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Mental health

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when do you know things are that bad that you....

28 replies

gravity · 07/12/2005 05:04

need to go against what you strongly disagree with and just in order to retain any sanity or some control over the constant overwhelming sadness and take anti depressants?

OP posts:
anorak · 07/12/2005 07:45

I think when milder things like herb supplements, early nights, having a good cry no longer work for you.

Like many things, anti-depressants are a good tool and a bad master. Fortunately modern drugs are gentler than ones of recent times. And there are several different ones you can try if the first doesn't suit you.

My advice would be to have some sort of verbal therapy as well, so that you can treat the cause as well as the symptoms. But the ads will help you continue to function and give you a rest from the sad feelings while you gather yourself to tackle the cause and get well again.

gravity · 07/12/2005 08:18

what type of herbal supplements? in the past six months i do not recall one day i havent cried. not one day. my gp confirmed its not post natal as my boy is one of the only good things that has happened this year. just a build up of everything. he offered anti depressants back then, but i said no immediately.

i tried verbal therapy and it simply made me feel worse.

i thought i was getting better twice then another hurdle. thats the problem i was so strong until the first hurdle that knocked me right over, i have always been able to deal with everything, so i thought. it had been a bad year and then worse.

i am scared of taking a drug i have always been so anti. but then again i am terrified to continue like this, the feelings i have when i am at my lowest. my weakness now is that i cant find the me i know and i cant afford not to when i know the next year looks to hold even more pain. i need to be stronger than i am now so i can handle it when it comes.

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anorak · 07/12/2005 08:39

I remember reading some of your posts before and how much has happened to you. I too have been in a place where I felt I wasn't moving forward. At the time I was a single mum of two small children with no financial assistance from their father and no benefits. I became very frightened that I might become unable to function and then what would happen to my daughters?

When you reach this stage you really need to put yourself into the hands of your doctor and any other professionals he might think helpful. Take the antidepressants - they will numb your feelings a bit which is a relief from the pain - a breathing space to help you collect yourself. The pain of what has happened to you won't go away because of antidepressants. It's like taking paracetomol for a headache. It will relieve the symptoms allowing time to heal a little and giving you a break from the build-up of never having a rest from your grief.

Eventually the only thing that can heal is feeling heard and understood. Friends can help with this, for me psychotherapy was a godsend. It took a long time and wasn't always easy but it worked in a real, healing sense and was not just pain relief. If this didn't work for you it could be that you are too raw to handle it, or that you didn't open up enough to the therapist. ADs might help you feel less raw and more able to face that treatment. Otherwise you might find a confidante among your friends.

I take a herb supplement called Echinacea Formula, which contains a variety of herbs that help boost your immune system. I very rarely ever catch colds or infections. I also take a multivitamin and mineral supplement daily and try to make sure I get my 5 portions of fruit and veg. I don't eat a lot of processed foods as it puts a strain on your body dealing with them. Another thing that helps is getting out in the fresh air every day, I do my best to walk my son to school and back unless the weather is really foul. Exercise if you can manage it boosts your feelgood hormones. Also I would recommend making sure you do at least one thing each day that is just for you - meet a friend for a coffee, have a long relaxing bath, settle down to read an absorbing book for an hour, etc.

Try to cut out anything you can that's stressful. Avoid people who stress you out and hang around friends who build you. Try to drop any activities that drain you. I know it's not always possible to do these things but do them as far as you can. If you're stressed because your child needs you when he's ill, for instance, you can't do much about that, but if you have a friend who makes you feel depressed every time you see her you can cut that out until you're stronger and can deal with it.

Depression is as much an illness as anything else. If you keep hitting yourself over the head you will get a headache, and if you keep getting hit in your emotions you will get an emotional ache, which is not going to get better until you rest it. You do need to take positive steps to look after yourself to help yourself heal.

gravity · 07/12/2005 09:53

thank you anorak, your words are so appreciated

i hate to admit it, but thats what i want, just some relief from this pain. i would rather have physical pain than this. i feel like i am slowly dying - my children deserve better than the me i am at the moment

OP posts:
anorak · 07/12/2005 10:12

Don't be ashamed to admit it - why should you be?

You wouldn't be ashamed to admit it if you needed a painkiller because you had a broken arm. A broken heart hearts just as much, and it's much harder to grin and bear it.

Take all the help you can get. xx

gravity · 07/12/2005 13:22

thanks, i know, its just been one of those years.

i think i have the script for hollywood! police,infidelity, death, business...... mind you if i went into full depth of it with anyone they would never believe it!put a man in this situation - we women are one of a kind!

cheers again for your advice. you take care x

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MistletoeMiggins · 07/12/2005 20:31

sorry to hear things are still bad gravity

I too remember your posts

Im on ADS - have been since May
I wanted to come off them since my H left but dr has advised staying on them til the new year as everything still so raw

I agree with anorak - you wouldnt hesitate to take something for a physical pain, so why not ADS? I was worried but to be honest I feel much bette4r on them...just a pity my H didnt stick around for me to get better

sending you hugs
xx

spacedonkey · 07/12/2005 20:51

gravity, I recommend a book called "Feeling Good" by David Burns. It is a rather naff looking book, but don't be put off. It's based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, contains a lot of advice about anti-depressants, and is genuinely helpful

gravity · 08/12/2005 00:44

is that you x mrs m - love the name!
more fool your h, he misses out on the best thing he had.
he will realise -
looks like you are getting in the christmas swing - not many sleeps, hope your little ones are well
thanks space donkey, shall look into book
xx

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MistletoeMiggins · 09/12/2005 00:08

why i H such a wnaker?
been horrible tonight
jsut not sure I can carry on....

gravity · 09/12/2005 00:15

oh mm i am sending you a really big hug xx

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dadofthree · 09/12/2005 00:16

Sure you can Mrs M. Some days can be like that though - it makes you appreciate all the good stuff you have. And you never know what tomorrow brings.

gravity · 09/12/2005 00:24

tomorrow... just sit and hope the days get better for all,
and you are very right dot appreciate what we have.
its bad, its hard, its trying, but it could be worse.... we have our precious babies.... others don't.

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dadofthree · 09/12/2005 00:31

Mrs M and Gravity - read back through thread a bit. Went through similar stuff about ten years ago - seemed impossible at times...all the time. Kids only had me so had to keep it together for their sake - didn't care about myself....Ten years ago...I'm still here, they're grown a lot - if I can do it, anyone can.

MistletoeMiggins · 09/12/2005 00:35

why is my H so horrible to me?
am tring hard to keep it all together but he changes things and then wonders wht+y it upsets me?

am trying to be bedst mum & dad without slagging off H but he keeps changing goal posts

dadofthree · 09/12/2005 00:42

Was replying on your food? thread and checked this first. If he's feeling guilty about things that've gone on, this is maybe the only way he can offload - might sound daft - certainly no fun but my ex did same. Went for ages with not bothering about kids and then the penny dropped. I got loads of grief, so did kids, was very confusing for them. And at the same time I missed her like crazy. Helped me get over her after a while though, and kids are fine too,

gravity · 09/12/2005 00:51

but why does guilt drive someone to stay so horrible? why can't they either show love and remorse OR let go completely?
i know where you are mrs m. i am so sorry for you,
instead keep digging the boot in while already down so low.
dot, how long did it take for the ache to go. the ache that feels like a corkscrew that drives into your chest and stomach, its always there while you try to hold back the tears. or is this just me?

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MistletoeMiggins · 09/12/2005 00:53

I ended up ringing H's parnets and his dad was soooo lovely - said would come down this weekend if I neeeded them.... bvut I dont - they are coming next weekend....why is H so horrible?

puts it under "best for ds" umbrella but he wants me

how did it all go so wrong?

dadofthree · 09/12/2005 01:04

Now remember I'm talking about a woman here - my ex - even though I've noticed you calling me Dot. She admitted a few years later that her therapist told her to tell me how she felt...really felt. She said she simply was unable to do it. She was told to write to me - to me!! We met when I was a bit of a criminal, went on the run together when I jumped bail. Went through allsorts together. But she just could not admit that she had messed up, or messed around - I used to work on hte rigs. Instead, her guilt and the anger it caused was directed at me.
And the pain she caused, well it lasted a while, and a rebound or two didn't help. But it's gone now, I still care about her, but as the mother of my kids - which is good.

dadofthree · 09/12/2005 01:19

It feels like it's all gone wrong, but good will come of it - it always does - you just can't see it from here and now. Trust that it all will turn out for the good and it will, whatever is best for you that is, hope is the thing, always hope.

gravity · 09/12/2005 02:29

sometimes i feel that its too much hope that let this situation get so out of hand..... to much hope that he was this or he would.
i know its not all him, its me that created this situation as well, but........ i never meant for life to turn out like this..... i am not expecting perfect but just content.... with the father of my children.... and i think i made a bad decision in who i chose and thats such a horrible thing to say.

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carla · 09/12/2005 07:14

Message deleted

gravity · 09/12/2005 07:21

ditto carla! how come you and i would do the best we would the best we could to right something that we hade made error in.

mind you, i would never ever make that error to the person i love most in the world

how can six months down the track i feel no better, probably worse?

i read back over my threads and i was just kidding myself back then. i was still trying to make him look not so bad. i feel like such an idiot. how can i still love him? why cant i have the courage to get up and go for good.

why do i have this horrible thought, i cant stand to see him with someone else - how immature is that.

rant rant rant!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
carla · 09/12/2005 09:13

Message deleted

anorak · 09/12/2005 09:36

The reason you feel even worse six months later is because back then you needed all your energy just to deal with the situation in hand.

Now you're in a safer and more stable place your emotions are allowing these feelings through, as they must be dealt with.

You will get through.