Hi i'm jessi and i have been depressed all my life i have lost family and friends all alone now its so hard to have no one. stop takeing meds couldn't find the right one that worked so what do i do now ?
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Hi BornBroken - welcome. you have done a great thing by joining and posting - you will get a lot of support here. It is really important for us to have a health professional we can talk to and or to help with the medication side of things. Do you have a counsellor or therapist that you see regularly? Have you tried therapy before? Did you try the medications for a long time - ie some of them take months before you start seeing a reduction in symptoms and THEN it might take months more before the Pdoc can get the dosage right for you.
Somedays
Somedays
Hi Jessi,
I have battled depression on and off my whole life. I never took meds until after my 3rd child was born (from my OB/GYN) and never sought "real help" (from a psychologist and then a psychiatrist) until 16 months ago. I am not on any meds right now because they either didn't help or made me worse.
"What now?" is a very good question!
I have an individual therapist (psychologist) (for 16 months now) that I see two times a week. I saw her weekly on Wednesdays up until about 2 months ago and then added Monday.
I have gone inpatient to a mental health hospital one time (when a med I took made me suicidal and my psychiatrist had cancelled my appt and went out of town). They did put me on more meds, but it gave me a place to go off meds cold-turkey safely, as well. After I got out inpatient, I went to outpatient IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program). This helped a lot! Being in a huge group of people who were "like me." However, it got too expensive (insurance changed) and I had to quit the program early.
There are many free peer support groups in my area (well, within 1 hour driving in several directions) for depression, bi-polar, etc. They are facilitated by peers (not therapists), thus free. They are through "Mental Health America of ______(my state)".
Some therapists run support/therapy groups out of their offices (these usually cost money, if you have insurance, a co-pay if your insurance allows group therapy).
Also, after being in the hospital inpatient and outpatient, I have stayed in contact (via email and phone) with a gal I met there. It helps to have someone understand; I don't always feel so alone then! Someone to call when I feel I'm starting into crisis. Someone to support, too (helping others seems to take the focus off of me). See, I can't reach out to my therapist between sessions (she doesn't take phone calls or emails or texts), so she is adament I get a support-system in place (outside of therapy).
Then there are the "things" 'they' tell us to do....exercise (30 min three times a week vigorously)....sunshine (30 min a day)....vitamins (B's (some say B50, some say B12 is enough) and Fish Oil)....
I like this article; gives me hope I can get better without medication.
http://www.myshrink.com/recovery-from-depression.php
And, of course, there are online forums (such as this one) where there are understanding, supportive people.
I hope this helps.
Ninn
I have battled depression on and off my whole life. I never took meds until after my 3rd child was born (from my OB/GYN) and never sought "real help" (from a psychologist and then a psychiatrist) until 16 months ago. I am not on any meds right now because they either didn't help or made me worse.
"What now?" is a very good question!
I have an individual therapist (psychologist) (for 16 months now) that I see two times a week. I saw her weekly on Wednesdays up until about 2 months ago and then added Monday.
I have gone inpatient to a mental health hospital one time (when a med I took made me suicidal and my psychiatrist had cancelled my appt and went out of town). They did put me on more meds, but it gave me a place to go off meds cold-turkey safely, as well. After I got out inpatient, I went to outpatient IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program). This helped a lot! Being in a huge group of people who were "like me." However, it got too expensive (insurance changed) and I had to quit the program early.
There are many free peer support groups in my area (well, within 1 hour driving in several directions) for depression, bi-polar, etc. They are facilitated by peers (not therapists), thus free. They are through "Mental Health America of ______(my state)".
Some therapists run support/therapy groups out of their offices (these usually cost money, if you have insurance, a co-pay if your insurance allows group therapy).
Also, after being in the hospital inpatient and outpatient, I have stayed in contact (via email and phone) with a gal I met there. It helps to have someone understand; I don't always feel so alone then! Someone to call when I feel I'm starting into crisis. Someone to support, too (helping others seems to take the focus off of me). See, I can't reach out to my therapist between sessions (she doesn't take phone calls or emails or texts), so she is adament I get a support-system in place (outside of therapy).
Then there are the "things" 'they' tell us to do....exercise (30 min three times a week vigorously)....sunshine (30 min a day)....vitamins (B's (some say B50, some say B12 is enough) and Fish Oil)....
I like this article; gives me hope I can get better without medication.
http://www.myshrink.com/recovery-from-depression.php
And, of course, there are online forums (such as this one) where there are understanding, supportive people.
I hope this helps.
Ninn
hello i hear your words
through my experience
thank you for sharing
through my experience
thank you for sharing
Hi Jessi,
I too have struggled with depression off and on my whole life.I never sought real help until a year ago. It has made a world of difference for me. While I often feel "worse" at times, I know that I am going through a great transformational experience, like a caterpillar, and will be reborn a happier, more whole person when I get through. I liken it to Dante's journey through hell - metaphorically speaking - being broken open and facing the shadows to uncover great light. I was totally against taking medication. Honestly, I still don't want to be taking any, but I am and it's decreased my intense anxiety and has relieved a bit of depression. With much protesting with myself, I finally made an appt. to see a real psychiatrist and see if threes a better med for me and one I can ween off sooner rather than later. I wish you great blessings on your journey.
Raven
I too have struggled with depression off and on my whole life.I never sought real help until a year ago. It has made a world of difference for me. While I often feel "worse" at times, I know that I am going through a great transformational experience, like a caterpillar, and will be reborn a happier, more whole person when I get through. I liken it to Dante's journey through hell - metaphorically speaking - being broken open and facing the shadows to uncover great light. I was totally against taking medication. Honestly, I still don't want to be taking any, but I am and it's decreased my intense anxiety and has relieved a bit of depression. With much protesting with myself, I finally made an appt. to see a real psychiatrist and see if threes a better med for me and one I can ween off sooner rather than later. I wish you great blessings on your journey.
Raven
Hi Bornbroken,
It's nice to meet you. I'm so sorry you lost all your family and friends and that your medication isn't working anymore. Is there any chance you could find a therapist?
It's nice to meet you. I'm so sorry you lost all your family and friends and that your medication isn't working anymore. Is there any chance you could find a therapist?
Hi Bornbroken,
Welcome to the forums. You have gotten some very good replies, but it can be difficult to know what to say while knowing so little. Would you be willing to share more of your story? Although I must say that finding a therapist and possibly a psychiatrist who specializes in meds would be a good place to start. It sounds like you are so overwhelmed that your first need is for some stability and safety. Once you have that, then you can start working on getting better.
AG
Welcome to the forums. You have gotten some very good replies, but it can be difficult to know what to say while knowing so little. Would you be willing to share more of your story? Although I must say that finding a therapist and possibly a psychiatrist who specializes in meds would be a good place to start. It sounds like you are so overwhelmed that your first need is for some stability and safety. Once you have that, then you can start working on getting better. AG
thank you for all replys to my post..
well like i said i have battle depression all my life i got marrired at 16 in 1982 had two boys the best thing i ever did was have them but by 1993 i was divoced and lost my boys. and my family and friends i was on so many meds and didn't understand what was going on the boys was with there dad i tryed to kill myself and was in a coma for 2 weeks when i came out of it i didn't know i was divoced i call him and ask why he was not there and he told me we was not marryed and i lost the boys i wanted to die my boys and there dad was everthing to me, i had to move away i could not stand to see them and him and his wife together in town if i didn't go i would kill myself and the bad thing was i was the one to divoced him i don't know why caues i loved him so much well it took many years befor he would let me see them,now they are grow and on there own my youngest is in the army just got back from iraq he lives in tx,and they had a son on oct 22-11 i have not seen my grandson i didn't have the money to go to tx, well there is alittle about me..