I can't get off the COUCH!!

hey intruder...I can relate to the lack of motivation and the ole'couch sucking you in all the time ....although I have not lost my job...I hate it and am only here because of my family ...I have no motivation to do anything here at work and when I go home even less usually eat and lay down or go to sleep../.I drag myself out of bed everyday because I have to ,i tell myself to that today is a new day and things will be better at work...never happens but I try to give a little optimism to myself everyday...I have to make myself get up and go or I to will get very depressed and not do squat...I recently pulled myself out of one of those states by forcing myself to do things it usually works for me ...start small by sitting in a different chair,try an uncomfortable wooden one......
good luck getting out of your couch and welcome to HW
J

James, Thanks for the response. I just got back from a counselor I've seen for a few weeks now. One suggestion she gave was about the negative self-talk that usually goes with the "sittin'" problem. I really feel there's a force of some kind that would love nothing better than to see me sit and sit and fail and fail. It's something I haven't had much success fighting, especially when I'm depressed. It could even be me just bashing myself around. But the suggestion was to journal (as is often suggested with depression) what the thoughts were really saying to me and what, if anything, I said to fight them off. I'll try to do this and see if we can come up with some cognative re-structuring of some kind. Who knows? But this can't goon much longer and I have to do something. We'll see. Thanks again for the response.

I have had many of these depressive episodes, and they are not fun at all..I hate this disease! Right now, I am on Remeron and doing okay, but I still tend to get depressed around this time of year..with the holidays and shorter days. A friend recently told me that I live in fear, instead of faith. I constantly worry about money, having to have my Dad help me, I worry about the depression coming back..I wish I could just have fun and live in the moment and in joy as I did when I was a kid. I know what you mean about being on the couch..when I am in a depressive episode, I am on the couch all day and barely eat anything all day except toast and I barely manage to make some soup or a TV dinner, and that's usually about it.

I go to church when I can motivate myself, but these days it seems hard, as I also suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I usually sleep (since I am not working right now) from about 2pm to about 4pm, and I don't do this in the spring or summer months..if I do lie down, it is usually for about 30-45 minutes..then I go for walks, etc afterwards. I barely do anything in the fall and winter months because of the shorter days. After I take the (long) nap, I then get on the computer..because it is almost dark out and I can't motivate myself to go for a walk, even though it would probably lift my spirits. Do you think part of the problem you have might be related to the shorter days? There is a special light therapy box that is supposed to help a lot - once I start working again and find a job..I am going to buy one. I am going to try to get a prescription from my Doctor so I can be reimbursed from my insurance company. I hope you are feeling better soon. I don't think it is sloth..just part of the disease that can't be "snapped out of".

Intruder 212,

Sorry to hear you're going through such a tough time. Out of curiosity, what line of work do you do? Have you made a plan on what companies you might want to work for? You can do that from the couch.

The couch of course is "the easy thing to do." I've found that when I'm depressed, I take small steps toward a goal and it doesn't matter how small they are. First step can be as small as hanging leg off of couch, to turning over to put myself in a position to get off couch, to sitting up, to standing up. This is followed by I'm just going to shave and shower. Followed by I'm just going to get dressed. Well you get the picture.

Finally, suppose someone you cared about was going through the same thing. Imagine you're in the room with them while they are lying on the couch. You know they have things that have to be done. What do you say to them? How can you help them? How can they help themselves?

All the best.

Ed 

Hello Intruder212,

Now that it's 11 years later, I wonder how you faired? Being stuck on the couch is constant through the ages. Did you have any advice to share, looking back??

Jane

Intruder212 said...
Can sloth be termainal? I'm afraid it may be in my case. I'm in what's known as a major depressive episode, which most of you are probably familiar with. I lost a job in October, but was given enough severence to last a few months, thank God. But instead of looking for or accepting another job that I may not want, I'm seemingly unable to get my A** off the couch. Extreme lack of motivation, even with the horrible sense of guilt that comes with it, has overtaken me. I have family suport (from another state) and friends that I can call when I need to talk to somebody..but even with those blessings I'm unable to get myself going, even in the face of personal and financial oblivion. What is wrong? It's becoming really scary..but of course, this feels like whining. The obvious answer would seem to be "just buck-up and get going." But it feels like an impossibility. How is it possible to lose the will to even help myself? Good God! I'm taking Lexipro, since Paxil stopped working about he same time I was laid off. Not working, but that may be the job situation. Don't know if it's the chicken or the egg. I know I HAVE to get going, but feel as if I'm being strongly pulled back to the couch every time I try and my ability to resist is crap! Anyone have experience with this? What did you do? I'm praying a lot, too. No solutions yet..so maybe the buck-up thing is all I can hope for. or all that is really available in the end.

You tagged onto a very old thread, so I started you a new one. I am locking this one as it is so old...

Welcome to the forum Dark hole. Please find your new thread. It should be close to the top of the thread listings...

Hugs, Karen...