New here

[lighthawk]

Hello all,

I registered a short while back, but never got around to posting anything until now.

Um..not really sure what to say in way of introduction, to be honest. I'm 31 and I've suffered from depression for a long time now. Some days it's manageable, and some days (like today) it's pretty much paralysing.

I intend to post in the "Your Story" sub-forum once I feel able to do so, so I'll not get into too much detail here.

Basically just been feeling hopeless recently, like there's nothing to look forward to or strive for. I'm hoping that by becoming a part of this forum, I can contribute in a meaningful way and also take something meaningful from my interactions here.

[hollyann]

hi lighthawk. I'm glad you finally decided to post. And look forward to reading your story when you feel able to share it.

Are you on meds? In therapy? Sometimes setting a goal for yourself, like deciding to go to the movies on a certain date, or some other thing that you like, can help you get something to look forward to, it doesn't matter how simple or how extravagant it is, just its helpful to start small and build up at times.

Looking forward to seeing more from you.

hollyann

[lighthawk]

Hi Hollyann,

Thanks for your post.

I was on meds about five years ago, but I had myself taken off them as I didn't feel they were doing me any good.

I was also attending counselling sessions at the time, but, again, I wasn't impressed with the standard of care I was receiving.

My counsellor would routinely forget to bring her appointment book along to sessions, for example. Overall, I didn't feel that I was valued as an individual.

Since then, I've been exploring things like binaural CDs, NLP, self-improvement books and so on. I've had limited success with them, but I feel I also need to get out there and start living in the world again. Lose my fear of life, as it were.

I like your suggestion, by the way. I've been doing something similar recently. Promising myself some time every day to just switch off and indulge in a favourite show or book.

Edit: I'm Tom, by the way. Just realised I hadn't actually introduced myself properly in the introduction forum.