Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

[COYBL25]

Has anyone ever used herbal Kalms? If so did you find them useful?

I've tried all the herbal stuff mate.

Kalms didn't do a thing for me and they're expensive compared to other stuff, due the advertising, brand etc.

There's loads of different stuff out there and the one I found best ( for me ) was :

Valerian Root tablets.

It's been used for centuries and is %100 natural. ( alhthough it pongs like hell ! ).

Dirt cheap of the likes of Ebay.

The problem I've found with all of them, is that eventually you're body seems to get used to them and they don't seem to work anymore .

However everyone is different, so give them a go x

 

[Groucho]

I've tried all the herbal stuff mate.

Kalms didn't do a thing for me and they're expensive compared to other stuff, due the advertising, brand etc.

There's loads of different stuff out there and the one I found best ( for me ) was :

Valerian Root tablets.

It's been used for centuries and is %100 natural. ( alhthough it pongs like hell ! ).

Dirt cheap of the likes of Ebay.

The problem I've found with all of them, is that eventually you're body seems to get used to them and they don't seem to work anymore .

However everyone is different, so give them a go x

Two kids and ovaltine.

That combo sees me off at about 8pm.

 

[EFCPaul]

Feel a bit more clear-headed, like everything I've spent months telling myself has to be truth isn't the truth at all. Don't know, it's a weird feeling. It's made me think things aren't as clear-cut as I've long assumed them to be.

 

[Jokerdan]

The bottom line - we are suffering a mental degradation and it isn't through personal choice. Some people cope better than others OR they more than likely hide it better simply by not 'giving in' to their feelings.

The simple fact is it eventually it leads to a full blown breakdown although may take many years.

The positive we should all take is that by discussing our issues on this forum we are recognising we currently have problems and instead of hiding them we are recognising and learning to live with them.

Ultimately, however, it is imperative that we seek professional advice/treatment. It is and should not be considered a stigma. We are not suffering alone - just look at Prince Harry. He has admitted to depths of depression recently but with help is learning to live with it and we can all learn to do the same.

No man (or woman) is an island...as the saying goes.

 

[efcforever]

Really not having a good time this week. Been waking up every morning with a rush of anxiety.

For years I've seen my anxiety as something I need to 'beat'. I think its time to accept that it's always going to be there and find better ways to manage it.

I've been invited out tonight but I'm not going. A social situation is one of the hardest things for me so I just can't face it. The trouble is I feel so guilty about it even though people have told me it's fine.

Just waiting to see the doctor next Friday now. This thread has been a great help, so thank you to everyone.

I probably won't be back online until tonight, I've just taken a few minutes out just now.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Has anyone ever used herbal Kalms? If so did you find them useful?

Yes
Short term only
But that might hopefully be the answer

 

[Bungle]

Really not having a good time this week. Been waking up every morning with a rush of anxiety.

For years I've seen my anxiety as something I need to 'beat'. I think its time to accept that it's always going to be there and find better ways to manage it.

I've been invited out tonight but I'm not going. A social situation is one of the hardest things for me so I just can't face it. The trouble is I feel so guilty about it even though people have told me it's fine.

Just waiting to see the doctor next Friday now. This thread has been a great help, so thank you to everyone.

I probably won't be back online until tonight, I've just taken a few minutes out just now.

Have you ever tried CBT mate? I only ask because the social situation thing you mention was one of my biggest issues, that and busy places in general like restaurants/pubs etc. If your GP doesn't mention it when you see them then it might be worth asking about it as it helped me massively.

I had to write down exactly how I felt either as I was suffering the anxiety or as soon afterwards as I could, what was going through your mind, what physical reactions you could feel i.e. sweating, increased heart rate etc. Then slowly over the weeks you break everything down and re-programme yourself, it might seem a long way off but eventually you start putting yourself in situations that you know brings on the anxiety to test yourself. It could be anything like going to a party that you'd normally avoid, or in my case something as simple as going to the bar and ordering the food and getting drinks rather than sending someone else.

I've said before in this thread that I was massively sceptical about CBT, and probably still was even after a couple of session, but as long as you put in the work it does have huge benefits. All the best mate and if you want to know anything about CBT and what to expect then just ask.

 

[Billy Dean]

Really not having a good time this week. Been waking up every morning with a rush of anxiety.

For years I've seen my anxiety as something I need to 'beat'. I think its time to accept that it's always going to be there and find better ways to manage it.

I've been invited out tonight but I'm not going. A social situation is one of the hardest things for me so I just can't face it. The trouble is I feel so guilty about it even though people have told me it's fine.

Just waiting to see the doctor next Friday now. This thread has been a great help, so thank you to everyone.

I probably won't be back online until tonight, I've just taken a few minutes out just now.

Guilt is one of the classic symptoms of anxiety mate. Anxiety can lead to feelings of all kinds of guilt - it could be guilt about specific things, guilt about having the anxiety itself, or just a visceral feeling of guilt that you can't attach to anything. Try not to sweat it too much. When you feel guilty try to tell yourself it's a symptom of the anxiety.

 

[efcforever]

Have you ever tried CBT mate? I only ask because the social situation thing you mention was one of my biggest issues, that and busy places in general like restaurants/pubs etc. If your GP doesn't mention it when you see them then it might be worth asking about it as it helped me massively.

I had to write down exactly how I felt either as I was suffering the anxiety or as soon afterwards as I could, what was going through your mind, what physical reactions you could feel i.e. sweating, increased heart rate etc. Then slowly over the weeks you break everything down and re-programme yourself, it might seem a long way off but eventually you start putting yourself in situations that you know brings on the anxiety to test yourself. It could be anything like going to a party that you'd normally avoid, or in my case something as simple as going to the bar and ordering the food and getting drinks rather than sending someone else.

I've said before in this thread that I was massively sceptical about CBT, and probably still was even after a couple of session, but as long as you put in the work it does have huge benefits. All the best mate and if you want to know anything about CBT and what to expect then just ask.

Thanks for the information. I was thinking of asking about CBT when I see the doctor but was slowly talking myself out of it. I will make sure I ask him. It has to be worth a go.

 

[Tim's tourettes]

Feel a bit more clear-headed, like everything I've spent months telling myself has to be truth isn't the truth at all. Don't know, it's a weird feeling. It's made me think things aren't as clear-cut as I've long assumed them to be.

I found this scenario exactly mate. Convinced myself I needed to walk out on the wife and kid for my sanity. 4 months of citalopram and cbt and the world looks very different

 

[EFCPaul]

I convinced myself that people in work didn't like/had it in for me and that meeting a girl who will like me for me was an impossible dream.

It's not I suppose, just because it hasn't happened yet surely doesn't mean it never will? Especially when you consider how many women there are in the world and how many times I have ahead, it has to happen as long as I put myself out there and not just hide away feeling sorry for myself. A lot of people have to wait for the right person and I'm just one of those I suppose.

And as for the folk at work, well I'm not a mind-reader so I have to stop assuming I know what they think. Just be myself and if they don't like it then whatever, they won't make me feel worthless.

 

[efcforever]

I convinced myself that people in work didn't like/had it in for me and that meeting a girl who will like me for me was an impossible dream.

It's not I suppose, just because it hasn't happened yet surely doesn't mean it never will? Especially when you consider how many women there are in the world and how many times I have ahead, it has to happen as long as I put myself out there and not just hide away feeling sorry for myself. A lot of people have to wait for the right person and I'm just one of those I suppose.

And as for the folk at work, well I'm not a mind-reader so I have to stop assuming I know what they think. Just be myself and if they don't like it then whatever, they won't make me feel worthless.

Glad that you're feeling better mate.

 

[COYBL25]

Really not having a good time this week. Been waking up every morning with a rush of anxiety.

For years I've seen my anxiety as something I need to 'beat'. I think its time to accept that it's always going to be there and find better ways to manage it.

I've been invited out tonight but I'm not going. A social situation is one of the hardest things for me so I just can't face it. The trouble is I feel so guilty about it even though people have told me it's fine.

Just waiting to see the doctor next Friday now. This thread has been a great help, so thank you to everyone.

I probably won't be back online until tonight, I've just taken a few minutes out just now.

Acceptance is the first start of managing it mate.

You may never get fully better, but you'll learn to manage it.

I'm not an expert or medically qualified, but from the reams of stuff I've read, anxiety can be particularly bad in the mornings, due to your brain releasing too much of the " waking up " chemical - Cortisol.

It's supposed to be released slowly, as it's steroid based and acts like a stimulant.

With anxiety sufferers it can be released in a rush when the waking process starts and you wake up in an instant, in a state of high anxiety, head crammed full of mad thoughts.

A very simple and easy way to combat it, is a decent sleep mask. This tricks your brain into believing it's still night time for longer.

A sleep mask has made a massive difference to me mate. Before I started using one, I used to get up half an hour before everyone else, just to get my head together and to control the morning anxiety.

 

[EFCPaul]

Glad that you're feeling better mate.

Not all the way better mate, there's still self-doubts tormenting me but they're being kept at bay better than they were about a week ago. It's a slow process but one that every troubled person gets to start undertaking at some point I hope.

 

[efcforever]

Not all the way better mate, there's still self-doubts tormenting me but they're being kept at bay better than they were about a week ago. It's a slow process but one that every troubled person gets to start undertaking at some point I hope.

It's about small steps. The fact that you have a more positive thought process is a good thing.

You planning on doing much this weekend?

At least we've got Everton tomorrow to cheer us up.