Mental Health |OT| Depression & Co.

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Hi. I'm 28 and I suffer from multiple traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Shit sucks.

I do a lot of drugs to cope, along with internet addiction. I don't take any medication and I don't like talking to counselors.

I dropped out of college last semester but I'm still able to hold down a part time job, and I do plan on going back and finishing up school soon. It's just really hard, though. Every day is such a struggle. It takes all my energy to retain the will to live and I don't have any left to live my life.
 
Really tired right now and hit me like a ton of bricks. All this worrying has quite literally exhausted me physically and mentally.
 
I'm so sorry to hear that.
Dam, that sounds incredibly distressing. I hope you are okay. :(
Thanks. I know I will be ok and time will at the least dull the pain and the loss. Its just so hard to wrap my head around it all. I met this friend almost 17 years ago shortly after my Mom died when I was 13 and she was a lifesaver so to speak because It was a really dark time for me. We connected and created a friendship that was so very special. This was someone who I could count on everyday having some zany topics of conversations from her obsession with twilight and vampires etc to her love of all things star wars

Over the years she went through some pretty bad situations including a very bad marriage in recent years and I always did my best to be the shoulder she could cry on and always managed to help her through. The last time we talked she mentioned how she loved me and always had and I really didn't give it much thought because feelings have been discussed a lot.

I wasn't around for the next few days. She had tried to contact me 2 days before but the messages weren't anything bad just that she had a migraine and couldn't sleep but I wasn't around to get them anyways.

Then something just snapped and from what I was told went to her room and shot herself. Her Mom rushed in and my friend said she was sorry she just couldn't take it anymore. The paramedics and hospital tried to save her but they weren't able to bring her back.


I don't know if this is really the place for this but just needed to vent somewhere.
 
I need to vent, because I’m having horrible feelings of worthlessness, and death (please don’t worry — I’ve had these before, and I’ve never acted suicidal or planned to act suicidal — just a general feeling that I’d be better off dead), and this wasn’t a regular inexplicable depressive episode, but was triggered by someone, and subsequently made worse by people who I consider friends.

For the record, all of this happened in an online community. I struggle to function on many days, and this means I spend a lot of time talking with people on the internet in communities and such. In one such community, which has been together in its current form for the last 12-18 months, I met a lot of people who I’d consider friends.

With that little morsel out of the way, you can proceed to laugh at me or whatever over how ridiculous the circumstances are, but I don’t care. This meant a lot to me.

Of the few things which triggers my foul mood, homophobia is the worst. I’d rather not talk about the two reasons why in too much detail, but during my school life and shortly after that, two instances of hatred against gay people really affected me. It is an issue I feel very strongly about.

Someone in a group I was part of made some homophobic remarks in regards to gay marriage, which set me off. I admittedly got very angry, and I got even more annoyed when they tried to palm their obviously hateful remarks as “poorly-worded”, but then the other people in the group started to round on me, as if I was the only one who had done something wrong, and let the bigot have a free pass.

Admittedly, I subsequently made some rather unfair demands (mostly involving him or me, because I don’t want to talk with this person at all), and after I’d calmed down decided it was best to leave the group if the other person wasn’t going to. So I left.

Today, someone told me that these people have been subsequently mocking me, despite most of them knowing about my bipolar, and despite a select number of them knowing why I reacted the way I did in regards to homophobic remarks, and it really hurts.

Despite me leaving the group, on an individual level I considered a lot of these people to still be friends, and I had planned to stay in communication with them. Now, for them to do things like that has not only exasperated a full blown depressive episode, but has also kicked off old anxieties that I’ve previously struggled with alongside my bipolar (but subsequently learned to better manage), one of which is that I fear people dislike me and when I’m not around they are making fun of me for one reason or another.

I feel like shit. This is one of the worst depressive episodes I’ve ever had, and I really just needed to get it off my chest, to vent with people who hopefully understand, and talk it over. I understand that the issue is not so binary (I am not 100% right, but I am not 100% wrong, either), and my reaction left a lot to be desired, but I feel as if I’ve been treated very unfairly by people who I thought were at least understanding, and I’m struggling to accept the way they’ve acted and really just need some support.

Learning to adapt to online communities and to try and establish meaningful, lasting relationships with people online is one of the biggest challenges I've faced in, say, the past year. In fact, just going through my PMs here on GAF, I realised that its' been almost exactly a year since I called someone a genuine friend to me. The first person I ever called a friend online. In that year I've realised that online relationships, whether casual or more serious, are tough, and I think in particular for those of us who suffer with anxiety and the fear of being disliked or not accepted within a community, that challenge is all the more greater. One of the big issues I find with making friends on the internet, or being part of a subset or community of people, is the constancy of it. There is never a moment when you are not connected or party to conversations or the speculation that goes on, and for many people, it can bring a sense of isolation, ironically. You were initially isolated by being rounded on by sections of the group; and then again when people appeared to - essentially - talk behind your back in spite of what they knew about you.

However, for the most part is seems like you're fortunate to have been part of that community for a relatively long stretch of time, and so the people within it must absolutely mean something to you, and therefore worth holding onto, despite their obvious mistakes in doing what they did. You're clearly very intelligent and rational about the way you handle yourself - even if it doesn't seem like it to you all the time - and I think, if these people are genuinely who you'd consider friends, then it is worth making the effort to talk it all through with them. Some of them won't want to hear it, some of them may attempt to discard you from their thoughts, but the people there that mean something will listen, and, I hope, understand what caused this to happen and why you felt the way you did. You don't deserve to have your opinions and feelings trodden on by people who should know better.

Hi. I'm 28 and I suffer from multiple traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Shit sucks.

I do a lot of drugs to cope, along with internet addiction. I don't take any medication and I don't like talking to counselors.

I dropped out of college last semester but I'm still able to hold down a part time job, and I do plan on going back and finishing up school soon. It's just really hard, though. Every day is such a struggle. It takes all my energy to retain the will to live and I don't have any left to live my life.

Is there a reason why you don't like counsellors? Talking to someone about this could really help you out.

I only know you casually via Twitter, Brandon, but you're an awesome guy and it hurts to hear about this. I knew about some of your PTSD but I wasn't aware of the rest. I don't know exactly what to say to you other than even though I might appear to be the 'goofy nerd who sits at a computer all day behind the anime avatar', I'll always be here to support you and talk to you if need be. I can't fix you, or give you the energy to take control of your life again, but I'm always here for you. And plus, dude, when I get my new PC, you're totally gonna have to teach me how to play FPS games with a mouse and keyboard. Deal?

Thanks. I know I will be ok and time will at the least dull the pain and the loss. Its just so hard to wrap my head around it all. I met this friend almost 17 years ago shortly after my Mom died when I was 13 and she was a lifesaver so to speak because It was a really dark time for me. We connected and created a friendship that was so very special. This was someone who I could count on everyday having some zany topics of conversations from her obsession with twilight and vampires etc to her love of all things star wars

Over the years she went through some pretty bad situations including a very bad marriage in recent years and I always did my best to be the shoulder she could cry on and always managed to help her through. The last time we talked she mentioned how she loved me and always had and I really didn't give it much thought because feelings have been discussed a lot.

I wasn't around for the next few days. She had tried to contact me 2 days before but the messages weren't anything bad just that she had a migraine and couldn't sleep but I wasn't around to get them anyways.

Then something just snapped and from what I was told went to her room and shot herself. Her Mom rushed in and my friend said she was sorry she just couldn't take it anymore. The paramedics and hospital tried to save her but they weren't able to bring her back.


I don't know if this is really the place for this but just needed to vent somewhere.

That's absolutely devastating and I can't possibly imagine what it must be like for you. I'm so sorry.
 
I got my midterm back in my data structures class, didn't do so well. I got 61%, but I will have 69% since my instructor is going to add 8 points to my total. It doesn't change the fact that I did horrible on it. I saw someone got 100% on it, and that made me lose faith in myself.
 
I got my midterm back in my data structures class, didn't do so well. I got 61%, but I will have 69% since my instructor is going to add 8 points to my total. It doesn't change the fact that I did horrible on it. I saw someone got 100% on it, and that made me lose faith in myself.
Stop worrying about what a single person in your class got. That's so not important at all.
 
I got my midterm back in my data structures class, didn't do so well. I got 61%, but I will have 69% since my instructor is going to add 8 points to my total. It doesn't change the fact that I did horrible on it. I saw someone got 100% on it, and that made me lose faith in myself.

Hey man, don't sweat it. When I was in college, I got a D in Data structures for my final grade. Its a tough class and i think it was the only D I ever got in college. Don't worry about that person who got a 100%, Theres always the whiz kid in classes.
 
Another day of flashbacks of places...Another Wednesday! And I don't really like this painting much!...

tumblr_n3f802sz4v1sjx7hbo1_1280.jpg

Moltres

Decided to do all legendary birds while I’m doing this project, because I know people are going to request for them anyways.

Also decided to draw it differently as well by painting Moltres from above to practice different perspectives. Enjoy.

Also a progress gif:

 
Another day of flashbacks of places...Another Wednesday! And I don't really like this painting much!...



Moltres

Decided to do all legendary birds while I’m doing this project, because I know people are going to request for them anyways.

Also decided to draw it differently as well by painting Moltres from above to practice different perspectives. Enjoy.

Also a progress gif:

Love it Collete! Very fitting as I have a rising phoenix tattoo on my arm :)

Gif is really cool, too!
 
Another day of flashbacks of places...Another Wednesday! And I don't really like this painting much!...



Moltres

Decided to do all legendary birds while I’m doing this project, because I know people are going to request for them anyways.

Also decided to draw it differently as well by painting Moltres from above to practice different perspectives. Enjoy.

Also a progress gif:

That one is beautiful. Good job!
 
Another day of flashbacks of places...Another Wednesday! And I don't really like this painting much!...



Moltres

Decided to do all legendary birds while I’m doing this project, because I know people are going to request for them anyways.

Also decided to draw it differently as well by painting Moltres from above to practice different perspectives. Enjoy.

Also a progress gif:

Awesome, Collete!

And I keep thinking about what you said about creating content for a blog and sticking to a schedule. It seems best in terms of gaining an audience, but more and more, I can see how I need that little extra push to get things done. I'm only 4 or 5 months in as any kind of visual artist (which makes me uncomfortable to say) and I've been adding more painterly elements to my calligraphy and getting more experimental in the last month or two. The more unique stuff gets noticed more, but it does take time and effort. Here's a mental health-y animation I made:

tumblr_n3ecf0qIKh1sm9gh7o1_500.gif


It's not the most elaborate, amazing thing on Earth - I've already figured out a better way to do it, but just this little proof of concept required painting backgrounds, the calligraphy (I prepared 3 backgrounds because I knew I'd really screw up a few times. I did.), making the movie, fiddling around with the gif to make it work...I held off doing it for a while because it's more involved than you'd think. Oh yeah, I did a few tests with my inks before finding the right combination, too.

Anyway, I had gotten some really nice attention for a previous piece I had made:

which had turned out really well, and I wanted to push forward from that. I'm going to try to follow Collette in having something new to show every Wednesday. If you'll indulge me in sharing it here, it'll give me more incentive to get it down.

We've been talking about all this stuff in chat - having some kind of creative outlet and finding the motivation to work at it. It has all been super therapeutic for me.

I'm sure my good friend Collette won't mind me piggybacking on her work. Feel free to hop on this piggyback ride too! She's super strong, so she can carry all of us!

(fixed my links)
 
I'm going to try to follow Collette in having something new to show every Wednesday. If you'll indulge me in sharing it here, it'll give me more incentive to get it down.

We've been talking about all this stuff in chat - having some kind of creative outlet and finding the motivation to work at it. It has all been super therapeutic for me.

I'm sure my good friend Collette won't mind me piggybacking on her work. Feel free to hop on this piggyback ride too! She's super strong, so she can carry all of us!

Guess that makes three on the Wednesday-creating-stuff bandwagon, since all of my writing has been published on Wednesdays.

Interesting that we've picked that day of the week, since it's apparently the most depressing.
 
Love it Collete! Very fitting as I have a rising phoenix tattoo on my arm :)

Gif is really cool, too!

Thanks!
I think I could have done better on this painting though..Ah well as long as people like it!

That one is beautiful. Good job!

Thank you :)

Awesome, Collete!

And I keep thinking about what you said about creating content for a blog and sticking to a schedule. It seems best in terms of gaining an audience, but more and more, I can see how I need that little extra push to get things done. I'm only 4 or 5 months in as any kind of visual artist (which makes me uncomfortable to say) and I've been adding more painterly elements to my calligraphy and getting more experimental in the last month or two. The more unique stuff gets noticed more, but it does take time and effort. Here's a mental health-y animation I made:

tumblr_n3ecf0qIKh1sm9gh7o1_500.gif


It's not the most elaborate, amazing thing on Earth - I've already figured out a better way to do it, but just this little proof of concept required painting backgrounds, the calligraphy (I prepared 3 backgrounds because I knew I'd really screw up a few times. I did.), making the movie, fiddling around with the gif to make it work...I held off doing it for a while because it's more involved than you'd think. Oh yeah, I did a few tests with my inks before finding the right combination, too.

Anyway, I had gotten some really nice attention for a previous piece I had made:


which had turned out really well, and I wanted to push forward from that. I'm going to try to follow Collette in having something new to show every Wednesday. If you'll indulge me in sharing it here, it'll give me more incentive to get it down.

We've been talking about all this stuff in chat - having some kind of creative outlet and finding the motivation to work at it. It has all been super therapeutic for me.

I'm sure my good friend Collette won't mind me piggybacking on her work. Feel free to hop on this piggyback ride too! She's super strong, so she can carry all of us!

(fixed my links)

I'm glad you're going to take my advice I gave you last month!
I was worried you ignored it lol.
And I'd be happy for you to update your work as well every Wednesday!

To be honest, ever since MH GAF moved back to OT, i was worried people are thinking I'm a new face plopping my art here and leaving like I'm being a cheapskate (maybe I am but still... Though in reality I've been here since post 4 or 5...I just kinda stepped away here to try and work on myself and focus on other stuff other than GAF.)
And then one fine day, a young nubile man will yell at me saying "THIS ISN'T THE PLACE FOR YOUR LOUSY ART, GET OUTTA HERE!"
...But thankfully that hasn't happened yet here.

What I'm trying to say Bagels, go for it! You'll make me feel comfortable posting my work here.

Guess that makes three on the Wednesday-creating-stuff bandwagon, since all of my writing has been published on Wednesdays.

Interesting that we've picked that day of the week, since it's apparently the most depressing.

That article is interesting, I had no idea. I always thought Tuesday was the most depressing day lol.

The reason I decided on updating my work on Wednesday is mainly due to not interfering with other people's works and getting noticed more. I've noticed on Youtube that a lot of people update their works on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. That leaves Thursday and Wednesday to reckon with, and thus I decided that having a specific day for my work will help separate from the hundreds of other artists and Youtubers posting on that same day and being lost in that avalanche.
 
I'm not very coherent when I'm in a manic depressive bubble but I just wanted to say I'm glad this thread exists, it makes me see there are good people around :)
 
I'm having surgery on Monday. It's routine and it's outpatient and I am sure it will go fine, but I am still scared. It's the first time I've been through anything like this before. My surgeon appears to be really competent but I know things can go wrong and it's basically setting my anxiety off into overdrive. It's so silly, but one of my biggest phobias is vomiting in front of other people and I know people can get sick from anesthesia and I'm terrified that's going to happen. I think I'm more worried about that than the actual surgery. Amazing how irrational phobias are.

um...anyone? I just went to my insurance provider's website and it seems the best it can do for me is give me a list of names within a 5 mile radius who are covered by my provider. How the hell do you figure out who might be a good fit? There must be a better way than starting at the top of the list, make an appointment and work my way down until I find somebody who's good for me. How do people (on a budget) do this?

Like Bagels said, it's a bit of a crap shoot. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a therapist that I really, really like since college, which was about 10 years ago. I know a lot of people, though, who have been able to find therapists with whom they work well. My sister has worked with the same therapist for 5-6 years and she found her through her insurance provider's website.

Another resource is Psychology Today, believe it or not. That's how I found my most recent therapist and a lot of the therapists on there will do a free consultation, usually by phone but sometimes in person. You can narrow down by your issues and by your insurance. I specifically wanted a therapist who could help me with the chronic pain/medical issues I've been facing. A lot of the therapists have a short bio, which is way more than what you'll get on an insurance website.

It can be tough for me because I have a lot of social anxiety to go to a doctor's office and tell them I don't think they're a good fit. Usually, it's taken me 3-4 sessions to decide whether or not I like the therapist and if I could see myself continuing to work with them. Don't be afraid to do that. There's no use wasting time/money if you're not getting anything out of it.
 
Study Finds Majority Of Non-Shark-Related Fears Completely Unjustified

ROCKVILLE, MD—A study released Tuesday by the National Institute for Mental Health confirmed that the vast majority of Americans’ anxieties and phobias have no logical grounding in reality, aside from those related to being attacked in open waters and torn limb from limb by a gigantic, merciless shark.

I've been saying this for YEARS.

Oh my god hahahahaha. I am so sorry I ever doubted you!
 
Has anyone went from anxiety problems (possibly depression) to something known as "derealization"? I swear I have this sometimes.

If I'm really stressed, I feel out of body and like I'm "going crazy". I feel I'm watching a movie about my life instead of living it. It's been going on for about a year now, off an on. Recently, it's been a lot better but I get sudden rushes of it at night or in a movie.

I do hate my job but I don't know if that's it. A year ago while I was in college, I thought I had ADD because I couldn't focus on anything in my biology books. I went to a doctor who gave me Adderall. I took about 5 of them over a course of a week before flushing them. It gave me a great euphoric high but also gave me insomnia. I didn't sleep for close to 50 hours. Just thinking over and over. Eventually, I started thinking about death and leaving my wife behind with bills. It's overwhelmingly depressing being in this state.

If anyone has went through that, how long did it take to recover? I heard it's a temporary thing but can take months to years to recover. And any way to prevent it. I'm religious and pray, which has helped me (regardless if we think it's divine or mental, it helps during episodes). But whenever it starts coming back, it makes me feel sick to my stomach that I'm going insane.
 
Has anyone went from anxiety problems (possibly depression) to something known as "derealization"? I swear I have this sometimes.

If I'm really stressed, I feel out of body and like I'm "going crazy". I feel I'm watching a movie about my life instead of living it. It's been going on for about a year now, off an on. Recently, it's been a lot better but I get sudden rushes of it at night or in a movie.
What you're describing sounds like depersonalization. I've only experienced it once, but it's fairly common. I recommend seeking therapy first before medication.
 
What you're describing sounds like depersonalization. I've only experienced it once, but it's fairly common. I recommend seeking therapy first before medication.

I thought it was this too originally but it's not as bad as the "out of body" experience. It feels more like I'm in my body but not at the same time? Like I'm watching a movie and things are in motion. I know mentally I'm in control but it feels like everything around me is sort of fake.

It's really, really hard to explain. I wouldn't take medicine for it. I've thought about just talking to someone. I've read basic thing to release stress and depression which have helped a lot too.

For the past few months, I've been fine. I think I just had a big panic attack and depression hit at the same time (uncle found out he had lung cancer, my job got way worse, my family moved out of state, and I was debating if college was right for me -- all at the same time). And then there was the ADD medicine which I swear made it 100x worse.
 
I'm having surgery on Monday. It's routine and it's outpatient and I am sure it will go fine, but I am still scared. It's the first time I've been through anything like this before. My surgeon appears to be really competent but I know things can go wrong and it's basically setting my anxiety off into overdrive. It's so silly, but one of my biggest phobias is vomiting in front of other people and I know people can get sick from anesthesia and I'm terrified that's going to happen. I think I'm more worried about that than the actual surgery. Amazing how irrational phobias are.

You sound like me man :) what kind of surgery?

When I went through cancer treatment a year ago, I had 3 surgeries under general anesthesia. Absolutely nothing to worry about. Its literally like falling asleep, you wake up and youre done. All three times I woke up feeling woozy but never nauseous. They told me a lot of times it depends on how long you're under.I was only under for about an hour each time. If you feel nauseous after you wake up, tell the nurse and they can give you an anti-emetic like zophran.

Don't sweat it buddy. :)
 
Can someone explain to me in laymens terms what bi-polar is? I do not think I am bi-polar but I think I know people who are. I looked it up on Wikipedia but again, I need a laymens explanation along with examples.
 
Can someone explain to me in laymens terms what bi-polar is? I do not think I am bi-polar but I think I know people who are. I looked it up on Wikipedia but again, I need a laymens explanation along with examples.

I think it's when you don't have that slow transition in between emotions.
 
I'm having surgery on Monday. It's routine and it's outpatient and I am sure it will go fine, but I am still scared. It's the first time I've been through anything like this before. My surgeon appears to be really competent but I know things can go wrong and it's basically setting my anxiety off into overdrive. It's so silly, but one of my biggest phobias is vomiting in front of other people and I know people can get sick from anesthesia and I'm terrified that's going to happen. I think I'm more worried about that than the actual surgery. Amazing how irrational phobias are.
You might not even remember falling asleep! Last time I was under general anesthesia, the last thing I remember was talking to my mum and the nurse who was prepping me, and then I woke up in the recovery room. You'll probably really have to pee afterwards (and they'll ask you to pee in that bucket thing) but that's the most you'll have to worry about when i comes to being under/waking up. :)

I will say that your body might react to it... not negatively exactly... but just feeling really tired afterwards. I would be patient with your body. They'll also be giving you antibiotics which can also not sit well with your stomach. Try to keep to foods that won't be heavy. Don't do what I did and eat a hamburger the day after surgery. << That could just be my experience with it, but if it is a worry, just take things slow.

You'll do great! <3
 
Stop worrying about what a single person in your class got. That's so not important at all.

Hey man, don't sweat it. When I was in college, I got a D in Data structures for my final grade. Its a tough class and i think it was the only D I ever got in college. Don't worry about that person who got a 100%, Theres always the whiz kid in classes.

Would you guys worry if your gpa was 1.66 and received a probation warning?
 
Can someone explain to me in laymens terms what bi-polar is? I do not think I am bi-polar but I think I know people who are. I looked it up on Wikipedia but again, I need a laymens explanation along with examples.

Bipolar is when someone will be super happy for about 6 month or some period and then get super depressed for 6months or some time period.

Both periods can be dangerous , as when the person is super happy, this person feels on top often world, extreme joy , and might do some reckless things because the feel almost invincible .

Then there is a crash , and they feel extremely extremely depressed.

So they basically feel the extreme or the polar sides of the both (bi) emotions .
 
I only know you casually via Twitter, Brandon, but you're an awesome guy and it hurts to hear about this. I knew about some of your PTSD but I wasn't aware of the rest. I don't know exactly what to say to you other than even though I might appear to be the 'goofy nerd who sits at a computer all day behind the anime avatar', I'll always be here to support you and talk to you if need be. I can't fix you, or give you the energy to take control of your life again, but I'm always here for you. And plus, dude, when I get my new PC, you're totally gonna have to teach me how to play FPS games with a mouse and keyboard. Deal?

Deal. Thanks, Mono. :)
 
Why couldn't I have just been left to die. So far, I've only had one clear-cut chance for it to happen in my life, only to have it taken away from me. And for what? Absolutely nothing. I'm good at nothing, do nothing, and have no real friends, and anyone that does talk to me tires very quickly. I was kept around for this? What a fucking joke. If it weren't for my mum still being around, I would've done it myself by now.
 
You sound like me man :) what kind of surgery?

When I went through cancer treatment a year ago, I had 3 surgeries under general anesthesia. Absolutely nothing to worry about. Its literally like falling asleep, you wake up and youre done. All three times I woke up feeling woozy but never nauseous. They told me a lot of times it depends on how long you're under.I was only under for about an hour each time. If you feel nauseous after you wake up, tell the nurse and they can give you an anti-emetic like zophran.

Don't sweat it buddy. :)

Thanks for sharing your experience! My boyfriend also had surgery for cancer and he assured me of the same thing. It's a hip arthroscopic surgery to shave down extra bone on my femoral head and repair torn cartilage. The surgery will take about 2 hours so I won't be under too too long. I just worry about the silliest things and nausea is one of them. Glad to hear you just felt woozy. That I can handle! I'll be sure to mention it to the nurse, too. Thanks for that advice. :)

You might not even remember falling asleep! Last time I was under general anesthesia, the last thing I remember was talking to my mum and the nurse who was prepping me, and then I woke up in the recovery room. You'll probably really have to pee afterwards (and they'll ask you to pee in that bucket thing) but that's the most you'll have to worry about when i comes to being under/waking up. :)

I will say that your body might react to it... not negatively exactly... but just feeling really tired afterwards. I would be patient with your body. They'll also be giving you antibiotics which can also not sit well with your stomach. Try to keep to foods that won't be heavy. Don't do what I did and eat a hamburger the day after surgery. << That could just be my experience with it, but if it is a worry, just take things slow.

You'll do great! <3

Aww, thanks Pau, I appreciate it. They said they'd be keeping me into the recovery room until I'm able to go to the bathroom. My recovery is going to be fairly lengthy and since I'll be on painkillers for a while, I've read that I can expect to sleep for pretty much the entire week after the surgery. My mind just goes to such crazy places and it's so hard to stop myself from freaking out about purely hypothetical things (what if I never wake up, what if I get sick in the car on the way home, etc.) I've been working on mindfulness meditation and that helps, but so does hearing about experiences like yours and Lionheart's.

Duly noted about the food, my mom's flying into town to help my boyfriend take care of me, and she's on a health kick right now so she'll be preparing relatively healthy, light meals, so at least I have that somewhat covered!

Maybe once I'm coherent, I'll stumble into IRC chat and say hello.
 
Bipolar is when someone will be super happy for about 6 month or some period and then get super depressed for 6months or some time period.

Both periods can be dangerous , as when the person is super happy, this person feels on top often world, extreme joy , and might do some reckless things because the feel almost invincible .

Then there is a crash , and they feel extremely extremely depressed.

So they basically feel the extreme or the polar sides of the both (bi) emotions .
Okay, that is what I thought it was. Extreme moodiness was how I kind of saw it. But I didn't know the extremes in emotions last so long. I thought it was more like a person would be extremely blissful for a day or two and then come down into depression, and so on.
 
I've had a total fucking meltdown today, starting pretty much as soon as I left a CBT session. It feels so hopeless.
I feel you, I also had a complete meltdown this morning as soon as I woke up. I think I'm going to get physically sick from it. I fell asleep directly afterwards and just woke up again now.

Feels bad.
 
Can someone explain to me in laymens terms what bi-polar is? I do not think I am bi-polar but I think I know people who are. I looked it up on Wikipedia but again, I need a laymens explanation along with examples.

Bipolar is when someone will be super happy for about 6 month or some period and then get super depressed for 6months or some time period.

Both periods can be dangerous , as when the person is super happy, this person feels on top often world, extreme joy , and might do some reckless things because the feel almost invincible .

Then there is a crash , and they feel extremely extremely depressed.

So they basically feel the extreme or the polar sides of the both (bi) emotions .
The periods can vary, but I haven't heard much on them being daily.

My mother's had bipolar disorder for over 30 years. Her changes in mood are fairly apparent, though her manic episodes tend to be less pronounced and for shorter periods of time.

Another sign was her staying up for a week or more when bad things happened. That's a notable sign of bipolar disorder, though it doesn't happen with everyone.
 
And "super happy" isn't really a universal descriptor for mania. I get really intense and am driven by my emotions, lots of aggression and panic. There's a strong hedonistic streak which leads me to bad sexual decisions and drugs and alcohol. I've been arrested, gotten in physical fights, and had multiple car accidents during these times. There's really not any happiness involved. At my worst I go full on crazy, pretty stereotypically. When I get sick of and stop taking my medication, which happens like every 3 months, I kind of default to mania, probably either from some sort of rubberbanding or just because a latent manic phase is what stops me from taking medication in the first place.
 
To add my own experience to mania -- or hypomania in my case, which is kind of like mania-lite, I guess (though I am not well read up on mania itself, so I might be wrong) -- while sometimes it can be good (inasmuch as I can sometimes be productive, which as a writer is a very helpful) I also have times where my brain goes into overdrive and I can't stay on the same thing for very long because I'm so easily distracted.

Hypomania can also lead me to be very irresponsible with money, not to mention flippant and inconsiderate around my friends and family (I may say or do something that's 'out of character', possibly offensive to them if they've said or done something to irritate me recently, without much care for the consequences). Basically, self-moderation goes out of the window.

So to echo what White Man said, it can actually be quite unpleasant and self-destructive rather than some super happy mode. If only it were that...

Edit: I also wanted to thank Monosukoi for the well thought out reply to my whinge the other day. I was in a pretty bad place then (feeling a bit better today) and I just needed to vent. I appreciate that you read and took the time to reply to it.
 
I'm just a walking, talking illness that infects anyone I contact and talk to.
Why am I bothering to even try, I just hurt everyone in the end...
 
Thanks for sharing your experience! My boyfriend also had surgery for cancer and he assured me of the same thing. It's a hip arthroscopic surgery to shave down extra bone on my femoral head and repair torn cartilage. The surgery will take about 2 hours so I won't be under too too long. I just worry about the silliest things and nausea is one of them. Glad to hear you just felt woozy. That I can handle! I'll be sure to mention it to the nurse, too. Thanks for that advice. :)

No problem, let us know how it goes! You'll come out of it and you'll prob be so glad its over anyway. Plus its outpatient so you get to go home and take pain meds :) Just be careful with em.
 
I feel like.. going into a cocoon.. and reinventing a lot of things about myself. Fix some problems I have with myself. I guess I shouldn't call them problems, but you know, strengthen the areas that I'm weak in. I love a lot of things about myself, but.. I want to love all of it, you know?

My 9-5 job is making me feel too busy and stressed. I feel like just.. taking a break and improving a lot of things about myself. I don't want to lose my job security though.

Maybe I just need a vacation? Is there a good way to take off from work because of depression and kinda getting your life in order? I feel like I'm close to getting things where I want them to be.. but I just want the free time to finally get there.
 
Over the last few days, I've been thinking a lot about the friend who got away. I've written about him before. He reached out to me in 2004, when I was first getting sick. We didn't know each other at all (just members of the same forum) but he's just that kind of guy. He gave me his phone number and said that if I wanted to talk, he was there. I called him a few times, we bonded, and he came and went out of my life until we solidly reconnected in 2009 and became close friends. We would text every day (or almost), play online video games and just support each other. During this time, I was in an illness lull and able to do far more things than I am now, so there wasn't a great deal of pressure on him.

He called me his brother, said he loved me. Said he'd never leave but after a while, he just phased himself out. I've texted him, emailed him, asking to talk. It's not like I've done things that are unforgivable. I've just been in a lot of pain and sometimes, I react in ways that are shitty but I haven't heard from him in months so he's missed the worst of that anyway. He just vanished but I know he's around because other friends forward his Facebook posts.

I don't know what I did wrong. I can be a challenging friend but I can also be a really great one, too. I give a lot of myself to people and I love very strongly. Sometimes that can scare people and I get that... but when you're in the situation I'm in, you realize that your loved ones are really all that you have, the only reason that life is worth living. I just miss him so much and it terrifies me, that others will follow him. He just proved that words are cheap, that people can say anything and then turn their backs on you. It also makes me aware of the possible dangers, latching on to my remaining friends so tightly that I become my own self-fulfulling prophecy and scare them away anyway.

There are no promises in this life. I've learned that more than anything in the last decade. I need people in my life who can believe in me, who can be strong for me when I'm not capable of doing it myself. He has failed in this task of friendship but fuck it all, I still love him anyway. Just wish he'd email me back.
 
Hi Mental Health Gaf.

So first post here, I suffer from social anxiety, panic attacks etc and am currently on Sertraline. It changed my life, I used to have dozens of suicide scenarios running through my head constantly. I'm not sure that I would be here without them..obviously things still aren't perfect.

I just had a breakdown at this stupid voluntary place I have to go to. I've never cried in front of anyone that wasn't immediate family which made it even more embarrassing. After this I don't think I can ever go back there, not that I want to anyway.

I feel really pathetic at the moment. I don't know how I can even think about applying to uni or getting an actual job if I can't even deal with trivial shit like this. I think I need to sleep on this or something.

By the way, this thread is awesome. On other forums it would just be marred with ignorance.
 
More buzz about the ability of IV ketamine to rapidly reverse the symptoms of depression:

UK Study

Press release

Two vice articles:

here

A patient describes a personal experience with ketamine treatments

This study tries to address some of the consequences of repeated IV infusions of the drug. The antidepressant effects are rapid, but not particularly long-lived, so it's a real concern.

Who knows where these studies are going. They've slowly picked up a bit of steam recently, and they've gained a good deal of public attention. The big problem is that ketamine is both a clinically useful medication and a popular drug of abuse (isn't that true of all the best stuff?). The need for regular IV infusions and the risk of diversion into the illegal drug trade means you're not going to be sent home with a prescription for ketamine any time soon. But there hasn't been much genuinely new thought in the lucrative antidepressant market for quite some time now. I have to imagine that, as new studies come out, showing a great deal of promise, drug companies are working on some kind of oral form of the drug with less potential for abuse. Who knows what the timeline for that looks like, but the idea of genuinely new thought in the field is very exciting. Even if ketamine is restricted to the inpatient setting, for patients in mental health crisis, the idea of something that can rapidly reverse the symptoms of depression is a game-changer.
 
And "super happy" isn't really a universal descriptor for mania. I get really intense and am driven by my emotions, lots of aggression and panic. There's a strong hedonistic streak which leads me to bad sexual decisions and drugs and alcohol. I've been arrested, gotten in physical fights, and had multiple car accidents during these times. There's really not any happiness involved. At my worst I go full on crazy, pretty stereotypically. When I get sick of and stop taking my medication, which happens like every 3 months, I kind of default to mania, probably either from some sort of rubberbanding or just because a latent manic phase is what stops me from taking medication in the first place.

I have similar mood swings, not as violent, but ones where my hedonistic nature can kick in and overcome the part of my brain that makes good decisions. It has happened quite a few times and I flat out refuse any medication from a shrink, why is why I've seen a psych therapist who treats with CBT instead of pills. Some months I'm a happy clam, and other months I dont want to leave home at all. I'm sorry to hear you're not coping well and controlling your emotive side. Maybe you need a way to release those emotions out without self inflicted pain.
 
Hi Mental Health Gaf.

So first post here, I suffer from social anxiety, panic attacks etc and am currently on Sertraline. It changed my life, I used to have dozens of suicide scenarios running through my head constantly. I'm not sure that I would be here without them..obviously things still aren't perfect.

I just had a breakdown at this stupid voluntary place I have to go to. I've never cried in front of anyone that wasn't immediate family which made it even more embarrassing. After this I don't think I can ever go back there, not that I want to anyway.

I feel really pathetic at the moment. I don't know how I can even think about applying to uni or getting an actual job if I can't even deal with trivial shit like this. I think I need to sleep on this or something.

By the way, this thread is awesome. On other forums it would just be marred with ignorance.

Hi there TuckingFypo (cool username BTW), welcome to our little haven.
 
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