Victor Chandler
Active member
I've been going through the wars mentally myself for years. Sometimes I'm fine then I'll succumb to anxiety and also depression.
I've found a key helping hand is cramming in as much health and nutrition as possible. If you start to feel physically tip top then it is far easier to begin getting a handle on the mental pain, anxiety etc. Omega 3 capsules I found also combat depression very effectively as well. It works by helping maintain the balance of brain chemistry and tgerefore reduces depressive mood. It's been shown in some cases to greatly help some sufferers of bi-polar.
I went to my GP and said I needed help and didn't want to take medication due to family history of this type of thing and me being wary of that path. He referred me to an NHS specialist who then put me on a 9 week CBT course. I then was put on a 16 week course of interpersonal relationship therapy which was also good. In the end I am now a year into seeing a private psychotherapist and that absolutely helps.
I was told it would take about 2 years typically to delve into the source of my problems and change my thought traits. A year in I can hand on heart saytgat I feel a great way down that road and so much wiser about why I am who I am.
It's been very dark for a long time for me and suicide was definitely playing on my mind too frequently to ignore.
I ccan say that I am starting to find a new vigour to life that I hope to be able to see through finally.
I wanted to jump in on this thread a bit sooner but didn't feel comfortable at first for different reasons...
I suspect a great many are hovering on this thread and perhaps aren't able to give their testimony for multiple reasons.
They now know they aren't alone...
Thanks for starting this thread.
Well done for posting this Cold getting Dumb. I can certainly relate to some of year experiences and I agree it helps knowing you are not alone.
I have been combating depression for several years now and have had good CBT support from the NHS which has helped. The CBT helps by enabling you to recognise the tell tale signs of when the depression is taking over. That awareness enables you to fight it off/manage it. I don’t think I can ever be cured but the increased awareness and control improves the quality of life. For me though it is always a battle and I do lose the odd skirmish.
Initially I needed a lot of persuasion to ask for help as I couldn’t help feeling inadequate and guilty. My thoughts were: Surely I don’t need “treatment”. Why can’t I just pull myself together? Don’t be such a wimp! However, you must get pass this stage and seek help and that is the main message I wanted to emphasise for anybody reading this wondering if they need help.
“Omega 3 capsules I found also combat depression very effectively as well.” I think I will give this a try. What dose did you take and can you say roughly how long it took before you noticed an improvement?