Hi nancy, how are you doing today? I hope you're doing ok. As you have learned the hard way ( and I am too) that depression can take over your life and eat away at you until you feel like nothing and want to hide forver from the terrible world.
You may be totally opposed to seeing a shrink but unfortunately you sound like maybe medication could help. Congrartulations on being in grad school but why has it made it worse? This might be a part of the sol'n.
I'm so sorry to hear about your bf breaking up w/ you. This must be devastating but hey you will still go on and on.
Maybe write in a diary to get all the bad feelings out. Talking reallyhelps- counselor, teacher, friend, parents....
Think about how your life could be better, smile, relax, reflect, and always keep your chin up.
I'm really not in the position to give you Dr. Advice as I am going through the same thing but I hope i've at least let you know you are not alone. You have ther potential to get better b/c there was time you weren't depressed and you will be happy one day. Belive this.

Do what you think you should do. Go to a Dr. If you need to. Take care and please please keep me posted. I am thinking of you ok.
Pm me if you want.

Hi poetmcc,

thank you so much for writing in. It makes me feel better to know I am not alone. It's horrible to feel like you are alone, and no one understands what you are going through. The past few days have been really bad. Perhaps I will see a shrink, it can't hurt right? I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel right now, but I hope I will soon. I am trying to deal with the break up right now and starting work. I've been unable to eat, or leave my bed, but I am going to try and get over this. I can, right? I really appreciate you writing in. Thank you

nancy

Hi there..
Just to let you know.. I have been dealing with depression of some sort or lets just say a chemical balance issue for some time now.. I finally realized I cant do it myself.. I went to many dr's (psych) and tried to feel better on my own without med.. Well since I went on meds I now feel better.. Give in if you feel you have to.. Its not worth it.. I am much happier now.. I went thru my 20's and 30's helpless.. I feel I lost out on a lot of good things in life.. I stayed inside and away from people.. Im different now.. Im taking wellbutrin..It has its ups and downs but it has helped me.. Come out of my funk. Hope you feel better.

Nancy,
get help now! Another day with depression is another day of you life wasted. I have been on meds for depression for 6 years, and I only wish that I had gotten help sooner. Clinical depression is not something that you can deal with on your own, or "suck it up," as some would say. Would you tell a diabetic to "suck it up" and deal with their diabetes on their own without taking insulin? Depression is the same way...A chemical imbalence that needs correction with medication! Psycho therapy is certainly helpful as well, however it alone will not cure clinical depression. My psychiatrist assured me that depression is "curable," and that I did not have to put up with depression one day longer. He is awesome and has certainly helped me realize that I deserve to live a life free of depression. I am feeling the best I ever have, but only after trying several different meds and several different doses. There is help out there and you do not have to live one more day with depression! Please get help, you deserve it!

I also wanted to add that you should not feel like you are "giving in," as one poster wrote. It is not "giving in," but rather taking responsibility for your health and wellbeing. I am trying, one person at a time, to banish the stigma associated with mental health. It is just as important, or even more important than physical health. Just as we go to a doctor for a physical, or when we are injured, we need to seek medical attention as well for our mental health care!

I can send you to a website that will help, or you can email me.

Hope you are having a better day.
M

Hi nancy,

in addition to prescription medications, mood can be improved by several vitamins and supplements. Which are likely to help you depends on the underlying cause of the problem.


(1) low mood and tiredness may be due to low thyroid function, so add tyrosine and iodine (kelp) to your diet to provide your body with the precursors to the thyroid hormones, which promote energy, elevate mood, and reduce the body's tendency to store fat.


(2) anxious moods (like your tendency to cry) may be improved with more of the calming neurotransmitter, serotonin. Try providing your brain with a serotonin precursors, tryptophan or 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-htp). Tryptophan is converted into 5-htp, which is converted into serotonin, the calming neurotransmitter that helps sleep. Taking 5-htp itself may cause drowsiness, so it is taken just before bedtime.


(3) nervous tension may be helped with gaba, the brain's natural relaxing and calming agent.


(4) anxiety sometimes results from stimulant induced nervousness so consider reducing your use of caffeine, ephedra, and other stimulants to improve your mood.


(5) anxiety and fatigue can be due to low blood sugar, so consult with your physician to see if you have pre-diabetes. Try vanadium and/or chromium (part of glucose tolerance factor) to improve your glucose metabolism.

(6) for the depression itself, try st. John's wort, and/or s-adenosyl methionine (same).

I recommend starting with a tolerance test for each of these supplements. Try each individually for one week, and identify any that make you feel worse (different people have different side effects). In this process you may also identify a few things that seem to help. You can continue taking them as you test additional supplements for side effects.


Next, find out what the maximal benefit you can achieve is. Take everything you didn't have any side effects from -- a combination treatment will have several components that neither help nor hinder your condition, and by testing all products in combination, you will get the maximal benefit from those supplements that work well together. Expect 1 or 2 weeks for the maximal effect to develop.


Now you will know whether or not non-prescription products benefit you significantly. If they do, this is great, and if they don't, you can definitively say so, and stop wasting further time, money, and effort on them.


If they do help you, continue taking them, and eliminate one supplement every two weeks. If you notice no difference without it, eliminate it permanently. If you notice a decline in your mood, restore the supplement to group of products you are taking. Keep eliminating products until all the products you are taking are helping your mood.


At this point, you will have identified which supplements help you, and which do not.
I hope that this information will help. Take good care of yourself!