There are so many who do not need suffer as they do. If anyone would like to share their journey, you never know how it may help them get help or save a life!
Posted at Thu Jan 31 2008 08:51 PM
Tough topic but so many have questions...and many of us have tips and ideas for help...
Posted at Wed Feb 27 2008 06:14 AM
I was devastated by a depression a little over a year ago. Although there were times I was sure nothing could help a few things did.
- Acupuncture - while I don't think this alone was ever going to cure my depression it did work wonders for some of the symptoms. After the first treatment I was able to regain an appetite and eat again. This was after not being able to eat anything for about a week. I mean nothing. Also, it helped me sleep after I didn't sleep for days. Also, after 1 session I had never felt better before. This feeling lasted only until the next morning but it was a great feeling! My acupuncturist was also a very patient, kind and caring man. He listened to me and seemed more concerned and helpful than many doctors who just didn't have the time to listen to all my sadness. One session I spent the entire hour crying and he gave me another session at no charge. Acupuncture also gave me something to look forward to. It was a small ray of hope that I clung onto.
2 - CBT Therapy - This is a really simple thing that really worked wonders for me. During my depression I also suffered from anxiety and panic. I felt like I was in a constant state of panic. Although it varied in degrees of severity it was always there. The basic lesson CBT teaches is not to fear the panic. Once you feel the panic acknowledge it's there and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. Know panic can't harm you and it will pass. Keep assessing the level of panic and you see that it may have started at a 9 or 10 but now it's only a 7 or 8. See the panic is going away. I know this seems like it wouldn't work but after about 2-3 sessions with my psychologist it just clicked and I didn't fear it much anymore. This is when the depression and panic really started to lift.
- Believe in yourself and keep going - Depression makes it really hard to know and trust yourself. You feel so out of it you can't be sure if your gut feeling is correct about things or if you're just overreacting. Ask questions of the doctor and search for answers on your own too. Give treatments a chance but be willing and firm with your doctor to try new things if it's not working. Doctors don't always know the best way to go so educate yourself. Try everything you can. Sometimes just the hope that the next treatment will work can be enough to give you a lift to get you through the darkness.
Posted at Thu May 15 2008 11:26 PM
