Gina -- I would never ever say it is wrong to be a "stay at home mom" and care for your child/children. I feel it is unfortunate that our society has come to a place where that is very tough for some women to do. It is sad to me. God bless you for having such love in your heart -- that is something to be happy about. Good luck to you

Been real depressed latley. I hate living in this small town and i am very homesick, but i have no choice right now. I have to try to take care of myself, weather i want to or not. I hate that

Do you mind if I join in? I have suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life and most of the time has been untreated.
I don't know about you all but I am a master at hiding this from others. Only my friends and family know.
Anyway I am ready to start getting better and would like to join your support if that is OK.

Cheri, of course you can join...this is an open forum and you are more than welcome. I know what you mean about hiding it...most people don't know about me either.

I'm glad you're ready to get better...have you thought of seeing someone for it?

Thanks Kryssi
My regular Dr prescribed Lexapro just yesterday.
I've been in therapy before and didn't stick with it long enough.
Right now I am just too busy to start therapy but probably will later.

I thought this was a support group.
Where is everyone?

I guess we are too depressed to hang around here....I know I am.

Same here -- this summer marks eight years for me. I've just started therapy and Zoloft. The part that worries me is that I'm so ashamed of how I feel, I don't know if I'll be able to give my therapist an accurate picture of what I'm going through. I'm scared she'll tell me I'm completely crazy and un-fixable. Fingers crossed!

Many hugs to everyone else going through these things.

Bennet....

Next month will be exactly one year ago that I did *tilt*. I had a nervous breakdown and had to be *institutionalized*. I'll never be *normal* since I've always had depression and tried to end it all a few times. BUT things do get better. Sometimes things start going down again but I try really hard to pull myself up again. Also I learned that I will never be *cured*....I just have to learn to live with *it*.

About being ashamed...don't be. This is not a character flaw, it's a disease.

You know what this guy in my group therapy told me? He said he embraces his depression since it gives his life -and himself- an extra dimension.

It has been a while since I have been back. I sucessfully got off my Zoloft and replaced it with Atkins and exercise 6 days a week with weight training. I felt on top of the world. Went on vacation went off the diet and am back down that whole. Feel like a total failure. So, why don't I get back on the horse? I don't know. I just don't feel like I have the energy to do it. My clothers are getting tighter I know I am the heaviest I have ever been. I don't want to go back on my AD I know I can be sucessful without them but the struggling with depression and weight is such a vicious cycle

Erin

Cheri, they tried me on Lexapro and I felt like a zombie. It was horrible. Many of my patients were on it and felt the same. I started a journal and have been able to go back and read it. It helps with seeing the growth and also to identify patterns.

Hugs
Erin

Lol, we come and go...sorry, I am going to try to be here more often....

READ MY POST ABOVE AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.....

I just have to post this, because I am very truly curious about it and my eyes have been opened to new (for me anyway) things about how the body operates and reacts to certain things. Clear as mud? I am referring to the mind/body connection in particular. When things are out of balance or "wrong" in the body, it is very possible to also have that effect the mind. I have a thyroid condition, and prior to being diagnosed with that and subsequently treated, I thought I was just losing my mind. The thyroid, when not functioning properly, can wreak havoc with your emotions/thoughts. It is amazing and kind of scary. What I'm wondering is if those of you who are suffering depression have been tested or checked for proper thyroid function. I've read that often doctors see a patient for depression, prescribe anti-depressants, the patient still suffers and wonders why the anti-depressants aren't working, all because they have an untreated thyroid condition. I know this is not the "catch-all" cause of depression -- there are many causes and contributors to depression. However, I think it is something worth at least checking, just in case. Just thought I'd throw that out there and see what you all think.

Hi,

I have suffered, endured, seem to over come, only to crash back down again with chronic clinical depression and anxiety disorder since early childhood. I wasn't diagnosed until about 8 years ago. I was put on Zoloft and that worked fine for about 2 years then slowly stopped working. I tried Effexor and Welbutrin but both of those made the depression worse. I finally went on a fairly low dose of Prozac and was maintaining just fine. Through all of this I have gone to counseling. Almost a year ago I lost my health insurance and with it my medications. I was cruising right along just fine, without medication, using the tools that I learned in counseling and having the help of my DH and DS. I had a few "crashes" but nothing significant as in years past until now.

Each day I feel myself slipping further and further down that slippery slope and more days than not I find myself thinking of ways to end it (I doubt I will though as I am too scared to do anything and the thought of what would happen to my son prevents me). It presents a interesting dichotomy. Here I am, doing Atkins to improve my health all the while I am thinking of ways of ending my life. I try very hard to be a positive person, but these last few weeks I have been anything but. I know that a lot of what I am feeling has been started due to situational influences but the depression that lingers is not situational induced. Those of you who don't suffer from situational depression will know what I am talking about when I say that there is a noticeable difference between situational depression and a chemical imbalance induced depression.

I really really really don't want to go back on the meds, but I don't know what else to do. I feel like one of the "dementors" from the Harry Potter story has sucked all the joy out of me and no amount of chocolate will bring it back. I guess I need to go back to counseling.