Living with depression

[Greenfrog59]

I have recently had to give up work due to my depression. I find it a daily battle. Do others feel the same. I try to stay busy and plan my day so I got things to look forward to. I’m not as fast as I used to be and have to take my time in doing things. How do others manage their depression.

[Amanda2000]

Hi Greenfrog59,

"I’m not as fast as I used to be and have to take my time in doing things." - yes that's me too.

The faster I try to be, I would become anxious and then my ocd hits. It's counter-productive.

I find distraction to be a good way to manage my mental health issues. But sometimes I just need to "ride it out" and wait for the bad feelings to pass.

[sunnyl20]

Hi Greenfrog59,

Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry to hear that you've been struggling with depression. You are not alone in what you are experiencing - the effects depression can have on concentration, sleep and motivation can make even basic tasks feel like a struggle, and working up the initiative to do things can feel like a real slog. But it sounds like you are doing your best to keep going and keep busy. Planning things that you can look forward to is a good idea. If you are not doing so already, have you considered doing some volunteer work or joining a club or group of some sort? This may be something to think about - that activity and connection with others may help give your day a bit more structure and take the edge off the depression a little bit. It might be useful just to have a look online as a start to see what is out there in terms of volunteering to see if there is anything that interests you.

Please don't hesitate to reach out on the forums whenever you feel up to it, we are here to listen. Take care.