What can you do when you're depressed but not depressed enough....

[Alambil]

to get the right amount of points on that stupid questionnaire so the Doctor won't give you any meds? But you're convinced meds are the only way you're going to get help because your fingers are bloody and raw to the bone from struggling to climb out of the pit (a metaphor, of course)

try st. john's wort and eat more omega 3s.

exercise more.

You go back to the GP, try to see a different GP in the practice, talk and talk and TALK to them until they see you need that help.

Are they offering you any help at all, other than meds?

In a word; no.

I am in a destructive circle; can't excersize cos I can barely get out of bed... but excersize will help... but I can't becasue blah blah

I could lie, I guess... get more points to get the help and know in my heart it won't take SO long to get better? That's very wrong innit...

Argh I'm angry at myself now for getting here.

You have to take some responsibility for some of this yourself.

And I speak as someone who has a hard time remembering a time when I was not depressed.

It takes HUGE effort to do most things for me, even now.

But NO ONE and NO pill will I don't.

I have to help myself in order for others and meds to help me.

Sorry if that's harsh, but that's how it is.

This is a disease, and I see it as like having hypertension. Drugs can only do so much, the afflicted person has to make the changes to their lifestyle in order to not have it kill you.

Saying 'I can't' isn't going to help you.

My meds have side effects, FWIW.

I have to overcome these and when they're so severe that I can't do this I have to find a new med.

It sucks.

But this is MY lot and if I don't own it and try and fight as hard as I can to help myself, things will never get better.

I'm sick of being the victim, so I'm not going to play one anymore.

This is MY problem.

And, as a depressed person, you unfortunately have to own it and take responsiblity for it or it will do that for you.

Exercise helps.
A great deal.

Expat is right, you know. You probably think she's being harsh but what she says is true. And I also speak as a long-term depressive who has tried every ad going.

You know that exercise will help you - so you have to force yourself to get out of bed and do it. Tell yourself that you'll do five minutes, and then you can go back to bed ... by which time you'll want to carry on. Ads won't force you out of bed; only you can do that.

Ads aren't a miracle cure and they can't do everything for you; you have to work at it. And sometimes it's bloody hard work.

That aside, though, I'm surprised that your GP is only using the questionnaire to decide whether you need treatment or not. Depression can't always be measured, and I would suggest you go back - see a different GP if you can. But do try and take some positive action yourself too. It does help.

Umm, I would have thought that being unable to get out of bed and face the day would be bad enough to be prescribed some ADs TBH

I know that I need to change and develop my lifestyle to combat depression long term, but lately it got so bad that I felt unable to do this.

So, I went to my GP who prescribed some ADs to give me the boost I need to get me helping myself again.

If this is where you are (and it sounds like it to me) then maybe you should go back and see a different GP and get what you need.

When you talk to them, don't tell them half the story. Tell them how bad it is.

I agree with the seeing a different doc. I would probably lie on the form too. Mine was fabulouos today - listened to everything I had to say, asked what I wanted to try to fix it, and gave me the ads along with exercise advice etc.

Exercise does help, but sometimes you need the life out of the hole to see the way clear to exercise

They're not a magic bullet, though, and they DO have side effects.

I've not been on one that doesn't have side effects.

It's something I have to live with and force myself through and if I can't then I have to go through the process of switching.

There's no miracle cure, however, and they don't make all your problems go away, unfortunately.