What should I do about my anxiety, depression and self harm?
I am 20 years old. I have been out of work for a year due to depression and anxiety. I have been self harming for six months and its getting worse. I am seeing a therapist because my parents are making me and its a waste of time. I am on 150mg sertraline daily. I feel sick every time I go out and and I can feel myself getting worse. I am considering suicide. I just dont know how much longer I can live like this.
I understand what you are going through as I have and still am going through similar things. Please, the first thing you must do is to tell someone you feel suicidal You MUST do this. Don’t worry what other people think put yourself first. If you can’t do it for you do it for me and everyone else who feels this way.
Second, the Therapist and/or therapy could be wrong for you. I went through a lot of therapists because I felt it was a waste of time. My GP was no help – he gave me a prescription and told me to come back in 2 weeks when I said I was suicidal. I went straight to Accident and Emergency and told them I was going to kill myself. They admitted me to the Mental Health Unit which is not as scary as it seems at first but once you are in there – the first time for me was 7weeks, you have space and can use this time to not think about much.I believe this saved me. When you leave the unit they follow up with outpatient appointments with a phyciatrist – my current one is the best medical person I have ever consulted. Unlike the private counsellors I saw over a 10 year period, the hospital phyciatrist really listened to me. After 2 years I was put on a DBT 1 year course which adresses self harm amongst other things. This was in London. Don’t know about the rest of the UK? the link following will show you:
http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/
http://bpd.about.com/od/treatments/a/IntroDBT.htm
and you can google DBT
Please write something here so that I know you are ok. If you need any clarification just ask.
H
April 20th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
find things to do occupy your time
try things you’ve never done.
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April 20th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
okay…im seriouz about this answear…
go buy a wii/ps3/xbox 360
an djust play video games…..
it helped my brother..
and my friend
and my sister is a therapist… and she uses this advvice to ppl arond your age
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April 20th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
First of all, NEVER consider suicide. You may think that’s the easy way out, but really it’s just a waste. You’re life is so much better than that. And trust me, you have it a lot better than many other people in the world who are suffering (especially in struggling countries).
A therapist may seem like a waste of time, but it depends on the therapist. If you don’t find your current therapist helping, seek a better one.
Also, don’t solely rely on therapists or drugs.. you have to find yourself, and enjoy life. You may be out of work, but that doesn’t mean you have to not enjoy life. Explore the world, help others, do things you enjoy in the meantime. Definitely also look into meditation and spirituality… not necessarily with religion, but with finding your true inner self. It really works as I’ve seen this work many times, as well as for myself.
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Experience.
April 20th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I really think you should consider all you have to live for! If you have parents who care about you this is a BIG step above some people who are all alone in this! Maybe talk to the closest person to you about this. Is there any treatment programs around where you can learn to cope with this! I know you can make it and you shouldn’t have to do it alone! Good Luck!
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April 20th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
i’ll keep it sort and sweet, dont be so fecking silly thinking about suicide, theres more to life.. you have just started yours son! trust me.. i’ve been where you are.. stop feeling sorry for your self and learn how to deal with it.. learn why your feeling this way! once you do this you will be on your road to recovery.. it’s hard and long.. but worth it in the end!
maybe not short but hey.. just trying to give you advice m8ty.. chin up
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April 20th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Maybe try a different therapist. You have to find one that works for you. Also spend time with your family and friends and people who make you laugh. Your therapist may have prescribed too much medicine. Find a hobby that you like to do. Something that makes you happy. Maybe try doing charity work or going to church or doing something uplifting. When people attempt suicide, they almost always regret it right away and they try to save themselves. There are plenty of reasons for everyone wanting to live. You just have to think about all of the things in your life that are worth living for.
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April 20th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Seeing a therapist is not a waste of time and your parents are trying to help you. Maybe you just need the right doctor and a correct evaluation ASAP.
Visit http://www.nami.org/ and find your local NAMI. It is great website with lots of information.
My husband is Bipolar and felt the same for a long time until he got the correct medications and is now doing so much better. Just remember that not everything is lost and suicide is just a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
Good Luck!!
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April 20th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I was like this, the anxiety part- I threw up a lot. Buy a pet, a games console, something that will occupy your time and stop you from self harming. It’s not making you any better. It’s just making everything much harder.
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April 20th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I understand what you are going through as I have and still am going through similar things. Please, the first thing you must do is to tell someone you feel suicidal You MUST do this. Don’t worry what other people think put yourself first. If you can’t do it for you do it for me and everyone else who feels this way.
Second, the Therapist and/or therapy could be wrong for you. I went through a lot of therapists because I felt it was a waste of time. My GP was no help – he gave me a prescription and told me to come back in 2 weeks when I said I was suicidal. I went straight to Accident and Emergency and told them I was going to kill myself. They admitted me to the Mental Health Unit which is not as scary as it seems at first but once you are in there – the first time for me was 7weeks, you have space and can use this time to not think about much.I believe this saved me. When you leave the unit they follow up with outpatient appointments with a phyciatrist – my current one is the best medical person I have ever consulted. Unlike the private counsellors I saw over a 10 year period, the hospital phyciatrist really listened to me. After 2 years I was put on a DBT 1 year course which adresses self harm amongst other things. This was in London. Don’t know about the rest of the UK? the link following will show you:
http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/
http://bpd.about.com/od/treatments/a/IntroDBT.htm
and you can google DBT
Please write something here so that I know you are ok. If you need any clarification just ask.
H
References :
April 20th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Get a new therapist if the one you are seeing is not willing to try a different medication. All medications for depression and/or anxiety either raise the level or lower it of one or more of 3 chemicals in the brain. Dopamine, serotonin,and nor epinephrine. (spelling may not be exactly correct). There is no way of measuring how much of these chemicals are in your body and nobody knows how much a person needs so the therapist has to make an educated guess based on what he observes. Trial and error is the only way but success is possible in more than 80 percent of cases. It took me quite awhile to get needed medication and then I didn’t think it was helping but the doctor insisted that I stay on the medication he is currently prescribing and now I realize that it does in fact help a lot (doesn’t fix me completely but I now see the benefits and won’t do without it unless he decides to try a different dose or a different medication). Self harm thoughts or actions are not good. Especially if it seems to be getting worse the medication itself may be causing this even though it is supposed to alleviate these symptoms. Personally I have had similar thoughts and have many many other medical problems which add to the depression especially since now I am totally disabled due to health but am a workaholic who enjoys working. Also sometimes it takes quite awhile to see the results of medication and/or dosage changes because these medications do not work quickly and for a short time. Most of them build up in your system over time and then are long lasting with maintaining the medication. I have had a great life until the last few years and am much older than you but you have a lot to look forward to with your age so please get a new therapist and don’t expect instant results although they sometimes occur. With the correct medication and a good therapist you will be a whole different person and enjoy life even with it’s ups and downs. P.S. if you aren’t on social security disability I would suggest applying. They will probably deny your request at least once but you can appeal the denial and even though I wish I could work instead of getting disability this is why we all pay for social security so that if we have a need we are covered. Also it may be to your benefit to have one of your parents go with you to your therapist appointments because they can help you remember what the doctor says and they can convey their observations to help the doc get you on the right tract. Most will allow this although you will be required to sign something saying that it is ok for them to be involved. (because of privacy laws) Yeah I know it is tough to speak about your personal thoughts in front of your parents but they are willing and trying to help you by insisting that you see a therapist. Talk to your parents about this and seek a therapist that is willing to try something else!
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Experience with depression and anxiety
April 20th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
what is paramount is to choose your healing route—— carefully– be really aware that the druggs/meds treatment for this can be horrendous and you can go on for years with no improvement and massive damaging detrimental side effects from meds . Do read this very carefully and try and understand the principles behind what is being said .
Evaluate all of this info well –this info will save you years of suffering —years if you apply it ..
All treatment recommended by the doctors should be tested and approved and quite rightly so.
That makes sense right .it costs millions to test and approve treatments because of the possible damage to people..
Drug companies Fund most research and will only and I mean only look at treatments, which show the promise of good deal of a profit, –they will actively dismiss any therapy which does not have profit potential— thus your doctor will only recommend therapies with profit potential in them.
Despite The fact that some of these other therapies mentioned do have overwhelming benefits some, which have saved needless amputations, needless pain and trauma, and much loss of life. Drugs are not the answer for depression with mind altering chemicals or any other mental illness. This is a fundamental principle and unless you grasp this fully –you could /will have years of suffering ahead of you .
This does not help you though when you are ill and suffering—not hearing about therapies which can help from a person you look up to and trust Have you heard your local doctor recommend, Massage Spiritual healing, Herbs, Light therapy,Colour therapy,the violet ray therapy, Osteopathy, Electrical Frequency devices.
These therapies will work for many complaints of a so called mental nature
we have thousands of testimonials and results showing years of successful applications
Do this and I will guarantee improvements to you inside a day its that simple, of course getting these things in place can be much harder. Each therapy can have a very beneficial influence on you.
Print this all off save it and enact it and share it — of course someone to help you get these therapies in your life is invaluable but do not be swayed by them trying for short cuts ….
1,get someone to massage your back and legs at least 3 times a week use peanut oil or a mix of 50-50 olive and peanut oil.
2 use the violet ray machine an Edgar Cayce device google search this — 3 times a week on the other days especially on the spine….we use it every day with very positive results
3.get a tent sleep out side 3times a week utilising earth energy – nature can help big time especially with how you feel how much energy you have
4 study and apply good nutrition– adequate minerals all of them particularly calcium and magnesium iron essential fatty acids omega 3 6 9 protein etc
5 ensure your thyroid is working well
7 ensure you do at least I hr per day some kind of voluntary work when you are able..the reasons you are ill , or poor or have allsorts of bad things happen to you is because of karma —–usually from past lives but some from this one –voluntary work will offset your mistakes— how much it offsets well that is down to god and how much you do. Healing us is in direct proportion to the help we give others ie your healing comes with helping others achieve theirs so if people are doing very little in helping others —they suffer more and longer…and if they are doing a lot they get well faster….so now you know what to do ,,and like a lot of us are already doing being of service.
8 be amongst people who are giving, friendly who have time for you who love you , choose your friends well
9 be or get to a place which personally love or like
10 get and do some work which you like or love
11 ensure you do no acts which hurt or inflict on anyone –don’t want to add to your karma do we !!!
12 spiritual healing yes and reiki -.
13think good positive thoughts, laughter, look at comedy, play good uplifting music,
14 avoid at all costs exposure to violence, murders, suffering ,death ,tragedies, -feed upon good things uplifting things, things that feel like a breath of fresh air..
15 Positive affirmation- that’s right programme your self in the mirror , thoughts are things words are things actions are things , all have influence, few people realise these things can have an effect on themselves .
16 a detox —— toxins can influence how you feel big time
17 hugs get plenty of them in your daily life you would be amazed at how people feel after a few decent hugs….
18 loads of exercise running walking climbing but something which you enjoy
19 rid yourselves of all aspartame laden foods and drink and many additives get back to a wholesome organic diet diet
A total cure however is tied up with karma so you can imagine just how important is the voluntary work.
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,.all our healing yours mine is linked right alongside our efforts and contribution to others.in direct proportion to the help we give others ie your healing comes with helping others acheive theirs so if people are doing very little in helping others —they suffer more and longer…and if they are doing a lot they get well faster….so now you know what to do ,,and like a lot of us are already doing being of service. Do not even dream of healing to come to you if you are engaged in wrongful acts , wrongful words , wrongful thoughts. It seems god –law will not be mocked
April 20th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
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