continuing tearfulness

[happi664]

IF one has no partner,no job ,no family living alone is having lots of episodes of crying ,very isolated, having weaned themselves off antidepressants. , And now after being drug free for about 3weeks, starting to feel very tearful and depressed,but has strong wish to be able to cope without medication, what would you advise please.

[Kristi620]

Keep yourself busy!  If you love animals, go to an animal shelter and volunteer.  Others are in great need of someone such as yourself.  Become a big sister at the local crisis center.  You can make a difference in other peoples lives!

[Tropin]

It seems to me that if you want to stay off medications then you have to put some plans into action in order to get out of the rut you are in.
You can start by walking or joining a gym and exercising. You will be accessing endorphins when you exercise which are the bodies natural opiates. By joining a gym or the local Y you might also meet people or sign up for other activities that will take your mind off yourself. You might also volunteer your services to those less fortunate than you. If these things do not work, you might want to consider your medications again and work up a list of things to get involved in before you wean yourself off.
I would also suggest going to a book store and looking up the book "You Can Do It" by Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas or check it out on Amazon.com.
Some people who have all the things you think are lacking in your life are exceedingly miserable. You have your own pad, you can make your own decisions, your don't have to answer to anyone. For every negative you think of think what the positive might be.
Good Luck
Tropin

[Jaquta]

I would be wondering why it is important for you to do this by yourself, without meds.
Do you feel like a failure?  Do you hate feeling out of control?  Do you feel you can beat this without help?

I wonder if you're allowing yourself to become depressed because this is what you're comfortable with??  Because you've become accustom to it??
I also wonder if you've stopped taking medication in order to avoid confronting your own issues.  It can be tempting to play the sick role and allow others to take responsibility for changing our lives.  Maybe you're still just too depressed to care??

Have you been evaluated by a psychiatrist?
(Your symptoms could also reflect a personality disorder)

Therapy could potentially help.  Talking through issues can help.
Doing the basics right could help too.  Like eating well, exercising, getting adequate sleep, etc.

I am very anti-meds, but I think they do have a role.  The doctor said in a previous post about accessing them as tools.

I think perhaps you know what you need to do.

Best wishes
J

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I can't advise you directly, not knowing your full array of strengths, but I would guess that you are letting yourself get to this depressed position in order to establish a floor of honesty for yourself, so you can begin to put a life together than is not as bereft as the one you describe....if that is the case, then being this raw is a necessary step to get where you need to go, and if you agree that that is the direction, then taking some practical steps and making some big life course decisions is the medicine you need to recover yourself.