Am i depressed?

[nicnoc237]

I think i am suffering with anxiety and depression, i am scared to go out, cry all the time, feel 'different' and detached from everything...help me, i feel like i am losing my mind and want to be happy and confident again. I am scared of never feeling the same again and don't know what to do. I have been like this for seven weeks now and have been off work. The other day i forced myself to work, as my boyfriend and parents think it will be good for me, rather than sitting at home all day, so i went to work and 3 days later my work sent me home saying they don't think i am well enough. They are very concerned about me and said i'm not myself and i'm not well enough. They are very concerned about me and said i'm not myself and i'm not well enough to be at work. My manager said i barely talk to anyone, she has to drag me into conversations etc. They said i need to get better first and they are not sure being back at work right now is helping me. Sat talking to them about things and was crying the whole time, which was embarrassing. They said they will allow me to do part time hours - 2 days a week for now and then i can build it up, but said i should get some counselling or something or sit down with my family and talk about how i feel - which i have.

I have had counselling and always tell my family and friends how i feel, but none of this helps - i am not getting better, i just feel worse and am eating well, trying to do a little exercise etc, taking Omega 3, which i have heard is suppossed to help with depression etc, my doctor has offered me anti-depressants but i don't want to take them as side effects seem awful.

Is this really depression and if so what can i do to get better?

Im exhausted and crying all the time...

please help me xxx

[ophy]

It's good that you are getting an appointment with your doctor.
And yes, those feelings are definitely linked to depression. I suffer from both depression and anxiety and i have suffered these symptoms many many times. It is a really scary feeling, i know exactly what you mean. I went through a period where i felt like i was dreaming and everything seemed unreal and at times i would think i wasn't even alive and like nothing was real. I too felt as though i was loosing my mind. It's horrible but it will pass. For me, understanding that other people were experiencing the same thing really helped. These symptoms are called depersonalization/derealization and although they are associated with anxiety, i still experienced them through depression. I don't know if it is called something different when talking about depression. You'll be ok, just hang on x

[nicnoc237]

Thank you for all your replies. I have an appointment with my doctor for next week. Can depression also make you feel really out of it/dream like. Sometimes i feel like i am just exisiting - i can't enjoy anything, like i'm not part of anything. It's such a scaring feeling - i feel like i am losing my mind. xx

[mammo]

Time does not heal all wounds.  It only allows us to tuck them neatly away until a time when they will surface again, and it will need to be dealt with.  This is why many of us are in therapy as adults due to things that happened in our childhood.  Also, your depression may be chemical, and medication can only help this.  It sounds like you have a lot of support, but sometimes we need more than just support.  Decide today that you are going to take your life back and call your doctor.

[marialou]

hi hun,first of all after seven weeks of this feeling and you mention your boyfriend and parents which tells me your only young..and that people around you care....sorry love,meds are not the only way to go...they are an option but not your only one.
i dont know your reasons for feeling the way you do but 7 weeks is somethin worth fighting for.keep strong,good luck

[whodunnit]

Hi Nic,

Mammo is pretty much spot on here. I couldn't have said it better.

Don't let the fear others spread deter you from a recovery you need and deserve. Please, it's not worth the pain to keep saying no. Your choice but the solution is there for you as the doctor has prescribed.

It's not easy recovering but if you need meds why would you say no? Any med can be stopped as soon as you notice a side effect you can't handle and such effects are usually reversed very quickly.

St John's Wort is for very mild depression only and I would suggest you do not place your faith in it to recover from what you describe. And, above all, do not EVER mis prescription meds with this well known weed.

Real meds and therapy are the road to recovery from what you now feel.

[bestwishes]

I have found that St. John's Worth and a combination of talking your problems out to a trusted friend/relative helped me majorly in my depressive states. Just like anything time heals all wounds. The St. John's is a natural herb but it helped me to focus, increased my memory (kept me from being so easily distracted), and it also helped with my energy.

I recommend to see a therapist just to talk to someone (I found one for myself through my employer's EAP assistance program). I totally felt like the bottom of the podum before I went.... but after my first session, I felt as though I was taking control of my life because i wanted to live.

I've been where you are and I promise it gets better. Just hang in there :)