Having a hard time : Will the symptoms... - Anxiety and Depre...

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Having a hard time

Desperado91 profile image
17 Replies

Will the symptoms of depression ever go away? I'm having a hard time keeping my sanity already.

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Desperado91 profile image
Desperado91
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17 Replies
IncognitoC profile image
IncognitoC

With the correct treatment and time symptoms of depression should go away, depending upon the circumstances of your depression will usually dictate how you approach the treatment. Keep reaching out and make sure you follow everything that advisors tell you and in time you’ll be better

sabres4love profile image
sabres4love

That is a perfect way to describe it! We will never be able to completely get rid of it, but need to be able to "manage" it the best we can. Is about trying to minimize the bad days/moments, which for me, has been a huge struggle of late. I also feel the impatience and just want to start making progress again!

Desperado91 profile image
Desperado91 in reply tosabres4love

Yes, relapse is always a possibility.

sabres4love profile image
sabres4love

Believe me, I feel the exact same way. I just want to feel "normal" again, but the harder I push, the worse it seems. I have a hard time stopping my mind from constantly thinking about it.

Beevee profile image
Beevee in reply tosabres4love

Don't try to stop anything. Accept that you ard constantly thinking about it. It was at the forefront of my mind for a long time, fro dawn to dusk. It like having someone constantly screaming in my face. The key is to let your anxiety sit there and let it do what it wants to do and resist none of it. You cannot stop those anxious thoughts popping into your head...because you have anxiety.

You can, however, choose how you react to them. Accept all the symptoms of anxiety instead of trying fight, avoid, suppress , deliberately distract yourself from them [e.g. I must jog for 20 miles because it will get rid of the symptoms temporarily].

I imagined my anxiety to be an old wooden barrel full of water [other drinks are available 🤣] with a tap at the bottom, naturally. The goal was to empty that barrel by accepting my anxiety. The more I accepted it all, the quicker the water flowed out the barrel.

However, there was a catch. If I tried to avoid, suppress or deliberately distract myself to stop feeling anxious or experience any other symptom, some horrible blighter would turn off the tap and pour more water in the barrel.

sabres4love profile image
sabres4love in reply toBeevee

I agree with everything you said. My biggest issue is accepting what is bothering me as the anxiety and not something else. My symptom will trigger me and get me thinking it is the worst possible outcome. Then it just takes over my day. What do you suggest to do to react to when I am having a "moment?"

Beevee profile image
Beevee in reply tosabres4love

The long and short of it is to accept it all, willingly.Accept that you will be triggered, accept that it will feel very scary, accept that you will fall for it, accept that you will think of the worst possible outcome. Accept all symptoms of anxiety, the thoughts, the feelings, the lot!

The whole point of acceptance is to allow all the symptoms to do their worst and do absolutely nothing to challenge it, in simple terms,, acceptance creates the space for for your battered nerves caused by non-acceptance [and the resaon for anxiety being present] ] to desensitise and heal.

in reply toBeevee

This is a an impossible concept (or state of mind) for some people to understand. I get it because it worked for me after 30 years of struggling. It doesn’t mean you’re perfect, just means you no longer let anxiety control your life. I not going to talk about acceptance here anymore. It appears to be a moot point.

Beevee profile image
Beevee in reply to

It does seem that way. I didnt get it either at first but persevered with the help of others who were practising acceptance too. And when I say acceptance, I mean total and utter surrender to the symptoms and letting them all go. No half baked measures or through gritted teeth, wishing it would all go away.

If people want to know more they can look up Dr Claire Weekes.

Beevee profile image
Beevee

If you lose your fear or intense dislike of the symptoms, it won't lurk in the shadows and you won't need to work hard to keep it at bay because true acceptance kills it off.

bonkers65 profile image
bonkers65 in reply toBeevee

I don't think I'll ever lose my dislike of the symptoms. I've accepted my anxiety but I don't think I'll ever not care that I have it. Kinda like a headache - wish I didn't have it. Even if it's on a subconscience level.

bethelbee profile image
bethelbee in reply toBeevee

True acceptance does not 'kill it off' as you say. I don't know where you get your information. I have been dealing with depression and anxiety for decades, am in my 60's, and have always accepted that it is a part of my life, whether it is 'active' or not. It is a matter of managing the illness.

Beevee profile image
Beevee

If you are referring to managing stress or other things that trigger anxiety/depression then yes, I agree wholeheartedly 😊 If your only issue is struggling with the symptoms of anxiety/depression (you fear the feelings of fear) acceptance works. By acceptance I mean a change in attitude towards the symptoms so that you are ok about not feeling ok,as opposed to fighting to stay in control or keeping it all at bay.

I get what you’re saying and for the better part of 30 years I would have agreed with you 100%. I think it depends on the situation. I did not have depression, bipolar, ADHD, schizophrenia, etc but I did suffer paralyzing anxiety and took medication for years. Have you ever been around someone who worried and panicked for seemingly no reason? Someone who you may have said “Why are you so worried or anxious?” You knew deep down their fears were unfounded and lying to them (because you were on the outside looking it) but nothing you could say would change that because they believed that fear! I got tired of living that way. I decided to take a chance on the real me and drop the steel armor. What’s the worst that could happen? I would freak out and die? Be completely vulnerable to my demons? Yes, Absolutely. There was a high probability of both of those things happening (in my mind) but I didn’t care. I was DONE. Kill me or set me free was my attitude. I got mad at myself for living in fear and anxiety. Once I got mad, I got motivated. I no longer cared about it. Turned my back and walked away. My not caring took the power away from it. Slowly the anxiety and fear stopped showing up. It no longer liked me because I didn’t give it any attention. It was an illusion. I proved to be the bigger person in my relationship with anxiety but it took years for me to figure this out. I’m not sure acceptance is always the right word. It sounds so fundamental. Psychiatrist called it Radical Acceptance, it’s done in CBT Therapy. Years ago a therapist told me that anxiety comes around to remind us that something in our life is not aligning with our true self. I used to laugh at that concept! After close examination of myself and my life, I now agree wholeheartedly. (Btw, I was only able to understand this concept after ridding my body and mind of mind-numbing antidepressants which only clouded my judgement and perception of myself.) Just my two cents.

Sillysausage234 profile image
Sillysausage234 in reply to

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in reply toSillysausage234

Hahaha it’s not in the schedule sorry :)

Sillysausage234 profile image
Sillysausage234

no one on Hu can answer this post for you desperado ….depends on multiple factors …it would be like the loonies running the asylum ….apologies if anyone is offended by the term loonies .

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