I decided to sign up here after 7/8 year struggle of not really getting anywhere with the NHS services, constantly being re-referred and on different types of meds. I suffer with depression and anxiety, and have periods of time where I just can't leave the house/see anyone, and at the moment it is all becoming too much. I have had several suicide attempts this year and am feeling so low knowing that the doctor won't refer me to the adult mental health services, and I have to keep travelling a two hour journey to see my psychiatrist.
I've now had a relationship breakdown and had to move back into my grandparents home, looking for a job and basically a new life and it's a lot to deal with. I'm on 45mg of Mirtazapine after trying Dizaepam, setraline and amytriptyline and I just feel constantly exhausted.
Have any of you got any suggestions for helping increase my energy levels so I can just get through the days? And also ways of coping when you feel like you have no support?
Thanks in advance guys I appreciate anything or just knowing that there are people out there x
I've battled depression and anxiety all my life. It only really became debilitating 2.5 years ago.
I struggled with the constant tiredness. I wasn't eating. Distanced myself from friends and family. Couldn't sleep but sooooo tired all the time.
I had to register with a local doctors. The Gp I got made all the difference. I ended up being referred to the adult mental Heath team. Slowly they identified where to place the help. I don't know your health region but it's all very hit and miss. As with Gps.
I think the thing with me was very slowly and I mean slowly I'd go for a walk. I still worked. Just. But it was a motivation for me. I started eating better food. Now I must add I don't cook. So it was chicken ham out of packets. Rice , soup that sort of thing.
Slowly my energy stopped falling. I walked a bit further. Because I wanted to.
I have had a marriage breakdown. Friendships disappear. Some days I still don't want to be here and like you I have had failed attempts. And breakdowns.
I think what I'm really trying to say is. Life's crap. It's hard. It's lonely. And unfair. If I really didn't want to be here why did I fail in my attempts.?? I'm a work in progress. And it's all really small baby steps. Good Gp. And a good mental health team.
I'm a man. I have never listened to advice. But god knows I do now. Like the horse being lead to water. You can't make it drink. But by god when it wants to. You can't stop it. It's when we are ready. We listen.
Thank you so much for your reply it really means a lot that you're in a similar position, similar feelings, and that you are still here today and still going. It really does help just knowing that there are other people feeling and going through this too and are still getting by. Take care xx
I too suffer with the same and have done for many years, you are so young to be saying you have had a few suicide attempts, bless you, I'm so shocked that you haven't been reffered to adult mental health though they are still treating you like a minor, doesn't that make you feel they aren't taking you seriously, doesn't make sense. You shouldn't have to travel 2 hours to see your psychiatrist either, I feel for you. Is there no one closer you can go to for help? I have been on Mirtazapine and it made me feel so tired, side affects where too much for me so I didn't want them. I am on Venlafaxine and Lamotragine which are ok for now, im on a level where I can cope. You have been suffering for too long, not good, can you get a second opinion from another health professional, how about a crisis team, look it up and get in contact, hope you will be ok x
Hello, thank you so much for your reply I really appreciate you taking the time to. I am relieved in a way (but it also sucks) that it could be the meds just making me so exhausted and hopefully I can change them again as I've previously been prescribed Diazepam and I think I need something that's going to do the opposite? Just so I'm not exhausted. I'm sorry to hear about your position and situation but I am glad your meds are helping and will look at getting in contact with a crisis team again. Thank you again, I really do appreciate it x
Hello Jessica, You've certainly got quite enough on your plate to deal with at the moment. First let me say in my opinion you are not missing a lot with NHS services. They mean well and do the best they can, so full credit to them but in dealing with depression and anxiety they know and understand little. In my 40 years experience of depression despite my having IMO good GPs and a reasonable psychiatrist, current medical help available falls so far short of what we need that it almost might as well not exist.
I do appreciate what little help they can give but have no illusions about its ineffectiveness.
The good news is that we are out here for you and like you are surviving, and will continue to survive, as I hope you will. We're not deliriously happy but understand that there's no rule in life that says we're entitled to this all the time. Happy spells come and go and we like you, make the most of them. You sound young and there's further good news in that the medical situation will improve dramatically for you and the rest of us in the next 10-15 years , maybe if we're lucky a bit earlier. Its a long story but I believe it will, for reasons too long for this reply. I'm pretty old and have put up with this for about 40 years but if the medical break throughs I expect to happen come about you won't have to wait anywhere near that long.
So hang in there, its difficult for all of us. Forget the suicide attempts . If you succeed there's no way you'll get better and if you keep failing there's a good chance you'll be in worse shape. Just be brave like the rest of us, live healthily , force yourself to take all the exercise you can ,even when exhausted , and I can promise you better times will come. How does one cope with no support ? Well all you can do is to remember there is little support that can help except the support you find in your own strength and courage. Just get bloody minded and make up your mind its not going to beat you.
Thank you so much for your reply it really means a lot to me, and I am so sorry you have had to suffer with this for so long. I completely agree I know it's me that has to do it / find a way but is reassuring to know that other people are going through the same thing and it's so nice there is support here, I am just so happy I found this website! x
Just saying hi. I also have chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosed approx a year ago. Could your meds be making you more tired? Speak to the doctor and psychiatrist?
Thanks for you reply, I never thought to even say this to the doctor as I just thought I was mentally exhausted from everything so I definitely will do. I am sorry for what you're going through and I hope you are coping okay, this website is literally the best thing I have found x
I've only recently suffered with PTSD, anxiety and depression following a motorbike crash but yeah it all hit me in one go. I stopped going to the gym. I had to stay in bed for 2 weeks due to an injury but after that injury was healed I just continued staying in bed after being signed off work long term.
I've tried today to force myself to do home workouts as I was pretty well built before all this and now I am like a twig and after multiple tests the doctors confirmed it was my mental health conditions causing this.
I am taking Amitriptyline. Its stopped the panic attacks being so bad but not done much else. Still get them daily.
Suggestions wise if I am honest it seems like you have just gotta force yourself. I was asking the same questions a couple days back.
If you ever feel down, dont hesitate to send me or others a direct message on here. Were all happy to help (Y)
i dont know what area you live but if you have read my posts you will know i to have been through hell and back and sometimes still there.
the drugs can do awful things to you as i and u have found out.
have you heard of italk if not look it up on google under mental health.
i had never heard of it before but my docs been an absolute god send he referred me
its quite a chore and wait to get on the prog but its helped me no end
the councillor i have been seeing every week for the last 6 months is really so
good at what she does for me,i was a bit sceptical at first and treated her at first
with the same disdain as i do others.
im lucky that my doc and rheumatoid consultant recognised polyarthrylgia and polymyalgia when they see it,which is more than the dwp did ,i had to fight tooth and nail to get personal independence payments,in the end the doc and my consultant were so incensed on them turning me down and generally saying its not recognised not in there criteria was what i was told,that they both came to the appeal court with me after nine months of fighting them
they agreed to award it. im alot older than you and you seem so young to be going through all of your probs,i know age has no boundaries on health,i do feel for you,i to thought i had a supportive wife and family ,until i read the small print on the marriage certificate the bit that says in sickness and in health or when your partners health becomes to much for you to bear,just go find someone else and leave em to it and take the kids with you .that almost drove me to the end of my tether ,but when you read some of the heartbreaking stories on sites like this and you comment and people try to help you move on,all of a sudden your probs dont seem so big as what others are going through,although you will never ever meet any of those on here,there are so many that feel for you and me and everyone else and that helps enormously ,all of a sudden your not alone anymore.
im on fentanyl patches which are prob more powerful than morphine and heroin put together do the dwp think you want to be on all these drugs,what im trying to say is tomorrow is another day ,embrace all the help you can get ,there are some wonderful people out there that really wanna help you,all you have to do is push to find em,cause they wont come to you my love,ive survived so much such as cancer/depression/broken every bone in my body/severe arthritis/polymyalgia,am i angry OF COURSE I AM ,lol but we wouldnt want anyone out there to think they are on there own trying to fight there own battle ,would we ???? take care my lovely and embrace all the help you need.
Hope this makes some sense,cause ive just taken all my meds i need loool
You need and are entitled to far more NHS support than you seem to be currently getting. Even if your GP can't do too much for you (although I'm not clear why they won't refer you to mental health team), you really need that knowledge that they are on your side and prepared to fight your corner. I wonder if you can use the move to your grandparents as an opportunity to change GP? And get the new GP to review your meds which might well be contributing to your exhaustion.
Hang on in there, it WILL get better. And remember there's loads of support on this forum whenever you need it.
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Pregnant and the guy has gone 
Hi guys, thought this might be at least a little helpful for some of you, hope it brings you something of what it brought me. 
8 weeks on sertraline
Life long depression 
