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Looking for advice

thisisalongshot
Community Member

Hi everyone,

This is my first post so please be nice..

I have a pretty long and complicated mental health history but now as long as I take my medication I’m generally fine and have been for years.

The last year though has been tough. I’m seeing a perinatal psychiatrist for monitoring while my husband and I have been trying to conceive. I’ve changed antidepressants as we thought the old one stopped working. I don’t have any issues with the new antidepressant but I’ve been taking it for about 3 months and I don’t feel any different to before - I’m still depressed despite the medication. My psychiatrist isn’t concerned and doesn’t care when he sees me next.

I’m pretty high functioning and have a good job, I’m the breadwinner, but I’m struggling to work a full week or even a full day. I still meet my KPI’s but I’m worried that’s going to change if I don’t do something. I’ve been WFH and feel like isolated and disconnected and stressed re work. I’m currently pregnant and don’t want to go into the office due to cost and COVID risk. I’m barely excited about having a baby even though we tried for a long time and had fertility treatment. I couldn’t even get excited about getting my bonus which I worked hard for for over a year and is quite the windfall.

I’ve been avoiding my friends and they’ve started to pull away as a result. I generally spend the weekend in bed or on the couch. Chores are ignored and I eat a lot of takeaway. I know I should go out and be more active but this is how I most enjoy living at the moment. Lockdowns are like giving cigarettes to a lung cancer patient, I know it’s bad for me but I can’t help but love it.

I’ve had tonnes of MH treatment before and feel like I know all the strategies they’ll give me. I don’t enjoy talking to people about my problems. I did see a therapist recently but all she wanted to talk about is my history and issues I was treated for many years ago (anorexia and PTSD). I found it insulting and nosy frankly. I no longer have flashbacks, nightmares etc and if anything I’m now overweight.

This post was to ask for advice but it’s turned into a bit of a vent too. What things, other than medication, do you do to improve your depression? How do you work up the motivation to get better?

thanks so much to anyone who reads this and especially those who reply.

4 Replies 4

Petal22
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi thisisalongshot,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im sorry you are feeling this way…..it must be difficult for you…..

Thats great you are seeing a perinatal psychiatrist….. I’m sorry your medication doesn’t seem to be working…….

I had severe anxiety OCD I know our conditions are different but I did a therapy called metacognitive therapy I did the therapy for OCD but I’ve read it’s also used for depression maybe you could look into it and see if it’s a fit for you…….

Ive now recovered from OCD for 4 years going strong…..

Im here to chat to you

Thanks Petal22. I know I need to speak to a professional but I keep coming up with excuses and just trying to get by on my own, but I know I’m failing. Last time I felt like therapy dragged on and caused me to focus on my problems. I’ve done really well by ‘just getting on with it’, it’s hard to admit I need help.

I appreciate your comment and suggestion, I will discuss it with my psych.

That’s ok thisisalongshot,

Im sorry your therapy dragged on last time , with the metacognitive therapy I did, I did it in a group mine was an intervention into the OCD…… maybe the therapy can be used in different ways for different conditions?

This therapy changed my life I learned so much from it… I had a lot of personal growth and learned to challenge the way I thought about things…… ive turned my whole life around from a mindset point of view……… I was once a very negative person but I’ve learned now to see and think about things in a positive way…..

I too used to find it hard to get excited about things…… looking back for me I think it was because I viewed nearly everything in a negative way or an anxious way…..

Now I actually talk positively to myself about something to look forward to and make myself feel really excited about something intentionally…

I read a lot of positive affirmations every day…

Meditation is great, have you ever tried it?

Sending you kindness

Im here to chat

Sophia16
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hey,

Thank you so much for ranting and welcome to the forums 🙂 I am truly sorry about what you are going through. It must be so tough. It is amazing that you are seeing a psychiatrist.

Depression is a genetic cause and the environment you are surrounded by can make it worse. It is something that can be maintained but never fully cured UNLESS you keep maintaining it. Here are a few tips that can help you maintain it:

1. Accept where you are at the moment and what you are currently going through.

2. Writing down how you are feeling to get it all out.

3. If you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing your goals today, remember that you haven’t lost tomorrow’s opportunity to try again.

4. Do the opposite to what your depression voice says

5. Set small goals like cleaning your room. Once you achieve them, reward yourself.

6. Listen to your favourite music

7. Spend time with your loved one

Stay safe and let me know if you follow any of these tips 🙂