Advice needed - Afraid of medication
I have depression and anxiety. These last several days, my depression is manifesting strongly and interfering with life, work. My significant other's life and work too.
It may be time to see someone about medication.
I did see someone years ago and had negative experiences with the doctor. Plus many side effects over many different medications. Loss of sleep, too much sleep, loss of appetite, dry mouth, worsened depression, etc and serious medical debt which I can't deal with. None of the medicines worked for me. I don't want to be on medication permanently.
Advice is needed. I don't quite know what I am looking for...
@brightTree5008 Well, the usual alternative to medication is therapy (although some people benefit from both at once). A good therapist using modern methods should normally be able to treat depression and anxiety in a relatively brief timescale, and leave you with the knowledge and skills to prevent relapses by yourself in the future.
If you are afraid of medication, and it sounds like you have good reason to be, then trying even more different medications doesn't seem like it would be a good approach for you.
If you would ever like to chat about your situation, feel free to click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
@RarelyCharlie
Thank you. I've not had good experience with therapists or medication. With how bad things have gotten, I wonder if I need to be on medicine. The depression has felt like an ocean current pulling me under. Not life threatening or anything. Just overwhelming. Incapacitating.
I cannot deal with large medical debt, or this feeling. Something needs to change. But what?
And I appreciate the offer. I may reach out. It helps to have a constant.
@brightTree5008 hey bright.
For me medication wasn't helping but caused several side effects. Also i red that only therapy without meds are more effective in the long run. Of course you can always use plant based products to support you as well.
I wish you good luck. Im also dealing with depression and anxiety. Take care
@sunnyPark732
What have you found that works for you? Of course it is different for everyone. Anything natural that works for you that you can share?
Thanks for being open about your experiences.
@brightTree5008 sorry for the delay. I will try vital therapy now. This will provide the body with all necessary vitamins, minerals, nutrients etc.
CBD Oil had a positive effect on me.
I dont know if the name is the same but johanniskraut is something i take instead of chemical medication.
Good luck, Take Care
@sunnyPark732
Vital therapy sounds intriguing. I'm a big believer in food as medicine. I just have to find a doctor in my area who practices this.
CBD unfortunately didn't work for me long term. I'm glad you've found things that work for you. Best of luck on your journey to wellbeing. 💜
Checking in with a doctor might be something to try if you haven't discussed this with them. Deficiencies and physical disorders can affect moods. So sometimes medication to manage anxiety or depression can mean a vitamin, not necessarily something like an antidepressant.
@AffyAvo
I also struggle with finding a doctor that aligns with my own vision of wellbeing. Where I live, doctors are mainly focused on retroactively treating ailments with pills. I hope to find someone that maybe treats with a look at nutritional deficiencies. Would that be a primary care? Nutritionist? Something else?
@brightTree5008 Your primary doctor should be willing to do that. Most doctors I know are pretty good at least be willing to run some test when you have symptoms. Testing for thyroid and iron are pretty standard and doctors are getting way better at look at B12 as well. Those aren't the only things that can be checked, but some of the most common where early on can affect moods.
Hi sweetheart. I'm very sorry to hear that you are feeling this way. Asked if for me I was lucky enough that medication worked for me. I understand that every single medication is different for everybody so unfortunately sometime doctors play trial and error trying to find the one specific medicine at the right dosage and frequency for that particular patient so it can be very frustrating to endure.
Like the others have said, I would definitely recommend therapy. Some other things I have done that I found were helpful were self-affirming videos, meditation, group supports, self-affirming actions hobbies and goals. Of course there are some people who benefit from both therapy and medications at the same time. But I would suggest a more natural pathway first before going into any medication. If you have such a Negative experience with your doctor I would recommend finding a new doctor and go from there see how you feel with a doctor and how they interact with you.
And again even if you are starting to medication if might be a very small dose and that's all all you need then there's no reason to increase the dosage anymore if you are at their putik level. And also medication can absolutely be only a temporary solution people can be on at their lifetimes or some people are only on it for a short amount of time. It really depends on the person.
I sincerely hope that you feel better soon.
@Eli098
Thanks for your well wishes. Can you give specific suggestions of things to try? Maybe some specific activities to do, some particular videos you recommend?
@brightTree5008
You're welcome sweetheart. Some things I enjoy is adult coloring books, doing paper crafts like origami or building something, word puzzles like Sudoku or crossword puzzles, taking hikes or walking in nature. Or even finding something new to do as a goal for that particular day. It can be as adventurous as ordering a new dish I have never tried before at a restaurant to going to a different part of town or even a random store just for the sake of exploration and newness.
Of course this depends on your comfort level.
another thing I like to do is listen to generalize YouTube videos. I like to listen to nature sounds as I sleep like rainfall or thunderstorm or fire crackling. Ask for self-affirming videos I just type into YouTube and I listen to whatever comes up. I have also listen to somebody named Louise Hay in the past and I thought she was pretty helpful as well but then again I only listen to like four or five of her videos. I also like to YouTube guided meditation videos
Also one more thing that I find helpful during my path for peace is that I try to limit my exposure to social media and the News. Unfortunately bad news spread much faster and more powerful than good news. So too much exposure can definitely put a damper on your mental state. Or maybe just exposure to certain parts of the internet in general.
I hope this helps you a little bit sweetheart! I Will be praying for your own inner peace and Tranquility today
