How do I shake myself out of functioning depression?

[TiredOfLife16]

I just don’t know what to do anymore. I can get myself out of bed, I come to work and put a smile on my face and all the rest, but I genuinely feel so empty inside. I haven’t showered this week, which I know is disgusting but I just don’t have any energy. I get home and want to just rot in bed all night. I don’t want to eat, I don’t meal prep or cook good food for myself. I just have no motivation for life at the moment. I don’t know where to turn or what to do

I think of anti-depressants like a crutch for a sore leg. Sometimes you need them to stay upright for a bit and actually be able to make lifestyle changes.

The" chemical imbalance "theory of depression is still being debated.

I’m not under any illusions that lifestyle undoubtedly plays a role in your mental health. But I’m trying my hardest to do the healthy bit right, as far as I can in terms of eating well, getting 10k steps a day etc., I try to get out on my lunch break to get some sunshine. But it’s still not shifting tbis feeling.

Which is why anti depressants arent always necessary.
But vitamin D is like food. We need it to function. And iron and B12 etc. and thyroxine.

Sunshine in the winter will not solve vitamin D deficiency in northern latitudes.

I know. I take a vitamin d supplement everyday and I’m outside pretty much everyday - summer and winter. I am aware of how important vitamin d is.

That sounds excellent. Doing again tomorrow, and Sunday would be fab. M

A warm shower with lovely soap or shower gel, and tasty tea, something as simple as poached egg on toast. These two regular habits are nurturing, nourishing and, so important purposeful and therefore sustainable.

So sorry. Could have written this, with serious illness acting as another barrier.

Time outside. Even a short walk. I went out in the rain today and even that was a lift.

Hydration
Sleep.

Small steps, but try to stay as consistent as possible.

Second the advice on vit D, B12 and iron.

understanding how my brain works helped me enormously. Neuroplasticity.You need to tell yourself repeatedly that you deserve happiness and that your life is wonderful and your brain will just start to believe it.

I’m also worried that if I go to the doctor and I have bloods, they’ll find something seriously wrong with me. I don’t know why but I’m absolutely terrified of that

Force yourself to go to a pilates/yoga/any group work out class with movement to music. Keep forcing yourself, until you actually want to go...it will happen and feels like such a godsend. People, without having to actually interact. Take care, whatever route you choose - just posting is your first step. All best whichever route you choose.

Yes, if you're not one of the unfortunate people for whom the crutch makes you want to kill yourself, and it can be difficult to stop using the crutch

I think on balance it’s likely to be something vitamin related - I’ve lost a lot of weight in a year and a half and I’m on Mounjaro

Op that is unlikely. Far more likely to be the depression giving everything a negative spin.

If they did find something wrong it is far better to catch is asap.

Logically I know it’s likely anaemia or b12 deficiency after the weight loss. But there’s that one bit of my head that’s absolutely terrified.

I’ll probably post on the weight loss injections board about that though as it’s obviously a different issue!

What you DO and how your are living clearly isn’t working so you need to make changes

what opportunities do you give yourself to feel:-

nuture
renewed
satisfied
enjoyment

etc

who do you connect with

what have you stopped doing

start with basics of self care

food
wash
walk

re-engage with people and activities, try new stuff when you feel stronger

Motivation doesn’t just turn up, you need to cultivate it…the more you do the more you will like doing, if you wait until you fell better you might be waiting a whole an get worse

Small tiny steps
Goto GP consider meds
Check nutrition
Be patient and kind to yourself

Clinically speaking one of the most effective things you can do to help in this sort of situation is to take some of these online courses (lots of people dismiss them because they seem a bit simplistic but if you actually do them they work extremely well!):

https://www.recoveryandwellbeing.co.uk/

There is a function to help you choose if it's overwhelming. Definitely try your GP though, it doesn't matter if you don't think you have a "reason" to be depressed (that's often how depression is!).

Yeah, that’s depression for you. Honestly, the more you talk about how you are, the more obvious it is. Please see a GP. Or at my surgery there’s a specialist mental health practitioner. Try that?

It is a side effect of Mounjaro. How long do you plan to be on it for?

I don’t think it is, I’ve been on it for a year and a half now

Anti-depressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the UK for a reason. We evolved living very different lives to the ones we live now. We would’ve been in big family groups, wouldn’t have had individual pressures like holding down jobs or looking after kids or living alone. Our brains aren’t built for this life.

Don’t worry about the bloods finding something terrible as feeling crap isn’t a way to go on living anyway. You owe it to yourself to feel good again. There is a far, far greater probability of it being an iron problem than a deadly disease. No one I know who went on to have a life-threatening illness ever felt depressed first. Whereas people who went on to need iron or antidepressants or whatever almost always are flagged up by feeling like crap.

You are concerned about GP discovering something awful with your health …
that’s sounding like overthinking / worry / rumination that comes with depression

you’ve identified some good behavioural changes but seem reluctant to consider antidepressants -
yet you have been taking WLI for 18 months (as am I so no judgement here - they are great / life changing !) so you aren’t adverse to medication ….

antidepressants are far more evidence based and established than WLI - so a very safe treatment for depression / what u are feeling

low mood is rarely a side effect of Mounjaro - conversely most people feel much happier being in control of their weight and eating, often feel much better physically with less pain / inflammation etc etc

Commiserations OP.

Please do get the check-up. Most likely the worry will be removed. If not they can help.

Op. You can order a blood test for iron from Amazon or buy it in the supermarket. It's an instant yes or no. Low iron can cause exactly the feeling you are describing. It's still worth going to the doctor but if you have got low iron it is easy to solve and will stop you worrying.

How much did you have to take each day to feel better.