**The Mental Health Thread**

CREATIVE!11 said:
I came across a post from someone on Reddit that was pretty similar to my own story. I wasn't as extreme as "poisoned the mind" etc but I was against medication for as long as I could possibly get away with.

Ask Reddit thread called "Hey Reddit, what's your "holy **** I've been on the wrong side of things for so long" story?"

"I used to be staunchly against psychiatric medication. Thought it "poisoned the mind" and "turned people into passive sheep" etc. I was also severely depressed with bipolar disorder. Refused medication for years because of my beliefs, and I also felt it would be a moral failing on my part if I succumbed to "Big Pharma" and took the meds.


Then I had a baby, and Post Partum Depression hit me like a stone. I was non-functional, and my child was suffering for it. Seeing that my mental issues were hurting my child forced me to finally seek help. I swallowed my pride, talked to my doctor, and started the long journey of cycling through medications to find one that works. Started with a generic antidepressant--within one week I was up and around, doing things... I could breathe more easily, I felt lighter, and everything was literally brighter. Like a literal grey cloud had been lifted off my face.


That was the moment I realized how much I had been depriving of myself by being anti-medication. I'm now a vocal advocate for psych meds. They arent perfect, but they helped me put my life back together. I was stupid and stubborn to refuse them for so long."


Thought i'd post it for others to read, just to make a point to some here who may be suffering, don't close off any avenue and keep an open mind to potential solutions. I think some medications are definitely over-prescribed but I know for me they were a game changer.
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It's an interesting dilemma.

But it's different to taking e.g. antibiotics or pain-killers.

I'm worried that anti-depressants are essentially a chemical way to alter, fundamentally, who I am. A drug that changes my personality.

I don't think I'm stubborn by not taking them, necessarily. I think that I am where I am due to the way I've made myself. I think if I want to be somewhere else it's my responsibility to take who I am now, and change that person, by my own actions (if possible).

Sure I could take some meds and change that way. But I genuinely don't like that idea. The idea of changing personalities via chemistry. I'm not saying it's "cheating" or anything crazy like that... just that it seems wrong to chemically alter your own perception of the world. I struggle to see how that's different to taking any other mind-altering substance, really, apart from duration.

Maybe that's crap it's just what I'm inclined to think, having never taking them any never experienced life on them.
 
Having one of those moments.

Where you are absolutely struck, smacked about the head, by the reality that life is pointless, utterly. That no matter what you do and how hard you try, happiness will always elude you. Because there is nothing on this Earth that you can do, experience, feel that won't immediately vanish again a few moments after you found it, or stop doing it (whatever it is).

That nothing within reach can bring any meaning to your life. That this is going to keep being the reality no matter what. That you can't change it. This feeling, this emptiness, this hopelessness, this despair, this loneliness... this is all there is; all there will be; all there can be.

So why bother.

This feeling will pass. You go back to routine of living. But it will come again, because this feeling is always there when you face the truth, the reality of life. All is futile.
 
I have suffered from Anxiety / Panic Attacks since I was 8, I'm now 32. Going back 2 years when my anxiety took a turn for the worse it knocked me for 6, I had a resting heartbeat of over 130 bpm on my first ECG and couldn't walk more then 5 meters before having to stop and catch my breath (I'm not overweight or unfit... I'm 6ft5 and weigh about 13st).. At one point I was on 9 tablets a day and off work, I was in a bad place until I started talking about it. I was put on a 1 to 1 counselling course (Lets talk) which helped more than the meds. Half way through that course I was asked if I wanted to go on a group course to help with my low confidence and to meet new people who have the same problems, I ended up going on that and meeting some new friends, it was exactly what I needed! I can't thank "Lets Talk" enough.

I am now on 1 tablet a day and more confident, I have a better understanding of my Anxiety and I can now control it within 10 seconds of it happening all because I swallowed my pride and opened up to my doctor/counselor.
 
meh? said:
I have suffered from Anxiety / Panic Attacks since I was 8, I'm now 32. Going back 2 years when my anxiety took a turn for the worse it knocked me for 6, I had a resting heartbeat of over 130 bpm on my first ECG and couldn't walk more then 5 meters before having to stop and catch my breath (I'm not overweight or unfit... I'm 6ft5 and weigh about 13st).. At one point I was on 9 tablets a day and off work, I was in a bad place until I started talking about it. I was put on a 1 to 1 counselling course (Lets talk) which helped more than the meds. Half way through that course I was asked if I wanted to go on a group course to help with my low confidence and to meet new people who have the same problems, I ended up going on that and meeting some new friends, it was exactly what I needed! I can't thank "Lets Talk" enough.

I am now on 1 tablet a day and more confident, I have a better understanding of my Anxiety and I can now control it within 10 seconds of it happening all because I swallowed my pride and opened up to my doctor/counselor.
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That's amazing and well done on finally finding what helps. I'm still on that journey and hope to be able to deal with it in 10 seconds! Not weeks of distress.
 
meh? said:
I have suffered from Anxiety / Panic Attacks since I was 8, I'm now 32. Going back 2 years when my anxiety took a turn for the worse it knocked me for 6, I had a resting heartbeat of over 130 bpm on my first ECG and couldn't walk more then 5 meters before having to stop and catch my breath (I'm not overweight or unfit... I'm 6ft5 and weigh about 13st).. At one point I was on 9 tablets a day and off work, I was in a bad place until I started talking about it. I was put on a 1 to 1 counselling course (Lets talk) which helped more than the meds. Half way through that course I was asked if I wanted to go on a group course to help with my low confidence and to meet new people who have the same problems, I ended up going on that and meeting some new friends, it was exactly what I needed! I can't thank "Lets Talk" enough.

I am now on 1 tablet a day and more confident, I have a better understanding of my Anxiety and I can now control it within 10 seconds of it happening all because I swallowed my pride and opened up to my doctor/counselor.
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good news!
i recently stopped counselling (8 years with the same person) - it was sort of mutual but i didn't really want to stop and its pretty tough at the moment. I certainly changed a lot and was on an SSRI for 18 years (been off for a few years now) but still difficult (only in a different way than before).
She was always trying to push me into a group thing but recommended i have a few months break (3-6 months) before i go into another form of therapy. Its coming up to 3 months but i'll leave it to the new year and then i think i'll go for it.
What i'm doing now isn't working enough.
 
Hey! So my girlfriend has had anxiety for a long time, which the doctors said was social anxiety/depression. Now we've had up and down through the years and we've just managed to get back to the doctors about this. Currently taking medication and probably will be for a long time to come.

She hasn't the confidence for simple tasks such as opening the door or answering the phone, so currently doesn't feel like can get help face to face. I asked the doctor about anything she may possibly be able to do at home until she starts feeling more confident to talk to someone.

The doctor printed out a sheet with the following websites:
Living Life to the full (www.llttf.com)
Beating the blues (www.beatingtheblues.co.uk)
MoodGYM (https://moodgym.com.au/)

Now this is where I'd like you guys opinion. The last two in this list are paid services and the first one seemed a little confusing/limited. So has anyone used a website like either of them above? or maybe another website you can recommend? I don't mind paying for one if it can help but I don't want to pay for more than one.
 
Has she always had social anxiety in adulthood or did something bring it on, I'm going to be honest I've only ever seen people "cure" it with exposure therapy, but I only know of 2 people who had it and only 1 of them well enough to know how he got on, he forced himself into a customer facing role and found it living hell for a few months till he finally got used to socialising again. It sounds obvious as well as horrible for anyone who has it but there's no magic, you basically have to rewrite your thought patterns in challenging social situations if you want to lessen the anxiety over time. As with anything the longer you go without doing it the more severe it's going to get, I can almost bring it on myself if I spend a week in the house if I don't need to be in work that week and have no social activities planned, it's a skill essentially that needs to be honed.
 
G18241 said:
Got back from GP a while ago and have been prescribed Sertraline, going back in 2 weeks to see how things are going
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same as me, only issues I had have been insomnia to start with, a violent rage after having a couple of drinks so I've stopped any alcohol and 1 instance where I nearly ended it. Worst one is that my sex drive pretty much disappeared.

I know we can't talk about meds/drugs but be honest with anyone around you about it, initially, it can kick you in the nuts but it soon settles down. :)

I am back at the doctors on Monday, got to see about coming off them because the wife wants to try for a baby. With these and my sulfasalazine, it's going to be a rough ride. Next step is the BPD and trying to get some help with that.
 
AHarvey said:
same as me, only issues I had have been insomnia to start with, a violent rage after having a couple of drinks so I've stopped any alcohol and 1 instance where I nearly ended it. Worst one is that my sex drive pretty much disappeared.

I know we can't talk about meds/drugs but be honest with anyone around you about it, initially, it can kick you in the nuts but it soon settles down. :)

I am back at the doctors on Monday, got to see about coming off them because the wife wants to try for a baby. With these and my sulfasalazine, it's going to be a rough ride. Next step is the BPD and trying to get some help with that.
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We are also trying again for a baby so anything in that department i will be asking to try something else instead.

Shall see how we go...we have a big party saturday so will be careful with drink but my anxiety will be high anyway as i will know no one there
 
dowie said:
but you're both talking about them anyway... come on guys, would be good if the thread stayed open, why not just not mention drugs by name and not talk about specific side effects etc.. :)
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it's a fine line, meds are a part of the process. I'm not giving advice on them, I'm talking from personal experience. I'm not telling anyone to take anything or to avoid taking anything. it's usually the starter drug most people start on. I can talk about feeling so down I have taken a razor to myself several times, I can talk about the day my wife was away and I packed both my kids off to my mother in laws and said goodbye to them because I was ready to end it, because I was feeling so lost I couldn't see a way forward. That if I hadn't fallen asleep on my bed before I slit my wrists I wouldn't be here to talk about it. But I can't talk about my side effects on drugs.

by all means, the mods can remove my posts if it's of concern to anyone, I've not given medical advice, just my own experiences. :)
 
AHarvey said:
it's a fine line, meds are a part of the process. I'm not giving advice on them, I'm talking from personal experience. I'm not telling anyone to take anything or to avoid taking anything. it's usually the starter drug most people start on. I can talk about feeling so down I have taken a razor to myself several times, I can talk about the day my wife was away and I packed both my kids off to my mother in laws and said goodbye to them because I was ready to end it, because I was feeling so lost I couldn't see a way forward. That if I hadn't fallen asleep on my bed before I slit my wrists I wouldn't be here to talk about it. But I can't talk about my side effects on drugs.

by all means, the mods can remove my posts if it's of concern to anyone, I've not given medical advice, just my own experiences. :)
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As horrible as it sounds it's good to know I'm not the only one. I'm glad you fell asleep!

I do think this is a great thread. I never visit other forums for it as I find them so miserable and wallowing at times. There is humour and honesty in here.
 
TheMeekon said:
As horrible as it sounds it's good to know I'm not the only one. I'm glad you fell asleep!

I do think this is a great thread. I never visit other forums for it as I find them so miserable and wallowing at times. There is humour and honesty in here.
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I think that's the problem, people aren't always honest, they hide away things they are ashamed of because they worry about being judged. My wife was the same when I started being open about it all, worried what people would think, that I was depressed because I wasn't happy with my life with her and the kids. It took some time to get her to understand that the depression wasn't me, it wasn't because I was unhappy with my life, it's a chemical imbalance in my head. If someone has a broken leg you don't think they have it because they dislike walking. :)

I've also said that anyone that would judge me because of being ill isn't worth having in my life. I've not had any issues with anyone, in fact, more people have opened up to me about their own issues with mental health. It's a massive issue in society but it's one people aren't comfortable talking about. I am not sure if it's always biological or whether it's environmental in some cases as well, I know I'm happiest when staying in a yurt in the middle of the woods with no electricity or internet access :)
 
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