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Why does no-one understand how I feel?

17 replies

opalina · 24/08/2006 16:23

Hi, new member here, I suffered what I call a mini breakdown befor xmas, couldn't even get out of bed, kids went unwashed, fed junk food, and let loose to destroy the house, while I just lay in bed crying not really caring.
DH, had to take time off work to 'help' but really it was just an excuse for him to sit in front of telly and relax.
I had councelling, which didn't really help. I used up my '6 week quota' for the year and apart from my health visitor no-one really understands how, or even why I am feeling like this.
These last 8 months have seen great improvement, but I still have the most awful days. Really cant cope sometimes with the most basic of chores and feel like a hopeless mother.
DH just doesn't 'get it' and family dont know the full extent of this and just keep saying 'pull yourself together'.
I wish I could, I really, really do.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 24/08/2006 16:24

Let me link you to a thread hun, hold on.....

VeniVidiVickiQV · 24/08/2006 16:27

Imagine walking through a lovely meadow. The sun shining. Looking up at a beautiful sky. Bright blue, lots of fluffy white clouds drifting by. Butterflies fluttering amongst the buttercups and daisies. Your fingers brushing the tips of the long grass as you walk.....and then suddenly, you stumble.

You manage to catch yourself after faltering for a bit. You dust yourself down, and keep on walking, admiring the beautiful surroundings. You stumble again, this time falling into a deep, unmarked pit. You keep falling and falling, grabbing out and flailing wildly to try and get a grip on something, anything. After what seems like forever, you stop your slide downwards and hit rock bottom. You are exhausted from your sudden and unexpected decent into darkness.

Before you know where you are, and what has happened, you are at the bottom of a deep hole with no idea how you got there or how to get out. You can see a chink of light in the top, but its quite far away, and you cant trust that the chink of light is the only way out, but you claw towards it anyway, even though you are exhausted and bruised and battered from your fall.

Its a lonely time in this hole. Only you and the darkness. You couldnt see anyone else even if they were there, because of the darkness and coldness of your environment. But once you realise where you are, you know you have to clamber out and,` if you are lucky, someone will pass by and offer a hand of help to pull you out.

Despite being exhausted, and bruised and battered, you clamber you way to the top, and you finally make your way out of the hole. Yet you are still shocked and stunned by what happened. How could you miss such a big hole in front of you? Why couldnt you see it coming? How come no-one before you has fallen into this hole (you think) and not thought to block it up? Many people before you has managed to walk through the meadow without falling into this pit, why couldnt you have seen it coming, or prevented it, or just had a better journey?

You are stood, standing in this beautiful meadow, but all you can think about is the dark hole that you have just fallen into and clambered out of, how sore and aching your body is, and how tired you are. The beauty around you means nothing for a while. But you are grateful to be out, and you realise you should appreciate the beautiful surroundings.

You keep walking, but you find yourself no longer admiring the sky, the clouds, the butterflies, the flowers. You are busy looking at your feet. Concentrating hard, because, you dont want to fall into another pit, and waylaid by your aching bones and tired body.

You lose sight of all the beautiful things around you because you are continuing your journey looking only down at the ground, on alert for danger. You dont appreciate the sky, the clouds, the flowers, the butterflies, because you are too scared of falling down another hole, you still have the bruises from the last fall.

You are terrified that, if you take your eyes off terra firma for a moment, you could slip down that hole again and you wont find your way out so easily this time.

It is a long, lonely journey, spent staring at the ground, before you trust your surroundings, and your instincts enough again to appreciate your journey, and realise its beauty. To wander through the meadow staring at the beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

Will add link as well....here

I wrote it because people found it hard to understand why I would react the way I did, and why I couldnt just "go out and get some fresh air", or snap out of it, or think about all the good things I have etc etc.

I hope it helps.

x

VeniVidiVickiQV · 24/08/2006 16:28

Are you getting any help with this...AD's or counselling?

opalina · 24/08/2006 16:33

I was having counselling, but I chose to do a group session learning how do deal with anxiety depression and stress. I wish I had chosen the 1-2-1 sessions now but didn;t. We only get 6 hours free councelling in my area and have used that up with the group course I went on.

Really don't want to take ADs if I can help it. have had them in the past and didn't like the way they made me feel.

OP posts:
Ulysees · 24/08/2006 16:35

opalina,well done on your improvement

I know how you feel hun. I'm on meds now which help immensely but have the odd day where it's hard to do basic stuff. I think this can be common even without depression though...tiredness, stress etc..

Dh and your family have never suffered depression I'm guessing? You have to have been in this hole to know how dark it is. It's not our fault...it's the way we're made. It's a chemical imbalance that needs balancing.

I'm a great believer in complimentary therapy as well as orthodox and good nutrition. Have you tried fish oils and multi vits? There's so many things that can help.

Ulysees · 24/08/2006 16:36

I wouldn't know ads if I were you hun. Maybe you just had the wrong one. How long were you on them? They can take a wee while to work.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 24/08/2006 16:37

Well, there are lots of types of AD's, and, FWIW - I didnt want to take AD's either. However, I cant begin to explain how much of an improvement there has been since I started taking them. There are some side effects (mine is a dry mouth). I can honestly say that the last 2 months I really have been enjoying life again, not just living it, or being dragged through it.

Go back to your GP and discuss it..

Ulysees · 24/08/2006 16:38

VVVQV which one are you on? I'm on citalopram and it's great for me.

opalina · 24/08/2006 16:38

wow, that post has me in tears right now. That is exacty it. I wish I could explain it like that to dh.

thank you so much, it's great speak to someone who knows how I am feeling.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 24/08/2006 16:38

ooh yes ulysees - advocado's and chocolate ....(not necessarily together...)

Ulysees · 24/08/2006 16:39

I meant I wouldn't knock ads not know, don't know how that happened??

VeniVidiVickiQV · 24/08/2006 16:44

Show it to DH Opalina....

Im on Sertraline/Lustral Ulysees

opalina · 24/08/2006 16:45

I think the only reason I am improving is through sheer determination that this will not beat me, and maybe even a touch of denial, putting on a brave face, but i'm terrified it will all come crashing down around me again. Dont think my marriage would weather it this time tbh.

OP posts:
opalina · 24/08/2006 17:04

Ulysees,

I can't remember what the ADs wee I was on before, it was many many years ago when I was a teeneger. I was on them for about a month, which I know isn't long enough to see any real results, but they made me feel like I wasn't really there, like looking through someone elses eyes, and had these strange 'waves' of an odd sensation in my stomach.

Maybe I will give them another try, I know there are many new ADs out there and are totally different now to how they used to be.

OP posts:
Ulysees · 25/08/2006 17:00

Yes give them a go hun. I've just talked my mum into 'hopefully' going to the docs. She's been depressed for years but denies it. My sister will be pleased if she does go as it's hard for all concerned. Not to mention mum

Thinking of you xx Keep posting xx

divastrop · 25/08/2006 20:48

there are ppl on here who totally understand as i have found over the past few days.i have taken different ad's in the past and none really helped untill i was pg last year and i had hit rock bottom,i didnt want to talk to any1,i thought every1 hated me anyway,i only got out of bed cos i was a single mumand didnt want my kids to go into care,the same reason i pushed thoughts of ending it all out of my head.i think when ads didnt work in the past it was cos i was depressed for a reason,ie being in abusive relationship,but last time it was just the pg triggering something in my brain and i knew i had to try something.i started feeling better aftera week i think.

magicfarawaytree · 25/08/2006 21:27

vvv that was so profound.

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