Please or to access all these features

Mental health

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

Struggling - feel like i'm slipping into a huge black hole

6 replies

spaghetticarbonara · 15/12/2018 16:55

I'm really struggling at the moment. I always do at this time of year. I hate the dark nights and I don't think I've actually seen the sun in weeks. It just keeps getting darker, and colder and wetter and there's no end to it.

We have a fairly major maintenance issue going on with the house - leaking roof - which can only be fixed when the weather improves. Every time it rains we have water coming in which is causing me huge amounts of stress. I feel sick to the pit of my stomach about it. It's the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning. I just can't see how I'm going to cope with the next potentially 4 to 6 weeks until the builder can replace the roof. (We have the money to replace it, that's not a worry. It's the actual leak and the fact I can't remedy it now.)

I take no pleasure in Christmas, if it wasn't for the kids i'd happily ignore the whole thing. I just can't wait for it all to be over.

I've been depressed before in my late teens when I found it incredibly hard to adjust to life at Uni and cried every day for three months. It was awful. I can feel the same feelings coming back again. DH doesn't really "get" how I'm feeling. He is very matter of fact about things and just keeps reiterating that the roof will be fixed as soon as it can be and nobody's died. And he's right - other people have much worse things happening and I feel silly for feeling so awful.

Just venting really. Need to get through the next few weeks and then hopefully I'll start feeling better.

OP posts:
AIBU123 · 15/12/2018 16:59

It's not you reacting to the leak OP. It's your depression. It can make everything seem far worse than it is.

I'm no expert with mental health but I know lots on here will have some great advice and they'll be along to offer better suggestions then I can. But I just wanted to send some support your way Flowers

Sweepington · 15/12/2018 17:01

OP please ask your GP about talk therapy. It saved my life.

Swipetounlock · 15/12/2018 17:08

Why can the roof only be fixed when the weather improves? My neighbours had scaffolding with a rigid plastic cover over the entire roof, tarps on the outside of the scaffolding, it was totally enclosed. In 6 weeks it's not going to be any warmer or drier. Your builder sounds a bit defeatist TBH. You have 5 days to ring around other builders to see who could start immediately after Christmas.

Ask for an emergency appointment with the GP to see if you can start some medication before Christmas. Also at this time of year I accept that I need to sleep more than in the summer. It's annoying, but I need to.

Hope you feel better soon Flowers

spaghetticarbonara · 15/12/2018 17:23

The builder we are using to do the roof is someone who has done work on the roof before. We trust him. We've had workmen bodge work in the past and I want this done properly so I can put it out of my mind. It's not the whole roof - it's a section over an extension at the back. Builder needs to remove all tiles and replace them, and replace the flashing too. It's a fairly big job and they need three dry days in a row. I'm not a roofing expert, I'm just going on what they tell me.

DH has a very different reaction to it all than me, he's not stressed by it at all. I work from home so I'm here all day which I don't think helps.

Should also probably mention that I'm on medication for an underactive thyroid and it could well be that upping my levels of that might help a bit.

OP posts:
spaghetticarbonara · 15/12/2018 17:24

Builder has done work on the house before. Not the roof. But we trust him and know he'll do a good job.

OP posts:
spaghetticarbonara · 16/12/2018 10:05

Feeling even worse today. Can't stop crying. Going to have to see the GP tomorrow I think. Don't want to take tablets but don't want to feel like this either.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page