What's the best type of support that you've received for depression/anxiety?

[Action-On-Depression]

[Getting-By]

The best support I have received for my depression/anxiety was from my Psychiatrist and also family and friends. I think it is important to have a strong network of people you can speak to regarding your mental health. It is good to talk and also time to talk so that the stigma can be broken.

[Cazie50]

Partner, even though at times I've wanted to tell him to get lost! lol

[AoDLB]

The one thing that actually helped me OUT of depression was Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) after being referred through the NHS (but can also be had by self-referral).

It took them over a year to refer me, but a lot of my depression was due to negative thinking patterns that I'd formed through a difficult childhood (i.e. low self-esteem and low confidence).

Through CBT we discussed my life and what could have contributed to why I think the way I do, and the psychologist then gave me a series of "homework" assignments (i.e. list 3 good things about your day, write down your negative thoughts) to complete to slowly change the way I thought.

It was brilliant because it gave me the chance to help myself (so I felt like I was in charge of my own life) but gave me the support, guidance and expertise to actually make the changes.

Having someone there constantly really helped. It also helps me more now, because there is someone who fully understands the weight of my depression when other people think I'm "back in it" when I have an off day... even just to support me when I try to calmly explain that depression is not just a bad day that's been extended.

[Hidden]

Long term psychotherapy because it enabled me to feel real. Before that I felt isolated even though I functioned normally. I felt as if there was a bubble around me and that I didn't know how to connect emotionally with people. Private long term therapy has enabled me to feel real, fully alive and connected with other people. It enabled me to gain the confidence and courage to go into education in middle age and get all sorts of qualifications. Because of therapy I developed a capacity for forming a healthy relationship with a loving man+. Because of therapy I have friends who I feel understood me. Unfortunately therapy isn't perfect and can't enable a complete personality change or a perfect world. I now feel grief for all that might have been, for everything I've ever needed or even just wanted and didn't get. I feel grief about all the time and potential that's wasted, all the opportunities I haven't been able to use, how much of my life has felt wasted even though there have been many good things, all the abuse and losses I've experienced, so many other things that it feels endless. But at least I FEEL now!

Medication helped at one point too but wasn't helpful at a much later time, I guess it depends on the reason for the depression - no med can solve grief although it can help with the worst bit at the beginning. I also had a VERY brief bout of CBT many years ago when I was depressed and it was brilliant at giving me the initial push that kick-started me on and into education and also the other therapies. I did briefly try Transactional Analysis but found the language terms used really irritating, also it felt too rational - "I'm ok, you're ok" - ugh! The ideas made some sense but in practice it wasn't for me.

Found homeopathy GREAT in helping with my second baby's continual catargh that interfered with her feeding. There may not be scientific evidence for homeo but it worked for my baby! I've never tried it for depression but do know that in China they use it for everything. My son and his Chinese wife live in Beijing and only use homeopathic treatments.

Exercise (treadmill) was great for a while but I found it boring as I had no-one to go with, but I would go again if my friends lived nearer. Cutting out eating loads of choc has helped, I used to eat masses and then wondered why I felt so tired and low each evening. I'll struggle with not going back to it again as the winter nights draw in - fruits not as comforting or appetising in the winter as I find chocolate! Yum yum.

Going around plugged into headphones was brilliant at one stage of life - I didn't look out of place constantly looking preoccupied and a bit glazed as I was a full-time student and everyone knows that loads of students go around plugged into i-pods, mp3s or whatever. My favourite music totally pulled me out of myself, made me forget my anxiety or depression so that when I did come to interact with people I felt more relaxed and able to smile, always good when you don't know people very well.

More recently, having one really close understanding friend has pulled me out of many a depressed state, just having feelings depressed accepted can change them if they're not too deep.

Art was brilliant for me at one stage. I have always felt unable to draw even as a child, but one day I felt too stressed to wait until I could talk with my therapist and started scrawling in felt tips. Next thing I knew I was producing 8 drawings an evening, at the end of it feeling very tired but relaxed and able to sleep well because the art had enabled me to process the difficult feelings. I did hundreds of drawings! I did go on to do a Foundation course in art and then got a degree in Fine Art but sadly now I find I'm depressed and unable to find art helpful. I hope I will again in the future as I've got loads of art materials and equipment and it will be a shame not to use them before I'm too old. Also I do miss painting, but I just can't find the point, nor anything that I want to point - depression, urgh...

Writing to someone I trusted definitely helped me over a 8 period of years, and now writing on a blog like this helps to keep me connected to other people and that lifts my depression in the short term. It may have positive long term effects too.

[charlies]

from charlies

7 weeks ago i started go to a humanistic therpyist, and she understands me and what i am going through since good i not so introvert i talk about my week and my sense of invisbility around other people. A big thums up for humanistic therpy