horrible morning

I am sorry to hear today has been terrible. Some days start badly and get worse. Have you given some thought to your current emotional state as anxiety?

Look at depression this way. Often,we don't get to the depressed state immediately. It takes time, experience, life choices, to get us to a point where emotions and thoughts get so urgent and upsetting that we have to take action. Some people have faulty wiring (chemical imbalances or heredity), which takes them to the depressed state more quickly.

My point is that poor choices, bad relationships, stressful life experiences,genetics--all of these snowball. If being depressed happens over time from a variety of problems, it takes time and a variety of solutions to manage change.

Medications help with lessening anxiety or activating certain parts of the brain or changing brain chemistry. They are formulated for help lessen depression, and there are undesirable side effects alongside the desired outcomes. Meds do nothing to change the situation,or the depressed person's outlook.

That is where a therapist fits in. In general terms,depressives see the glass as half empty, and focus on the negative emotions and the static state. We see everything as bad. What a therapist does is help you to see things differently. They are objective--and can point out patterns or behavior. They can offer coping mechanisms. They can suggest new ways to reform your thoughts, which may be stuck in reverse, or repeat, or have the safety brake engaged.

To put it bluntly, in order to feel better and help depression recede or manage it effectively, you need to work on yourself, and learn where you are turning wrong, and how to make more positive choices with a more happy outlook. Medication will not do that for you.

My last five years have been awful, but have been slowly getting better over the past year. What I have learned is that I get myself into negative situations by not standing up for myself, by not saying what I feel. Therapy helped me to understand when my boundaries are being crosses, and given me tactics to deal effectively with others. It has helped me forgive myself for bad choices, and to love myself just because. It has helped me to change thought processes due to a childhood in a home with an alcoholic with serious anxiety issues.

Medication takes 6-8 weeks to be effective.

Better today?

Yeah, I've had Xanax before, my GP would give it to me to help with antidepressant start up anxiety - somewhat like what you're going through. :( I'd take them only when I was totally freaking out cuz they made it impossible for me to concentrate at work.

Doesn't it suck that the only place to get urgent care is at Emerg?

Give your Doc one more shot if you can. There's something to be said for continuity of care, especially when it comes to stuff like depression.

And yeah, you have med options, and you will continue to have med options. They just haven't invented anything that works immediately yet.

Hug yourself, SadGirl

Sad

You need to try Controlled breathing.

Slow breath in through the nose count 1 2 3
slow breath out through the mouth count 1 2 3 4

the longer exhale will NATURALLY CALM YOUR BODY

do this at least 5 times in a row. Do it whenever you need to.

Going to the ER is a waste of time. They will not increase your Effexor. I am on it and it MUST be raise slowly. You could become very ill, raising it to quickly!

Coping skills, must be used and a therapist is a great idea.

Peace
Trina

HEY F27

O really, can you add me to FB.. It would be nice to have a friend i can talk to regularly. Claudia Argueta.

I do drive, ill probably take it before bed if anything.

Have you ever tried meds that didnt seem to suit you very well?