First time reaching out

[Flaxy]

This is the first time I've reached out. I suffer from depression anxiety ptsd and finding it hard to cope as its the worst I have ever been. I'm on medication but it's not working. I'm sleeping a lot not eating properly and loosing a lot of weight. The thing that is worrying me most is I'm finding excuses as I can't seem to be able to leave my house. Why is this as I bought a new car but to go to the supermarket I catch a taxi and rush home. Any ideas as I'm really struggling.. Love and light to all

[smallwolf]

Hi Flaxy,

Welcome to beyond blue.

I hope you don't mind if I ask you some questions. I will respond to some of the points in your post, but other things are more difficult with more information. Firstly though, I want you to know that you are not alone in this forum and many user will be able to identify with how you feel, even though each of our situations and feelings are unique. And the users here will support you in the time by listening to you and responding as appropriate.

Medication. My medication is prescribed by my psychiatrist (vs GP) but whenever I visit, I am asked how the medication is going and the effectiveness of it. I also keep a log of how I feel each day, which I will summarise when I see her. But if you feel the medication is not working, then it might be best to speak with whoever prescribed the medication about how you feel.

Sleep. How well do you sleep? Or is your sleep restless? Again, my psychiatrist told me to stop drinking coffee after 4pm, plus doing relaxation exercises before sleep means I don't wake at 2am in the morning stressing over work problems or other issues. If you do a google search for "sleep hygiene" you will get some ideas there.

Eating. You said that you are not eating properly and losing weight. My dad (late 70s) lost interest in eating at one stage and due to depression and changing medication.Have you lost interesting in eating? It might be the case that if you get your medication fixed, you might find the motivation to eat properly again?

Not leaving home. Is this related to motivation or lack thereof? Can you identify what keeps you from going out? Do you have anyone to speak to about this? Family? Friends? Professional help?

Are you getting professional help? If not (or if you are? you could also check out the thread on grounding and mindfulness to help you with the negative thoughts. My psychologist also told me to install a couple of apps onto my phone, plus a book to read. If you are interested I can tell you about these.

Let me sit with you at this time, and chat with you. If you have a question about any of the above, please let me know.

Peace and comforting thoughts.

Tim

[Nurse_Jenn]

Hi Flaxy,

Welcome to the beyondblue forum. It is great to see you reaching out despite having the symptoms you describe including low mood and worry. Tim has posted some great points and important questions so we can better understand your situation. It sounds like that you are getting some support as you are taking medication but often when people require psychological support to compliment medication therapy. Again, I wonder if you are seeing a counsellor or psychologist? If you are, perhaps its is time to make an extra appointment. If you are not, I encourage you to go to your GP and request a longer appointment to gain a mental health care plan. During this appointment a GP will help you access a psychologist.

Having a regular outlet to discuss your symptoms and find a treatment regime that works for you is really important. Feeling anxiety when you go for a walk to the shops must be so distressing for you but the good news is that anxiety can be treated and symptoms of both worry and low mood can improve. Improvement does take time, understanding and practice particularly when it is compounded by PTSD.

If you are not comfortable finding a psychologist, you could start an online treatment program like Mindspot. Mindspot supports people online and via telephone and there are several treatment programs and you can read about it by going to the site www.mindspot.org.au

Another option if your symptoms inhibit you from leaving the house is to try calling a support line and get some immediate help. Talking with someone can help you get through some hard feelings so you can move forward in your day. The beyondblue support line number is 1300 22 4636

With the right support you can get through this and I have confidence that you will gain some support throughout the forum. Keep posting about your journey and I look forward to hearing ways in which you have gained support.

Wishing you the best possible outcome,

Nurse Jenn