Help Me, I need a non-pharmacological success story.

I have tried everything. I trudge through everyday hoping these medications will do what they a supposed to do. I am really beginning to doubt the validity of modern psychology and psychopharmacology. I have tried everything, believe me everything there is out there for anxeity, depression, bipolar (a misdiagnosis), ADD steming from anxiety etc. NOTHING WORKS!!!!!

These goddamn medicines aren't going to help the fact that when I turn on the news and see all the horrible things happening the world that I get depressed. And beyond, I don't want a pill that helps me ignore all these things. I just don't want to be so damn sensitive to them. I just have such a twisted outlook on life. I go the store and see a family together. I notice the mother is yelling at her kid and gives him a little slap. I then spend the next hour wondering what that childs life is like, if they are gonna be okay, the pain that they have to endure if that is a constant in their life. Every time I pass a homeless person I give them just about everything in my pockets, and leave hoping that things will get better for them. I can't help it. I sense things. It is like some kind of overactive empathy issue that I have. I come home to visit my family and I notice the slightest difference in everyone. Mom doesnt seem as happy as usual...Dad isn't as talkative as he used to be. And then I just think about it. I worry about it. And it makes me sad.

I grew up always seeking peoples approval. Yeah I lived the whole didn't fit into what my parents wanted me to be, didn't ever feel loved sob storry. So I have always wanted to help people. Maybe that is why I am so senstive to people around me. I just wish I could block it all out. I look at people that coast through life, not caring about anyone but themselves with complete and utter happiness. They would step over a homeless person without a thought, could care less about the feelings of those around them....and yet they are completely content. I don't want to be like that....but I am soooo goddamn sick of being bothered by the bad things in life so much.


I am giving up meds. 6 months on an antidepressant has given me less happiness than holding a door for someone or pulling a lost dog out of the street. So I guess I am just rambling now. I think I just need to make some changes in my life that are going to allow me to do what I really want to do. Which is to help others.

I know this didn't make much sense. But I guess I just kind of went off venting. Anyways, if anyone has had any non-drug succes, I would love to hear about it. What did you do to get yourself out of your funk. What did you do to change your habits. Basically what made you feel better.

[Venora Moonwind]

I am sorry you are feeling this way.It is hard to see the world and not be depressed but there are good things there too. we do what we can within our power to make the world a better place we cqan fix all the worlds ills but there are things we can do to make it better.
I am sorry to tell you I am not an unmedicated person.I am bi polar and without my meds I would be in the state hospital.I take zypexa and celexa.I was on lots of other meds that didnt work for me till I got on these 2 and I love them I also go to therapy. meds and therapy go hand in hand.
You probably havent been on the right med yet.
I also exercise and eat healthy and get my eight hours of sleep.I have been albe to reduce my mg of meds thanks to this.
If you want to kick the depression med less then try the exercise and healthy diet.It will raise your seritonin and halp you feel better.

dont watch the news untill you can handle it better and get a therapiusst and you have to get totally honest with them and yourself for it to work.

Clinical depression though is like having diabetes. you take your med and get on with life.

dont give up hope because you dont have to suffer with depression. It is beatable.

Love Venora

[Jade59]

Hi uphill, I know EXACTLY where your coming from.  I have been hyper-aware my entire life too.  I seem to actually feel others pain, be it a person or an animal and it can be exausting!!  I too was on anti-depressants from age 20 to 44 and they never ever seemed to make a difference.  As the years have gone on and the world becoming more and more distressing, this condition has seemed to intensify.  I notice every single noise or activity(within my sight, I don't watch out my window), I notice a change in my neighbors routine, a change in the weather, to even 1degree, I can tell if abuse is going on with a neighbor simple by watching body language.  I am sensitive to how I'm treated and a persons mood.  I have always worried about what others are thinking and used to be really self-aware.  Couldn't even THINK about an animal being hurt let alone a child being yanked by the arm or yelled at in the market, I mean, I could go on and on and on.....

I never felt loved or understood either.  I am also extremely pain sensitive, emotionally and pysically and I must say, you are the first person to describe the whole hyper-sensitivity thing, out loud anyway.  I mean, I'm sure there a many many others, but I have never heard anyone voice it until you.  

Sometimes, I feel so much empathy for people, it's just overwhelms me and noticing every single little change is tiring, but I would rather be this way than some who, like you said,  could care less about peoples feelings around them.  I would never want to be that way.
  
Have you ever heard of Borderline Personality Disorder?  If not, I would like to encourage you to look this up, just google it, and see if anything about it rings true for you.  My therapist brought this subject up to me and lent me a book with the same title and I'm telling you, it CHANGED MY LIFE!!  

If I'm off track with the BPD, just know you are sure not alone.

Best of luck to you.
  

[Jade59]

Btw, I haven't been on AD's now for 4yrs and I can finally say at age 48 that I know what happiness feels like.  I am still just as sensitive, but I have learned to ignore or not look at distressing things if at all possible because, like you, they will stick with me and make me just too sad or depressed.  I have learned not to dwell on the things I can not change, you know?

[justlikeyou]

uphill,

im in a very similar place to you, everything you describe i am suffering right now, my condition was brought on by 3.5 years of pain med use over a back inury, i used to have these symptoms but much milder, now their making my life very difficult.try this web site

http://mindboosters.libraryonhealth.com/read.php?id=319d40363b85ee60554ea4b3f&chapter=6

[soul_power]

Hi, I have been suffering from OCD, Social Phobia and Depression for around 5 years, I was unable to see any hope in my life, I had many dreams and I have a great urge to make my life better, but my capability seemed to be bound by some demon-like power, I was unable to exert it at all. It is Mr.Heixi who has set me free from the mental prison, enabling me to be myself.

I happened to find out this eastern therapy, so called "natural therapy" something mixed with oriental philosophy or somethig, like Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Morita Therapy.

I found it very interesting when the first time i saw this therapy on a forum. it was saying like"those self-low-esteem complex can never be removed forcibly. “But when we fully accept it, just let it be, it will disappear magically”. (Counter Therapy) .

Besides, they have this two-principle treatment for Social Phobia:

“ Principle 1:
The correction of low self-esteem (inferiority complex), and the build-up of self-confidence, namely “total acceptance of yourself”, In Eastern Philosophy Therapy, it is called “Original Form” or “to do nothing”, it is the root-removing principle.

Principle 2:
Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Desensitization Therapy and NLP etc. A large amount of social practice can quickly remove the symptoms. It is symptom-removing principle.”

They do sound pretty something to me, but I don't know, what do you guys think?

[MARIEALICE35]

your problem is your short term memory!  ever heard of the term "power of persuasion"  if you see or hear anything that hurts you or bothers you (you cant do anything about anyway) DO NOT  think of it at all instanately think of something else. right then and there, real fast.  DO NOT let it in your short term memory.  an i assure you after doing that for awhile things don't bother so much anymore