Depression.

[Lady Garnet Eyes]

Right now I am going through alot of stuff in my life. Family is basicaly falling apart and my boyfriend of 3 years left for college and is no longer with me. I suffer from depression and panic disorder and its getting worse. I am on medication for both the depression and panic disorder. Problem is that im still feeling awful and still panicing and spending almost all my time upset. Im also losing sleep becuse of it. Ive also been bounced around from therapist to therapist due to the insurance company and what time they can see me. Is there anything I can do to try and help get my spirits up again and to feel like i can function again?

Any ideas?

[Ashara]

I am sympathetic to your plight. I'm bipolar with panic disorder, right now in a depressive phase, no insurance and having trouble affording meds with no ins and I've found meditating has really been helpful. When I feel panic mode coming on (if I catch it in time), focussing and starting to meditate, even if on a small scale in some small way, really helps me out a lot. It's probably been more helpful than 90% of the therapy I've had over the past several years. Never once in all that time did even one of my therapists EVER suggest meditation. Which is a totally acceptale method of therapy. Needless to say, I have a bit of bitterness about that. I was wearing a necklace with a jade pendent and I used the stone as my focus, but now I can use pretty much anything as a focus as long as I can get some 'space'. It's also a lot easier for me to just tell people what is happening Before it happens now than waiting until after it has happened and expalining what happened. Have you tried meditation before? Have you had any success with it? I will keep you in my thoughts and send positive blessings your way. Let us know how you are doing.

[Lady Garnet Eyes]

Hmmm, I honestly havent tried to meditate to try and help. I have meditated at other times, but i havent done it to try to help. I will definatly try to give that a shot. Ive got a pentacle necklace that has been keeping me somewhat sane at school and work, but i think meditation will give me a big boost. Thanks! i will definatly let you know how it goes!

Garnet

[Wolf Heart]

Like Ashara said, deffinetly do meditation. When I was still in highschool I went through a very bad depression. For the longest time I didn't tell anyone, I tried to hide it, then one night out of nowhere I broke down in front of my mom and got put on meds. I personally don't believe they helped me at all. The therapist I went to didn't either, she was way to "fake" I just didn't feel like she cared.
I began to meditate and visualized the depression as a dark negative energy moving out of my body and invisioned the good energy as a bright blue. I took long deep breaths, breathing out the bad and taking in the good. I did this just about daily and it worked wonders for me. I've been unmedicated for about two years now and I've never been happier in my entire life.

Blessed Be,
Wolf Heart

[Lady Garnet Eyes]

wow, that should help. Thanks a TON. Im definatly going to set aside some time everyday to do that, and do it when im starting to get down on myself. Yeah, it hasn't felt like the meds they put me on are helping. They put me on Paxil which is supposed to help but it doesnt feel like it. Right now ive been so down that its been making me feel sick. The thought of food has been making me gag, so im not getting enough nutrients on top of it. Joy. Im not sure if its the meds, the depression, or if im getting sick on top of all this. i hope the meditation will help all of it.

Thanks again for the help. Ill keep everyone updated.

[Revolpathon]

there are alsohealing meditation technique's.

but i'll have to look it up for you, but the one i use is something like this.

i meditate in the way that is comfortable with me (everyone has their own way)
and focus on my physical problem area (i know you don't have one).
and try to direct energy to it with the intention of "fixing" whatever is wrong.

you could try this while focusing on your brain since that is basicly the problem area.

visualizing serene places also helps allot

[Lady Garnet Eyes]

hmmm, i did that to my friends knee. Should have figured to try it on myself. Thanks!

[Peregrine]

I, too, find that meditation can do wonders. That one is all personal; you can customize it to what lifts your spirits. One method I learned is actually sort of acted out partly on a movie titled "Patch Adams," where he shifts his focus from what is immediately before him to what is beyond the perceived obstacle(s). It keeps you reminded that there are things beyond what you see immediately before you. Another method I heard in an audiobook, where the thing(s) stressing you are turned into a faded black-and-white and fizzed out in the background and whatever makes you happy is brought before you in bold, bright colors.

As for losing sleep, I think that physical exercise is good. Yoga, aerobics, or even yardwork or housework will do. Then shower and before bed, drink a cup of hot chamomille tea with a few drops of lemon balm tincture (whatever the directions on the lemon balm tincture container say). Lemon balm is said to be a good mood healer/enhancer.

[Ashara]

I was on Paxil for several years, it has an anti-anxiety built right into it along with the depression meds...it sounds like your dr really knows what he/she is doing. Thats a good first step. Try the meditation...that should help. I'll put you on my blessings list...that can't hurt either. I have a very good feeling about you though...and I'm pretty accurate with my 'feelings'.

[Lady Garnet Eyes]

yeah, my doctor does know what shes doing. im giving the medication time, I havent been on it for long enough to tell if its working properly i think. Meditation will give me that little extra boost to keep me up when stuff gets crazy though. I feel honored to be on your blessings list and that you get such good feelings off of me. That makes me smile.

[Revolpathon]

don't think lightly of meditation, the power of your own mind can exceed allot of meds.

what i'm trying to say is that if your meditation is succesfull it won't just igve you a little boost but a really big one.

ashara: how big is your blessing list by now?

[Lady Garnet Eyes]

oh yeah, i know what you mean. It is just going to take me a bit to get into a full meditation because I am far to easily distracted. Once i can finaly get it right, it will be a BIG boost and i know it.

[jcrowfoot]

DBT is a great program. It really helps dealing with liable affect, aka mood swings. Teaches you to recognize when you are over reacting before you do it, and to control your own impulses. Seriously, some of the best stuff to come out of the psychological establishment for a long time.
Also it helps you come up with a plan for dealing consistently with depression and how to live with it. Helps with depression, Bi-Polar, and even Borderline Personality Disorder. It is the best therapy that I have ever paid for.

[Ashara]

I have been in therapy for 2 years this time for the bipolar and have not heard of DBT....at least, never the initials...what is it and where can I get some. I'm beginning to think I should change drs. But I've been thinking that for 2 years.

[applepolice]

In addition to meditation, I would recommend yoga. While it may be hard to motivate yourself to do anything while in a depressive 'funk,' so to speak, the neurotransmitters released into the body from the exercise combined with the release of tension, could provide a small (but helpful) boost.