I’m having a really tough time lately. I know that improving your mental health isn’t a steady jog upwards but that there will be some backsliding. However, lately I just feel like I’m not improving and never will.
Anyone else been here? Any tips on how to deal?
Thank you!
Sorry you're having such a tough time Katie.
Please don't think you'll never feel better though. I hope you can ride this out till things do improve.
Is there anything at all you can think of that you can do for distraction? Do you have a park nearby that you can drive to and go for a gentle walk? Do you like photography? Is there a nice cafe or coffee shop you can pop to & treat yourself?
Do you have some soothing music to listen to ? Old favourite songs you can sing along to & dance around? An old film you could watch, something light -hearted ?
Is there a club or class you could join; maybe make some new friends?
Is there anything in particular that you are finding really difficult to cope with at the moment that you could share on here?
Do you belong to a Church or Chapel, if not would you consider giving that a try?
Have you had blood tests to rule out an underlying physical cause - for example an Underactive Thyroid causes depression (also anxiety, fearfulness, panic attacks and phobias). Ask for some Antibodies to be tested including: TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies ) and TgAb (Thyroglobulin Antibodies ). Also get tested for FreeT3, FreeT4, TSH and TotalT4. Ask for some nutrients levels to be tested also - especially Vitamin D, B12, B9 (Folate) and Ferritin and a Full Blood Count.
Thinking of you x ♡
God Bless xXx
It's too bad that anxiety and depression aren't like the flu. Just take some aspirin, sleep it off, and you're good as new. The reality is that it's more like 3 steps forward, and 2 steps backward. It's terrible that we have to go through the same painful steps over and over, but at least you know that the overall trend is up, and by doing what you did the last time it occurred, you'll be back in the sunshine again.
Sorry you’re having a rough time. I’m right there with you. What helps me are healthy distractions, physical movement and music. And sometimes. I’m not motivated enough to do those. It helps to write my thoughts down but not always publicly.
Sure would like to capture that treatment to stop sliding back again and again, and hold on to it to save myself from the negativity of anxiety. I've had 5 days of anxiety attacks on and on and on.
I practice tapping, breathing and anything suggested. Meds all made me sick.
Please share your successes. Everyone is different. If something worked for you maybe it can work for others of us who are seeking a better quality of life.
Katie_512, I feel exactly as you do right now. I feel super stuck and stagnant in my life and my recovery from depression and generalized anxiety disorder. I know too, that progress is a line that generally trends upward, but has its' ups and downs. I am trying to use a skill lately called "opposite action" where you act the exact opposite as to what you are feeling. An example: Don't feel like you can manage a load of laundry? Tackle it and see how it feels. From what I have learned in therapy is that if you act opposite to how you feel, it brings motivation and accomplishment. I personally am still struggling with using this skill on a regular basis, but when I do use it... I do feel slightly better. Best wishes on your recovery and keep posting if you need feedback. Keep in mind that lots of people read posts and relate, but don't always answer.
Please know that just by continuing to go on you are succeeding and improving.
You are winning. With every breath, shower, chore, day spent at work, outing with friends or alone- you are winning. From the smallest accomplishment to the biggest, we are winning.
When I feel lost and hopeless I enjoy re-reading this poem by Maya Angelou:
poetryfoundation.org/poems/...
"Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise"
And still, like dust, we rise.
im sorry to here this, I felt like that for a very long time feeling like it was blow after blow after blow, but then I wrote a list on what to look forward to and goals I have for the future and don't worry about other people, I also wrote how I was going to make each day a little easier, at the end of each day just think positive on how your day went but in a positive way and forget about the negatives. talking to someone really helps maybe like a family member, friend, a group, even on here and sometimes you just need to rant and let it out. but just think how youre feeling cannot go on forever and it wont, I promise you good is coming your way....
wishing you all the luck in the world.....
Sure wish I had the cure for us.
I'm with an HMO Insurance that has a Behavior Health Division. Nowhere else I can go unless I could afford to change health insur. So I do understand what you are saying.
Last night I was considering calling for an Ambulance to get these 5 days of one anxiety attack after another, all day and night out of my life.
Then I backed away from fear of calling and fear of not calling.
Having the first break in the anxiety action right now, so I set out to try to help others on our support group site.
I'm not a religious person so I didn't suggest that I turn over the responsibility to a higher power. If that helps you, go for it.
Anxiety has it's own controls. I don't understand why we have to suffer with quantity of life instead of quality of life. Don't think any of this verbiage is helping any of you. However, I hope it will help me by my desires to help others by sharing what I've learned via 4 yrs. of Talk Therapy and dozens of meds that all made me sick.
Drifting apart from my best friend when you have a mental illness
Anxiety disorder turns mole hills into mountains.
Terrible Day. Terrible Week. 
