Would love to hear from some on who has battled this cond and won.

[gine]

[Hidden]

Hi,

By this condition I presume you mean depression? I haven't won it by any means but I have come to understand why I was so depressed and that has meant that I am very much more comfortable in the world, able to feel pleasure and when depressed able to use the support people offer me. Although the bad times are still bad there are many more good times than there ever were.

This website is a great source of support so if you think it would help you to share how you feel do write here, most of the people are really supportive.

Sue

[Hidden]

Hello BOB here

Sadly I suffer from Reactive Depression, it is connected to who I am, we can go through a non stressful period where we are more calm. Personally in my case if my Arthritis settles who knows.

One thing that can help is make life goals, like a holiday, new car a party etc. We have just made our big goal a countryside cottage and we have got next door as well. We will do it up and make it adapted for my disability. My wife has got her large garden and I will be planting a new orchard. We also have a Welsh Collie who is as daft as a brush, we loose him in the garden.

Always look at live as an adventure, make life goals that are easy at first, leading up to the ultimate.prize

All the best, life is worth living, even when disabled

BOB

[Gambit62]

I'd never presume to say that I have beaten the condition - seems a bit too much like tempting fate

However, I have got to a point where I am coping with things much better and actually find myself wondering if I'd chose life over death if given the option

Two things that have really changed for me in the past year are a) finding a way of breaking the anxiety loop that had me wrestling with constant thoughts of death at some times, b) reading a book that took me through a course in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.

[Billy444]

Don't know if ever beat it! but you learn to tame the beast! And the earlier you catch it the better

[gine]

Thank you guys. I am new to this website. I am fighting depression. probably have been since my teens and i am now 36! I have tried various meds and treatments. I will just keep fighting on.

Thanks

[Suzie40]

Hi gine

Personally I don't think you do ever beat it completely. I think depression is for life. What changes is the degree of severity and your ability to manage the symptoms. As others have said, depression rears its ugly head often without any warning, and that's what makes it such an unfair illness.

I'm almost 35 and have been suffering since I was in my teens too, so I can empathise with you there. The bit that I find the hardest is believing that I matter. That there's a point in treating someone my age. That doctors are only interested in treating people with their lives ahead of them.

Lucy

[gine]

i hear you lucy.

just to let everyone know i am away and not back til next tues. Thanks all for the replies so far

[David196]

I have felt pretty good for the past few weeks. My depression and anxiety have been with me for 7 years and have affected my family, friendships and work. I'm not quite sure what has changed but the last couple of weeks I feel more like an old self I remember from the past, looking forward to things and catching up with friends.

The challenges are still around but I am coping well and the constant negative self talk has almost gone.

I have taken 30mg of citalopram daily for the past year but it didn't seemed to help recently with suicidal thoughts returning to compound the worthlessness. I had tried citalopram to help with earlier episodes and it kept some bad stuff at bay

I logged on to this forum a few months ago and found sharing and supporting others by posting stuff helped. I held the view that my periods of extreme negativity were times of 'flawed thinking' that would pass. This may be a CBT technique of "labeling" I discovered myself.

Over the past couple of months I have tried mindfulness, which does calm my anxiety, after reading "Taming the mind" by Ruby Wax. I tried to exercise and get sweaty on a daily basis. Someone mentioned Vitamin D so I made sure I got more of this in my regular fish oil capsules.

I cut out caffeine and also beer, although this was just 7 or 8 cans spread over a week as I watched telly with my wife. I cut this out almost accidentally as my finances have been hit by my not working..

A colleague shared that she had depression after her father passed away and I took a risk I would not normally do and we shared a chat about our conditions.

About ten days after I stopped the beer I woke up one morning and felt great. No negativity, I responded well to stuff that would normally return me to bed and felt like I could talk positively with my wife for the first time in years.

I had arranged for CBT sessions and got an appointment just a few days after feeling better. I almost felt a fraud describing how I used to feel and the effects of my condition. I struggled to find examples of my negative thinking over the next week. I have shared my condition with another old friend and was surprised that I was accepted in the same way I ever was. I am making plans because I can look forward without fear. I need some goals now.

This may all be a temporary break between episodes. I fully expect to be living with this the rest of my life.

While this lull is happening I am going to speak with more old friends, I will embrace CBT and practice it so I will have tools ready if it comes back. I am still surprised at how positive that "IF" sounds.

I still do not know if any of these actions specifically contributed to me feeling well. I have risked only three beers when on two different overnight trips with work colleagues. I am on decaf 99% of the time. I have not exercised daily for a while but enjoy the time with my son now.

I still have plenty of bad habits to break but these do not seem daunting anymore.

gine, this feels like a success to me at the moment. I had almost given up. I will be 52 in a couple of months. Doctors, whilst not supportive, have accepted my condition and given me the pills. Counselling i arrange myself, one really helped. CBT I arranged myself too and will keep up the programme.

I don't like the battle analogy, but I am enjoying now rather than surviving and just existing. I have persevered. Hope seemed too optimistic at times but I did want to get better for my wife and family. Friends and shared activities and hobbies were long forgotten but I need to get them back quick while I can cope.

Good luck in your journey.

Dave

[gine]

Thanks man