Do other people ever feel this way?

[EllenMonte]

I often feel completely overwhelmed to the point where I just lie in bed doing nothing. I don’t know why I do this. The smallest thing can set me off. I got up this morning feeling ok and thought it would be a productive day. Then something upset me and now I feel like I’m in the depths of despair.

Logically, I know my emotional reactions are not proportional to that which might upset me. But I don’t know how else to be. How to not be like I am.

Was just wondering if anyone else is similar? Ok one minute and next completely overwhelmed and in despair.

Yes. And then I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, which actually really made sense.
I’m less like that on a good day, as I take AD, but there are still times when I get waves of things all becoming too much.
Have you ever talked to a dr or anyone about how you feel?
Sorry you’ve had upset today

Hi, yes, I am currently in bed since I got home from work at 6. I’ve worked 6 days in a row and I am peopled out. I go to bed for a few days at a time to relax. I do however have massive anxiety and depression. These - in bed days help me get back to some kind of normal functioning human.

Yes.

I have depression and GAD.

Hugely, yes. Sometimes I can handle big stress and he absolutely fine, other times a small task or failure or something on the to do list can flip me out and I enter inactivity mode. Massive difficulties with emotional regulation! I can go from top of the world to literally considering suicide because I missed bin day. ADD/ADHD is the culprit for me. Have you considered this might be a possibility for you?

I'm currently in a cycle of dispairing in bed, I can't read or knit, I just lie here trying to read everything on MN to pass the time, I want to stop, I don't know if I am anxious, depressed or something else entirely.

I've spent the entire day like this. I do wonder wether I'm depressed again.

It happens to me sometimes, actually had a moment like this today. Ended up feeling really groggy and overwhelmed and just like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, so I laid in bed. Forced myself out of bed 20mins later as I could feel myself getting worse and distraction is the best solution in my opinion. Distracting yourself with another task almost immediately should shift your feelings and mood hopefully x

I’ve been feeling like this for the last few days.

Yes, and have recently discovered i have ADHD. Explains so much. I’m either ON FIRE or gazing out of the window…no inbetween. Be kind to yourself OP.

Not so much overwhelmed as suddenly utterly despondent. First day back in the office after nearly 17 months of WFH, positive and productive day, then a dark cloud descended as I drove home. Cooked for DH & DC, can’t be arsed eating anything myself and am in bed avoiding everyone and everything and feeling sick at the thought of round two tomorrow. I should feel happy ffs.

Yes. My suggestion @EllenMonte if you want to try and change it is to put on some music or a podcast, anything with some noise, and force yourself to do one small task like washing some plates, putting a wash on, exfoliating your face…anything really that eases you into an activity. It’s the only way I can get myself out of the slump sometimes. Going for a walk also usually helps but that can seem like a bigger thing and easier to come after a smaller indoor task. Not sure if that helps but I certainly know the feeling

Yeah, this is me now. Something upsets me and I feel too sick to do anything, I almost feel a bit spaced out. It's awful, I think being back on medication will help.

I can go from thanking the universe for my wonderful life to feeling like there's no point to it at the change of a tune on the radio.

@EllenMonte

I often feel completely overwhelmed to the point where I just lie in bed doing nothing. I don’t know why I do this. The smallest thing can set me off. I got up this morning feeling ok and thought it would be a productive day. Then something upset me and now I feel like I’m in the depths of despair.

Logically, I know my emotional reactions are not proportional to that which might upset me. But I don’t know how else to be. How to not be like I am.

Was just wondering if anyone else is similar? Ok one minute and next completely overwhelmed and in despair.

Yes this is definitely me. I could think right today I'm going to have a good tidy up day . Put some music on make the rooms look nice. Then someone will knock a sheet or towel on the floor not bother to pick it up. And suddenly everything feels hopeless. I think its a straw that broke the camels back thing .

Thanks everyone - glad it’s not just me!

Massive difficulties with emotional regulation! I can go from top of the world to literally considering suicide because I missed bin day. ADD/ADHD is the culprit for me. Have you considered this might be a possibility for you?

This is exactly what I mean @BonesJones I never considered ADHD but when I was at University a couple years ago (as a mature student) I had an assessment with an Educational Psychologist for dyslexia and she said she thought it was highly likely I had ASD and wanted me to go to my GP to have an official assessment but I never did. Partly because I have social anxiety so I find it really hard to talk to the GP and partly because my mum seemed super offended by the suggestion so it just seemed a lot of hassle. I have children with ASD and ADHD though so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility I guess.

I think I do have anxiety, particularly at the moment as it feels like I can’t breathe when I even just think about going outside the house to go shopping/cinema/out for a meal/public transport etc. I’ve not been to the GP

@MySettyDay Yes, I think music does help. I should try and remember that more often. My husband always says he knows when I am about to go on a cleaning spree as I always put the soundtrack to Les Mis on.

Until very recently I was like this. My adult DS was diagnosed with ADD so I read about his condition so I could understand and support him. I had a light bulb moment and recognised my behaviour in the symptoms. I've since been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and ADD, I'm on medication now and it has transformed my life. I'm in my 50s.

I don't live in the UK, so healthcare is private which means appointments are prompt, I understand in the UK ADD diagnosis is like the Holy grail sadly. If possible you should ask for an assessment, highly likely you have ADD given your symptoms and those of your kids.

Yes OP, it's a common behaviour in people with depressed mood. You are far from alone.

I feel like that sometimes, but having a dog means I have to get up and take him out etc. I know what you mean. Can you give yourself small goals that get you moving? I know it's hard.

Yes. But I can’t at the moment as I have a baby.

But when my older kids were at school, I spent a lot of time in bed hiding.

I worked 3 nights a week in a job I fucking hated which didn’t help things, so I’d sleep after a shift when they were at school and on the days where I hadn’t worked the night before, I used to go back to bed anyway.

School holidays were a massive struggle as alert from not being able to sleep at all, I could t go to my safe place to hide away.

That's depression, OP.

All of my emotions seem out of proportion, including positive emotions. A counsellor once told me to look up 'Highly Sensitive Person'. I thought it sounded like a load of rubbish until I looked it up and omg it couldn't have been more me. This has been scientifically studied and is a personality trait. Basically we have higher sensitivity and activity in the emotional areas of the brain meaning we can become over stimulated very easily. It's worth looking up. There's a test you can do online. It helped me to understand myself better.
hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/