h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello all ,

I'm not too well at the moment, the depression and anxiety is at its worst and I am struggling to battle with it .

Apologies if I just for a bit, I will be back talking as soon as I feel a little better.

I am on a cocktail of tablets which have been upped, they help a little but is no cure for these bipolar episodes.

In the meantime, take care my friends .

Nigel

Hi Nigel
Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. I hope you feel back on top of things soon. In the meantime, take it easy and think positive thoughts.

Thank you Venus .

Will email you sometime soon .

Nigel

Sorry about that Nigel, if you can, try to get out for half an hour a day, prefferablely when the sun is shining, believe me it helps!

Hang in there my friend, it will pass. You know where I am.

Websailor

Nigel, if you go to my personal space you will find an article on depression I wrote so I understand a little how you are feeling. I wrote it to show others they are not alone, especially blokes.

Hang in there, Nigel.

hi nigel
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you can only take it one day at a time, i have to everyday, from when i get up till i go to bed, i eat a few tabs a day to. without them, i would be clmbing the walls, with the back pains i get , jim

Thinking of you with affection - take care friend.

it might not be in physical form, but I'm by your side Nigel never the less, I'm here to lean on matestand firm

I'd been wandering why I wasn't seeing much from you. Myself, I have a chronic dysthymia, haven't had a manic episode in years and have always found mood swings agonizing, which is among the reasons I don't have them anymore... can be kind of fun once one is in the swing, but the transitional adjustment phase is hell. ...hang in there...

Hello All ,

Thank you for all your kind words and advice. It means a lot to me .
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Jim - You are right about taking every day as it comes. I sympathise with the back pain, have suffered it for years myself, and are constantly taking the pain-killers which help for a little while until they wear off . I have to be careful when bending down or walking, the disc or muscles just go without warning.
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Strangely Strange - I have read your article on depression a while ago, and can remember it to be very interesting and are glad it is not 'just me'. I will go back and have another read as I cannot remember some of it .
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ITIWS - Are you taking tablets for your condition? I am glad you feel better and are not having any attacks .
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Prof - To be by my side in spirit helps me a lot, your advice and our chats help too. My nightmares have not been so frequent with your help, have kept your emails to refer back to .
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Scorp - Thank you for your kind words. My allotment diary should be updated soon, lots to catch up on and tell you about .
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Br Magwitch - I am trying to stay strong and not lose my confidence, as it has taken a long time to re-gain it from the last bad attack. Thanks .
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Websailer - You are a great support to me during difficult times. I am very lucky to have you just down the road. Thanks .
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Venus - I will think positively which does help. I went on an anxiety management course some months ago, the first thing they teach us is turning our negative thoughts into positive ones. In order to do this, we had to write all our negative thoughts down each day, changing them into positive ones. I found it difficult to do at first but soon got into a routine and it did help. I have let standards slip and have not done them for a while .

Perhaps I need to get my anxiety course notes out and go through them again. They asked us to keep a diary at the time, writing our thoughts down which helped to forget them a little.
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The hardest thing is remembering what I learnt. I have been on the course three times now, I found it helped for a month, but easily slipped into my old ways without realising it until I felt very unwell.
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Thanks Venus. Will email you soon.

Take care my friends .

Nigel

So Sorry you are feeling low Nigel,i do hope things improve soon

You take care too Nigel I'll wait to hear from you when you feel up to it ok

Still thinking of you dear friend (hug>

Scorp

even

an apple a day etc = an animal at night

the brave walk forward, even one step takes timebut it's forward not back!

On the meds, no, not any more, after a year on Prozac back in the late nineties, commencing in the depressed phase, I stabilized, Doctor took me off the meds, (which I found remarkably side effect free) and I've been stable ever since.

I was in a bad way at the beginning of the regimen, frequent (spatial) disorientation and vertigo.

Back pain, bending, lifting: Have you had your serum sodium levels checked? Excess sodium can contribute to muscle cramps and and spasms. Have you tried an industrial back brace of the kind used by baggage handlers and warehouse workers? It doesn't so much physically brace as keep one reminded not to bend in ways inconsistent with safe lifting technique (bend at the knees, not at the waist, lift with the legs, not with the back).

hi nigel
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up to now i havent said anything to many about the fact i have had to have my tablets steped up, as the cramps, and disc problem as got worse over the winter.
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you have to keep thinking, tomz will be the better day, or the depression will take over.
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jim

Ho yus, Jim.

My hubby has MS and has suffered with depression for many years, also pain in places that can't be imagined for normal folk. His mum died last week and we've just been fugging around since. I got out of the fug today and I thought he had but...

Ignore me, Nigel. Buy a WII and play Mario Kart, it helped me (somewhat)