Anxiety and depression. Looking to relate to people who have recovered

9 comments

1. You totally can recover.

   I’ve tried prozac, talking therapy, CBT….

   The only thing that worked for me is to face your anxieties, like exposure therapy.

   And for depression, get up and walk. Walk daily. And do other exercise too.

   I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression since my teenage years. But pretty much overcome it with the above strategies

2. My anxiety and depression comes in waves. It’s only though trial and error that I know how to mitigate. Medication takes the edge off but getting out the house, going for walks, eating well all help. It’s not easy, and I have bad days. But I try and realise that I can beat it. I hope things pick up for you.

3. You absolutely can recover. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and depression and mood swings for the majority of my life. I’ve tried most antidepressants, until I learned of Lamotrigine (lamictal), which I am on 200mg of. It’s fantastic.

   One thing to note, is that benzodiazepines, while very effective for anxiety, can cause depression.

   I also exercise heavily and have stopped any form of recreational drugs (weed, alcohol). It was hard at first, but I realized how much it was impacting my life.

   The other thing is, I’ve started psychodynamic therapy. I’ve uncovered a lot of childhood/teenager trauma that explains a lot of my difficulty in my emotional and psychological struggles. This came to be explained as CPTSD.

   There’s always hope, and there are treatments, but sometimes it can take a long time. Don’t give up. There are various forms of therapy, and different kinds of therapists. I’ve seen about 6 different therapists, with various forms of therapy, and I have finally found someone I truly “connect” with, and it has been extremely helpful. It’s possible you might need to search for another therapist until you can truly connect with one.

   You got this.

4. Your story sounds very similar to mine. Have you considering trying microdosing? It has helped me a ton so far

5. Suffered from depression and anxiety at varying levels as long as I can remember.

   Nowadays Depression is only a memory to me. Anxiety lingers but its helpful in a lot of ways.

   Therapy helped a lot. Challenging myself to face these things helped a lot. Psychedelics somewhat.

   Let me know if you want more info. There are some great books depending on what you are going through

6. I’m a bit older than you and have been through it. One thing I’ve learned that applies to me is that diet is about 80% of the struggle.

   I’ve learned all kinds of things that have helped me.

   Carbs/sugar can make people feel terrible. There may be physical symptoms that you haven’t connected with what might be inflammation. If the body is inflamed so can the gut and brain be.

   Low/high blood sugar is corollary of this. You can get a continuous glucose monitor that you wear as a patch on your arm, linked to a phone or a reader. You’ll be able to see exactly what foods are triggering the blood sugar highs/lows.

   Hydration is also massive and I really think you should stop all caffeine and see if there’s an improvement because caffeine intolerance is real and it affects how you think.

7. Yes.

   Yes you can recover.

   I am currently in that journey as well.

   My ex-fiancé called off the wedding. Currently in the courts fighting for custody for our kids. Yeah, a lot of trials and tribulations that without question tested me. Life is hard. Life is short. Life is a beautiful tragedy. It can be tragic but it is so beautiful.

   What’s been helping me:

   I.) Mantras. >!Repeating something that helps me overcome. Something simple, true, and most importantly positive. I’ll elaborate more later.!<

   II.) Therapy. >!Having someone to share all of my frustrations, insecurities, and mental battles helps. Because he asks me questions. Socratic method. Will share more later.!<

   III.) Attitude. >!Attitude of gratitude does wonders. Simply taking the time to acknowledge all the freaking beauty in your world is like filling up your tank before you continue your life’s journey.!<

   IV.) Exercise. >!This helps your equilibrium. Sometimes it really is just a lack of chemical balance that your body needs you to recover. It doesn’t have to be much!<

   V.) Consumptions. >! I like to teach my kids, you are what you consume. If you consume negative mindsets they become you. If you consume unhealthy food, you are unhealthy. If you consume healthy food, you are healthy. If you consume positive content/mindsets, you are, you are. Might share more!<

   If you care to read more, here’s some details.

   For mantras. Here are some that have helped me a lot. Some are mine. Some are common. Some I’ve borrowed.

   “I am better than this.”

   “Confidently calm persistence will get you far in life.”

   “There’s no such thing as a life that’s better than yours.”

   Find one, find as many as you want, that will help you.

   They must be simple to remember. They must be true. Not a fan of “toxic positivity.” Having a mantra that isn’t true like, “I am always happy,” is untrue. We are not always happy. We change. That’s life. Nothing bad or good. It is what it is. Making a mantra that you know is untrue will not help for long.

   Lastly, it must be positive because when you are confident, you are positive, you are true. You don’t answer, “negative” when someone asks you if you are ready. Because that means no. When someone asks, are you sure, saying I’m Negative means unsure. Saying, “I’m positive” means I’m confident, I’m sure, yes. Again they must be true. They must be simple and you must believe. Positivity is the truth. Not negativity. Which is not to be confused with false positivity or toxic positivity.

   Here’s another example:

   “Are you okay? When you are hurt saying, “always” is false or toxic positivity. Responding with, “no, but I will be.” Is true positivity because we always get better, we adapt, we grow.

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   For Therapy:

   We are all fighting our own personal demons. Someone who is trained to help, helps, a lot. Simply asking questions offers a new POV we might not have considered and it helps to see a different angle.

   Example of a potential exchange:

   “I don’t want to be a narcissist. I want to stop. IDK how.”

   “Why do you think this?”

   “Because that’s what my ex calls me all the time. She tells this to everyone.”

   “Why is that? Why would she do that?”

   “Because it’s true.”

   “How is that true?”

   “Well, she said it.”

   “Is she a licensed psychologist? Is she equipped to make that evaluation?”

   “No but why would she always repeat it?”

   “Good question. Why do you think?”

   “Well, because she’s upset.”

   “Do we always make true stamens when we are upset?”

   “No.”

   Simple exchange that offers insight to a different Perspective. Moreover they can offer mental tips and tricks that can help manage our stressors.

   #TL;DR

   In short, yes you can. I am currently in that journey as well. I’d like to recommend a couple of mediums.

   First, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck, that’s the name of the book. Highly encourage you to check it out.

   Second, Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers, that’s the name of the album (music). Highly encourage you to listen to a couple songs or if not the whole album.

   Stay blessed [+]

8. Been is and out of therapy as I struggled with both. What actually helped me a lot was from the movie ‘STUTZ’ on Netflix. The dude’s tools that he has used on people are incredibly easy to understand and he explains how to use them in life. Not saying it’s a cure for your issues but they were really helpful to me. Best of luck 🤞🏻

9. Hypnosis helped me a lot, so did pregabalin, far more than any other antidepressants, mood stabilisers, etc.
   Depression tricks you into thinking you’ll feel better tomorrow so you’ll do it then. This puts you into a spiral.
   Hypnosis had a huge effect on me. After 3/4 nights I felt my brain had been cleaned and organised. I felt lighter, more in control. The weight of the world had lifted from my shoulders. I let it play on a loop as I slept.
   Serotonin is made in the stomach, make sure your eating nutrient dense foods and taking a supplement, with extra Vit D during the winter.
   No sad music, no sad movies, no sad environments. Control your environment strictly. Have a list of things that make you happy that you keep for when your mood is slipping. Keep a mood diary so you can spot it.
   Exercise, exercise, exercise. Weights is the one that helped me the most.
   Micro-dosing psilocybin is having huge effects on depression, John Hopkins has a whole department dedicated to it. There are several subs on here about it.