New Member Seeking Recommendations

[JCPrague]

Hello! I am new here looking for alternative treatments and recommendations.

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome! What issue can we try and help with? Anxiety or depression (or both)?

[JCPrague in reply to Hidden]

I have treatment resistant depression, and I also have anxiety. I have tried many different types of meds over the years. Nothing seems to work any more. It is quite difficult.

[Hidden in reply to JCPrague]

I'm sorry, that's rough. I'm dealing with medication issues myself and it sucks big time!

Have you tried CBT or DBT therapies? Are you currently seeing a therapist?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hello,

minniemouse1234...are you crazy for Disney like myself?

I agree more info needed. I suffer from both as well and just posted this morning pretty much same post.

Thank you for being there for everyone

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

How kind of you to say! Thank you!!

Not a huge fan, but a fan (especially a table one that oscillates😅). What's your favorite character?

[Kat_21]

I recommend meditation. My medications don't always work like they should, and when I get in that dark space, meditation always makes me feel safe. I had my doubts at first, but so far it's helped. I hope this helps. I'm always here if you need someone to talk to.

[Hidden in reply to Kat_21]

I agree with Kat_21. She's been very helpful with me.

So being treatment resistant you've tried medication and therapy and neither has worked?

I try being active when depression hadn't gotten me completely overwhelmed with fatigue and being unable to move...walking, nature, photography, now I'm really into meeting new people as well when covid restrictions lift more. Good luck 🌝

Thank you Kat_21 for being there.

[JCPrague in reply to Kat_21]

Thank you. I do meditation as well. It helps to some extent. Some days are better than others. Medications don't seem to help so much anymore, but I suppose I would be much worse without them.

[Agora1 in reply to JCPrague]

Hi JCPrague, Meditation must be a daily practice and not just when you need it.

I do Meditation and Diaphragmatic Breathing every single day.

As soon as my eyes open in the morning, I go into meditation to prepare for the day.

Midafternoon I take 10 min "me time" and do the same thing.

And at night before bed, I fall asleep to breathing and meditation.

Meditation for me is like having a savings account. We pull from it on a

rainy day and it's always there for us because we've put a little into the

account one day at a time. My best to you in finding what works best. xx

[JCPrague in reply to Agora1]

I do meditate every day. Diaphragmatic breathing may be helpful. I do not do that.

It sounds like you have a routine that is really helping you. That's great!

Thank you very much for your valuable suggestions.

[Agora1 in reply to JCPrague]

Good Luck. Never give up. There is something out there for each of

us that we respond to. However, it does take practice. xx

[Jeff1943]

I don't know much about depression but it has another name. Depletion. We can experience it when we have nervous exhaustion and have lost hope. And we can experience it as the hand maiden to anxiety: we become depressed at the thought of facing another day of high anxiety.

Anxiety has a lot to answer for. It robs us of good jobs, relationships and the ability to develop our true potential to contribute to the common weal of the community in which we live. Clearly anxiety has to go, time to give it its marching orders.

Some anxiety we must expect. But when for some reason we reach anxiety overload our nervous system rebels. The reason for our decline may be over work, toxic relationships, money worry, grief, shame, disappointment and loss. As we reach some sort of break down our nervous system becomes over sensitised.

This expresses itself in various ways. Health anxiety where every pimple becomes a tumour. Every visitation of indigestion becomes heart failure. Every stiff muscle must be MS. Or agoraphobia where anxiety persuades us to remain in the sanctuary of our home to protect us from non existent monsters that stalk the great outdoors. Or derealisation where tired nerves give the false impression that we have withdrawn from the reality of life even though physically we remain.

The tricks anxiety play on us, its power to imitate true physical illness are legion. And we fall for it every time because fear has entered the equation. We become fearful that we will lose our job, lose those we love, lose physical health, even lose our lives. These things release a surfeit of adrenalin, the fear hormone, which empowers fake symptoms of ill health. This causes more fear, more fake symptoms as we enter a merry-go-round of misery.

This we are inclined to fight: isn't that the way to free ourselves. Not with anxiety disorder where fighting causes more stress and tension when our nerves crave less. Instead of fighting we must train ourselves to accept the symptoms of anxiety for the time being, we have to agree to co-exist for the moment.

Acceptance stems the tide of fear on which nervous symptoms thrive.

This then is the first lesson of recovery: we begin to regain our quiet mind by fearlessly accepting the bad feelings and strange thougts. At last there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[JCPrague]

Interesting post by Jeff. Many good points. Thank you for the insights into anxiety.