Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

[Marius57]

Just be there for her and try to keep life as normal as possible.

Don't ask if she's ok all the time, do little things like cooking for her, maybe going out of you have the time, but let her vent when she needs to.

She won't know herself what she wants from you, but will need to take herself away from the situation and you're the best person to do that.

Don't put any pressure on yourself. I lost my mum at the start of the year after an 18 month cancer illness, and look back at that time and appreciate the times of normality that I had, more than anything else.

Oh that' so sad. No wonder you feel overwhelmed. You care deeply about the people who are having such a hard time. As somebody has said, just be there for them. Be a friendly ear to your friend. But don't invalidate your own feelings either. They are important too. Sending you much love and best wishes

So very sorry to read that you are having such a tough time at the moment. Just to echo what others have said, you are helping just by being there and listening. Don’t neglect yourself though, if you don’t have anyone at hand to talk to there is always someone here to listen. Best wishes to you.?

Thank you all for your kind words. Feel likening just coasting through everything at the moment but things feeling slightly better right now even though still lots going on. Had a good chat with my other half and we have more of an understanding as it had been getting quite tense.

And @Charro, hope you are doing OK, we are at 18 months in now with my MiL, and 3 treatments in and none have worked.

 

[Lude]

Sorry,I have to write 5 posts to be allowed to write everywhere. ;-)

 

[paultheblue]

My daughter was given Sertraline for depression about 3 years ago she wants to stop taking them has anyone managed to come off them ?

 

[COYBL25]

My daughter was given Sertraline for depression about 3 years ago she wants to stop taking them has anyone managed to come off them ?

Like all meds, you / she should seek medical advice about coming off them.

There`s a common misconception, that anti depressants are addictive, they aren`t.

However, a lot of people seem to try and come off them in one go, as they`re " feeling better ", without realising, that the medication is what`s making them feel better.

The way that people normally come off them, is by gently lowering the dose, over a period of a few months.

This gives the GP, time to monitor what`s going on and how the patient is bearing up.

Go and see her GP mate and take advice.

 

[DanEFC92]

My daughter was given Sertraline for depression about 3 years ago she wants to stop taking them has anyone managed to come off them ?

I just stopped taking them after a prescription ran out. Was feeling better-ish and wasn't sure they were working.

And was off them for about 6 months but have recently started them up again after a dark period.

But everyone is different and probably best to talk to GP/counsellor

 

[paultheblue]

Like all meds, you / she should seek medical advice about coming off them.

There`s a common misconception, that anti depressants are addictive, they aren`t.

However, a lot of people seem to try and come off them in one go, as they`re " feeling better ", without realising, that the medication is what`s making them feel better.

The way that people normally come off them, is by gently lowering the dose, over a period of a few months.

This gives the GP, time to monitor what`s going on and how the patient is bearing up.

Go and see her GP mate and take advice.

Thanks for that mate, she sees a doctor later I will get her to discuss it.
I thought they were addictive to be honest I know she is really rough when she doesn't take them

 

[COYBL25]

Thanks for that mate, she sees a doctor later I will get her to discuss it.
I thought they were addictive to be honest I know she is really rough when she doesn't take them

There`s all kinds of misconceptions about them, which is mainly due to the outdated stigma, that some people still hold towards them.

It could be, that she either needs the dose changing - up / down or even to come off the ones she`s on and start another one, as they all do slightly different things.

I know what I was taking them, what would happen over a period of time, is that my body seemed to get used to them and they wouldn`t have the same effect.

The GP will know what to do mate, but I`d say, that if she`s rough when she doesn`t take them, she still needs medication mate.

 

[paultheblue]

There`s all kinds of misconceptions about them, which is mainly due to the outdated stigma, that some people still hold towards them.

It could be, that she either needs the dose changing - up / down or even to come off the ones she`s on and start another one, as they all do slightly different things.

I know what I was taking them, what would happen over a period of time, is that my body seemed to get used to them and they wouldn`t have the same effect.

The GP will know what to do mate, but I`d say, that if she`s rough when she doesn`t take them, she still needs medication mate.

That's exactly what she says to me that the body seems to get used to them and with the benefit decreasing and the reliance on them increasing .

 

[Brendan Janus]

My daughter was given Sertraline for depression about 3 years ago she wants to stop taking them has anyone managed to come off them ?

They are rubbish, I stopped taking them because I felt no better on them & no worse off them !

 

[Nymzee]

They are rubbish, I stopped taking them because I felt no better on them & no worse off them !

*they were rubbish for you. Let’s not generalise the effects of medication off one persons experience.

 

[Sweeneytoad]

I haven't watched the news in about 2 weeks and I have to say I'm a lot happier in life. ITV especially like to stoke fear and misery. Whether it be Brexit, COVID, COLC, Russia and NHS mess, they jump between the topics to keep the masses in order.

There's a lot of good things going on in the world too, the news should maybe decide to talk about them one day.

 

[Charro]

Thank you all for your kind words. Feel likening just coasting through everything at the moment but things feeling slightly better right now even though still lots going on. Had a good chat with my other half and we have more of an understanding as it had been getting quite tense.

And @Charro, hope you are doing OK, we are at 18 months in now with my MiL, and 3 treatments in and none have worked.

I’m doing ok thanks mate. Will be a year soon after she passed. I think you go through a lot of the grieving process already when somebody close to you gets a terminal illness which kind of makes it easier to try to move on when they pass.

Hope you and the mrs are ok and have had some moments of normality during the week? It takes its toll on everybody when you have to go through something like this.

 

[Charro]

I haven't watched the news in about 2 weeks and I have to say I'm a lot happier in life. ITV especially like to stoke fear and misery. Whether it be Brexit, COVID, COLC, Russia and NHS mess, they jump between the topics to keep the masses in order.

There's a lot of good things going on in the world too, the news should maybe decide to talk about them one day.

Makes a massive difference this.

I know somebody who has been struggling over the last year or so. They listen to LBC on tap, watch question time every Thursday and constantly tweet about the news. I said to them maybe they should switch off from it all but they seem addicted to the anger and frustration of it all.

When it went thought therapy a few months back my therapist advised me to switch myself off from the news and it’s worked for me as well. Real life isn’t actually that bad when you let yourself take it in properley.

 

[ScouseClown]

Upped my sertraline from 50mg to 100mg, do feel like it's helping though.

I know it doesn't work for some people but seems to be working for me and did in the past too.

Feeling better in myself and things are going good with my girlfriend despite the previous slip up.

One issue I'm currently having is that I'm feeling sleepy a lot of the time, falling asleep on the couch and then when going to bed I'm struggling to sleep or I'm waking at like 5am then needing to nap in the day because tired.

I'm not sure if I've asked this before but I'll ask again just to double check. Does anyone else have bladder issues when it comes to sleeping? I asked my doctor years ago and was told it was due to my anxiety but curious if anyone else experiences similar.

I'll go the bathroom with no issues during the day, come bed time it's a different story, I wake up frequently to go, when I do go sometimes not a lot comes out, however if I don't go I get bad stomach pains.

If other people have similar experiences then I'm glad it's not just me, just been going on too long now and it's extremely frustrating.

 

[andy4efc]

Upped my sertraline from 50mg to 100mg, do feel like it's helping though.

I know it doesn't work for some people but seems to be working for me and did in the past too.

Feeling better in myself and things are going good with my girlfriend despite the previous slip up.

One issue I'm currently having is that I'm feeling sleepy a lot of the time, falling asleep on the couch and then when going to bed I'm struggling to sleep or I'm waking at like 5am then needing to nap in the day because tired.

I'm not sure if I've asked this before but I'll ask again just to double check. Does anyone else have bladder issues when it comes to sleeping? I asked my doctor years ago and was told it was due to my anxiety but curious if anyone else experiences similar.

I'll go the bathroom with no issues during the day, come bed time it's a different story, I wake up frequently to go, when I do go sometimes not a lot comes out, however if I don't go I get bad stomach pains.

If other people have similar experiences then I'm glad it's not just me, just been going on too long now and it's extremely frustrating.

I find myself waking up and going the loo a bit more when I’m very low or very anxious/stressed. It’s very odd. Perhaps your body/mind wakes you up to distract you.