what do you do to help yourself when depressed

[Babettesidsefreyaallthescandi]

Hi,
I am struggling with depression at the moment and getting through the day requires so much effort and determination. I am adjusting to a new medication which probably isn't helping. I am trying to shower every day and wear clean clothes and make something to eat. I can only face food shopping if someone is with me and don't feel confident enough to drive. I know about the principles of CBT and try not to think of negative consequences of being ill( like losing my job and home) but find these thoughts creep in particularly on waking.
What do you do to get yourself through the day?

Walking to the pharmacy is a good sign. So often the shifts we make are mocroscopic and it's hard to notice they are doing us good. But I am so impressed you're aiming for shower, clean clothes and food every day. that's absolutely fundamental to getting well again.

I have started my new medication regime, fluoxetine and olanzapine whilst tapering off quetiapine. I can't believe that I am even taking all these medications. I feel a bit out of sorts today, worried that I might feel worse before feeling better which I know is a risk. I think that I need to be kind to myself even more than usual but worry that I am giving myself an excuse to do nothing all day.
Also, I need to decide what to do about my hair. I usually home dye it every six weeks or so but obviously haven't been able to do it. I don't have the money to go to a hairdresser. I don't think going full on grey would be an option as I think that I would lose even more self esteem and wouldn't recognise the person in the mirror.

Babette, please go really really easy on yourself. Fluoxetine is notoriously slow to kick in. I was in floods of tears at the doctors two months after I'd started taking it as it seemed to have had no effect whatsoever. It did. It just took forever to work. Don't know anything about olanzipine but I hope it works quickly.

With your hair, can you use temporary spray on dye for a while, if it would help you feel better about your appearance? Once you're feeling a bit better you could maybe go to a hairdressing college and get it done freely or very cheaply. But not yet. Just watch trashy TV and take showers for now.

Babette. All this is temporary. Your hair needing dyed is temporary. Things are most certainly going to get better for you and being able to dye your hair will happen again. Just now, only focus on the things you can't do. It's normal when people are unwell, to not look their best. It's okay.

When I started sertraline last year, I made a post on here called sertraline buddies and asked if anyone else was starting. The thread still runs now though I don't really use it anymore, plenty of people do. Perhaps you could make a fluxotine buddies thread and there may be others going through the same process. It helps to know you aren't alone.

These medications, as we get older most of us end up taking meds. For all sorts of things. Taking meds for mental health is absolutely no different to taking aspiring to thin blood or statins for heart problems.

You are on fluxotine and I have my fingers crossed that you are now at the start of the path back to wellness. If things get a bit worse before better, it will be okay. Antibiotics work in a similar fashion, often making people feel a little worse before better. Knowledge is power, if you do start to feel a little worse, that I'd a string indicator that the medication is doing something. It's not pleasant but it means you are on the right path.

I love grey hair! And it's very fashionable at the moment!
Can you find any deals on groupon or the like for a colour at a hairdressers?
Or maybe try and dye it yourself. Think of it as a kind of pamper session? Or would DH risk doing it for you? If you trust him!
I think keeping yourself looking nice is important at times like this. It's so easy to let yourself slip a bit. Obviously looks aren't everything, but doing things for yourself will give you a little boost when you need it most.
I went for a proper haircut for the first time in years. I spent £41 which to me is a lot. I felt a bit guilty but I'd saved it specifically. I've been swishing my hair around the past few days and it has made me feel a bit better about myself :)
Good luck with the new medication. You might feel a little worse but it's worth it in the end.

Thanks for all your ideas hair-wise - I am trying not to let it bother me. Today after no sleep, I am struggling again with the UTI I am gutted that symptoms have come back. It is hard enough trying to deal with the mental side of things without having to cope with constant discomfort. Feeling very sorry for myself

Oh no :( perhaps another trip to the gp is needed. They'll have to investigate further if the test comes back clear. Can't just leave you in pain!
How are you getting on with the anti depressants? X

Wondering how you are doing, Babette? Hope that at least the UTI has been knocked on the head.

Thanks for thinking of me Aunty. My UTI is better but still not completely resolved. I am a week into taking Fluoxetine and feel that I have more motivation which is good but I am getting some side effects such as feeling shaky with a slight hand tremor. Now that I am not just dragging myself through the day, my mind is focussing on all the things that I am still not able to do and worries about whether I will be able to get back to work. I know that I have to not get in to a negative thought pattern. I am trying to do one small thing, such as tidying away clothes every time I have to get up.

Hope you're feeling better OP. But if not, that's ok it takes time.

I am feeling a little better, thanks for asking. The medication is making me feel very lethargic so I am not doing much with my days but I am not feeling so despairing.

Hi, sorry you're feeling rubbish. I've suffered from bipolar disorder for around 25 years. I understand it's different for everyone but for me wellness is something I have to fight for daily when I am depressed. I have no inclination to do the things that help me and even dread them but I try to force myself. Not that I always manage, but the things that I find helpful are:

Going for a walk or a bike ride
Ensuring my surroundings are clean and uncluttered (when they're not I feel awful)
Doing something creative
Listening to soothing music
Long baths and a bit of a pamper
Eating healthily

Hth

Thanks EyeRollChampion. At the moment, it is the medication that is making me lose that drive to do things as I feel too relaxed and chilled and then I beat myself up for being lazy. If you don't mind me asking, do you mange your BP with medication?

I do, have tried a few variations over the years but keep coming back to the same one. It helps but makes me feel so tired and lethargic. Some days I have to push myself really hard to do anything. Have you been on them long? Some of them take a really long time to settle. You could possibly feel a bit more lively after a few months. Glad you're not feeling quite so low though.

I have just been on the current combination of Fluoxetine and Olanzapine for just over two weeks and I am hoping to be able to go down to the lowest dose of O in a couple of weeks in the hope that that may help with the lethargy. I don't think I can cope with having to continually push myself to do even the most basic things. I also feel dulled cognitively and am planning to be able to go back to work at some point so need to have a brain and some energy.