writing off a bad day and just making the best of every single positive thing you can manage to acheive, and if you can't, so be it - start afresh tomorrow.
Trying some 5-HT supplements that I bought to see if that helps... bit early to be objective though.

I presume CBT is Cognitive Behavourial Therapy? Is this something that is done alone or with a professional?

Chicken Run · 29-07-2011 12:35PM

py2006 wrote: »

I presume CBT is Cognitive Behavourial Therapy? Is this something that is done alone or with a professional?

It is
A professional will teach you techniques which you then use on your own

Biggins · 29-07-2011 12:38PM

Chicken Run wrote: »

...Made a big effort 2 years ago and joined a local choir as I love music... I'm proud to say that I have actually sung in public where people can see and hear me which is a massive step.l

Weird. I did exactly the same (joined a choir) and it too helped at the time, my end.

g'em · 29-07-2011 12:39PM

Chicken Run wrote: »

It is
A professional will teach you techniques which you then use on your own

What (s)he said

I went to various counsellors and psychologists and all the rest of it over the years but I quickly learnt that once I was all talked out about what the hell was goin on in my head I needed to be proactive about it. Talking about stuff helps you feel more normal, doing something about it helps you on the road to recovery. It teaches you to recognise the kind of thinker you are (a catastrophist, a perfectionist etc.) and then try and change some of the negative thought patterns that you have. They'll give you exercises to help you to change over time, and I still use some of them on a day to day basis.

robman60 · 29-07-2011 12:40PM

Biggins wrote: »

Fatigue and depression. The battle still continues.
Some days are good days and others not so good.

^This. These two things are a constant battle really.

Logical Fallacy · 29-07-2011 12:43PM

py2006 wrote: »

Hope you full come out of it! Would love to know how you try to overcome this but I don't expect you to post it here.

For me Beta Blockers were a bit help they lessen the impact of all that adrenaline pumping around my system and made the panic attacks i was having more manageable. Some of my attacks were pretty bad, twice i ended up in hospital with the doctors trying to bring my heart rate down before something went really wrong. I'd end up getting the shakes so bad i was literally bouncing on the floor and i was one of the lucky few who would get very bad hallucinations, full blown disassociation and all that crap as well.

To be honest, what helped me to starting getting over it was the Beta Blockers, CBT (cannot speak highly enough of this for people in the same boat) and eventually just getting sick of it to the point where i managed to find the strength to start not giving in to it anymore. It's pretty much impossible to explain to people who haven't dealt with anxiety and panic issues, but imaging your scariest moment, throw in your most paranoid and then multiply it by a thousand and you are getting close.

I had some injuries and illnesses (badly injured my neck which led to all sorts of problems, was having issues with my guts that basically led to my intestines swelling up, for an idea of how much when i got this issue sorted my waist dropped 4 and a half inches in 2 weeks...thats a lot of swelling ) and most of my anxiety was rooted in these things...when i dealt with the intestines trouble this nonstop nausea and pain i had been dealing with went away and that was great. One of the big warnings for me that i was gonna have a panic attack was nausea...so when i was nauseous all the time my body kept having panic responses to everything...CBT really helped there.

Personally, i had to sort myself out physically to give myself a platform to attack the mental issues. While i am currently weak as a kitten and still pretty sick i don't feel like i am going to break at any given moment, i don't feel like the swelling around my neck is going to literally make my head pop off. It allows me to dig deep and face up to the panic and control it better because i can focus on it.

I think the worst thing about panic, depression...all these mental based issues is that they really do impact your ability to focus. Find a good platform to focus from and you start having more good days than bad. I look forward to the day that the bad ones are just a memory.

py2006 · 29-07-2011 12:44PM

g'em wrote: »

What (s)he said I went to various counsellors and psychologists and all the rest of it over the years but I quickly learnt that once I was all talked out about what the hell was goin on in my head I needed to be proactive about it. Talking about stuff helps you feel more normal, doing something about it helps you on the road to recovery. It teaches you to recognise the kind of thinker you are (a catastrophist, a perfectionist etc.) and then try and change some of the negative thought patterns that you have. They'll give you exercises to help you to change over time, and I still use some of them on a day to day basis.

Excellent!

I think people who think negatively or are cynical can lead to them to depression or is it vice versa? Anyway, hats off to anyone who can overcome that barrier!

General General · 29-07-2011 12:50PM

After three years, the third anniversary having just passed unnoticed 'til just now, I can say I've conquered my cigarette addiction... I did it I did it I did it I did it.

All that R&D spend by those cigarette companies & I still did it.

simonmln · 29-07-2011 12:53PM

I managed to sit through the 3rd matrix

Dravokivich · 29-07-2011 12:59PM

Never had anything serious in my way.

It's pretty much impossible to explain to people who haven't dealt with anxiety and panic issues,

Logical Fallacy, I know exactly what you mean by that. I don't have anything like that myself, but a friend of mine goes through it quiet a lot. Sometimes I feel like a prick when I notice he's caught up in it, because it's hard to know if there's anything I should do for him. I tend to just let him know I'm around if needed and give him his space.

py2006 · 29-07-2011 01:05PM

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

I had some injuries and illnesses (badly injured my neck which led to all sorts of problems, was having issues with my guts that basically led to my intestines swelling up, for an idea of how much when i got this issue sorted my waist dropped 4 and a half inches in 2 weeks...thats a lot of swelling ) and most of my anxiety was rooted in these things...

Its interesting you say that. I didn't realise till recently that people with high stress levels, suffers of anxiety etc can get severe bloating and discomfort around the stomach area!

Princess Peach · 29-07-2011 01:07PM

py2006 wrote: »

As somebody who periodically suffers from depression I would love to know how or if people have overcome it without the use of medication!

Can't help you much, been on medication a few years now! Tried to come off it lowering my dose for about 6/7 months last year with disastrous consequences so gonna stick on a highish dose till at least early next year.

Have been to 3 counselors too, 2 of which were really helpful! One was my college counselor and one I got referred to through my doctor's clinic. Maybe ask your doctor for the number of a counselor? Couldn't really do any harm if you don't want to take meds yet. And if it doesn't work can start thinking of other opions then.

g'em · 29-07-2011 01:08PM

Dravokivich wrote: »

Logical Fallacy, I know exactly what you mean by that. I don't have anything like that myself, but a friend of mine goes through it quiet a lot. Sometimes I feel like a prick when I notice he's caught up in it, because it's hard to know if there's anything I should do for him. I tend to just let him know I'm around if needed and give him his space.

Funnily enough my heart goes out to the people who are close to folks suffering from depression/ anxiety/ social disorders and issues as much as those who have it. It's really flipping hard to know what to do! But just ask, different people will want different things. I hope that I'm not generalising too much when I say this but the one thing that people don't want is to be treated like a pariah or, worse, an attention seeker. My poor Mum took the news of my diagnosis reasonably ok, but when I didn't improve dramatically within a month of being on medication she accused me of being difficult for the sake of it. Cue me slipping down even further into the depths and it started a spiral of feeling horribly guilty for being such a burden on everyone. It took a long time for that guilt to go away.

The best thing a friend did for me was to just sit with me and, like you said, let me know that he was always there if needed. It took a while to take him up on it, but it helped more than he ever realised just knowing that there was someone there who cared.

Doublin · 29-07-2011 01:18PM

Don't know if these were the biggest barriers I overcame, but they took the most effort & time:

TB - Horrible disease to get, going around like a skeleton & grey skin. Had it for a year before being diagnosed correctly. Then after being in hospital for 3 months(& on heavy meds for 6 months) you have to put a lot of work into getting your health back up.

Alcoholism - Tough bastard to beat & stays with you all of your life, especially in this country with it's attitude towards drink/pub culture.

Homelessness - Once you're caught in the trap, it's very difficult to get out of. You are literally living in a parallel existance to 'normal' society & there is very little support out there.

Anxiety/Depression - Mine ballooned because of my alcoholism, it's one of the major side affects, so I still take meds for this. I don't mind because it stops me thinking of self-medicating.

Heart Attack - Not really a big thing to overcome but I had a minor heart attack a few months ago. Very strange feeling when you're lying there on the floor, can't move or speak, nobody around. Just lying there wondering if the pains are going to come back, get stronger or if it's finished. You walk around the weeks after that noticing any little twinge in your chest

But that was it, a one off (for now...)

tallus · 29-07-2011 01:19PM

py2006 wrote: »

As somebody who periodically suffers from depression I would love to know how or if people have overcome it without the use of medication!

Meditation was a huge help to me.

py2006 · 29-07-2011 01:22PM

Doublin wrote: »

Don't know if these were the biggest barriers I overcame, but they took the most effort & time:

TB - Horrible disease to get, going around like a skeleton & grey skin. Had it for a year before being diagnosed correctly. Then after being in hospital for 3 months(& on heavy meds for 6 months) you have to put a lot of work into getting your health back up.

Alcoholism - Tough bastard to beat & stays with you all of your life, especially in this country with it's attitude towards drink/pub culture.

Homelessness - Once you're caught in the trap, it's very difficult to get out of. You are literally living in a parallel existance to 'normal' society & there is very little support out there.

Anxiety/Depression - Mine ballooned because of my alcoholism, it's one of the major side affects, so I still take meds for this. I don't mind because it stops me thinking of self-medicating.

Heart Attack - Not really a big thing to overcome but I had a minor heart attack a few months ago. Very strange feeling when you're lying there on the floor, can't move or speak, nobody around. Just lying there wondering if the pains are going to come back, get stronger or if it's finished. You walk around the weeks after that noticing any little twinge in your chest But that was it, a one off (for now...)

Wow, that is a lot for any one person to contend with. Is it your experience that alcohol is the cause of depression/anxiety or something that makes it worse if its there in the first place.

Pinklady11 · 29-07-2011 01:34PM

Battling PND at the moment but have actually been depressed most of my life...had a tough childhood but it all came to a head after I had my baby. Worst experience of my life. Been on meds for over a year now, they definitely helped bring me out of the worst of it but I found I only really started to recover when I went to counselling. I'm lucky to have a really good one and things are going really well at the moment. I feel better now than I have done in years. I'm not out of the woods yet but I think I'm over the worst of it.

I'm only sorry I didn't seek help years ago, I've missed out on so much of my life.

AeoNGriM · 29-07-2011 01:46PM

The great wall of China. Now myself and all my Mongolian buddies can have all the hot Asian wimminz we desire! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

Doublin · 29-07-2011 01:47PM

py2006 wrote: »

Wow, that is a lot for any one person to contend with. Is it your experience that alcohol is the cause of depression/anxiety or something that makes it worse if its there in the first place.

For me, I had some minor anxiety/depression beforehand but the drinking makes it much worse. Any underlying mental issues you have are exaggerated by drinking (although in the beginning you drink to cope (self-medicate) with these issues). So for me it multiplied it by 100 & I think that is fairly common amongst recovering alcoholics I know. But time & learning different ways to cope (counselling, CBT, meds) will bring the levels back down.

johngalway · 29-07-2011 01:49PM

py2006 wrote: »

What barriers in life have you overcome?

The Atlantic Ocean.

With the help of Aer Lingus.

CrazyRabbit · 29-07-2011 04:58PM

The great wall of china for me also. After 11 hours, I gave up trying to walk around it and just went over instead.

Scuid Mhór · 29-07-2011 05:06PM

a severe internet addiction that destroyed my academic life and had me staying up until 5 or 6 Am every morning. falling asleep in classes; alienating myself from all my friends.

i don't really feel like writing anymore. you get the idea.

Tandey · 29-07-2011 05:08PM

Peoples passwords.

That biggest barrier you have overcome?

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