Feeling Depressed and not coping.

Hi

I seem to be stuck in the grip of depression at the moment and not coping with it to well. I am on an extended holiday at the moment which i took as I thought it would be a good idea to get away from things as I had a tough year last year and thought it would be a good way to deal with things. I am in the French alps and doing lots of skiing which i have been enjoying but my depression is not getting any better and every thing seems to be a struggle as i have really bad sleeping problems so I am always feeling really tired. It is annoying and frustrating that I cant seem to manage things mentally, I also have GAD and my anxiety is causing me problems. I do take medication, 150mg Effexor and 20mg Temazepam I have had no success with antidepressants and wish I could find something which would work for me, I am due to have CBT when I get back to the UK at the end of March which I hope will be a positive thing for me to do. I got some bad news before christmas and found out that my Dad has suspected Parkinsons Disease and we are just waiting for some tests to come back I am really worried and concerned for my Dad he has been a real source of strength to me over the last few years as has my mum. I really want to improve things mentally for me this year as its becoming a real strain on my life I am not helping things at the moment as unfortunately I have started drinking again which I know is not good and something I must sort out. I did make real progress last year so its frustrating to take a bit of a down turn and it all seems to be getting a bit much at the moment. As I am away from home at the moment I don't have the option to go and see my Doctor or pdoc but as i said CBT is organized for when I get back to the UK. I just wish I could deal with things better and not let things get me down and be able to stop the constant thoughts that go on in my head which in itself is very tiring. Any advice welcome.

Hi Unhappy,

What I'd say would be to try & focus on the positives.  What I do is everyday I write one thing down that is positive for that day.  Sometimes Its so hard to think of something, but you can always come up with 1 thing, even if its just the weather or something that has made you smile.

Give it a go, I think it helps

Hi All

Thanks for you reply's when I get back I will talk to pdoc regarding medication. I just seem to be down about every thing at the moment I try to be positive and put on a brave face but inside im hurting Kitt you are right I think I am feeling more depressed at the moment being away which is really frustrating. Im not looking forward to going back to the UK as I am not happy in the job I am in and had a falling out with the managers last year regarding sick leave, I want to find a new job but with the current climate in the UK that is going to be hard which is depressing. I just want to get better im sick of feeling depressed or anxious all the time I think CBT will be good for me as I had CAT last year and I did make a lot of progress my problem is keeping things going after the therapy finishes as i tend to let things get on top of me and I do know its down to me to make the therapy work. Confusedli I like your idea of a positive for each day and can see how that would help so I will give that a go.

Karen, Confusedli, Kitt Thank You.


Ben

Hi Karen

CAT stands for Cognitive Analytic Therapy, This therapy is similar to CBT but looks more at the causes and how your anxiety/depression started and it runs for a longer period I had 27 sessions I found it helpful to look back at things and figure out why I feel the way I do. Hopefully CBT will be good for me and I really do hope I can get myself back on track. I think I need to learn how to deal with things better as i am so sensitive to every thing and have a tendency to beat myself up over things which have happened in my life new and old.

Thanks

Ben

Kitt

I will check out the moodgym site, my therapist also gave me some handouts about CBT and I have brought those with me to read through, thanks Kitt for your continued support.

Ben

Ben,

That is where we have to learn to control our emotions. Your friend might not have even realized that they critisized you. You spent the whole day depressed just because of what somebody said. I think we all need to learn not to let that effect our moods. The moodgym is a great site. Best wishes.

Hugs, Karen