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how do I climb out of the dark pit?

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KaiG
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22 Jul 2010, 10:19 am

Screw meds, they can only get you so far. The bonus about discovering whether your problem is anxiety or depression is that it allows you to more easily figure out ways to deal with it in a constructive manner, through therapy or your own strategies.


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marshall
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22 Jul 2010, 4:10 pm

KaiG wrote:
Screw meds, they can only get you so far. The bonus about discovering whether your problem is anxiety or depression is that it allows you to more easily figure out ways to deal with it in a constructive manner, through therapy or your own strategies.

It's often hard to separate the two because unusually prolonged or intense anxiety often leads to depression. It's common to experience ahedonia (i.e. emptiness, loss of interest, low motivation) when anxious, but when anhedonia persists for days at a time even when you aren't actively worrying about anything it's highly likely that the anxiety has progressed to depression.



Solitaire
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22 Jul 2010, 10:43 pm

Here is what has worked for me:

I have found that exercise works very well, coupled with a healthy diet and vitamin D3 (at least 4,000 iu per day) and supercritical holy basil. I was eating lots of junk food, I had a very sedentary lifestyle, and felt sick, tired and heavily, darkly depressed every single day. I went through all the psych meds (antidepressants, tranquilizers, sleep medication, etc) with limited success. Yes the antidepressants worked but made me tired and extra-fat.

When I first started exercising I could barely go around the block. I went at night around my neighborhood. I got an mp3 player, loaded my favorite tunes, and "tuned out" the world as I walked. I cut out all those yummy junky foods that were only adding to my fatness and substituted healthy foods. I also added a good multivitamin and extra D3 and holy basil. The D3 and holy basil are awesome mood lifters. Since starting this regimen a year and a half ago, I haven't been depressed for longer than 5 minutes. No doctors visits trying to explain myself and my moods anymore!

When you get sick and tired of being sick, tired and sad, take charge of your life. Depressed people sit around feeling like victims. I'm not pointing fingers, I was one of them. I hated waking up in the morning, dragged myself through my joyless day, and my only happiness was passing out at night. I believe there was a time when I would go a year without a good belly laugh. So I relate to the pain others are posting here. But I gotta say, getting off my duff and making myself move to music, eating right and taking supplements was my key. It's not new-age nonsense, it actually does work. I can now go 4 miles at a fast walk. My clothes actually fit me correctly now, I feel more confident, I sleep better, and feel better able to take on the NT world.

Aspies, the key is, ACTION.



lotusblossom
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23 Jul 2010, 2:18 am

Solitaire wrote:
Here is what has worked for me:

I have found that exercise works very well, coupled with a healthy diet and vitamin D3 (at least 4,000 iu per day) and supercritical holy basil. I was eating lots of junk food, I had a very sedentary lifestyle, and felt sick, tired and heavily, darkly depressed every single day. I went through all the psych meds (antidepressants, tranquilizers, sleep medication, etc) with limited success. Yes the antidepressants worked but made me tired and extra-fat.

When I first started exercising I could barely go around the block. I went at night around my neighborhood. I got an mp3 player, loaded my favorite tunes, and "tuned out" the world as I walked. I cut out all those yummy junky foods that were only adding to my fatness and substituted healthy foods. I also added a good multivitamin and extra D3 and holy basil. The D3 and holy basil are awesome mood lifters. Since starting this regimen a year and a half ago, I haven't been depressed for longer than 5 minutes. No doctors visits trying to explain myself and my moods anymore!

When you get sick and tired of being sick, tired and sad, take charge of your life. Depressed people sit around feeling like victims. I'm not pointing fingers, I was one of them. I hated waking up in the morning, dragged myself through my joyless day, and my only happiness was passing out at night. I believe there was a time when I would go a year without a good belly laugh. So I relate to the pain others are posting here. But I gotta say, getting off my duff and making myself move to music, eating right and taking supplements was my key. It's not new-age nonsense, it actually does work. I can now go 4 miles at a fast walk. My clothes actually fit me correctly now, I feel more confident, I sleep better, and feel better able to take on the NT world.

Aspies, the key is, ACTION.

yes I exercise 6 days a week and take supplements.



lotusblossom
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23 Jul 2010, 2:22 am

marshall wrote:
KaiG wrote:
Screw meds, they can only get you so far. The bonus about discovering whether your problem is anxiety or depression is that it allows you to more easily figure out ways to deal with it in a constructive manner, through therapy or your own strategies.

It's often hard to separate the two because unusually prolonged or intense anxiety often leads to depression. It's common to experience ahedonia (i.e. emptiness, loss of interest, low motivation) when anxious, but when anhedonia persists for days at a time even when you aren't actively worrying about anything it's highly likely that the anxiety has progressed to depression.

the tricky thing is that the advice from profecionals is so mixed, for example one said I should cut my uni courses so that Im less stressed and another said I should do them as avoidance increases the problems. It makes it hard to know which are the right decisions to make, what will make things better and what will make things worse. As well as throwing aspergers into the mix so what might be helpful for an NT might make things worse for me, and maybe I should not have the same expectations as an NT (eg work might always be too stressful for me to do).



lotusblossom
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23 Jul 2010, 2:25 am

KaiG wrote:
Screw meds, they can only get you so far. The bonus about discovering whether your problem is anxiety or depression is that it allows you to more easily figure out ways to deal with it in a constructive manner, through therapy or your own strategies.


I dont know I think the problem is probably not depression or anxiety but a failure to fit in with how the world is, an inability to cope with lifes problems and an inability to enjoy the things you should or do the things your supposed to. I think its hard for aspies not to get down when all the things which are recognised to give people fullfillment such as jobs, family, friends and relationships can be sourses of stress and upset for aspies :cry:



marshall
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23 Jul 2010, 9:48 am

lotusblossom wrote:
marshall wrote:
KaiG wrote:
Screw meds, they can only get you so far. The bonus about discovering whether your problem is anxiety or depression is that it allows you to more easily figure out ways to deal with it in a constructive manner, through therapy or your own strategies.

It's often hard to separate the two because unusually prolonged or intense anxiety often leads to depression. It's common to experience ahedonia (i.e. emptiness, loss of interest, low motivation) when anxious, but when anhedonia persists for days at a time even when you aren't actively worrying about anything it's highly likely that the anxiety has progressed to depression.

the tricky thing is that the advice from profecionals is so mixed, for example one said I should cut my uni courses so that Im less stressed and another said I should do them as avoidance increases the problems. It makes it hard to know which are the right decisions to make, what will make things better and what will make things worse. As well as throwing aspergers into the mix so what might be helpful for an NT might make things worse for me, and maybe I should not have the same expectations as an NT (eg work might always be too stressful for me to do).

My problem as well. It's really hard, maybe impossible, to find a therapist who knows you as well as you know yourself. I think eventually, once I get settled, I'm going to have to really shop around to find someone good. I might also have to prepare myself to pay out of pocket to accomplish this

I think a major part of my problem, the reason why nothing has ever been successful for me, is that I haven't ever been able to retain a good therapist/psychiatrist. Dealing with insurance issues and having to move around the country has hampered me. I also have no close friends for support except for my parents.