Feeling anxious and depressed

[Bella183]

Don't really know how to start this but I'm feeling super low to the point in morning I cannot control my anxiety, even before I wake I'm panicking. I have DS and supportive partner which makes it worse as I just want to revert back my former happy self. I'm finding it hard to even get dressed and go out as this sadness is crippling me, which is mostly caused by the anxiety. I'm on ADs they do help to some degree. I just don't have any motivation and I feel so sorry for my son as he deserves better. I know I can be a good mum when I'm feeling 'normal' I feel so much guilt and I it makes me more anxious. I just wanted to disappear this morning as I wake up with this overwhelming dreaded feeling. I have recently just started a new job so maybe that could be a factor because of the transition, I just feel like I push everyone away and become secluded when like this and don't want to be around anyone. I must state I also lost my mum who was only 54 last year and that was unexpected & do suffer from health anxiety too, can anyone relate to this? Feeling so alone like I'm the only one with this. Any advice would be great XX

Hello, so as my username suggests I'm a university student, but I can totally understand the way you feel at the moment. At the peak of my illness I too found that the mornings were by far the worse, and that that sense of guilt and dread were overwhelming. The important thing, that I'd really recommend you write down and that you can easily read is that you didn't do anything to deserve how you feel, that you aren't a failure, and that you will not always feel like this. The way you feel is something that is happening to you, like a broken leg, and is not intrinsically linked to you as a person, it's just important to remember and write this down as your kind might try and blur these, because you are not your symptoms. So, it's great the ADs are having an effect, talk to your doctor regularly so you get the correct dosage. Also keep talking to your partner, its very likely he won't be able to understand how you feel, and that's OK because unless you have the symptoms it's so difficult to imagine them. One thing you can tell him, is to make you go out with him for exercise. This can just be walking down the street, but its so useful as it keeps a routine, gets your brain pumping endorphins and helps to keep you seeing all the beautiful colours of the world, and not just the inside if your room, as I'm sure you're as sick of looking at it as I was! Also have a look and see what your local health board has I terms of mental health courses, for example in Sheffield where I live they have a 4 week course for both depression and anxiety, and this is something your partner can help you with. I don't know if you have any access to counselling, but definitely try and get on the NHS list for that, if you can id heavily recommend even paying out of pocket for it, maybe not in a long term, but even just a few sessions can help reorientation yourself. Please feel free to ask any questions, I'd be happy to help.

Mind not kind!

www.getselfhelp.co.ukdocs/SelfHelpCourse.pdf