Mood swings, low moods?!

[Sianlenthall]

Hi everyone. My name is Sian, I've been told by my doctors that I have 'mild depression' I've been having really bad mood swings and have been up and down with being happy and low for the last 6-8 months. I'm 22, healthy,mhave a full time job, a goregous boyfriend, a lovely home together, a lovely family and beautiful friends around me yet I'm feeling like this?! I almost feel selfish. I was recommended counselling but wasn't sure how I felt about this? Unloading everything to someone? But at the same time I think it's unfair my boyfriend has to put up with me on such a low etc.... It's all new to me and don't know what to do. I've put off counselling as I seemed to have picked up and which seemed to me, I balanced out? so I didn't feel the need to have counselling. But after my weekend i feel that I should? Could do with your advice.

Thankyou guys : )

[Hidden]

If your GP has recommended a course of CBT, take it. The waiting times at this time can be upwards of twelve weeks, sad to say. So if you find you are better at that time you can cancel at an earlier date before the sessions start

Mental Health at this time is a poor relation in the NHS and sometimes the GP can look at different ways to arrange treatment from another source if your condition warrants it. Sometimes a private organisation may take on your case to get you in sooner

BOB

[Sianlenthall in reply to Hidden]

Thank-you Bob, I appreciate the reply. I'll look into this, like you said it's sad how long the waiting list is.

[denvajade]

Hi there I am sorry that you feel this way, it is not nice! Can I ask has something in the past or present to make you feel like this? Have you had this in the past? Counselling can be good as you hear yourself talking to the counsellor you may see WHY you feel as you do. Wishing you well.

[Sianlenthall]

Hi denvajade! Thankyou for your reply yes there is a few situations which could have made me feel the way I am from the past? Your right there, Thankyou, hope your well too : )

[ladeda]

Hi sian, sorry you are feeling low, please don't make yourself worse by feeling guilty over it as this could help a downward spiral.

Sometimes you have to accept these bad emotions to be able to let things go. Don't look at the idea of counselling as something you need because your not well, but something that can teach very good coping skills to use in so many different situations in life.

Rather than waiting you can even try using CBT methods yourself, there is so much out their on the subject, either in books on YouTube or blogs, different strategies help different people and it's seeing what strikes the strongest chord for you.

My daughter has been very low just recently because she changed jobs and is so afraid she has made a very bad decision, but just downloading onto someone helped her a lot and just bought her back to enjoying those around her and leaving work at work and see how things go. She has no idea what her future holds, but its so easy to be afraid of it and feel there is no control, or upset with ourselves for making wrong decisions, when who knows what will come our way next.

I am so glad you have friends around and I am sure they are more than happy to give you support, the hard part is after offloading to try and say thanks and lets try to talk something upbeat now? Friends can sometimes feel very helpless because they can often not able to say anything even though they want to help, so even when you don't feel like a change to a more upbeat topic, letting one in can help tremendously not just you but your relationships as well.

Alas life will always be a rollercoaster and what is most important is don't accept depression or low moods as something that will be permanent. It may always come and go, but it will always be the bits in between that allow you to enjoy life doing what you want. Lots of hugs xxx

[Sianlenthall in reply to ladeda]

Thankyou for this reply ladeda, there has been a change of job for me but I couldn't say that was it as I love my job. But my job before hand could've been a trigger to set this whole depression off... Your right I do have lovely friend That offer support but sometimes they don't know what to say, which is fine because I probably wouldn't if I was in there situation? I'll have a try with watching some YouTube videos etc as I'm happy to try anything! I hope your daughter is feeling better my lovely, I really appreciate the message xxx

[My3destiny]

Hi Sian, I am DESTINY (I mean my name haaa) I am very new in fact just posted last night as u did. I've dealt with depression for 20 yrs but I recognize exactly what your saying about having a wonderful husband and home and I have 3 awesome good kids and everyone looks at me as I smile in public they see me as having it all together, but I know what you are going through and others may disagree but the start of depression is suddle ,I mean some people have horrific things that throw them full head on depression, but yours sounds like mine did it slowly creeps up on you and you think , what the heck is wrong with me ? You cant put a finger on why? You hate letting others see it embarrassed and ashamed and like you say u feel a bit selfish. But without trying to scare you I wanna give you a tip I never had.

Sounds like the feeling you are going through are just the start of what can (not necessarily will) turn in to chronic depression BUT you can control this now.... but I have to tell you don't ignore it I tried as my depression started when I was 23 and I chose to label it so many things other than what it was . You coming to this site is you recognizing it as it is . I've told so many(I may be disagreed with) once you have depression you will always have it inside , this may be a horrible example but here's my way of explaining, to me it's like cancer (I've seen a lot of it know a lot of friends w it) when you get it you allow it to shift your life ,it starts to control your thoughts and your day to day decisions, then you treat it with all you got ,sometimes the treatments work they say it's over your better,you walk away from hearing that and go on living day to day but something just won't leave your thoughts, what is it why won't my mind stop thinking it could come back? Well that's just what cancer (depression ) does even if you think u kicked it it's a day to day fight to keep it at bay so I will tell you as with cancer each person with depression is different each type of depression is different, my sister and my mom has had mild depression that came and went and they look at me and don't get it ,you to me sound like a person that if with the right knowledge and reaching out on sites like these u have the hugest chance to kick depressions ass and I'm telling u this because I never had help accessible as intent or cell phones w blogs when I started getting depression . So you are so lucky and not just with your family but people on sites like this one. I only posted 1 time to quickly explain my fight with depression for 20 yrs. But in those 20 yrs the times I felt better was when I kept my mind busy , added things like extra connections with friends or a hobby like I paint , I allowed my depression to steal so many years of me painting that I have regrets, regrets are the worst with depression I have what u call severe chronic depression yet I fight it with many things, I shared on my 1st post (and I don't want or offend anyone) I am a Christian, (with me) I do believe I would have allowed my depression and anxiety to cut my life short if it weren't for my Faith Which I have to say is not as clear nor as useful when you have depression sometimes people say u have it all girl, and lean on God , blah blah blah that never helped me only made me regress worse lol. I will stop by saying this , Noone else can fix what you are feeling I've been on every name of antidepressants and interconnected drugs yet they only made me worse by tiring me or brain fog or the other problem (bad bowels habbits lol) as with every drug side effects can worsen the depression and there so work against you. But they also can help mild depression but try a few things like not hiding your feelings with those closest they won't understand but at least your not allowing yourself to hide behind the "cancer of depression" I am long winded and just don't know if I made any sense or helped at all but know I am here and so many are here your never alone. I feel knowing that others "get you "is half the battle, because you now know your not alone. Bless you and fight this! And know that it's not your fault you didn't do this to yourself.

DESTINY

[Hidden]

Hi seeing a counsellor isn't just about unloading yourself, but about having a trained person help you see things from a different angle. It's about helping you work out your issues yourself with their guidance and in a safe place. . So my advice is see one. x

[Sianlenthall in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for this message, I'm currently in the process of making a appointment with one, unfortunately the waiting time is 6 weeks +. However the longer I wait the longer it will be until I get one. xx

[Hidden in reply to Sianlenthall]

Hi 6 weeks is still much too long but you are lucky as the waiting time is around double that here. Well done. x

[Hidden]

Hi Sian sorry to hear you're not doing to well.

Please do go and see a councillor and do unload everything you can, it's what they are there for. They are are used to it. The more you can tell ( or talk about anything ) to them the better they may be able to help you.

You don't appear to say if you are on medication for your mood swings. Are you? Do you see your GP regularly? Do you try and see the same GP each time you go to your doctor's? It's better if you can, that way you build up a rapport with them.

As you have been having this problem for 6 to 9 months It might be a good idea if you asked your GP if you can see a Psychiatrist ( and before you think it no you do not need to be "as mad as a hatter" ) They are usually much better at diagnosing these type of problems than your GP is. Also they can prescribe ( tell your GP to prescribe them ) medication that a GP can't. Sounds silly but that's the way the NICE regulations work.

[Sianlenthall in reply to Hidden]

Hi John156, yes I'm hoping to get on the waiting list to see someone. When I saw my GP and told him my concerns and how I was feeling, I was handed a leaflet to do with counselling. He told me it's probably my 'Hormones' I put it off for a while, It seemed like I balanced out for a few weeks so I didn't bother making one back then, however recently with being so low again I wish I now had? He was very reluctant about me going on any medication for my depression, he wanted me to try counselling first to see if that helped? So no I'm not on any medication, I'm not sure how I feel about it, I did really want to avoid being on any but if that's what I need then I will. Thankyou for this reply! very much appreciated

[Hidden]

Hi Sian I hope our post are helpful to you. If we ask questions that you are not happy to reply to then either don't reply or better still say you are not happy to answer "that" question ( you don't have to explain why )

We can only advise you what we ( with our limited knowledge ) think might be good for you. I draw my knowledge on " mental health" from suffering with Bi-Polar mainly causing me to have "lows" but with a few manic periods thrown in. I first admitted (one of the hardest steps) to having a problem just over 15 years a go. The hardest thing I find is to tell " the whole" story (truthfully), which makes it hard for a GP, psychiatrist, counsellor, psychologist etc, etc to make their diagnoses. One thing I do find of great help is taking a friend ( luckily I have one really close friend who will interrupt me when he feels I am not giving the whole picture or ask about things he doesn't understand) with me when I see any medical practitioner about my "mental Health" problems and even some of the other medical things I have wrong with me.

I see in your reply you say your doctor "told me it's probably my 'Hormones" this was not really very good of him, that is the type of answer you would expect from someone who doesn't know you very well IE a "non medically trained person", if he thought this then why did he not send you for tests? If i were you I would go back to my doctors surgery and see a different GP (if possible) and in your case after what he said to you try to see a female GP. I personally get on better with female GP's than with male GP's, they seem to have more empathy with "mental health " issues. Try and chose a doctor who been with the surgery for quite a while not phone up and take the 1st available appointment with some "newish" or locum GP, be prepared to wait a few days, even a week to get to see a "certain " GP.When you do see them ( Hopefully with someone) tell them what is going on, has been going on, how long it has been going on and how it is effecting your life and the others around you.

Hope this helps in someway. Take care John