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Offered an amazing opportunity. Depression/Anxiety strikes again.
anybody who thinks 'depression' isnt an illness i want to swiftly fling under the nearest bus! >:(
i keep getting offered work with an 'events' company (i know the owner), its very much pert time, and would even involve me mingling with the celebs.
but no yet again i miss out by suddenly accumulating a million and one irrational scenarios in my head.
WTF is wrong with me/people like me.
i just worry and panic over every single bloody thing.
anyway to get to the point, will pills help? Sertraline is what i have, im too scared to take them for fear of being in an endless cycle of relying on them.
i was on duluxotene for 2 years and when i came off them i had withdrawel like some sort of crack addict.
i keep getting offered work with an 'events' company (i know the owner), its very much pert time, and would even involve me mingling with the celebs.
but no yet again i miss out by suddenly accumulating a million and one irrational scenarios in my head.
WTF is wrong with me/people like me.
i just worry and panic over every single bloody thing.
anyway to get to the point, will pills help? Sertraline is what i have, im too scared to take them for fear of being in an endless cycle of relying on them.
i was on duluxotene for 2 years and when i came off them i had withdrawel like some sort of crack addict.
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I can understand your concerns, it is a bit scary before you take them and don't know what will happen. I didn't have an easy ride on them, though they affect people differently - I had side effects and was tired constantly (sleeping up to 16 hours a day), put weight on, had migraine etc BUT I've just managed to come off Fluoxetine after two years and my life is at least a million times better than it was pre ADs, they helped immensely. Best thing I ever did.
Could you do a trial for the job for a week or something? You might find once you're immersed in it that the anxiety goes away?
Have you tried CBT?
Or better stil MBCT?
http://mbct.co.uk/
Depression makes it difficult to anticipate positive outcomes, so I'm guessing the self-defeating scenarios you imagine might be catastrophic in nature, or at best involving unsuccessful effort and pointless outcomes?
Research done at Oxford University has shown that when people improve after suffering depression they can easily slip back into old patterns of thinking that lie just below the level of conscious awareness. However, the work they have done has shown that learning the relaxation methods used in Mindfulness can help to prevent relapse.
Medication can help to relieve the symptoms of depression while other methods are learned to aid long-term management of moods, and so reduce the risk of relapsing back into deep depression.
Another good book, which has a novel title and front cover, but nevertheless is a very serious book, is this one…
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chimp-Paradox-Management-Programme-Confidence/dp/009193558X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392895955&sr=1-1&keywords=mind+management+steve+peters
Steve Peters uses various metaphors to explain in straightforward terms what he has learned from his training and experience in psychiatry, and also some of the most recent discoveries in the neural and cognitive sciences.
Steve Peters is the guy who has helped Ronnie O’Sullivan to manage his moods and stress levels when playing for world titles, and he has also helped several medal winning Olympic athletes to improve their management of stress, mood, and performance.
How able you are to use the above is likely to depend on how depressed you are, which is where a medical assessment comes in to determine whether meds in combination would be advisable.
Same here, I've had palpitations every day for 8 months and it's been horrible. I panic over everything and I'm only in my 20's.
Find a way to confront these emotions and feelings. Anyone you can go for support? Do you have friends you can talk to regularly? You need people you feel warm and comfortable with.
Medication should be a last resort, the side effects can be absolutely horrific and can diminish cognitive abilities. Some people find them helpful but there is always a price to pay. Your productivity can go down and weight gain is a massive problem for most. It can cause you gain stones in a matter of months.
That's a bit of a generalisation imo. Most SSRIs do not have these side effects.
With some of the other types - yes. But this can all be discussed with one's GP before choosing one.
Drugs are drugs and they should be treated with the upmost caution. Educate yourself before you try anything.
Also while I understand you not wanting to get caught in that cycle when you are feeling bad now it does not make sense to avoid something which could help in case you feel bad in future. I'm not saying medication is the only answer or what's right for you but it has it's place and Sertraline is definitely effective in treating anxiety.
One of the things which makes anxiety worse is avoiding what makes you anxious as it reinforces the belief you need to keep avoiding it. Where as if you do it anyway and are able to reassure yourself afterwards that you managed and the anxiety is unfounded it will get easier each time. I know from experience this is easier for me to say than for you to do but is there a way you can build up to working at these events if it's something you want to do.
I wish you all the best, remember to go easy on yourself.
Talk to your GP about what's scaring you and discuss the ADs with them; if you get the right ones for you they can provide a break in the cycle which can help you level out.
Sometimes you have to try a few to get the best ones for you, and coming off them is not fun - but they can help.
I would strongly advise you to try meditation or hypnotherapy (deep relaxation techniques) and CBT as well, so that you are treating both the symptoms and the cause.
Other things that help me: Eat properly, so your blood sugar stays stable. Exercise - brisk walking raises your endorphin levels. Doñ't try to blank it out with alcohol - that just leads to downers afterwards!
Chronic anxiety/depression IS an illness, and a horrible one. But like any chronic condition it can be managed. Don't let it fool you into thinking otherwise. Attack it, and it will retreat!
Good luck!