Depression Forums
General => Welcome our 'NEW MEMBERS'!! => Topic started by: vonwallace on June 11, 2013, 08:37:41 AM
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Hello I'm new to the forum and i've never really posted on any forum before. i've looked for some local advice and support something like mind but there isn't much in my area so I thought I'd give here I try. So just to introduce my situation; I'm female, 27, I have had depression and anxiety on and off a few years, at least that I've been aware of but maybe longer. I haven't taken anti depressants for this, not because I don't feel like it has ben bad enough but I know of some awful side effects people have experience and my partner worked in mental health for a while and some of the things he had seen with medication put me off. I have taken st johns wort and found it fairly effective and had some counselling which has helped a bit. I used to feel my mental health problems were due to my circumstances but through counselling I've sort of understood that although circumstances can be stressors there is also something about how I think.
Something I'd like advice on from the off....
But recently I've experienced a downturn. I'm basically low, anxious, very easily upset or angry and tired. I've had a flu/cold and I'v been off work for a week. I still feel physically unwell + all the mental health stuff. This means I'm just running on empty and I just don't feel well enough to go back to work yet. As I've already had a week off I need a sick note if I'm going to have any morre time off. But I'm very anxious about approaching this. I only have had a sick note once for a back problem and the gp was awful! Will a gp give a sick note just for a bit of respite? because i suppose I'm not sure when I will feel better but do know I've managed work before with my mental health so can again it's just a dip at the moment. I work in a supermarket and I'm worried about how my employer might deal with me and basically the stigma.
Thanks for reading sorry thsi is such a long first post!
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Hi vonwallace, welcome to the forums, there are many ad's out there and some can have varying degrees of negative side effects on different people.
Some may have to go through several till finding one that is best for them, or indeed a combination of 2 or 3 different meds.
I think two of the more common ones are citalopram and sertraline.
As for your doc, it might be a good idea to see a different doc if there is one in the area, having the flu on top of dep can drag you down even further, also you could see it there is a MIND office close to you, they offer very good support and help to people in this situation.
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Hi :bye:
Unfortunately that is a problem with depression that it does carry a stigma. It's worth have a chat with your GP as he / she is there to discuss different options and MIND are helpful. Herbal remedies can be very helpful but also mention that to your GP as there could be others you can use in conjunction with what you're already taking.
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Sorry to hear your having difficulties. I have suffered from depression for many years and have tried different ways of approaching work. In my early depressions. I used to just keep on working through. But this wasnt successful. For a start I wasnt in a state where I could actually work efficiently, even though I went in every day. I might just have well stayed at home for all the good I did at work. But the stress of constantly trying and failing at work made my depression get worse. Eventually I would reach a state where going to work wasnt possible. Getting out of bed wasnt possible. I'm sure I ended up iller and for a longer time than if I had sought help at the first sign of real trouble.
Side effects are difficult. For a start anti-depressants have never been so prone to side effects as the other major class of drugs the anti-psychotics have. The number one anti-depressant in terms of number of prescriptions per year is Citalopram and it is quite low in its number of side effects. The bulk of people who take it don't get any. The most common are nausea and sedation but they tend to wear off over a few weeks. Side effects can be unpleasant but being depressed isnt a bundle of laughs either. I have tended to put up with side effects for the sake of getting rid of the depression.
Anyway I wish you well whatever decisions you take. Take care of yourself.