do you ever get bad depression or panic attacks?

[animals1981]

if so what do you do when it happens? how bad does it get? any meds yo utake for it?


a lot of people seem lucky and are immune to such things

 

[harleyjo]

If you are feeling depressed please talk to your Dr. about this. Everyone is so different with medications and this really is something you have to work closely with a Dr. about. Some people find getting more exercise helps with depression. I am sending hugs and hope you feel better soon.

 

[BorderKelpie]

I have dealt with both issues. At one point I was medically treated for depression. I am currently off meds, but I am still not a 'cheerful' person. (I sort of think of myself as melancholy). I have been through therapy (which is mandantory with meds, meds alone can not treat anything.) Part of treating either depression or anxiety (and they are usually intertwined) is learning how to change the way you think and react to situations. Yes, both disorders have a medical base, but changing the way you look at different scenarios is a big step into treating either disorder.

Treatment tends to be a long term commitment, but worth the effort, and there will be a considerable (and at times, overwhelming) effort required. It can be done, you can do this. Find a GOOD doctor (my first was a candyman - just take a few of these when you don't feel good....FAIL) and follow his/her instructions to the letter. Make sure you keep a journal of thoughts, feelings, reactions, etc and make sure you make all your appointments - no matter what.

I feel for you, it's a hard place to be in, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it's not neccessarily the train coming at you (sick humor, I know). Hang in there - you can beat this, or at least, learn how to manage it.

Best wishes.

 

[@~rosecityfarmgirl~@]

I get random bouts of depression - like 'can't get out of bed, sobbing all day for no reason' depression. I'm also, by nature, an anxious person (I have ADD. It doesn't help lol). If I'm alone, I'll wallow in misery all day, and sleep it off if possible. A nap sometimes is enough to clear my head and 'reset' me. My fiance also hauls me OUT of the house and off to the park, or brings me a chicken/the cat/a pet rat, and honestly it helps to have a little animal to cuddle... it's just relaxing and calms the nerves.
I tried taking a 1/4 dose of my fiance's ADD meds (yes, there's 2 of us in one house!), he said it would help me focus but such a small dose was unlikely to do anything... I spent 6 hours curled in a ball crying, paranoid, unable to leave the room I was in. I prefer to avoid all meds, and just do what I've found helps - take a chicken to the riverfront park for an hour, and just soak up some vitamin D in the sun.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
Very good advice!

Medication masks the symptoms and gives you a break but rarely provides a permanent solution. Counselling and hypnotherapy can be effective in curing the problem once and for all, even if you are on a light dose of medication. Find an expert though, not a general practitioner. If you are on heavy medication you may have to wait before you start real therapy because it can help only if you are in touch with the pain. The first step is to consult a counsellor or hypnotherapist for an initial consultation so that you can explain the problem and find out what can be done to help.

I sympathise with you and hope that things pick up soon.

 

[thaiturkey]

I should add that, in the case of panic attacks especially, one session of hypnotherapy can give you a kind of first aid kit to counter the attacks. Regard that as temporary relief while you deal with the root cause in later treatment.

 

[booker81]

I'm on an SSRI, and probably will be forever. I've done years of therapy, sometimes we just don't make the right brain chemicals to function as normal folks

Part of my problem is a chronic joint/tissue disorder that inherently causes a LOT of pain, that can never, ever be fixed (without a full body transplant, heh). Serotonin affects pain and depression, and with one swoop, I'm able to cope with both a LOT better. I'll probably be on it forever.

Having a strong support system is very good as well.

It's worth talking with your doctor. I see my GP, but he's a good "therapist" type as well, and when I've needed it, has referred me to good doctors to have therapy with. Nowadays, I'm quite happy with just my medication, and checking in with him regularly.

Good luck

 

[Judy]

Quote:
I guess my take on it is a little different. I see them both as an indication that I am choosing to ignore something, and need to turn around and look at it. I have taken meds for both in the past, do not now, and have gotten a lot more at looking in at what is bugging me than from the meds. I wound up looking at the big, age-old philosophy questions, like what am I really, what am I doing here, what is this all about, etc. It's not that the answers are evident, it's that I realized this was what was at the core of my mood.

 

[bakerjw]

I've suffered form severe depression before. Way back when it got real bad I started taking an herbal remedy called St. Johns Wort. When asked about it by my doctor I told him that it was like having a flashlight in a dark room. The room was still dark but there was some comfort of having the light. Kind of like the Glow Worm that came out 20 years ago or so. It gave young children a light that they could control if they were afraid of the dark.

In all likelihood a doctor would have thrown all kinds of medications at me but I refuse to take any prescription drugs and I've seen the effects that some of the stronger mood altering drugs have on people.

 

[geebs]

I eliminated Corn from my diet as it gave me panic attacks and depression and extreme anxiety... I also supplement with B vitamins... that and d3... seem to keep me in a cheerful frame.. for severe anxiety related to public places I use. Gaba... that is AMAZING.. just a small amount keeps me on task and not pegging(run and hide)