06-19-2018, 06:53 AM
I think pretty much anyone with anxiety/depression can look back on their life (if not their present) and point to a time where they felt “stuck”. Often times, the symptoms of depression (and if accompanied by anxiety, even more so) lead to a downward spiral, because you find yourself feeling apathetic, drained, hopeless, and you begin to neglect your various physical, mental, interpersonal, and financial state of affairs to one degree or another. It can be exceptionally hard to “pull one up by one’s bootstraps” as is often suggested by friends/relatives/doctors/on lookers in general. Others understand logically, but only those of us who have been there get what a catch 22 it is.
Honestly, as much as I disagree with the medical establishment - especially in the US, it took seeking professional help from a psychiatrist (whom I didn’t have much hope for). In my case the issue was maybe 60% anxiety, 40% depression, so it’s not exactly the same, though much of the anxiety at the time revolves around the side effects of my depressed state. I personally have not found appreciable clinical value in antidepressants for treating or preventing depression, mostly just side effects, but to each his/her own... I did, however, find value in an off label antidepressant for sleeping purposes, and anxiety medication during the day, which has worked surprisingly well for me over the years since, not nearly as many diminishing returns as I expected from this type of medication.
Obviously things like diet, excercise, and daily routine should be analyzed and altered prior to resorting to pharmacological help, but if you truly feel that stuck, and you can afford it, at least try any medical options available to you, like myself, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that “the system” so to speak, doesn’t always work against you, and can actually give you an uplifting and welcome respite - which is an excellent opportunity to seize and to build upon, assuming your long term goal is not to be able to handle feelings of depression etc. through CBT (cognitive behavioral teqchniques) and other self-driven reflection, discipline, etc. etc.
Best of luck to you all, this word is surely full of its share of trials and tribulations.
Honestly, as much as I disagree with the medical establishment - especially in the US, it took seeking professional help from a psychiatrist (whom I didn’t have much hope for). In my case the issue was maybe 60% anxiety, 40% depression, so it’s not exactly the same, though much of the anxiety at the time revolves around the side effects of my depressed state. I personally have not found appreciable clinical value in antidepressants for treating or preventing depression, mostly just side effects, but to each his/her own... I did, however, find value in an off label antidepressant for sleeping purposes, and anxiety medication during the day, which has worked surprisingly well for me over the years since, not nearly as many diminishing returns as I expected from this type of medication.
Obviously things like diet, excercise, and daily routine should be analyzed and altered prior to resorting to pharmacological help, but if you truly feel that stuck, and you can afford it, at least try any medical options available to you, like myself, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that “the system” so to speak, doesn’t always work against you, and can actually give you an uplifting and welcome respite - which is an excellent opportunity to seize and to build upon, assuming your long term goal is not to be able to handle feelings of depression etc. through CBT (cognitive behavioral teqchniques) and other self-driven reflection, discipline, etc. etc.
Best of luck to you all, this word is surely full of its share of trials and tribulations.