Faking happiness

[vickh9]

Anyone else have spare time on a Sunday and end up feeling hopeless, empty and full of anxiety about the weeks/months ahead. Finding it harder and harder to interact with people. I have a part time job which is very people focused, When there I portray the image of a happy, outgoing person. Little does everyone I am actually the opposite! I have a lot going on at the moment with my health & living situation, this is probably contributing to this dark feeling I have although it’s been here from as far back as I can remember. Anyone else feel like they have to put a mask on when they face others?

[Hidden]

Everyone here battling with depression or something have to put on brave face and cope with life - you can only try

[Hidden]

You are not alone, been like that now for over fifty years. Given that I am now beginning to understand why I am like this.

Have you seen your GP and explained your problems ?

BOB

[vickh9 in reply to Hidden]

No not really, I’ve told them a few things but not the full blown thing. I know I should but I’m rather anxious about it

[Suzie40]

I work in a school and I have that feeling every time there is a school holiday. I get where you’re coming from x

[Kaytee1981]

I've never really had the Sunday evening dread but increasingly I feel this cloud come over me (a bigger one than already is there!) Subday lunchtime. I work full time and putting on the act is soooooo draining (I've been back 2months after being off a year) I get home and sleep, i sleep most of Saturday and doze a lot of Sunday. It just feels such a waste, so like what's the point?

[vickh9 in reply to Kaytee1981]

I get what you mean it’s really draining isn’t it, do you find being back at work has helped you much?

[Kaytee1981 in reply to vickh9]

Its stopped me sitting on the sofa all day every day, given me something to talk to my husband about other than my rubbish mood, I see people (which has proved, and still is challenging), brought in an extra wage (all be it teeny tiny!)

But mental health wise, not really- I get in the car to come home and the gloom, the dread, the yukiness hits me and I'm a miserable cow for my family again!

[vickh9 in reply to Kaytee1981]

I’m sure your family don’t see you like that. At least there’s this app, it’s helped me a lot, everyone is very nice here xx

[SaltySurfer]

Not necessarily Sundays. When I take the kids back to my ex I feel quite depressed and down.

I have found some relief in changing my diet. No more sugar for me. Not even a 'treat'. In fact I'm on a low carb diet.

When I went to Cornwall on hols last year and ate lots of my old favourite (cornish pasties) my symptoms got sooo much worse. Brain fog, hopelessness etc. I almost got fired from work for being so bad and messing up a load of things. Now I'm back on keto and going to the gym regularly I'm feeling quite a bit better but there is still that undercurrent of unease lurking.

[vickh9 in reply to SaltySurfer]

That must be challenging, do you think it’s spare time makes you feel this way?

Your diet sounds very interesting to me. May I ask about the no sugar in your diet? I don’t really know how to do that, is that no processed foods? Sorry I’m clueless about this!

[SaltySurfer in reply to vickh9]

Could be the spare time yes. When I haven't got the kids I'm at a loss for something productive to do.

The diet is called keto or ketogenic.

I was cutting foods and food groups because I suspected that something was causing me problems.

I have dry quite thin skin. Had mood swings. Migraines pretty often and certainly headaches every day. Ranging from a dull ache to very painful. Took 6 to 8 Paracetamol plus (with caffeine) a day. Also stomach aches that were excruciating.

Not very high highs and very low lows. Not helped by getting divorced (but maybe the cause of it).

So as I said I looked for ways to treat myself.

I think you or one of the others mentioned the doctor not being much help. Or maybe just not bothering to tell them all the details. (because they haven't got time to treat the whole person just each symptom)

So I started taking more notice of the things that affected me.

Stopped chocolate.

Stopped shop bought bread (started making my own sourdough. Fermented foods are better for you generally speaking)

So on and on that went getting a little better each time.

For a while I ate mostly steak, eggs and chips. Which I felt pretty okay on I think.

Now I've been on keto for almost a year.

To me keto is low carb (20g max per day), moderate protein (around 1g per kg of lean body mass) (for me 144g) and higher fat (than is thought to be acceptable in a modern diet). But what people don't realise is that you're teaching your body to burn fat instead of carbs. As long as you font eat more calories than you burn you'll be fine.

As far as I can tell its the carbs (this means sugar. Sugar from bread, pasta, grains, fruit, starchy veggies etc (it's all just sugar)) that are causing inflammation in your body (mine anyway).

And I know it's obvious but your brain is part of your body. If it get inflamed you're going to gave issues. Anxiety. Depression. Brain fog.

I'm 100% certain my symptoms have gotten at least a little better following this diet and increasing my exercise.

Also your gut gets inflamed and that could cause all sorts of things like nutrition problems. Which again could affect the brain.

My finger is getting sore now but 1 more thing I think is very important is omega 3. Its an essential fatty acid that has anti inflamatory properties.

If you eat grains, processed oils like sunflower, corn and others or basically junk processed foods then you're getting huge doses of omega 6. The opposite of omega 3. I.e. Its pro inflamatory. The body needs some inflammation for healing and whatnot but it should be roughly equal between the omegas 3 and 6.

So take loads of omega 3 supplements. Eat lots of mackerel and sardines.

I watch alot of YouTube on the subject of nutrition and a guy called Dr Sten Ekberg is very good. (I have no affiliation with him. Just think he gives clear info)

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask more.

[vickh9 in reply to SaltySurfer]

Thank you so so much for all of this, I am going to look into everything, I would try anything right now to help!! 💖