neurotic_lady89

Je Suis Paris. What a truly awful thing to happen. It disgusts me. I know that I've edited several of your posts. Please be careful to keep the thread about sympathizing with the French, supporting France, your emotional response to the news, etc. I'm very glad Gisele made a thread here about this. But any responses that talk about the details of what happened are potentially triggering for members, and some violate the TOS.

Welcome to DF, AngelWingz! I'm glad that you found us (though sorry that you're struggling enough to have to). I know how you feel - when I first joined the site, reading posts from others - especially those full of kindness despite the member's own suffering, drove me to tears. Sometimes I still cry over a post. You definitely aren't alone, crazy, or weird. You can be yourself here, where we "get" depression and strive to support each other. See you around the forums!

I find cooking really therapeutic too, especially with a small glass of vino. There's something really relaxing about working with the ingredients and not thinking about the rest of the world for a little while. The mini pan pies sound really good! Here is a really quick recipe I tried last week. Easiest Pumpkin Muffins Ever Necessary Ingredients - One box of Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix - 15 oz of canned pumpkin Optional Ingredients: Cinnamon, Sugar, Frosting, Egg. 1. Preheat oven to 350 2. Empty the spice cake mix into a large bowl. Don't follow the cooking instructions on the cake mix box, just pour it into the bowl. 3. Open can of pumpkin and empty contents into the bowl. Vigorously mix the pumpkin in with the cake mix. I was a bit apprehensive, but promise, it turns out to look like dough with enough mixing. 4. OPTIONAL: Mix in a few sprinkles of cinnamon, sugar, and/or nutmeg. I used a bit of all three plus an egg. An egg isn't necessary, but I thought it would help bind the muffins so I put one in anyway. 5. Spoon mixture into greased muffin pan or cupcake/muffin papers in pan. 6. Bake at 350 for approx 20 minutes. Keep your eye on them, though. My oven cooks a bit quicker and my muffins were finished in about 15-16 minutes. - Take muffins out and allow them to cool. When cooled, sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon/sugar/brown sugar on top. Frosting would also be delicious on these. I loved how these turned out and can see making them again, possibly with chocolate chips or nuts. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you buy a cake mix that says "with pudding in the mix" - that's okay! BUT, you might want to add a little bit (not too much) of flour to your recipe.The pudding in the mix adds a ton of moisture, which is nice, but there is already a lot of moisture from the canned pumpkin.

If only! Was the movie any good, Sue? (((jesslynn))) Awesome that you're feeling inspired and making it through a lot of craziness. I know how it is when you want to get things done without any break, so I can't without a hypocrite tell you to take small breaks, but it is definitely wise to. Come 5pm your brain probably needs time to itself to recover from the day. Good luck for the next 4 weeks - we'll be with you in spirit! (((Raven Winter))) I hope that you feel better soon and can get your medications filled soon. I know how awful it is to be in unbearable pain with no relief in sight. If the pain keeps up at this severity, would you consider going to the emergency room?

Happy Veteran's Day, and thank you to all DFers who've served.

Typically, the "Spoon Theory" refers to chronic painful physical illnesses that cause fatigue (Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, EDS, Dysautonomia, etc). But you know what else is exhausting? Anxiety and depression! When you are in a depressive episode, do you ever feel like you are running very low on "spoons"? Does your energy run out just a few hours after waking up? Do you ever suffer insomnia, despite being exhausted all of the time? What is most draining for you? Does anything help? Talk about your fatigue from depression/anxiety here.

Welcome to DF, creativeaub! I'm glad that you found us (though sorry that you had to). The community here is very warm and supportive. I can relate to having both Major Depression and anxiety (GAD plus Panic Disorder). Each illness is a beast in itself, and together, blurgh! While I think that your counselor is right and makes a good point, I think some coping techniques along with finding ways to improve your life can help a lot. I'm very sorry that your family is cold and lacks empathy - it isn't fair, and is one of the things that's beyond your control. Maybe a less difficult list would be 'Things that might make me happy' rather than 'Why I should be happy right now.' Then, taking steps to make those things happen. I am far from anxiety free (hence my username!), but a few things have helped me cope with my anxiety/panic, especially revolving around work or school. I can't promise they will help you, but I've found these useful. 1. Remind yourself that you're choosing to be somewhere and free to go. This probably sounds off the wall to people without anxiety, but a lot of my panic is feeling "trapped" somewhere. I know my mind will go places like: What if I panic? I feel awful, how will I handle this all day? What if I can't take it? But the truth is, I could technically get up and walk out of a job/work/school/store/appointment whenever I felt like it. There might be financial or academic consequences, but there are no shackles and I am a free person - just like you are. Now, after I remind myself this, I work with myself. If it's 11:00 AM and I'm frazzled - I aim to make it until at least noon "before I go." Come noon, I try to push it until one. Usually the anxiety subsides eventually and then the workday is over. 2. Take a quick break. If you can go outside, go outside - or to the bathroom, and close your eyes. Take deep breaths and remind yourself that you will be okay, you've been anxious before and overcome it, you can do it again. If it's a time that calls for Xanax, this is also a great time window for that. 3. Interviews. I interview well, but that doesn't stop my anxiety and perfectionism from getting out of control. Think of it less as a be-all-end-all-meeting and think about it as what simply what it is - a conversation with another person. Know what experiences you want to give, and answers to potential questions, before you get there. My therapist recommended that if my anxiety gets too high, to excuse myself from the conversation for a moment to grab an Altoid mint and offer one to the interviewer. I haven't had to use that yet, but it's not a terrible idea. I look forward to seeing you around the forums!

I can only guess that mine stemmed from a balloon I got from a birthday party blowing away in the wind when I was 4 or so. I mean, FML too! (Yes, joking at my own expense, but I was a dysthymic child and really have no idea why. Mental illness does run in my family, and I was a deep thinker back then, too.)

(((Nightmaresky))) I'm sorry you're going through such a rough time right now with your IBS. It stinks because depression can make pain worse, but pain can also bring on depression and anxiety - arghh. It sounds like you are doing a lot advocating for yourself and trying everything possible to feel better. I hope you get a well-deserved reprieve soon. Sorry to hear you are suffering Christina. I hope it lets up a little soon. And that the dr mends his ways and listens. . Thanks Fizzle. We'll see next week! I'm hanging in there, though had a bit of a rough night last night - the story is almost comical. Almost. I went downstairs to heat up two heating pads for my neck and back. In the process, I bent somehow and am pretty sure my rib fully dislocated as opposed to subluxed this time because the pain was "extreme." I swear, you can't make this stuff up! I hope your body, and your mind, are being kind to you too.

Yay! Good to see you again, Christina! Hope you are doing better. Thanks for the support, JD! Yay! Good to see you again, Christina! Hope you are doing better. Thanks for the support, JD! So glad you're doing better, Christina. Though I don't know you well, I love the supportive way you interact with everyone. I'm hoping you took a little time off to care for yourself and feel better now. Thank you so much, Renee It feels good to be back around the forums. I have a lot of catching up to do, though! I hope everyone is having a good Sunday and finds at least one reason to smile.

[snip] "The next time something else tells you that mental illness is all in your head, tell them: 'Of course it's all in my head! Where else would it be? My kidneys?!'" Or the line I've always wanted to use (but haven't, yet): "Yes, probably in a section of the prefrontal cortex called the cingulate gyrus that helps regulate dopaminergic exchanges. How did you know that?" [Note: I know that's a big oversimplification, but it really sounds good.] That's excellent! I'd love to use it, but there's a 99% chance I'd somehow mix it up - haha.

Welcome to DF, RedHobbes I'm glad that you found us (though sorry that circumstances made you look for a forum like this in the first place). The community here is very warm and supportive. I can relate to depression (both lower-grade/dysthymia and major depression) and anxiety/panic attacks. It's great that you're finally getting help, because as I'm sure you've realized by now, depression and panic are extremely brutal to deal with - ugh! I am currently on Zoloft/sertraline and no longer on Klonopin, but did take that medication in the past. I know that it's hard, especially when you already have anxiety, but try not to panic when looking at the complete list of potential side effects. Some people experience many, while others have a relatively discomfort-free start up period. I'm not sure if your doctor mentioned this to you, but sometimes starting SSRIs like Zoloft causes a temporary increase in anxiety. Not for everybody, but some people, and this generally passes. The Klonopin should be a great help to you if that happens. I'm not trying to scare you, only let you know so it doesn't hit like a big ugly surprise if it it happens. I personally didn't experience a ton of start-up anxiety on Zoloft, but I did on another SSRI, Lexapro. I'll link you to the Zoloft/sertraline sub-form: It helps some members to ask questions or even journal about their start-up: http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/forum/53-zoloftlustral-sertraline/ See you around the forums, and keep up the good fight! (((All the best)))

Welcome to DF, Ryan I'm glad that you found us! I don't have any personal experience with Mirtazapine/Remeron, but know at least a few members here do. I'll link you to the Mirtazapine board here, where you can get more input, if you haven't posted there already: http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/forum/51-remeron-mirtazapine/ I hope the medication helps with your migraines, and soon. Migraines are a "special" form of torture that I wouldn't wish on anyone. (((All the best)))

Welcome to DF, bipolar420! I'm glad that you found us. The community here is very warm and supportive - and you seem like a very good, caring, person. There need to be more people like you in this world. Make yourself at home and I look forward to seeing you around the forums! (((All the best)))

Yay! Good to see you again, Christina! Hope you are doing better. Thanks for the support, JD!