Sleeping/anxiety/depression

[jimjamjom]

Hi all- this is my first post..

I;ve had a tough time at work recently + some relatioship problems and just a general identity crisis. I have been diganosed with depression, but am unsure of the diagnosis. I think it is all down to anxiety, which is causing me to display the same symptoms as despression (I can't eat when I'm stressed, I feel down when I'm stressed)- when I calm down and break out of the cycle of obsessive thinking about certain issues, I feel my old self. As a result my mood is up and down.

One of the biggest issues is sleeping- I keep waking up early, and then stressing out about my problems. Waking up 2-3 hrs too early everyday is making me run down and getting me more stressed/tired/unable to deal with my issues. It is during these periods that I feel I want to just give up, split up with my g/f, change my job and start anew- preferably as a new person.

So anyways, I ahve been prescribed 10mg cipralex. I am want to take it because I;m not convinced I am depressed (my psychiatrist said I was, and my counseller said I didn;t seem depressed, adn that maybe the psychiatrist was taken in by my anxiety). Basically, I don't know what to do. Should I take this medication? Will it turn me into a zombie? What if it makes my sleeping worse?! Am I actually depressed?

Sorry for the long post and I hope someone can advise me!

Sorry for teh long post- I can't process all this on my own!

[mornegerard]

Hi Jim

There is a very fine line between anxiety and depression, usually the one is accompanied by the other to a certain extent.

I think you should take the meds, cipralex is an 'SSRI' which is used to treat anxiety and depression. You dont have to worry about feeling like a zombie, as it does not give you a drugged up feeling. It's not like a tranquiliser that sedates you, it simply works on some neurotransmitters over time in your brain.

You will most probably not even notice that you are taking anything, except that you may start feeling better in 4 to 6 weeks.

Good luck mate

Cheers
Morné

Hi Jim,

I also been always stressed because of my work everyday..And everytime I came home after my work all I want to do is just sleep and just sometimes forget to eat or dont like to eat at all....And about the depression, I've been in that situation to..But I never think of taking any medication, for it only give me stomach upsets and aside from that, it is not good to be dependent to medications always.

Hope that you get over with that situation of yours someday.

Always,
Ann

[Tat]

Hi,
I just wanted to say that ive been through a similar thing myself. Although i have been depressed in my life before, this has usually been after the loss of someone i love but the Anxiety is constant. There is a fine line between anxiety & depression but there is a difference & it sounds to me like you dont think you are depressed. Just the very fact that you have found this forum suggests to me that you are informed about your anxiety & so you shouuld listen to yourself.
As for the anti-depressants-its a mixed bag really. Maybe you should try them & see if they help. I was once prescibed the dreaded Seroxat & had a really bad reaction to them, i became manically happy (which may sound pleasent but it wasnt!) I have also tried Citalopram & again they didnt agree with me. They can also be incredibly hard to come off because of the withdrawl symptoms.
There is a book called nutrition for the mind which states that often people who suffer with Anxiety have very low Magnesium levels so, ive been taking magnesium suplements for a while now & it seems to help me. Try getting some excercise every day, drink plenty of water & DONT DRINK ALCOHOL

Good luck

Tat

[elevenxten]

I hear you, I been depressed from not working and going to school. I feel that i just want to be alone and break up with my bf.

[JimmyB]

Sorry to highjack the thread here but I was just wondering Tat, you say not to drink alcohol is this in general or because of chemical reaction.

The reason I ask is because I'm currently taking St. John's Wort and I have been drinking at the weekend but I've just tried to cut back a bit. I've found it hard to tell some of my friends about the way I'm feeling so I tend to have a beer instead of telling them I don't want a drink and the reason.

[Tat]

Hey Jimmy,

I say not to drink alcohol because ive noticed how much better i feel without drinking it. If im going through a tough period with my Anxiety & i drink im sure to have a panick or anxiety attack that could last for days. As im sure you know, alcohol has a sedating quality when you first consume it but then when you metabolise it it becomes a stimulant & off you go on another adrenalin rolercoaster!
Were all different though & if you feel like alcohol doesnt effect you too badly then dont worry too much about it. The only thing i will say is to be very careful drinking with St Johns Wort as it can make you do funny things?!
Can i ask why St Johns Wort? I know a fair bit about herbs as a i have medical herbalist in the family so it could be that there is something better suited to you.
As for your friends........here's a story for you. Ive just recently split with my boyfriend because of my anxiety & feeling embarresed about it & generally running away! I sent him an e-mail with a list of all of the symptoms of anxiety from this site to try & help him to understand where im at at the moment. He sent me the nicest most supportive e-mail back & said that he could recognise alot of the symptoms & he was sorry for questioning me. So, in short tell your friends, give them some literature to read to help them understand & dont be ashamed.

Take care

Tat :)

[JimmyB]

Nice one, thanks for the info Tat! I feel ok at the time of drinking but like you say sometiomes it is difficult to sleep after because although feeling calm the heart is still racing and keeps you awake all night. Also mornings are pretty bad, depressive mood, even more spaced out and dizzy than normal.

So what funny things does st. johns wort make you do? Just act funny or actually does funny things to your brain etc?

Oh yea, the reason I am taking St. John's Wort is because a friend recommended it as it helped him beat his depression and he said that it calmed him down as well as raising his mood. I started taking them before seeing my GP and she said to give them 6 weeks as did a helpful guy who runs a stress helpline.

I am starting to feel better than I was, mood is raised a little, confidence is a little better, physical pains in my head etc are gone, I can sleep and clam myself down easier, anxiety is a little less acute.

Still along way to go and I still feel spaced out and dizzy but I'm sure that will all go with time, I will also be starting therapy on the 11th so hopefully I will be pretty much normal by the end of summer if not the end of the year :)