New kid on the block

[sunshine801]

Hello community,

I joined this forum today and have suffered with mental health for the most part of this year (well, on and off, for a number of years, but only severely recently). I am young, 21 years old, and live in the UK. I am really grateful for this forum because one of the most frustrating things I have found about mental health difficulties is feeling like there is nowhere to turn. Much of it is so internal that even the friends who would be willing to listen to you wouldn't fully understand, and of course, to express dark thoughts to people you love, you really risk hurting them. I struggle with insomnia and as a result of this have a low mood. Recently, I've had the frustrating sense that everything I do to try and help myself (seeing friends, getting up at a decent time, "faking it til you make it" in various areas of life, going outside, pursuing meaningful hobbies like playing guitar and cooking) just isn't working at all. I'm still a complete psychological mess and every time I think about anything in my life, I just feel terrified about having to do any of it.

The main quandary I am facing right now is whether to seek medication from a GP for what I can only describe as depression, or whether to continue trying to address it without medication. I feel like the depression is my body attempting to tell me something (aka that I am exhausted, that I need more meaningful human connection in my life), so to pump myself with pills wouldn't address those problems. I wondered what support and advice there is out there on this forum.

Thanks everyone

[Kimingram0202]

I can relate to this a lot. I’m 29 and suffered off and on since I was 12. I was on meds for ten of those years and I really wish I had someone to tell me that numbing with meds won’t help cause now I’m dealing with all of those ten years I was numb. BUT I have heard success stories of medications that have worked for people I just wasn’t one of those people. So be open to the option but I completely understand second guessing it. Maybe you are exhausted and you need to reflect on what you want from life? What makes you happy?

I’m no expert but that is my experience with meds.

[sunshine801 in reply to Kimingram0202]

Thanks - yeah, I guess this can happen with youth, and we live in a strange time emotionally (I'm actually quoting a friend who said that to me, I do believe that it's true though). Especially with insufficient sleep, life can feel unbearably hectic, and like a kind of race, in which you need to cram in as much as you can, have as many friends as you can, and always be on the move/an example of perfect living.

I was recently working in a job in a foreign country, in a very intense living situation in which I was barely sleeping and never exercised. I have become so ground down, physically, emotionally and spiritually, that I feel like I don't know who I am anymore,

Thanks for your reply, and I hope that you find some light as you try and deal with your situation.

[Zoea in reply to sunshine801]

take time to recover. I would look in to medication for sleep and perhaps mood or something like that it's not the worst thing ever and you can always stop taking it for a bit or change your mind (but don't tell your doctor I say that!)

Sleep is vital I would also advise that diet and lifestyle can affect your mood there are various foods out there (cacao for one) that can cheer you up and don't have to be too bad for you (70%+). I forget too much I recently did a long free course on nutrition healthy eating herbal remedies and such like but I would advise that the internet can be helpful if you find sources that you feel you can trust. There are certainly foods or at least natural things that studies suggest can be as effective as some medications for you or even more effective.

Take time out to just grow and you're very young to have been taken advantage of as you describe so maybe advise others against that or something but certainly recovery from something like that can be slow. I experienced something similar at about age 20 and I'm still honestly not sure I've recovered (talking about it recently has helped - as has time and m,aybe everything else ).

[Kimingram0202]

Thank you too. I also feel run down, couldn’t have worded it better myself. That’s exactly how I feel

[Countrygirl32]

I am currently on meds and seeing a therapist right now it doesnt seem to make a difference however I have been told I need to give both a chance to work out. I totally get the feeling of being exhausted I am constantly feeling that way no matter how much sleep I get or dont get.. but u wont know if u dont rey I guess.. xo

[Florida1959]

Welcome x

[Kainan]

Medications might be worth looking into if you happen to have the support of a psychiatrist, but they are by no means a quick fix to how you’re feeling. They can take a long while to work and at best can only take the edges off. Like you said, depression is usually your body’s way of telling you that something’s out of alignment, whether that’s sufficient sleep, quality of relationships, whether you find meaning in the work you do; it could be any number of reasons and any one can throw your body and spiritual well being into misalignment. And if that’s the case, then medications can only take you so far; it would still be up to you to figure the rest of it. I tend to see depression as burnout that leads to pessimism. A hopelessness that whatever we do won’t make any difference when we’re stressed out and our values don’t align with our expectations. It’s up to us to figure out what’s draining our energy and what we can do about it