Alternative therapies on a budget?

[marykat2004]

Hello all... I will give a very brief history and then ask the question...

I had PPD (PND? Postnatel depression) after the birth of DD 7 years ago. I have struggled with mood swings my whole life, but always been told it was things going on around me and not a chemical imbalance. However, the PPD was different. I had a lovely baby, supportive DH, still working part-time from home at a relatively easy-going job. Plenty of friends etc. But I could not sleep. Not for more than a few minutes. I could put myself to sleep but would wake up with minutes if not seconds, and lie awake for hours. The baby was sleeping through the night. The insomnia was the clue that I really had something wrong. 2 years of citalopram helped. I came off after 2 years because I felt unreal, detached from my emotions. I didn't want to spend my whole life on pills.

Fast forward to now. DH has been in hospital 3 times with chronic heart failure. He will not get better. We lost his father a few months ago. DD is having problems at school.

The last few months I have felt really, really low, really hating myself for not being able to fix all the problems in my family. I've cut down on my own activities for them. I hardly do much outside looking after my family, and I feel really low. BUT I do not suffer insomnia. Not at all that crippling maddening, feeling you get when you don't, and can't, sleep. I feel low, edgy, angry, sad. But I want to put it all behind me and just try and address my own mental health issues this year, and try and be more supportive of my family not by suffering but by being well myself. Does that make sense?

I'm reluctant to just go back on citalopram just because I can't cope with my husband's illness. I don't feel like I did when I had PPD.

I have had good results from homeopathy for PMT. I was doing very well over the summer, really, until the autumn and the death of FIL. Then I seemed to feel low all the time, not just before periods, so I stopped taking the homeopathy.

I have a good GP who would refer me again to homeopathy, though I admit I was as skeptical as many people about it. I find herbal medicine more believable as it is a tangible substance.

So, I want to ask if anyone has any experience of herbal remedies for depression and anxiety? And also is there some thing that is affordable, some way to make one feel better without having to go on the pharmaceutical route, and without having to spend tons of money? Alternative therapies are a massive business themselves. And I am not actually working at the moment, only doing some voluntary work.

Sorry this was so long.. thank you for reading..

St Johns Wort did work for me, but only when I was not very down. It just keeps the good days good.

The most fantastica nd brilliant and wonderful 100% effective depression remover was WALKING. Two hours a day really does keep the depression at bay. It is very cheap, child friendly, good even on rainy days and ridiculously effective. My DH even says 'you haven't had your walk today' he can tell.

Good luck with your recovery.

And PS
:Homeopathy is bollox :o

Not looking for the homeopathy debate here!

Hoping to take up walks with DH again, as he has been told by his doctor that he too should be walking. Thanks.

Could you ask your GP about alternative therapies such as talking therapies / counselling. You have a lot going on in your life at the moment and talking to somebody not emotionally involved may help. I had counselling when I was diagnosed with severe RA quite suddenly; as it was life changing and I felt I was losing control, finding it difficult to cope and quite depressed that my life had changed forever. I went to a counsellor for a bit who helped me just work through how I was going to cope. It's still difficult but it got me through the hardest bit.

Meant to say it's different from talking to a friend or relative and that's what helped for me.

Thanks, I've had lots of that and can't afford a private one at the moment. The last counseling I had was CBT and while it was good, I just don't have the motivation to do it on my own. I had it over a year ago, for about 6 months. But it was a interrupted by foot surgery.

I think CBT is really good, it's just you can't rewire your thinking in 6 months, if you've been in one type of thought pattern for 44 years.

mary you are having a seriously tough time at the moment, aren't you? That is a LOT of problems all at the same time, you poor sausage. I think you are right that there will not be a magic pill or quick fix for this one.

It is not a surprise that you feel low and anxious, and in some ways you might need to give yourself permission to have a 'down'.
Keep talking, we will keep listening

And then go for a walk with your DH

It was a really shit end to last year, from about September (FIL's passing). Before that, I guess you could say there have been problems for ages, who doesn't have problems? It's been almost 4 years since the company i worked for went under. I tried some volunteering in hopes of a career change but it isn't even the economy, it's the lack of time. I can't work with all these family problems and that depresses me a lot. I've always worked. Never been out of a job more than 8 months tops. I had been at that last company for 10 years. OK, it was a bit slacker job, but it was a job.

But I should count our blessings, not moan and whinge so much. I think DD is getting this pessimism from us. But really, things could be worse. I want to start this year more upbeat and try to get well in myself. Towards the end of last year I wasn't even eating very well, using the excuse that I can't afford to eat well because DD has to have pack lunches now and that is breaking the bank. But I should still be able to eat fruits and vegetables, not live on peanut butter sandwiches... Healthy diet should be part of your mental well being. That's why I was asking. I really notice when I've been eating well or not well.

I think you are allowed to have a moan on MN, that is what we are here for.

Sometimes everything is too much and you start nthinking 'OK problems, one at a time, please, not all at once'.

You are right about eating well making you feel better. Is there any way you can grow some of your own veg this year? Fresh air, a bit of exercise and cheap food?
Morrisons, and Lidl have bags of veg or fruit every week for 50p, you never know what they are going to be, but even if you don't fancy them fresh, any veg tastes better as soup.

DD not entitled to free school lunch?

Lol "grow your own". If we had got on the allotment waiting list when we moved in 10 years ago we might have a plot by now. We live in a flat in fairly central in a big city.

DD is a fussy eater. After 3 years (school nursery, reception, year 1), I got called in for her not eating her school dinners. The thing is that it hasn't improved her eating at all. It's been hard for me to get her eat anything over the break. One more problem.

I mean, I think I moan a lot in real life, and I want to try and have a better outlook. I have to stop believing I don't have enough 'pocket money' to stop and get a bowl of veg at the market, they do 50 p bowls when things are about to turn, it's fine if you eat or cook them right away. I just have to get out and make an effort. Not easy when you are feeling low.

Hi

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-news/w-latest_news/w-news-ledgeveg.htm

for city dwellers who want to grow their own in window boxes!

Local adult education - do they run eg yoga classes at reduced rates?

Do medical herbalists offer services at reduced rates for people on low incomes? I remember when we had a Nappiers/Culpepper shop in town, the herbalists did this - same service, much cheaper.

I agree about the walking - when I'm particularly fed up, I walk or cycle - there's something about it, I don't know what, but it helps so much and the effect can last well into the day or evening.

Hope things look up for all of you - you've got a lot going on. Try to divvy up what you have to do - one step at a time.

mary baby steps, though.
Can you combine the two and walk to the market? Just doing one thing each day will help. Walking one place every day will really help.

i have just come back from a SERIOUSLY blustery walk in the middle of which i fell over in the mud (luckily landed on my ample Norks-so now they are really muddy and very messy!) and STILL I feel better than I would have done without a walk.

I conside walking to be essential medicine, not a chore or a luxury

Hi Mary. Goodness you have a lot on your plate. I was feeling awful back in November and my GP prescribed citalopram which was a disaster for me. I won't bore you with the details.

I started taking Kalms and felt they did help and I have bad pmt too and the month I was taking the Kalms my pmt was much reduced. You could just try Valerian on its own? I also tried 5 htp but had severe side effects. I am in the process of trying St Johns Wort right now.

Re food, try googling tryptophan rich foods as these help with our moods. Brazil nuts just a few a day are a good source of selenium.

I think your post showed you have good insight into what you need. Especially when you say you don't do anything for yourself. What could you do to fill that? Do you knit, sew or craft? Some of those things can be very absorbing.

If you have a supportive GP then do get him to refer you back to the homeopath. Homeopathy worked brilliantly with my DS when we was a baby suffering from eczema.

Also, have you heard of www.moodscope.com? Have a look.

When I'm not feeling so bad that I can't think straight, I ask myself 'what do I need to do to feel better, right now?'. Surprisingly, it often works!! Sometimes, my answer may be the mundane eg empty the washing machine/make that phone all I've been avoiding.

It sounds like you've lost yourself in amongst everyone else's needs. Hope things improve.

What makes me feel really good is swimming. Unfortunately with the constant colds that winter brings, I've stopped. I think that has been a huge difference. I swam all summer. The last time I swam was in October. i got a bad chest infection and have had one cold after another.

5 HTP gave me really bad insomnia.. but I will look for a herbalist who does discounts.

Thank you for all your insight and replies.