I don't want to take the meds.can I do this without them?

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

I have read some of the posts on here and the leaflet contained within the sertraline tablets. I wasn't keen on taking them anyway but I have been trying to deal with my increasing anxiety and depression for a year or so and I am not doing very well.
But the side affects really worry me. I know lots of people just get common side affects but even those worry me, let alone the rare ones. I hate taking anything, especially things that will make me feel ill or interfere with my periods. Yeah, I guess that is what is worrying me. That and putting on weight. I am feeling miserable about my weight anyway so I don't want to make it worse.
I am just scared of how this would affect me. Maybe I will have another go at dealing with this myself. The doctor has put me on the list for cognitive behavioural therapy so maybe that will help. I only saw the doctor today as I just couldn't go before now. I reached my limit last Friday so had to ask for help finally.
Does anyone know whether cognitive behavioural therapy is good? I don't know anything about it.
Did anyone put on weight with sertraline? And did it give you irregular, painful periods? or any other side affects aside from sickness or tiredness?
Thank you, I don't have anyone in RL that I feel i can confide in. I keep swinging from wanting to manage myself, to taking the meds if it means it helps.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi wrongtrouser. I pm'd you.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi wrongtrouser! How are you doing? I was really very low since my last message but the last few days seem to have been better for me. I am still picking my head, I think it is an anxiety things. Pretty sure it is thinning there. So pissed off with myself for picking my head, my sleep is ok really I guess. I should go to bed earlier . I haven't been on here for many reasons. I have been too down sometimes to do anything like that. I have been tired too. Also had technology fail me.
I did enjoy the summer, shame it went so quick.
Anyway. Thanks for checking i was ok.I did come on quite a few times before but got distracted by a range of issues. So tired tho. Gotta sleep. Can't concentrate on typing tonight.xx

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. Just wanted to say hello. Hope you are enjoying the summer

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. I'm back from the seaside, had a lovely time. My daughter really loves the sea and we spent lots of time on various beaches.

How is your anxiety doing? Sounds like your sleeping is not so good at the moment. Have you managed to stop scratching your head? That sounds like an anxiety thing.

Hope you have had some good days this week with your children.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Sleep sleep where are you?

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi wrongtrouser, I have a dr appointment in a few weeks so I will ask him about the counselling. I am feeling to racey to sleep.it is late and I will try to get some sleep now. I felt anxious a lot of the week. Some days more anxious than others.

It is finally beach weather so I hope you have a great time. We will have a day trip to the beach this week too.

My head hurts. I keep picking and scratching at my head for some reason and it just gets sore. I don't seem able to stop.

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. It must feel a bit hard having had your last cbt session. It makes a lot of difference if you have someone like that to talk things through with. I know what you mean about sometimes feeling it might be better to not dig stuff up, but I do think you might really benefit from some counselling. I would go for it if I was you. You can take things very much at your own pace and just talk about things in as much depth/detail as you want. But you will be able to talk through how you are feeling about things and ways of dealing with stuff.

Did the therapist give any idea how long the wait is for counselling? Probably not, I expect. Good call on the drinking - I think it's best avoided.

That was a very late night post - I hope you got some sleep in the end and have felt better today.

I'm enjoying the holidays - off for a few days to the seaside with my daughter in a couple of days, am looking forward very much to that.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

I had my last cbt session wrongtrouser. I am not sure how I feel about it. The therapist thinks I need counselling and is making that recommendation to my doctor. Sometimes it's good to talk but sometimes it can just bring up alot of history that you want to forget so I am not sure.
I feel a bit alone now. Though the people I have told have been kind, they don't understand as they have not suffered with depression or anxiety. I found the cbt therapist supportive and a voice of reason if you know what I mean, it would help me see what I needed to do to cope. I just feel I am a little at sea here.
I can't settle to sleep, just too racey tonight. I will try again in a minute as I will be tired tomorrow.
I hope you are well, bit of a rainy week here. British summer at its best!

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Glad you are feeling better girty.

Wrongtrouser, I think I will go back to tea total in case that is what it is. I hate feeling down and anxious when I had improved so much.
Holidays are definitely going too fast.

[Girty999]

I'm on them, got achy jaw from clenching and lost my appetite so nothing bad at all and I actually feel almost normal instead of my brain going at 100 miles an hour and having vile panic attacks, I still wobble occasionally but it's very minor and there's no way I could have coped without x

[WrongTrouser]

Good to hear you are feeling a bit better. I have to say I have totally avoided drinking since I've been on the ads. Alcohol always effected my mood a lot anyway and it is recommended to avoid with sertraline (though I know some people who do have a bit to drink with seemingly no ill effects). So I just keep off it, as I don't want to do anything which might effect my mood. As well as alcohol in itself affecting mood, it also may interact with the meds. Tbh I would avoid it if at all possible. Keeping on an even keel is hard enough anyway.

I hope you have had a better day today.

I'm enjoying the children being home - the holidays are going fast though.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi wrongtrouser, I did have a bad night last night kind of finding it hard to get to sleep and then woke at 4.30 yesterday and this morning. I don't know why the backward step. Can alcohol have a big affect on meds? I haven't drunk in years and last Sunday and Wednesday I had a few drinks. I was not drunk. Just happy tipsy if you know what I mean and on Thursday I had two drinks. Could that have affected my mood? I don't know. I don't understand that I was doing really well and to go back to feeling anxious and down is disappointing. I have been better today but still not right.

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. You sounded so much better in your last post. Good to hear you have been sleeping better - it makes so much difference to be well rested.

How are you feeling today? Did you have a bad night last night?

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Major dip in my mood today. :(

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi, I replied to this ages ago but forgot to post it! :)

I do hope you are having a good holiday. I seem to be a referee between my kids a lot of the time. Ahhh, they love each other then hate each other it seems.

Well done for losing weight. I haven't really been trying so I get a zero for effort. I will try again soon though.

I am feeling much better than I was both physically and mentally. I just need to focus more on myself, I am slacking in doing my physio and mindfulness etc.

My sleep has got better, so so happy. More like 6am wake up which is definitely better than before. I still have some earlier wake ups a few times a week but it is nice not to be exhausted all the time.

I need to work on my motivation. It is a big problem that I am struggling with. I guess it's on me though. I just have to force myself to do the chores or get out and exercise or do more exciting things with the kids. I am sure it will become easier.

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. Hope you are enjoying the holidays and are more recuperated. I seem to be making a bit of progress with loosing weight at last, mainly by not having my favourite foods in the house. It is very slow but at least I feel things are moving in the right direction. Are you getting on any better with your healthy eating?

I haven't sorted out any holiday plans yet, might not go anywhere, but we are just doing nice holiday things - trip to beach yesterday etc.

I hope you are enjoying getting out and about with your children.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi Wrongtrouser, how are you doing? School is out for summer! I am feeling much better thanks.I haven't asked about the cbt sessions yet but I will. I feel funny lately. Kind of weird. Not being able to focus on things or find the motivation to do anything. I feel very lazy and I really have to pull my finger out and attempt to do the chores. I know I just need to set myself small tasks or a time limit but I am struggling. Plus I am eating too much crap mainly in the morning and often missing out dinner as I just don't fancy anything.
Maybe now it's the holidays I will be out more and unlikely to eat a load of crap with the kids here.it's a vicious circle. I feel bad about myself so I eat biscuits with a cuppa, then I feel crap about that so I eat more shit.
I can do this. I know I can.
I am very pleased it's holidays now. I love having the kids home. We haven't got much money but we will have fun doing things with each other, walks and picnics and catching the train to Brighton etc.
Did you manage to sort out your holiday?

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. How are you getting on at work this week so far? Is the new medicine for your illness making any difference? It does sound like you have a lot on your plate with your physical health problems on top of everything else. I hope the cbt people are able to let you have some more sessions. When is your appointment?

I hope you are being able to be a bit more forgiving of yourself for what you are/are not able to do whilst you are not feeling so brilliant health wise. I think sometimes it is easier with physical illness to be more accepting of limitations but I think you can sometimes find it hard to just be kind to yourself and accept that your standards/aims will have to slip for a while.

I hope you are looking forward to the summer holidays. My children break up on Friday. We have left all our holiday planning a bit last minute so I need to get it sorted out or we will not be going anywhere.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

I have been feeling a bit better mood wise over the last few days wrongtrouser. Though I reached the end of my feather last night. I think I am just fed up with not being able to do much. I will ask the cbt people and see if I can have some more.I don't know if they will allow more as I did mention it in an email with other stuff and she didn't address that part of the message.
This illness has got me down.I was signed off for two weeks and returned to work on Monday. I had to leave early on two of the days this week and I couldn't go in on Friday as I was too ill.I got new medication Thursday but I haven't felt an improvement yet. As it is quite debilitating it stops me doing alot and my activity is completely out which is frustrating. Well, thinking positively, I am sure I will feel better soon.

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. Good to hear you are feeling a bit better. It sounds like your recent illness has really taken it out of you. Have you thought of contacting the people who organise the cbt sessions and requesting some further sessions? Or asking your GP the same? It does sound like you have found your therapist supportive and that she is helping you, and it might be good to have some more sessions with her. Perhaps if you explain how you are feeling at the moment, they might be able to arrange more sessions.

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Thank you wrongtrouser.I do feel a little better today which is good.it is just hard to see an end to the depression. I felt quite fragile today.I actually fell asleep for an hour in the afternoon after work. I never sleep in the day. I had been feeling ill as I am not recovering from this illness as quickly as I had hoped but I am glad I had rest, I obviously needed it.
Going to sleep now, although this is a bit late, I had things to do. I only have one more cbt session left.I am not ready.

[WrongTrouser]

I hope you are feeling a bit better today Private. I know how awful it feels when you feel really down, but you will feel better again. Hope all is okay.

[WrongTrouser]

Hi Private. It sounds like perhaps it was hard talking about some difficult stuff I'm here if you want to chat tonight. If not, hope you get some restful sleep and feel better tomorrow. Take care and talk soon x

[Privateandconfidentialplease]

Hi wrongtrouser, I am glad your scales are going in the right direction! Well done.
I was left very down after my session.probably more down than I have been for a long while. God I am tired of this. I have no words. I will just go to bed as I am in tears.I feel broken. I sometimes feel I can't carry on.

[WrongTrouser]

I hope you are feeling better today Private. Well done on doing better with the food, especially whilst still recuperating. I'm trying to get back on my diet to lose some weight. Some days not too bad, but some rubbish. As long as I am heading in the right direction I am happy though. I hope the session with your therapist goes well this week (if it is this week).