Depressed and exhausted: lifestyle change or GP?

[samanthap411]

Hi all,

For the past couple of years I've been in a pretty dark place. I go through phases of feeling relatively okay and then phases of just feeling absolutely exhausted, unmotivated and pretty down to say the least!

I know I could go to my GP and get medication and/or therapy, but I'm just not convinced that's the answer for me right now, so I'm thinking of trying some lifestyle changes first to see if they help at all... I'm thinking diet, exercise, vitamins, sleep because I know there are things like vitamin D and B12 deficiencies that cause the same symptoms I'm having.

What I'm really wondering is if anyone knows if my GP would do a workup for all of these things and then do regular health check ups to see if I'm on track? Or is that more of a private practice thing? Has anyone had any experiences like this and if so, what helped?

Thanks everyone!

Sorry you're having such a tough time. Your GP should rule out physical causes like anaemia thyroid it D etc via blood tests first. Prob recommend time off before prescribing. Getting more sleep, exercise, good diet would prob help, if you have the motivation to do those that's a good sign. Take care

I have been similar, with anxiety into the mix as well. I was convinced I wasn't depressed - I was! My reason I was convinced I wasn't depressed was that I wasn't crying and was still functioning, I just felt exhausted. I was holding back tears several times a day, and although I was functioning I felt ill constantly. I had tried lifestyle change but what really made a difference was meds. Yours could be something different, the Dr will check even if just to rule out.

So sorry you're feeling this way. Taking better care of yourself is always a good idea, and will definitely help. But I think, when you feel ready, go to a GP you trust and talk over how you're doing. Depression can manifest in different ways, and just because you aren't at the most severe end of the scale possible doesn't mean you don't have depression, or that you don't need help and support. Good luck.