Hi all,
I just read an article by Helen in a magazine and felt compelled to visit the website, and I’m so glad I did! Excited that I may have found a place to talk to people about how I’m feeling and they might actually understand!
I think it’s important that we remember that depression can be fun… I enjoy having a little chuckle every time I pick up my prozac prescription and the pharmacist gives me a sympathetic/concerned look like I might start running round the place screaming and crying.
My anxiety and depression is alot better than it was last year, but having just moved to a new area and started a new job, I’m finding it difficult to be motivated to make new friends. I’m finding myself making excuses to not go to parties and just want to stay in the house. Even when I’m with close friends and having a nice time I find that I’m checking the clock all the time and counting down the hours until it’s over and I can go home. I’m 26 - what’s wrong with me?!!
Any help or advice would be much appreciated!
Gemma

Hello Gemma,

I just wanted to welcome you to the site.

I’ve been on here for nearly two weeks now and I’ve found the support I’ve received to be a huge help in getting though the dark days. Just feeling able to admit to people they way your feeling is a huge relife.

Personal friends, generally, really do care but unfortunately the advice they give isn’t really the best: “Think positive”, “Take up a new hobby”, “Keep busy” and my own personal favourite “Just try and snap out of it” I’m sure we’ve all heard them all! Just try and remember, every one here is a friend, who is not only your side, but actually understands. 

I admire your courage in moving to a new area, feeling the way you do, you should be very proud of yourself.

Take care

Hi Gemma,

One of the longest people on this site. Let me welcome you aswell.

Some people are rude on this site when I welcome them hence no name. Helen is brilliant friend to me and she is warm and kind hearted.

The most important thing is remember you have an illness, no such thing as just snap out of it. Sooty might have a magic wand lol. Most important Gemma small steps at first.  I go to church, which is not everybodys thing. I also go to Aqua Fit great for keeping fit and building courage up. Have you a Mind Office near you?

To move takes a massive will and inner strenght , good on you girl.

Remember small steps

Take care Paul

Oh my gosh I have just been moved to tears by your kind words! I know that sounds corny but it’s true! Hopefully making friends here will give me the confidence to go out and talk to people face to face Thank you so much xxx

Gemma,

I found Mind a great help to me.  I did a confidence course, which really made me feel better about myself.  I was scared at first meeting new people, I have met some lovely caring people since going.  I go singing aswell on a Tues which I really enjoy la la la it’s just about giving things ago.  This are all run at Mind in my town.

We are all friends on this site

Had traz so going a bit sleepy

Take loads of care Paul

Gemma,

I just like to echo Paul’s advice about the charity MIND. If it hadn’t been for me going to one of their drop in sessions just after I first “Crashed” and being able to talk to someone, I don’t like to think what I’d have done.  If you are feeling lonely having just moved to your new area, and need to talk to someone, please consider getting in touch with them.

The “snap out it” comments that I got when I first became ill came from a dearly loved family member - I know they think they were helping but it just made me feel worse, as if I was just being weak. If only people could understand that if we could “just snap out” we would. As if we hadn’t thought of that ourselves!

Paul

I’m stunned to read that people on this site have been rude to you.

I’ve read several of your posts and you have been an inspiration to me with all the kind words and advice that you have given both to me and other members.

Just ignore them - the rest of us know what a truely kind and selfless person you are.

God bless you.

Hello Gemma

I have just joined the site recently and I echo what Karma and Paul have said about the great support here. As you say, it is great to have somewhere to post your thoughts and fears, and I find it amazing that when I do that I find peopple have experienced the same things and can sometimes suggest ways of feeling ‘better’.

Take care Gemma

Glynis

Morning to my Friends

Thank you all for kind words of kindness and support.  Today got DEA app at Jobcentre I am a bit scared.

Lord bless you all

Hello Gemma, I’m so glad you read the article and that it led you to the site.  Welcome!  I’m also glad that your depression is better than last year.  Well done you on your move and your fresh start.  May you be very happy there. 
I was the same as you Gemma; wishing time away when I was out with others to when I could be back home again and often back home in my bed.  It sounds like you are making the effort though sometimes which is great and I do hope that you’re acknowldeging it as such.  I do like rewarding myself when I’ve achieved something (no matter how small - the achievement not the reward that is!).  My reward is mostly a cappuccino.  Simple but it does the trick for me. 
I’ve just moved too.  When I’m really not feeling much like going out socialising I’ll maybe do some internet hunting for something that I intend to do like find a new gym or circuit class because these things get me out meeting people too and I feel better for doing them.  One thing that I’ve really found helped me was laughter.  I lost that in the depths of depression and it was wonderful to find it again.  There are even laughter classes and a yoga discipline dedicated to yoga now but I love going to Jongleurs Comedy store or indeed any comedy store or watching a comedian or something funny on television to lift my mood.  Getting out is more sociable and when friends come to stay I do drag them along to Jongleurs.  My friend met her partner there actually!  Your comment about picking up your Prozac prescription the chemist looking at you in fear of you bursting out crying made me smile.  I know exactly what you mean!
Take care Gemma.  Best wishes, Helen

Dear Paul, good luck today.  Do let us know how you got on.  Helen

Dear Karma, how right you are about those closest to us.  I had all those positive statements thrown at me of shaking myself down and how many people there are in the world worse off than me.  We are all very aware of that but it wasn’t really helping me or the right time to be sharing that with me!  I know they were only trying to help.  I was actually scared of totally opening up to friends and family and telling them how I really felt in case I frightened them with how bad I was feeling.  I feared they may have given up with the postive statements and considered having me locked up!
I hope that you had a good weekend and are feeling ok.  Best wishes, Helen

Good morning Glynis, how are you today?  Best wishes, Helen

Thanks to you all for the encouragement and kind words. I’m definitely going to take the advice of setting myself small goals, rewarding myself when I’ve achieved something, going to some comedy, and will look into what Mind can offer in my local area. In fact I’ve just found a new fitness class near my house and think I’ll give it a go tomorrow… wish me luck!
Thanks again for the opportunity to talk about how I’m truly feeling. I’m very lucky because I have an amazing partner who has stuck with me through it all, even when I was running around like a hyperactive meercat after a “serotonin flood” when I first started taking fluoxetine! But as other people have said I worry about telling him how bad I really feel sometimes incase he does a runner. So thanks for letting me rant to you lot!!

I am so pleased for you Gemma. Some really good news esp after I had some bad news.

Goodluck for tommorow. I have a smile on my face that you seem alot happier today. I have to take 225mg of trazdone each night.

keep with meds they take time to work. such postive news

Your friend Paul

Thanks Paul, sorry that your appointment didn’t go well. Hope tomorrow is a better day