I'm soooo down and my cute lil' prozac is trying like the little engine that could, but it's not shifting this depression. I am so tired, so down, so tired of being tired and down....I sleep so much and then just seem to go through the motions of the day. My doc says if I feel like hurting myself he'll put me in hospital-but isn't this daily abyss hurting me? Should I try something drastic to get better? I have kids! A partner! I use to have a life....I'm running out of options.
217241
The reason you go to a residential facility is so that the trained staff can observe you and see how mood swings and energy levels relate.  It is hard to get the type of constant attention you need at home, so do speak to your professional advisor to see if this would benefit you.  Most people who suffer from depression experience dreadful tiredness and cannot get up in the mornings.  This leads to feelings of guilt which increases your depression.  Although it is not quick, with the right advice and help, you can look forward to a better life.  Yours may just be a minor thing, but even if not, don't be embarrassed or guilty, speak with people you trust and let them help you :)
588797
well i'm still trying to battle mine...started with antidepressants....but they just made me feel worse...now I just try and focus on the gym, workout as much as possible and talk when I feel sad or emotinal....I might start counseling....but in reality, it won't end until you try to pull yourself out of it....it someitmes takes you to be strong and know that you need to deal and face your issues head on...
191609
First thing to do is go to see your doctor and explain what's going on. Does exercise make you feel worse, I know I've read that forcing yourself to get out and do things actually makes you feel less tired. The less you do, the more tired it makes you feel. It's like a vicious circle, the depression will be making it worse. Just try for a couple of weeks to force yourself to get up and do things, and see if you improve.
189808
i am so there and have been there for soooo long. i feel for you. and i am married and he gets mad when i flip out and have an anxiety attack or cry for 6 hours straight. Once he finds out I haven't been taking the med he thinks I dont WANT to get better. Depression is the most isolating thing in the world. counselors take forever to get around to telling you that they cant really help...it sucks. But hang in there and I recommend you get a personal relationship with Jesus. The after life is our only hope. Suicide sends you to hell. Hang in there, be strong and know that there will come aday when you and I and so many others will feel  better- for eternity. If you are dont believe I hope you will at least give it a chance. If you do, i hope you will know the devil causes the bad stuff, not God. (I struggle with that, but in my heart I know it is true...) Add me to your messenger if you want to talk ever country_grl_ky  I swear when I read your question I was like "wow. that is me, exactly" Best of luck to you either way and please hang on to the hope. I know when most days are bad, it is so hard to keep on going knowing you have "never" been happy and thinking you arent normal or that you might never feel happy....but it is not true. And try to take your medicine. I do the same thing and I dont know why either. But we should take it.
8811
Baby, if you ain't depressed, you're missing an awful good chance to be! You may have more than depression. Depression can be a symptom of another problem, anything from mental and emotional troubles to the physical. Insured or not, I strongly advise you to get a checkup at the local clinic (they usually have sliding fee, and sometimes can help for free). There is a questionairre they all have which will only take a few minutes to do, and they can refer you to a professional counselor if the meds don't help. (Alot of times it is just a chemical imbalance.) There is no shame in having a mental or emotional disease, only a shame if one doesn't get help for it!
641041
If you are that sad or depressed inside then eventually it will start to show on the outside as well. You need to try talking to someone about your thoughts and feelings right now and try to get out what's really bothering you or getting you down. If you get to feeling worse you  could see a doctor and maybe try medication to help you feel better like paxil or zoloft. Just don't let it drive you insane. Talk to someone.    Good luck.
230148
Please call your doctor tomorrow and tell the person who answers the phone that prozac gives you nightmares.\n\nDO NOT JUST SUFFER THROUGH THIS.  Take action.  Please.
10157
All you can do is be there and be supportive to him. I've dealt with this with my husband, and until he admits there is a problem, he won't seek help from a professional. It's a long, hard road to walk, but if you love him as much as I do my husband, you'll be there and listen. Make a suggestion to him that it isn't at all degrading to get help, be on meds to help him feel better. In todays society, a very large percentage of people are being treated for depression, anxiety, and panic disorders. It's normal due to the high stress we encounter every day! I'm not ashamed to admit that I take antidepressants on a daily basis. I feel better today than I have in years! Good luck in whatever you do! Here are a couple of good sites to look at.
595173
Gosh I feel bad for you...sounds like a hardcore case of depression.  It's so easy for other people to just tell you to seek therapy, isn't it?  I have lifelong bipolar disorder, so I know how it feels to have been down in the depths of depression...thankfully for me, I eventually snap out of it and go into "happy" mode.  In my experience, talking to a therapist has not helped.  They ask me a million questions, write them all down and make me feel like a science project, give me a prescription, and send me on my way -- all for $175 for a 30 minute appointment.  I have found that when there is a constant vague feeling of depression for seemingly no reason, it is because I have suppressed that reason.  Identify the sources of your unhappiness.  For me, I finally realized that it was about three different instances in my past that had changed my mindset or my innocence in some way -- made me jaded to the world.  I'm still working on it, but I'm hoping to confront and forgive or be forgiven by the people involved.  And yeah, I've had my heart broken and I still have feelings years later, so it's perfectly normal.  If you have self-esteem issues, work on something that you enjoy and that you are good at -- don't worry if you fail at first, practice makes perfect.  Help others or be a friend.  It's almost impossible to feel low about yourself if you know you are good at something or worth something to someone.  If your self-esteem is in the dumps because you are worried about what people think of you, then don't be.  Look at people who are stupid and unattractive and have confidence -- if they have it, then why shouldn't you?  Basically, you need to recognize meaning in your life.  It's already there, you just need to find it.  All right, enough Dr. Phil crap from me.  Good luck and bless you.
461872
Hang in there!! I felt quite similar when I began taking meds three years ago. I felt like there was NO end in sight for the helpless, hopeless feeling. It was unbearable! \n\nBut after awhile on meds, I began to be able to eat again... Then I was able to sleep again... Then, after 2 weeks, I realized I could go about my day again without the crippling anxiety. I could hold my head up high again. I regained PERSPECTIVE. \n\nAnd since then, I've had a handful of 'depressive episodes' a year, but all have been short-lived and manageable, thanks to two things: the meds, and talking informally with therapists or counselors, or even other sufferers of depression.\n\nSo my advice to you, while you wait through the horrible period for your meds to kick in, is to talk more to your psychologist, or a counsellor or therapist, or even just an online forum of people who have depression. It's all about perspective, and when you're depressed, you lack that. So please, talk it over with people (posting this question was a smart move)! \n\nGood luck, and know that It Will Get Better. Please take care (and feel free to email me if you like).
159835
I'm feeling really down right now too but my life isn't going good at all so that's my reason. As for you, try doing something that you like. Think about things that make you happy and make you smile. Everybody has moments when they are down. I'm sure yours will pass soon. Maybe you just need to clear your mind and get some rest and relaxation. I hope you feel better.
195786
I suffer from depression and have been treated with Prozac for the past 9 years.  Getting professional help with medication was the best thing I ever did for myself.  I am now also taking Welbutrin along with my Prozac for a recent chronic depression issue when I lost my job.  Fortunately, with the medical help and a therapist, I have rounded the corner and getting back to a more leveled / normal life style.\n\nThe positive thinking helps, but it will not replace the other tools that I have found (i.e. medication. regular follow ups with my doctors and counseling as needed, along with self help groups).  Life is better and manageable.  However, I did have to come to the acceptance level that I have suffered from depression on and off all my life.  I became a self medicating alcoholic, got into recovery and did not find real peace in my life until I sought out medical help for my depression.  \n\nI will be on meds the rest of my life for depression.  It is a better alternative than self medication.  I will continue to use positive thinking along with other help I have found.  \n\nThe sexual issue is part of the side effects from the medications. This should be reviewed with your doctor.\n\nGood luck, you will find a balance through out these issues in your life.
396229
You might ask yourself these questions to help you fingure out if you are getting depressed versus experiencing drug side effects or something else:\n\n1. Have you recently started the abilify?  Tired and run down feelings might be your body adjusting to the medication.  If you've been on the medication awhile and this is a new feeling, this could be depression.\n\n2.  Depression is often indicated by changes in eating and sleeping patterns.  If either of these have changed recently, this may be depression.\n\n3.  Are you experiencing increased feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or considering thoughts of death or self-harm?  Again, indications of increased depression.\n\n4.  Are you less functional in your normal activities (at home, school, work)?   Again, possible indications of depression.\n\nAlthough the above factors are some starting points to consider, bottom line is that if you are taking abilify you should talk to the doctor who has prescribed the medication for an evaluation.  There can be a small chance that the medication itself is causing your symptoms.  If the medication is causing your syptoms, or if you are getting increasingly depressed, now is the time to do something about it.  Waiting might only make things worse.\n\nGood luck and take care!
498642
Keith, you are presenting with the symptoms of Depression.  What you are going through is not your fault and there is help for you.  I believe medication would be beneficial, but I also understand that going to a doctor right now may be more than you are able to manage.  I urge you to call the suicide prevention hotline 1-800-273-TALK.  I am truly concerned for you.  You may also e-mail me through Yahoo Answers. Take care and let me know how you are doing.\n\nKeith I wrote my response  to you yesterday evening but I have heard nothing from you.  Are you ok?  Please give an update.
536142
Usually, when pediatric psychologists (the people who talk to you and give you non-medical treatments) and pediatric psychiatrists (the people who can prescribe medicine for you) diagnose depression, they ask you questions about how you're feeling, how long you've been feeling this way, how intense is it, if you feel like hurting yourself or other people and other questions and follow a sort of checklist of symptoms that depressed people have. They follow a guide outlined in a handbook called the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders) that is published by the American Psychiatric Association. If you've been feeling really sad and also have physical symptoms like tiredness, achiness, too much or too little eating and/or sleeping, definitely go see a doctor and make sure he checks to see if there is nothing wrong with your body. If that's ok, ask him to refer you to a pediatric psychologist or a pediatric psychiatrist who can treat you for depression. There could be something wrong with, for example, any number of hormones or you could have some other physical thing wrong with you. Depression and illnesses that have symptoms that are similar to those in depression are fairly common amongst teenagers.  Remember your body and mind are connected and your behavior and your "state of mind" are strongly interconnected. Do the things that make you happy and change your behaviors so that you'll feel better about yourself. It's no accident that we kind of walk around all tired and slumped when we're sad and walk with our chin up and a little hop in our step when we're happy.  Walking with your chin up will help. Give yourself a treat or do something you like that makes you feel good and relaxed when you perform actions that are good for you like completing and doing well in school tasks and homeworks or exams.  For example, if you go to school for a week, without skipping and complete all your homeworks, at the end of the week treat yourself.  Do that for a few weeks, then extend it to two straight weeks, then three and so on.  Give yourself a little snack for every two - three genuine hours that you study for an exam. Tell yourself that you WILL ace the exam and when you do, give yourself a real treat like a manicure or something else that oyu like.  Also, get into activities like sports or a gym that help work up a sweat, and pick up hobbies that help relax you like musical instruments or yoga or reading. If you need to work with a professional, also get the cognitive (the thinking part) and behavioral (the doing or acting part) therapy and help. There's tons of information out there on depression, and medical sites like WebMD, the American Psychiatric Association (psych.org) the American Psychological Association (apa.org) and government websites (like the NIH or NIMH sites) are good sources. Make sure you keep yourself well informed as everyone has an opinion about these things and there are people out there that will tell you things like depression doesn't exist or you should just snap out of it and grow up, or things like that that only make things worse.  The only ones that count are you doctor's, your parents' or a trusted adults' and your own. I hope you feel better :-)
461592
I know your pain so much.  I live it.  Trust me.  It's really hard to make that first step.  It took me several years.  I went to a counselor, but she didn't help at all.  So now I'm going to sit here and wait a whole month to see a psychiatrist.  I don't feel like a person anymore, just a lifeless being.  Please, get help.  You know you need it as much as I know I need it.
302749
you really need to get off quick as posible!! how long have you been taking it this time? if only a couple of weeks just stop now and tell your doctor your stopping even if you can't get hold of him. if it's been a while just start to lower it!! YOUR HAVING THE BLACK BOX EFFECT WHERE THE ZOLOFT IS WORKING AGAINST YOU! REMEMBER NEVER GO BACK TO AN ANTIDEPRESSANT YOU'VE TAKEN BEFORE BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME IT WON'T WORK. SO BE CALM NO ONE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU I PROMISE YOU THAT!! NOW, CALL THE DOCTOR AND IF YOU CAN'T REACH HIM CALL A RELATIVE AND EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR MEDS. BUT, LOWER IT AS LOW AS YOU FEEL COMFERTABLE WITH AND IF IT'S ONLY BEEN A WEEK JUST STOP! GOOD LUCK!!