Anxiety/Depression

[kamck93]

I'm 20 years old, and I've been in college for about a year and a half now. I had a very rough childhood and lost my father when I was 10 years old, and then just last year I was in a really unhealthy relationship and starting struggling with depression horribly. I lost over 30 pounds (that I didn't have to lose), cried all the time for no reason, and got very easily stressed out. Needless to say I dumped the boyfriend because I knew it wasn't healthy. That was about 8 months ago. For about 2 to 4 months after the break-up I was highly emotional still, but somehow found a way to push through it. Now, I have my own place to take care of, a dog to take care of, a stressful job at Starbucks, and I'm still in college. I have a boyfriend now who is nothing but supportive and loving and I couldn't ask for more, but lately I've been struggling with heavy anxiety and depression yet again..I'm not sure what to do though. I really don't have a ton of time to exercise and I just feel stressed out and tired 24/7. I've even considered dropping out of college in the past few weeks because I'm just so stressed out. I just wondered if anyone else had dealt with this and if so, did birth control or anxiety medication help you?? I'd MUCH rather not take anxiety medication because I know it's very hard to wean yourself off of it, and I've tried it before and it doesn't really work. Anyone have any suggestions as to what to do or what I should take? I think some of my issues may just be hormonal but I'm not sure..

[kamck93]

I have considered therapy before, and have gone to some counseling, but it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. I'm very scared to go on anxiety medication because I know that sometime in the near future I want to have kids, and I can't be pregnant and still take that kind of medication.

So birth control can help? I was hoping I could find something to assist with the emotions. My moms side of the family and my dads have struggled with severe anxiety and depression and it led to my dads addiction to alcohol, so I've come to believe that it's genetic.

[j17c27]

You mentioned birth control, and I wanted to just say that hormones can have a LOT to do with anxiety.  I was on a birth control for about a year, and my friend started taking it and got really heavy mood swings and bad depression so she stopped taking it and all that went away for her.  Because I also live with bad depression and anxiety, I decided maybe I should switch birth controls.  I am now on a birth control of a very low dose of hormones and I did actually notice a difference in my mood and anxiety.  I have lived with anxiety my entire life and depression on and off, and while switching to a low-hormone birth control didn't take it all away, it definitely helped.

I know you said you're very busy but reading is the #1 thing that helps me when I'm anxious and i absolutely suggest it.  Reading helps you to dive into someone elses life and you sort of forget everything that is worrying you.  And it's not mindless like TV, your brain has to work to read so it's busy focusing on that rather than your own issues.  

[Paxiled]

Given you don't want to take medication, have you tried therapy?  Particularly with an anxiety specialist, perhaps a CBT therapist?  As for hormonal problems, you can see someone who can diagnose that, but it isn't easy to find good people for subtle problems.  There are psychiatrists called functional physicians who will test you for thyroid and hormonal problems to see if there's something going on.  Another option is to see a naturopath and try the natural approach; there are many plant remedies that can help balance hormones and balance your adrenals as well -- much of the medicine used to balance hormones originally came from plant research.  In other words, you certainly haven't exhausted your options for trying to solve this problem just because medication hasn't worked.