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Ongoing concerns
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I've struggled on and off with anxiety for 11 years, and I'm currently going through another tough time. I see a psychologist every 6 weeks, but she's away at the moment, and I won't see her until late November. I'm scared I won't cope for that long: I'm not eating, I'm so very tired, and I'm not motivated.
I think I understand what has triggered my current episode, and I believe what I'm experiencing is processing the feelings from my recent trigger. It's been almost two weeks now and these feelings aren't going away. I've just upped my medication and hoping the change will kick in soon.
Does anyone else experience long bouts of depression after anxiety? Is this normal?
Does anyone have any tips for getting through this next few weeks? I'm fortunate to be on leave at the moment but have to return to work next week, and I'm so worried I'm not going to cope.
Thank you.
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I can tell you that depression is common after a bout of anxiety. Take care yourself and I hope it passes soon
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Thanks Scared, nice to know I'm not alone 🙂
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Hi FrenchHorn
I've found overwhelming stress and anxiety to be incredibly exhausting for a number of different reasons. I think the more reasons we find, the more we're able to be kind to our self and say 'No wonder I'm feeling the way I am, it makes complete sense'. You could even confidently say 'This is how I naturally work'.
- If stress or anxiety happens to be an ongoing factor in our life you could ask 'Am I naturally experiencing the 3rd stage of General Adaptation Syndrome (Gas), which comes with a whole stack of side effects, including depression
- If we're a 'sensitive' (being able to sense easily and deeply), this can naturally become exhausting. The ability to switch off or emotionally detach becomes not just a skill but a blessing on certain occasions. Yes, easier said than done
- If inner dialogue's part of the struggle, dealing with the inner critic or some dark inner dialogue can become incredibly depressing at times. This is inner dialogue along the lines of 'What's wrong with you? Why can everyone else around you manage life but you can't? It's because you're weak and you're hopeless. You're pathetic'. It can get incredibly dark. Managing inner dialogue becomes an absolute must. It's challenging but definitely well worth rising to such a challenge
- If high energy and excitement is the feeling of life running through us, the complete opposite can feel depressing. To be able to feel very little life energy running through us or to feel no obvious energy at all can call for some serious energy management
Whether it involves managing physical energy, mental energy or even a soulful sense of energy, research can involve a deep dive into a fascinating rabbit hole of greater self understanding. Physical energy produced through resting energy (sleep/relaxation), hydro energy (water/hydration), kinetic energy (exercise), nuclear energy (food grown in the earth), solar energy (which helps with vitamin D production) and so on is about energy input. Sometimes it can be about chemical energy condensed into a med that works for us. Mental energy can involve certain energy that comes from inner dialogue, belief systems, a sense of identity, the imagination and all that kind of stuff. Soulful energy or natural energy can involve putting talk of chemistry and biology aside and simply saying 'Can I feel enough inspiration to charge me or put me in (a state of) charge? Can I feel, intuitively, which way I'm heading? Can I feel who or what drains me or who or what raises me? Can I feel other people's emotions stressing me, draining me or depressing me (on top of my own emotions)?'. From a natural perspective, you could say we're born to feel. Learning how to feel or sense can be a part of the challenge.
My gosh, we're incredibly complex creatures, that's for sure. No wonder we can struggle so much at times. I've found research as being one of the major keys to unlocking different ways forward. 'How do I work, under the circumstances?' is an empowering key question. I've found it to be a far less depressing question than 'What's wrong with me?'. Channeling/developing/exercising our inner researcher or inner wonderer (which can lead to an energising sense of wonder, curiosity and some desperately needed revelations) can feel so much better than channeling our inner critic. 🙂❤️
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Hello and welcome FrenchHorn,
Really sorry to hear you are going through a challenging time and sorry for the late reply.
I guess, depression and anxiety are pretty much different sides of the same coin. Depression can be a side effect of anxiety. It's very natural to experience this, so you are not alone in feeling this way.
Glad to hear you are seeking professional help. You mentioned your psychologist is away for some time, is the thought of that making you more anxious?
In the meantime, are there any close family members or friends who you can trust and talk to?
Please be gentle with yourself. Also, try replacing with positive thoughts, instead of saying "I won't cope" try saying "I will do my best, and I can cope".
Here to listen and help if you feel like chatting...
Take care
Happylife