Black dog gang

Depression is physical/medical....it’s caused by missing chemicals in our brains....at least chronic depression is........

Annie sorry, yes. Not thinking straight today.

nonnie sorry when I said physical I wasn’t referring to a chemical imbalance, .

Have you checked if your sleeping pill is a tranquilizer ? usually now these are prescribed for a limited time . You sleep better when you take one ?

Come on Annie, you can do it! I'm rooting for you. There's nothing at all to fear. Deep breaths and keep saying I can and I will. Think positive and congratulate yourself no matter how much or little you've achieved. You help so many, now do something for you. I'm waiting.

sharon I did about 5 feet out there this morning but it doesn’t count, my son in law who isn’t was checking my fence and I walked to talk to him .will try again on my own.

Thank you x

Yes Annie the only time I sleep is when I take one.

So pleased you did those 5 feet, in company or alone, each one is a positive step.

nonnie no way am I advising , just talking it through with you, this lack of sleep is causing you distress.

All anti depressants and tranquilizers have to be reduce not stop immediately, would you consider taking the sleepers every night for a week or two, then reducing, ? you need sleep nonnie x

Thanks Annie. GP told me to take them every other night and gave me antihistamines for the other night but they don't work. I really have tried everything, last thing was to use the lavender sleep spray every night, not just the non-sleeping nights, in case I was subconsciously associating it with not sleeping. Made no difference. I think I've tried everything, I am an over-thinker most of the time so probably have.

Sorry nonnie I thought you said you chose not to take them every night.

Well done Annie big medal for that you did it no matter what are how yayyy ?

Annie I had to go back and check what I said as my brain is not functioning. I can see I didn't make it clear, sorry.

Hi Maggie how are you doing today, hope it’s been a better one for you....I really struggle like so many but it’s is real to us. Today I could scream for feeling like I do... but I will keep trying. When I get my head in the right place I will go to see the doc, be it my normal one that pulls faces at me are try a different one but I will go ...

Thank you Joce, I also went out the front and did half the front path. The difference between having a reason and just doing, I wanted to see what garden pots I had at the front of the bungalow so went out to check, no thinking ‘I must walk down this path’, just ‘how many pots are at the front’.

Not making this about me, sharing the difference that thinking can have on anxiety.

How are you Joce ?

Well done*Annie*! Doesn't matter why - you did it! As your garden starts there will be lots of reasons for going out there and staying a little longer each time. Baby steps but steps all the same! Yay!

I have been down today Annie but I keep plodding on, got to haven’t we Annie. I am so pleased you have been to see how many pots you have, Well done!! now you need to go and put your lovely plants in the pots. You are so brave Annie.

Thank you eilyann, how are you ?

Hello all and hello Joce, thank you for asking after me. It's so lovely to come on here, there's so much warmth and understanding. Joce, no doctor should pull faces, you should try and find another one. Your suffering is real and any decent GP would realise that. I've had a tough day, I'm a medical secretary which doesn't help my health anxiety. I wish I could come home and there'd be someone here to make it all better. Ain't going to happen so need to find a way through. Does anyone here have a faith? I was raised in a very religious household but "lapsed" many years ago. Am now feeling myself pulled towards attending church again because I think it might make me feel less alone. Nonnie I feel for you and your sleep issues, am also an over-thinker! Annie carry on making those baby steps, we're all with you.

Maggie what a job to have with our heads.. you are brave. Sounds like you live alone. I am thankful I have my husband don’t thing he thankfull sometimes bless him I do make life hard for him.. I do have some believe not sure to what extent, but I have been know to go with my friend to church odd times and enjoyed it. If You need to go to church Maggie then do go. If it help and makes you feel better that good isn’t it.

Maggie. A medical secretary? Must be so difficult for you,

I really do understand coming home to an empty house, been doing so for over twenty years . When you say ‘someone to make it all better ‘, do you mean the Loneliness or the anxiety ?

Annie until recently I used to love my job but so hard now! I think the anxiety and the feeling of being alone have become intertwined. How do you cope with being on your own? Joce am happy for you that you have your husband

Maggie my husband died in 1976, our daughters were 5 and 7, I was lonely, sat alone every night when they went to bed. Then they grew up and married, I have lived alone since. I was very involved with the Church and charity work until my darling elder daughter died 15 months ago, the shock and grief caused me to become agoraphobic, I moved to another part of town not long before my daughter died so didn’t have a chance to get to know my neighbours. My only visitor is my younger granddaughter who calls every to 7 to 10 days. So I cope by accepting, I so wish it had been different .

Do you have family near ? You asked about faith, yes I do, shudder to think how life would have been without it.

Let’s try to think of ways you can ease your lonliness yes ?

Hi Maggie
I hope you don't mind me saying but l envy you that you work as a medical secretary. The world of work has been another casualty for me as l struggled with anxiety and different difficult life situations.
I am sure you find the structure good for you, something that l miss.
Dawn

Maggie only saw your 19.51 post now. You have your struggles in this regard too. Life is never easy or simple.
Dawn

Annie l do follow your words closely and sometimes l think that l know you because in order to help the rest of us you have told us the very difficult details of your own life.
Life is a battle for me and l really am trying to wrestle the emotions/anxiety down. Not a great day today but l am glad to come on here.
Very best. Dawn.

Dawn thank you, I do get concerned that my posts are ‘meme’ posts , but I speak of my experiences because I still remember a time when it wasn’t done to speak of mental health problems , so I speak out , when I had severe PND I didn’t know there was such a thing, I didn’t know anyone who had been through it or was going through it.

When I was discharged from the mental hospital all I was told was you mustn’t have more children, I thought he meant I shouldn’t have more children because I had been in a mental hospital, how green ŵas I?

So I speak openly for fear there is someone who feels alone and can’t share their fears .

I am sorry you have had a bad day, and yes it can be a battle, but we are all here to listen, encourage and we all understand x