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To what extent to you suffer from anxiety, depression or bipolar tendencies? As you may have gathered, I am trying to come up with a profile of the average person who visits this site — and have already seen some trends in terms of introversion, testimony-levels and intellectualism based on responses in previous surveys. Because the topic of depression/anxiety comes up in posts, I thought I would see if there are trends in that area. I don’t mind saying that I have an issue with depression somewhat…short periods that last a few days. One short-term med dosage tends kick me out of almost immediately, although once, I had to take a med for 3 weeks. The church experience was the trigger for all of these episodes.
Yes. I suffer from anxiety. In fact, I also occasionally have panic attacks. I take Lexapro every night and I take Xanax when I have panic attacks. Christ’s atonement continues to help me heal. I started suffering with mild anxiety symptoms and OCD tendencies when i was in the 3rd grade. In 5th grade I was having anxiety attacks—I would go into that feeling of depersonalization or derealization–not sure which is the right term for what i felt. I became a little bit agoraphobic for about a year. I was about to back out of a dance performance, for the econd time, when my leader took me alone in the bathroom ant tallked to me. I went ahead and did the dance–even though I felt like i wasn’t really there. I hung close to 2 friends for the rest of the night and did my best to ignore the scary feeling i was having. after that it went away. Looking back, I am sure that i suffered with depression to some degree, off and on, through out high school. When i married my second husband, I had not been prepared for how difficult his 13 yr old son was like, nor was I prepared to deal with my husbands ex-in-laws from hell. I had a 2 yr old and a 4 1’2 yr old. hubby had a 13 yr old and a 10 yr old when we got married. hubby’s ex wife wasn’t a problem, but her parents were. his ex skipped the state, and they told the kids to tell us their mother was not gone, so they could get her visitation. His ex’s best friend would call me and tell me everything my hubby did wrong in his first marriage. i finally told her that no matter what he did tha tshe still did the biggest wrong by having an affair–she shut up after that. Guess she realized i didn’t want to hear it. My hubby’s ex-in-laws joined the church, and they were in our ward. the wicked part of me wants top say i don’t think they joined it for the right reasons–think it had more to do with the kids—I could be very wrong. I felt like we had lost our support group–they were the new members to fellowship. i could see that was coming, I was having days that i would just cry. I was pregnant and warned my doctor. I was afraid if I really stgarted crying, i wouldn’t be able to stop. Went to church one day, went in the bathroom and started crying and crying. when i went home, i went into that “don’t feel like I am really here” feeling that lasted for an entire month. I had a complete mental breakdown.
I have had a few full blown anxiety attacks, but not for years. i have battled depression and anxiety for over 24 years now. Unfortunately, i seem to be resistant to the medications. I chad a hard time tolerating many of them, and if I found one tht helped, it would work for 2-4 months, and then stop working. I seem to be treatment resistant. once time a psuch thought i was bipolar ll–but the4 meds for that didn’t do a thing–even at the highest dose. another doc in the practice talked to me and agreed with me that he didn’t think I was bipolar ll. i could not even tell you allof the medications I have tried. My moods are a roller coaster. i was deperate enough to try shock therapy. I kept being told it would either be 6 or 12 treatments–they were not sure. I did 3–it was too stressful to drive at 5:30 am, fasting and worrying about my blood sugar, and driving almost an hour and a half to where they did the ECT. It was too stressful, so i decided I would not do them again unless my husband could take me. I t did make the constant low grade anxiety that I felt go away–and it has never come back.
I started an antidepressant this last year–it worked for 2 -3 months. I felt good and had a better attitude–but it didn’t last, as usual. I have hypopituitrism and fibromyalgia, which can both cause some depression. This is just my life. sometimes i wonder what my pre-existent experience was that God thought i could handle these challenges, and if we agreed to the ones we have, like some peole say—I’ve changed my mind!!!
Living the word of wisdom has significantly LOWERED my anxiety and depression. Not got rid of it, but it’s much better than it was. I don’t generally have anxiety, but I do have occasional bouts with depression – but the kind that is more situational and lasts for a few hours or a day as opposed to longer term, and is not debilitating. I used to suffer from depression that I now recognize as bound up with my anxiety. A year ago, the thought of a family trip had me so stressed that I went to my doctor. Since then, I’ve been on two anti anxiety medications. It has helped. They don’t eliminate my anxiety but they do blunt it. I have been less anxious and am now rarely depressed. I’ve still a ways to go but things are better for me. For what it’s worth guys, take vitamins. They help a lot with these issues in my experience. Lack of sunlight doesn’t help in many places.
SamBee wrote:For what it’s worth guys, take vitamins. They help a lot with these issues in my experience.
Lack of sunlight doesn’t help in many places.
I don’t know about vitamins, but won’t argue the idea. I do believe fresh air and sunshine are beneficial, though. I know some people have difficulty getting fresh air and sunshine in the winter because of work, but do it if you can. And in relation to SamBee’s prior post, I also keep the WoW.
Yes definitely Dark Jedi. SAD affects people further to the north. Exercise is very important, and so is positive social contact. Depression makes you go into your shell and slow down, this has to be fought.
I’ve had issues with depression off and on my whole life, but I didn’t get to the point where I felt I couldn’t handle it alone until after my 4th child was born. That’s when it got scary. I was battling my usual postpartum depression, plus my shelf crashed and burned just a little over a month after I gave birth. I also have anxiety issues, but again, not many until the last year. I now take medication daily for the depression and things are so much better. I’ve found talking to a therapist to be very helpful as well. Yep, crazy as they come! 😆 I think there are more external causes with these matters than is admitted to. It’s easier to dope up America than to admit cultural, economic and political factors are making folk ill.
SamBee, i agree that those things come in to play even if your depression is chemically based. My marriage hasn’t been easy–but I’m still here and we are getting close to 26 yrs. I know that when my husband is treating me better, i definitely do better. We have never had a lot of money, and that can be stressful and add to depression. But, I also believe that genetics play a big part in depression and anxiety for some people. My half-sister committed suicide, my great grandfather committed suicide, and there is a relative on my grandmothers side who refused to have any children because there were so many mental/emotional problems in the family.
I have had times i have not wanted to go on–even figured out how I would commit suicide if i ever got to that point—but I’m too much of a coward to ever do that. Plus, I still have a 10 yr old daughter at home and I would never do that to her.
I have a quote from a talk that I keep in my scriptures–had to read it in RS one day when i got so mad because someone said that depression was one of the devil’s tools. Can’t remember who gave this talk, I just have one quote.
Myth:Mentally ill persons just lack willpower
There are some who mistakenly believe that the mentally ill just need to “snap out of it, show a little backbone, and get on with life”. Those who believe that way display a grievous lack of knowledge and compassion. That fact is that seriously mentally ill persons simply cannot, through an exercise of will, get out of the predicament they are in. They need help, encouragement, understanding , and love. anyone who has ever witnessed the well-nigh unbearable pain of a severe panic attack knows full well that nobody would suffer that way if all that was needed was to show a little willpower. No one who has witnessed the almost indescribable sadness of a severely depressed person who perhaps can’t even get out of bed, who cries all day or retreats into hopeless apathy, or who tries to kill himself would ever think for a moment that mental illness is just a problem of willpower. We don’t say to persons with heart disease or cancer, “just grow up and get over it.” neither should we treat the mentally ill in such an uncompassionate and unhelpful way.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the genetic factors etc, but I do think society doesn’t want to admit external factors, as it reflects back upon it. I also think that societal attitudes towards mental health do not help either, and are often counterproductive, or ill-informed.
Quote:My half-sister committed suicide, my great grandfather committed suicide, and there is a relative on my grandmothers side who refused to have any children because there were so many mental/emotional problems in the family.
The classic example is Ernest Hemingway. He was a great writer, and survived to a decent age, but he killed himself, and about a dozen relatives of his, both male and female, have done the same. In your case, I would be very careful… but… the simple fact is that with one in four developing these issues, that somewhat like heart disease and cancer, it is to be found in all extended families.
Quote:I have a quote from a talk that I keep in my scriptures–had to read it in RS one day when i got so mad because someone said that depression was one of the devil’s tools. Can’t remember who gave this talk, I just have one quote.
I suppose depression can be used to destroy people in many ways, but it is not the result of bad behavior, particularly where as you point out, other family members have it. (Actually, come to think about it, even within families, it could arguably be partially down to cultural and social problems not just genetics)
I was annoyed that the book on Albert Smith omitted to mention that he had suffered from bad depression, as well as terrible problems with his eyesight. A missed opportunity.
Quote:There are some who mistakenly believe that the mentally ill just need to “snap out of it, show a little backbone, and get on with life”. Those who believe that way display a grievous lack of knowledge and compassion. That fact is that seriously mentally ill persons simply cannot, through an exercise of will, get out of the predicament they are in. They need help, encouragement, understanding , and love. anyone who has ever witnessed the well-nigh unbearable pain of a severe panic attack knows full well that nobody would suffer that way if all that was needed was to show a little willpower. No one who has witnessed the almost indescribable sadness of a severely depressed person who perhaps can’t even get out of bed, who cries all day or retreats into hopeless apathy, or who tries to kill himself would ever think for a moment that mental illness is just a problem of willpower. We don’t say to persons with heart disease or cancer, “just grow up and get over it.” neither should we treat the mentally ill in such an uncompassionate and unhelpful way.
There are two methods of dealing with this – the soft and the hard approach. I think sometimes people do need to work hard to get beyond it. In my case, I must snap out of it, and socialize, get out of the house and exercise. I force myself to. I have to. No one else will do these things for me.
The soft approach works in other circumstances, but there are contexts in which it is cruel to be kind. It’s really horses for courses, and whichever works at the time, and the circumstance. A person who is grieving a day after their loss is doing what is natural, if they’re still grieving (severely) ten years later, then they must get away from that, as it is holding them back and doing no good.
SamBee, I guess i should probably tell you that i have hypopituitarism, which hase caused secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism, that would be under treated by an uneducated doctor who tried to use the “usual” thyroid tests. My DHEA and testosterone also will not stay up to normal levels unless supplemented. (even for a woman). I had the depression and anxiety before i had the hypopituitarism. So I have a number of medical issues that can cause depression and anxiety–not to mention that some of the medications i take can cause depression and anxiety also.
I may not be able to change a pituitary that is not working, but when I read your post, i realized that is is my responsibility to take care of myself the best I can. i need to make sure that I don’t just follow the WOW (I do) but I need to make sure that i eat as healthy as possible. I need to make sure that i take my medications at the right time. I need to avoid stress as much as possible, since i don’t kick out extra cortisol on my own to help deal with it. I need to try and get off any medications that I can, if possible, I need to exercise, I need to socialize, I need to find ways to serve other people cause that makes me feel good.
I may not be able to change my health status, but I can take better care of myself and do a lot of things that can help decrease anxiety and depression.
I should also add stay out of debt!! that is really stressful—but we have spent a lot on medical bills.
Until recently I would have said no. But I’ve realised I do on occasions suffer from stress/anxiety. It’s usually not severe, but recently anxiety has been affecting my work. DW has been awesome and very supportive and understanding.
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