Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Tiredness and depression - how does it work?

35 replies

naswm · 18/09/2006 16:16

Hi guys. Quick question. It took me a long while to realise the links between lack of sleep and depression. Now I try to get as much sleep as possible. Today I am very tired. In fact as the day has gone on I am beginning to feel quite low. Not depressed, but certainly tired and irritable. Why is this? Do 'normal' people feel depressed when they are tired? Does this mean the depression is there waiting to jump out and scare me if I have two late nights in a row? Answers on a postcard please. naswm x

OP posts:

Original poster

naswm · 18/09/2006 18:27

surfermum that is what I am hoping to do . Thanks.

OP posts:

Surfermum · 18/09/2006 18:29

Took me a while to realise that the reason I felt I wasn't coping wasn't because I was getting ill again, it was in fact because I was on here until midnight some nights . I am better at tearing myself away these days.

lulumama · 18/09/2006 18:29

I can highly recommend any books by Dorothy Rowe - the way she wrote about depression described it perfectly and made it easier to explain to other people what it is and why you can't just 'pull yourself together' heard that phrase a lot....... and counselling, relaxation, time for yourself etc.. things that are sadly hard to fit in with young children !

TheQueenOfEyeSpy · 18/09/2006 18:30

It's an illness that never goes away completely. It's like being in remission, you never know when it's coming back. Looking after yourself the main way to fight it off. But lets face it we always know it's there or there abouts.

Was going to put a sad emoticon but hey I'm not giving 'IT' the satisfaction!!!!

clobug1 · 18/09/2006 18:38

I agree with the Queen, it doesn't ever really go away, however I've found that I've got better at noticing when it's going to strike and therefore am more prepared, can prepare others and can get help if need be. Make sure you know the signs, and perhaps someone else close does as well.

Original poster

naswm · 18/09/2006 18:43

Thansk everyone for your helpful posts. I feel so much better after listening to your advice. Still tired, but not so low, if that makes sense. Right, I am going to get organised tonight so I can have an early night. So the first hurdle is to drag myself away from MN. Then tidy the house before bathing and putting my DSs to bed. Then I shall cook something simple to eat, have a (one) glass of wine, do the ironing and get to bed at 10pm. if I pull it off....

OP posts:

peegeeweegeewoo · 18/09/2006 18:57

I think a lack of sleep makes everything worse...

For me the worst thing about my darkest depression was the sinking feeling upon waking, the thought of facing another day

When my depression was at its' worst (just before being dx'd with it) I had trouble getting to sleep, would wake in the middle of the night with panic attacks, would have very realistic and terrifying nightmares, and as a result was exhausted during the day and that became a viscous cycle...

So, a tick in the 'for' box from me too....

Glassofwine · 18/09/2006 20:23

naswm - I think I've been fighting off depression for years. I certainly had pnd after dd2 was born and she's now 4 1/2 I saw the health visitor once after her birth and all we talked about was potty training dd1. I was just getting to the point of being able to admit something was wrong to DH when I found out I was pg again - there is only 11 month between my last two. We've had some really tough times over the last few years and I've always had the feeling that I was holding on by my finger tips, just about preventing myself from falling into a dark hole. Luckily my marriage has always been strong and my dh is wonderful.

Now life is easier in that the children are out of baby phase, etc but i just don't feel fullfilled anymore. We moved away from friends etc a year ago and feel fairly settled, but I miss my good friends. All in all I think that my depression is as my GP said 'multi causal' I think I need to have something in my life thats mine. So I've signed up for a course one morning a week, have told myself to have time for myself without feeling guilty and am thinking of getting a part time job.

I'm going to get some sjw tomorrow. I'm interested in what people have said about tiredness and also alcohol. I find that both make me feel really, really low the next day. I'm not a big drinker, but we went to a wedding last week and I feel unbelievably down the following day, due I think to all day long drip drip of alcohol.

anyway i'm going on with myself. I'm just keen not to take the ad's just yet and try anything to lift myself up and keep well away from that dark hole.

Original poster

naswm · 18/09/2006 21:00

glassofwine - s o pleased you have a supportive DH. That must help. I have been taking St JW since January. I think it helps. But dont expect results overnight. Good luck and stay in touch naswm x

OP posts:

Original poster

naswm · 19/09/2006 23:00

Ok, I didnt get my early night last night. And also didnt stop at one golass of wine either. So today have been tired and grumpy. Had my counselling session too, which hit me hard - although I think that was the subject matter rahter than the tiredness, IYKWIM. And tonight I have had a meeting, so another late night. Therefore, I know I am going to be tired and low tomorrow. grrrrrrrrrrrrr Why do I do this???

OP posts:

Flip

1 2