Surviving Depression And things Worse

[Phil_Marinus]

I’m interested to know how other people have survived depression & other related issues…
mostly without medication… I have surprisingly survived it all…
I would like to know how you mentally Deflected those terrible storm clouds when you felt them coming … I would prefer you reply in private mail, but thats up to you…
and will only reply if you ask.

 

[Justicia_et_Pax]

I’m interested to know how other people have survived depression & other related issues…
mostly without medication… I have surprisingly survived it all…
I would like to know how you mentally Deflected those terrible storm clouds when you felt them coming … I would prefer you reply in private mail, but thats up to you…
and will only reply if you ask.

Depression is still an ongoing battle for me and is set to be for the rest of my life. That said, I have found some things that have really helped pull me back from a really dark period in my life:

• finding the right meds and taking them when I’m supposed to
• going back to confession after over a decade away from it
• working with an amazing spiritual director who understands the different sides of my life
• journalling, scrapbooking, etc.

I think personally, the biggest help for me has been confession. It brought me out of a major psychotic episode in 2011 and I haven’t been in one since!

 

[EasterJoy]

When I try to explain it to people, I liken it to a pilot flying on instruments, because you’re surviving entirely on what you “know” and choose to have faith in, instead of what you “see” and feel. When you’re depressed, you just can’t see what is obvious to everyone else. It is so exhausting. Looking at it that way helps me to give myself room for the tiredness and having to take good care of myself physically and getting less done and not feeling as good about it and the seeking out other people, the things that help one get through it. Plus, obviously the analogy makes it clear that it is not the time to be drinking any alcohol.

With a flight like that, as they say, any landing you walk away from is a good one!

 

[Bonnie]

EasterJoy -

I like your analogy. I’ve crash landed a few times, but I’m still here.

Two things I didn’t understand many years ago; that this was going to be a life-long problem & that I would have to study & be my own advocate.

I’ve had talk therapy & I’ve had meds, but I’ve never combined them or worked with the doctor about finding meds that will work for me. I just assumed she knew what she was doing.

I’ve never had a Catholic therapist before, but I’ve got an appointment with one in about 2 weeks. From there I’ll see if I can try some different meds.

Justicia -

I’m glad confession works for you. As a convert, I’ve never been terribly comfortable with confession. And the one time I did mention my depression, I found out I’d picked the wrong priest. He told me to just feel better. Right. But priests aren’t trained to be therapists.

 

[FriendlyFace]

1. Receiving the Eucharist
2. Confession
3. The Rosary
4. Qigong
5. Reading funny books.

 

[Blue_Goose]

When I was in my early 20s (40+) years ago I suffered from debilitating panic attacks and severe depression. The condition lasted for about two years but seemed an eternity at the time. I saw a psychiatrist but got no relief from the medications that were administered to me. If anything they made matters worse. I was working third shift at the time and firmly believe sleep deprivation was a major factor in triggering the problems I suffered from. Once I got off the night shifts the symptoms gradually subsided.

If that sounds too good to be true you are right because I have encountered other issues over the years including OCD, anger management, and mild to moderate depression. All of these symptoms have been successfully managed by a relatively low dose of a modern medication, physical exercise, stress management, personal awareness and, the most important factor, overcoming the agnosticism I lapsed into during my late teens. I pray a lot and thank God daily for the positive aspects of my life.

Dealing with mental illness is not easy because of the stigma associated with it. It takes courage, prayer, and tenacity in seeking out both medical and spiritual assistance.

I will pray for you.

 

[Justicia_et_Pax]

Justicia -

I’m glad confession works for you. As a convert, I’ve never been terribly comfortable with confession. And the one time I did mention my depression, I found out I’d picked the wrong priest. He told me to just feel better. Right. But priests aren’t trained to be therapists.

Well I’m a cradle Catholic and I’ve never been comfortable with it either It was a good 14 years between my first and second confessions

I’m sorry you stumbled across an unhelpful priest I can empathise with this, since I came across unhelpful and quite horrible, to be frank, priests after I left university and was trying to find a priest to work with. My faith took a bit of a battering and it took me a lot of courage to approach the priest I am working with now. So don’t give up hope just yet!

 

[EasterJoy]

…Two things I didn’t understand many years ago; that this was going to be a life-long problem & that I would have to study & be my own advocate…

Yeah, it’s like a trick knee. You never know when its going to give you trouble, but it helps over time to learn to listen to your body. That was a hard pill to swallow, though, yes! Still, after a long bad stretch, my “good” is getting better and my “worse” is not so awful.

I have noticed, though, that some of the negative “scripts” just come up for no particular reason. It’s like there are these thoughts that have worn ruts in my brain. Unlearning those will undoubtedly take some time, and I’m sure it won’t happen automatically.

 

[Phil_Marinus]

Thank you everyone that has made a contribution to this page, and the people that contacted me through private mail… I would like to see this page continue with contributions… it’s something people need to talk about…

 

[Luvz2travel]

I don’t know that I’ve survived it. I go day by day mostly. I have anxiety issues due to the stress of buying a house and a bad bug phobia at finding roaches there lately and termites. It mostly all comes in waves. I can’t take meds they either make me too sick to work or I go into a complete non emotional zombie type state where I loose all emotions and don’t care about anything including eating. Last time I lost 20 lbs and became skeletal…not thank you I’ll deal. I try to keep myself busy which has been easy lately with repairs and yard work. I still get overwhelmed and wonder what the point of all this is. I could use a break but never seem to get one. Just the trying to buy a vacum has turned into a chore. The first one was missing parts, the second didn’t work and now I have to try and get a third see what I mean nothing is ever easy. I know if I had the time to eat better and exercise I might feel better that usually helps.

 

[Phil_Marinus]

I don’t know that I’ve survived it. I go day by day mostly. I have anxiety issues due to the stress of buying a house and a bad bug phobia at finding roaches there lately and termites. It mostly all comes in waves. I can’t take meds they either make me too sick to work or I go into a complete non emotional zombie type state where I loose all emotions and don’t care about anything including eating. Last time I lost 20 lbs and became skeletal…not thank you I’ll deal. I try to keep myself busy which has been easy lately with repairs and yard work. I still get overwhelmed and wonder what the point of all this is. I could use a break but never seem to get one. Just the trying to buy a vacum has turned into a chore. The first one was missing parts, the second didn’t work and now I have to try and get a third see what I mean nothing is ever easy. I know if I had the time to eat better and exercise I might feel better that usually helps.

I had very similar problems as you, the non emotion Zombie feelings… where if you are with people and there actually trying to be funny… you had to force your face to smile…
and you smiling is nothing but a facade , a big front… but really inside you are emotionally not there… my whole life was in a fog, but the thing that I found helped me was this…
I imagined myself in a jet Fighter aircraft, and I was the Pilot… you can’t control the
fog / Cloud your in… but you can control the plane… you feel the turbulance, the shaking etc… but just try it… when your down and out… try thinking about flying the plane… because what it does I think… it gets your inner being to think of something else… it I think may have saved my life… fly over the ocean, mountain tops etc… give it a try…

 

[chevalier]

I’m interested to know how other people have survived depression & other related issues…
mostly without medication… I have surprisingly survived it all…
I would like to know how you mentally Deflected those terrible storm clouds when you felt them coming … I would prefer you reply in private mail, but thats up to you…
and will only reply if you ask.

Not being able to spare the time and money to deal with it works wonders. There’s always been something I’ve had to complete first. Especially when I absolutely had to complete a contract, I just did it. I don’t know what happens when I run out of those first things, though.