Going through a rough patch right now
I get bouts of anxiety and depression. Luckily, I don’t get them regularly but between six and nine months I get hit with it.
When it comes in, it comes in pretty hard.
I get a period of anxiety for a few days. I can’t sleep, I worry about insane outcomes to situations.
Then this is followed by a period of depression. And I have zero energy and can barely move.
I consider myself very fortunate in that I don’t get this regularly. But I think the negative of that is that I feel totally unprepared for when it arrives.
I am going through this now.
As I have become more self aware of what the conditions and symptoms are, I know I am coming out of this cycle.
I have very little energy plus it is raining heavily where am which doesn’t help, but I know I am on the way out of it.
Then I can get back into doing exercise and being productive.
I just wanted to write this out and post it on the forum as I find it therapeutic to do it.
For those of you that have to deal with this stuff regularly, my heart goes out to you.
It is really very difficult to endure.
@gregariousBunny4035 Hi bunny, Welcome to 7cups. I am sorry to hear that you experience bouts of anxiety and depression, though fortunately not regularly. It sounds difficult to cope with these intense emotions and lack of energy when they do come on, even if they are temporary. I can understand feeling unprepared when they hit, and it makes sense that expressing your experiences would feel therapeutic. It's good that you recognize the symptoms and know you are starting to feel better. Please know that you're not alone. We are all here with you to listen to and support. you can join us in the Depression Group Chat to share more as well.
@ASilentObserver
Many thanks for your kind words and support.
I will join the depression group. I am still trying to find my way around the 7cups site. It's a bit of a learning process.
@gregariousBunny4035
hi am sorry about how you feel, same feeling goes for me, am new to 7 cups, and learning how to make use of it. it's also raining heavily here and it's not helping matters for me, raining season is my worst weather. I hope and pray we both find the support and help we need here.🙏
@SullyAnn9
The rain doesn't help...
But on a positive note I can certainly feel that I am coming out of the slump. I hope you are too.
For years, I didn't want to talk to anyone about what was going on in my head. Instead I drank the blues away or just kept silent about all of it.
I was ashamed of feeling like this.
But now I see the value of talking about it. Just typing these messages gives me a sense of relief.
Same
Are there physical symptoms as well? If you can really tell that an episode is coming, you might try going to a doctor for general bloodwork. Hormones, vitamins and brain chemicals can all so weird things. Hoping that you are feeling better now. @gregariousBunny4035
@bestVase7265
I do have physical symptoms.
Such as:
- headaches
- insomnia
- aching muscles in shoulders, neck and back
The thing is, if I do more exercise, these symptoms often are alleviated. I live near a very high hill - just behind my house - and if I walk up that three or four times a week, then I find that things are often on a better course.
The problem is that once the anxiety and depression comes in I really don't feel like doing anything too strenuous. I tried to walk up the big hill one time while having a downward turn and I could barely get up the hill after 15 minutes.
I also like to do kettlebell exercises and I find this really helps too. Just the combination of moving and lifting the heavy weights works very well for me.
But again, trying to do these things will under the black cloud is next to impossible.
Going to see a doctor about this is a bit tricky for me as I live in China. And going to see a doctor about any kind of mental health issues is still pretty much a taboo subject.
I pretty much have to deal with this on my own and with the help of my wife and people I can talk to on 7cups.
Which doesn't really seem such a bad thing at all. I would prefer to learn skills and exercises that I can do by myself in order to overcome the bouts of anxiety and depression.
It sounds like you are doing an excellent job controlling everything then.
I think one of the keys is realizing when you are depressed and anxious that resting is okay for a little bit. When you beat yourself up for not being able to do your normal tasks, then you just increase all the mental health concerns. It becomes a vicious circle.
@gregariousBunny4035
@bestVase7265
Yes, I think sometimes when the going is rough, it is best just to stop and take a rest. Get in a better frame of mind then start again.
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate it.
I hope that you had a good day today. @gregariousBunny4035
@bestVase7265
Thank you, it's getting better.
This episode that hit me this time is pretty severe. But I can feel things getting a little better.
I am just glad that I only get these every six to nine months. It's uncomfortable to have it, but the rest of the time, I am reasonably ok. This one hit pretty hard though.
There are many people in the world where this is a daily occurrence. I cannot imagine having to deal with this stuff every day. It must be a living ***.
I am against the idea of medication personally, but I think if this were a regular thing, I would have no choice but to take meds.
I know two guys personally, whose lives I thought seemed very happy and fulfilled. One is married with two kids, has a very successful career and has a beautiful house, two very nice cars.
I found out he has been on anti-depressants for years.
The other guy is self employed. Again, very successful. Beautiful woman in his life. He owns a boat!
Been on meds for years.
This condition or disease or illness, whatever we may call it, it hits everyone.
So, for me, I should be grateful that most of my good days, I am bouncing around like Tigger. I am in good spirits.
I just have to get through this wave of it. And I will.
Thanks for your encouragement. It's very kind of you.
So glad to hear that you are feeling a bit better.
Yes, depression can literally hit anyone. It is interesting how it treats everyone differently too. For me it has been more really long periods (like 3-5 years) and then I come out of it for much longer (sometimes a decade or two). My last one was also pretty bad, but I am better now.
I still keep on here and do therapy for maintenance. The only meds I need are to sleep. @gregariousBunny4035
You learn a great deal about yourself. I think that I am much stronger than I was before. Yes, I wouldn't want to relive it, but I also know that I wouldn't want to go back to the way I was before it either. I am much more compassionate now and I can see people in pain. That is a gift. @gregariousBunny4035
Hi Bunny just wanted to share my experience. I have been dealing with depression for over 20 years. My last battle was about 3 months ago and it hit me pretty hard so I decided to see a psychologist for the first time in about 7 years. It helped me a lot. He discussed how anxiety and depression actually work and he also suggested for me to read 2 books. The 10 Best Ever Anxiety Management Techniques and Feeling Good. They discuss not only coping skills but talk about how the brain works in regards to anxiety and depression. I really liked the books and I am still reading them. I am not a huge fitness guy but for the last 3 months or so I take a walk in my hilly neighborhood and I also jog a little bit to get my heart rate up. This helps me tremendously. I usually do it on my lunch break because I work close to home. I am also on an anti depressant which is 20 mg of Lexapro and when I go through my anxiety/depression episodes I will take Klonopin. There is hope and you will be ok. Trust me.
@CDK1972
This is very encouraging to read. And many thanks for the book recommendations. I have made a note of these and I will certainly read them in the future.
I am always on the lookout for new things to read about anxiety or depression.
Doing exercise really works well for me. I have never been a sporty kind of person. I never liked football or any other sport growing up as a kid.
But I got into my own exercise routine and I just like it.
Thanks for all your advice. I really appreciate it.
Best wishes to you.