Turns our it is natural. who knew.

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stillwaters
Posts: 60
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 1:26 pm

Turns our it is natural. who knew.

Postby stillwaters » Thu Jan 10, 2013 3:40 pm

In the past 3 years I have struggled with ptsd, depression and anxiety and in addition to my M.D. have now seen 4 therapists and 1 Psychiatrist. In the most recent past, I have been on antidepressants since last February and switched variety in September when pristiq stopped working. I am also taking lyrica as an anti anxiety med as of Sept. I was on Pristic with some succes from January to September of 2011.
I have not worked since September 2012 as I suffered an emotional meltdown. Brought on by the antideressant not working and my self medding with vodka. Doc increased the doseage of pristiq and thats when I had major problems and anxiety started.
As the meds and the illness both affect my ability to concentrate and comprehend, I do not want to blame anyone else but until yesterday I was under a false impression about depression. I understand I have a chemical imbalance in my brain, a fact that was extremly hard for my brain to accept at first. I believed it was this chemical imbalance that caused the depression and I also did not think it had ever been explained to me as to why I had a chemical imbalance. I was told I was not crazy and that I had done nothing wrong, it was just my bad luck. Consequenly while trying to answer the question why me? I could only think maybe genetic brain problem, too much alcohol or drug use in past. Prior to the onset of depression the first time, I had been exposed to 2 years of very high stress in my personal as well as business life, interspersed by several very traumatic events. I thought I was cured after 8 month of taking pristiq in 2011 but in Janaury of 2012 I had a relapse and went back on meds.
Although I have been studying and using Cognative Behavioral Therapy for the last few months now, while I try to think and remain positive, I was starting to feel stuck and not making any further progress. I did not want to believe this is how I will be the rest of my life and was even starting to think the CBT was just useless propeganda I was feeding myself and that my positive attitude was a false front.
Yesterday I met with my new therapist for the second time and had what I have to consider an epiphany. He explained to me that depression is a natural defence mechanism the body will engage when a person becomes emotionally depleated. It will make your mind shut down as a coping defence rather than try to endure more stress. Also your body regularly produces and regulates chemicals like adrenaline, dopemine, serotonin and endorphines. The chemical production can be altered by exposure to high stress situations and major traumas. These chemical changes then affect your brains ability to function properly and worsen the depression and anxiety.
The key thing to me in this explanation and which I was oblivios of, is that it is a NATURAL occurence. I know millions of people suffer with depression but my mind (and perhaps most people with depressions minds) wants to know what is wrong with it and cant focus much beyond itself. I am having a hard time putting this thought into words but knowing that it is a natural occurence makes me know that it is something than can be overcome and has given me renewed vigour to battle it.
Maybe this view of depression is obvious to everyone else and for some reason just eluded me but it makes such sence now. I just wanted to share this information in the event there are any other people that feel stuck and had not had this explanation before.
Good luck to all who travel this road.

metaLarsllica
Posts: 3241
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 12:50 pm
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Postby metaLarsllica » Thu Jan 10, 2013 8:32 pm

(((( Stillwaters ))))

He explained to me that depression is a natural defence mechanism the body will engage when a person becomes emotionally depleated. It will make your mind shut down as a coping defence rather than try to endure more stress.

This makes so much sense to me. I have been told that my depression worsens and my suicidal ideation kicks in, when I have been emotionally depleted. I have been working on learning new coping skills. I hope you will continue to do the same. Your post really re assured me that some of the stuff I have been learning about my depressive disorder is accurate. I say "worsens" as I will always have some form of depression as I am bipolar 2.

mktaphr
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:48 pm

Postby mktaphr » Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:08 pm

I recently read a book that helped me a lot with my depression. I think the main point of it was really helpful. That the sufferer should first and foremost seek help and then take an active approach to make sure that they are healing along with finding a partner to help them on their journey. Also, it kind of opened my eyes to the different foods that can really worsen people's depression because of the different chemicals in the foods and how they can affect you. I know it doesn't seem like it but what I've discovered is that the little things all add up and can have a big impact on the way you feel. The name of the book was "you can cure your depression" by the way. It's all about how to cure depression naturally withough using anti-depressants.


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