New member saying hello

[Rishie]

Hi everyone:
I found this site today when I was looking for online support. It's wonderful that there are sites like this out there.
I'm Rishie, 46 years old and almost totally blind from birth. I'm a Christian and I love to sing, read, write, do crafts and hang out with my friends.
I have depression, migraine headaches and I sleep too much. I think that has something to do with the depression. I'm trying to overcome that, but it's like one step forward, one leap back. Still, some progress is better than no progress I suppose.
I'm also dealing with the loss of a loved one. I was in a long distance relationship for 5 years with someone who made me very happy. He passed away 3 months ago. My best friends, who I would usually turn to at a time like this, are away because of family issues which I totally understand but still, it's hard. If not for my faith and if not for my little dog, I don't know where I'd be! Anyway, that's enough for one post. Thank you for reading this and I hope you have a good day.

[PamelaR]

Hi Rishie and a very warm welcome to our community forums

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is always very difficult. My heart goes out to you and I do hope your best friends return soon so you have someone to talk to about it.

Depression is a little like that - one step forward, one or two steps back. The good thing though is, depression is manageable. There are many things to do to help. For instance, there is a great thread under the Depression forum - Depression: Fight It or Embrace It. Feel free to join in the discussions that you think are similar to your own experiences.

Do you have a doctor you visit regularly about your depression and migraines? That is a good starting point. You may need to make an appointment to talk about your recent loss and to find out if it's worth being referred to a health professional, e.g. counsellor or psychologist.

Keep reaching out if and when you want to Rishie. You're not alone.

Kind regards

PamelaR

[Rishie]

Hi PamelaR
Thank you for the post and the welcome, I appreciate it.
I do have a doctor, but we haven't yet been able to come up with a combination of medications that works for me, either the depression pills exacerbate my migraines or the medications do no good even after a long time. I just plod along the best i can. I don't think I need to see a counsellor at this stage, though if there is no improvement after a while I will seek help.
Thanks again. have a nice day.
Rishie

[PamelaR]

Hi Rishie

Thanks for posting to others, that's really great. It's a way of becoming involved in our community.

Also, it's pleasing to hear you are visiting a doctor. I know what you mean about getting the medication right. From what I read of others posts this can take some time. It isn't always a good fit first time around. Hope it all settles for you soon.

Other things to think about to help get yourself moving, if you want to that is - exercise. One of the most recent things I learnt is being active helps to be more active. Sounds funny, but it does work. The biggest challenge to all that of course is being active in the first place. For me, I have to 'force' myself to get up. What I'm doing now is making a note at night about what I want to achieve first thing in the morning - e.g. put on a load of washing, pull out the weeds from the veggie garden, go for a walk around the local creek. It's amazing the turn around these little hints I give myself of a night have made to me getting up.

Journalling helps many. The posts in our community are full of people who do journalling and find it helps. I used to when I was going through the worst of my recovery. Now I don't do it so much. However, having said that I believe that my writing in these forums helps me tremendously. So being here keeps me motivated and mentally healthier.

Good to have you here Rishie.

Kind regards

PamelaR