Need answers?? 6 pointers to help you along.....
Posted , 3 users are following.
Good afternoon fellow Fluoxetine (Flu) takers,
I really hope this post find everyone feeling ok, showing improvement and looking forward to a nice, warm weekend.
This is a long post, you may want to get comfortable or read it a few times over to take it all in fully; but either way i thank you for allowing me to be a part of this forum and to share my thoughts with you.
Basically I have been on flu for a total of 31 weeks, 22 weeks at 20mgs, 8 at 40 mgs and this week back on 20mgs. I now feel a lot better and have been able to make a lot of radical life changes – mainly in work life, family life and to my character. I really want to help others so here are a few pointers that I hope make a difference.
My first piece of advice is to TAKE YOUR TIME. There is no way to rush getting better from depression - sorry but that’s the truth. This illness is a PHYSICAL ILLNESS and is similar to that of a broken leg; time is the best healer so don’t try running before you can walk. If you try and speed up the recovery process, you could make yourself worse. Keep that in mind; can you imagine feeling worse than you already do?
Secondly, buy a great book that has helped me and so many others with invaluable information. This book is called \"Depressive Illness - Curse of the Strong\" by Tim Cantopher. Take a look on eBay/Amazon/Waterstones - they all sell it, read the reviews....its worked wonders for me and i keep it by my bed to help in times of desperation.
Thirdly, investigate the illness as much as you can. Myself and a few others have found vitamin supplements can make a difference. Vitamin B complex & B-12, Vitamin C & Iron can help recovery. Google any of this information and you should find stories that compliment mine. I have found a large number of sites out there on the net that have both encouraged me but also filled my head with fear. Try as best you can not to listen to all of them as many exaggerate.
Fourthly, look into therapy in some shape or form. I personally had 18 counselling sessions and found them a god-send. Being able to offload all your problems, thoughts and feelings onto a non-judgemental, qualified stranger is one of the best things in the world. There are so many different types of help out there; Counselling, Psycho-analysis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) etc the list is long but they are all there for one purpose - TO MAKE US BETTER.
I have spent a decent amount of time reading WebPages, medical journals and books and found all sorts of information on Depression, counselling and CBT. I also found this amazing CBT website that you can use for FREE to help you get better.... http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome Use it please, it’s all beneficial.
Fifth, avoid ALCOHOL and DRUGS. This may sound obvious but there are many of us out there who have made the mistake of drinking too many beers or smoking the occasional joint whilst taking Fluoxetine. Beer/Wine and Weed are all DEPRESSANTS therefore they are counteracting the benefits we would receive from the Flu. Over Christmas 2008 I made the almost fatal error of getting wasted on Vodka Redbulls with family and waking the next day having forgotten to take my Flu and felt suicidal and scared. I wouldn’t want this to happen to any of you so please don’t let it happen – you are all no doubt great people and want to get better so do all you can to help the process.
Sixth, and finally, BE SELFISH.
As horrible and as harsh as that may sound, it’s very true. You will find it a real struggle to get better unless you take more time to yourself and do the things you need and want to do - don’t live by other peoples demands, that is what has gotten us where we are now. You may feel guilty doing this but that’s a GOOD thing. Guilt is a sign of recovery - a sign that you are looking after you and not giving in to other people’s needs. If you are a parent then I fully understand this is near impossible – in this instance do the best you can – use friends and family to help, don’t feel like you are burdening them if they are willing to help. They want you to recover too.
This illness can be beaten and, with the right help, we can all do that.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post - feel free to reply with any comments or questions, whether positive or negative. Or if you wish to Private Message me - go for it.
All the best, take care and have a great weekend.
0 likes, 6 replies
LellyM
Posted
good post!!!
A good friend of mine, who has also suffered from depression spoke to me yesterday and her 1st comments were \"stop being so hard on yourself\". \"Be kind to yourself and give you a break.\"
I think so many of us \"high achievers\" (not being arrogant but I mean those of us who do not accept failure as an option) see depression as a sort of failure \"I should be able to cope etc etc\" which is total bull-dust!
It is an illness. You don't blame yourself for getting the flu or headache so why beat yourself up for getting depression?
Lelly xx
Hightower
Posted
Im really happy you liked my post, when I got no replies i started to think people thought it was worthless gabble - paranoia for ya!
Us sufferers are extremely hard on ourselves, if we do something simple wrong then we punish ourselves severly for it - its a hard trait to change but it is possible.
Im sure that we can get thru this as long as we are willing to accept that its an illness and take the necessary medication and advice to cure it.
Take care
x x x
Guest
Posted
Like Lelly, I also think you did a great post and got a positive message across to all of us
. I read your post when you first posted it but, I was feeling paranoid to reply to it!!! I keep thinking that everyone is thinking allsorts about me and I can't help it. My CBT therapist got annoyed with me yesterday and thinks I'm not helping myself. My paranoia has become a lot worse since I started flu and I've been missing days of taking them now - I don't know what I should be doing :? .
Anyway, back to your post - I think so many others have read and benefitted from it, too.
Thanks so much 8)
Hightower
Posted
Thanks so much for the feedback......i really hope people have found some benefit from it, that was my aim.
This illness is a rotter, im regularly paranoid....walking down the street i may see someone laughing and immediately ill assume they are laughing at me even though they are actually laughing at something the person with tham has just said.....ill then analyse it all and really convince myself something is wrong with me - own worst enemy :evil:
How do you feel when you miss a few tabs...does it make you worse or better? I recently dropped from 40 to 20mgs but found certain thoughts were popping into my head that i could do without so have lifted back to 40 and feel pretty good. I would say to you try and carry on taking them constantly but im no doc so you do what u feel is best.
Hope you have a great day dude,
All the best
LellyM
Posted
I re-read this today and it still rings so very true. I think we are often our own worst enemy. We take the flu start to feel better then the demon on our shoulder whispers in our ear \"hey, you've beaten it. You can go back to normal\" so you do, running yourself ragged then guess what, you relapse and end up further in the mire than before. I started to do this earlier this week when life seemed to be sorted so I decided that as some of the main contributors to my depression had gone I was fine. Forgot that although the cause is gone, doesn't mean the disease has! So on tuesday I felt dreadful. Could barely keep eyes open, head spinning, paranoid, the works. Then good old Psychochief gave me a mini b********g and I realised what I was doing. Went back into self protect mode and am much better today.
Lelly xx
redruth
Posted
Finally caught up with your great message. I went on to try moodgym and I find it very helpful. Thank you for telling us about it. Hope you're doing well.
redruth :D