Can ADs help break the cycle of weepiness and self-pity?

[needyouropinionsplease]

I have been feeling generally down, achey, "ill" and increasingly weepy and/or angry for months now.

Went to see the GP this morning. Whilst acknowledging how hard it is with young DC, his main recommendation was time to myself and exercise, but he gave me the option of ADs, which I didn't take.

The thought of trying to find time to have time to myself (IYSWIM) is making me cry again - so I was wondering if short-term ADs would help me get enough of a grip to sort myself out and find a way to have time to exercise, etc.

All opinions welcome - as you can probably see, I am talking myself in circles...

Hi Needy-I can relate to this as I'm just starting to come out of the same self-pitying fog as you describe.

I was being the Wife/mother from hell,cross & irritable all the time,not sleeping permanently exhausted. After a particularly tense w/e when my mother was staying she quietly suggested I might be depressed.....I was astounded then embarrassed how stupid I'd been in not seeing the bleeding obvious! (but that's the nature of the beast)

Yes your GP is right more excercise & "me time" is needed but if you haven't the energy to kick-start that action it's SO hard.

I'm on a low-dose AD I take it at night (as I worked out it suited me better that way-less dopey) & it's been great. Can't say I'm 100% there but it's saved my sanity, that & my wonderful GP reassuring meI wasn't cracking up!

Still working on more "me "time but I've definately got more energy so can excercise more, go out with my dogs every day as much as I can even if it's only 10-15 mins & go swimming every week with the DD's. Because of that I'm sleeping better so that helps too.

I hated the thought of AD's but with the right one in a strictly controlled programme I think they have their place.I'm doing a 6-month trial & we're reviewing every 2/3 months.

Sorry to waffle on.... HTH!

It does help, thank you so much. I was sort of hoping for a positive experience such as yours seems to (mostly) be - but I guess need to hear the opposite if anyone has been there and it hasn't helped....

Well I'm sure there'll be some of THOSE too as we're a wonderfil mixture of experiences on MN!

I think AD's have an unfortunate reputation historically because of the over-use/heavy dosages in the past & also the general ignorance about Mental Health issues. GP's these days are much more aware of fine-tuning these drugs & have a huge variety to choose from as well as other therapies o suggest or combine with.

Keep talking on here too- I've found that helps!