Posted by fachad on March 21, 2002, at 10:56:44
In reply to Feeling alone, miserable - depression patterns, posted by Janelle on March 21, 2002, at 0:57:13
Janelle,
I really do feel empathy for you, and although I have remained somewhat functional throughout all my depressive episodes, "but for the grace of God" I could see myself in the same situation.
The most fundamental component of your treatment and recovery is your resources. Since you are trained as a librarian, I am sure you know how to inventory and catalogue things.
So right now you need to inventory your resources. Resources fall into several categories. The most basic resource is a social support system.
By that I mean people who care about you and can assist you when you need help. Do you have parents, or children, or siblings, or family, or personal friends that you can lean on for help? Do you belong to a church or spiritual group? (I'm not advocating religion, just directing you to look for places where you may have social support systems).
Another fundamental category of resources is financial resources. Everything costs money, and you need a financially stable foundation to keep the world from crashing in on you when you are non-functional. I'm not saying you need to be rich, or have huge savings, just that you need to have some way to live, even if that consists of government assistance or help from family and friends.
Another key resource category is you health care resources. This includes both physical and behavioral health. Do you have insurance? What do they cover? What are the copays? Do you need referrals? It's worthwhile for you to research this so you can "work the system". Knowing how to work the system, whether that system is private insurance, employer provided insurance, or government programs, is critical to getting the most benefit out of this resource.
Finally, your pdoc is a critical resource. I am a huge proponent of staying with the same pdoc for a long time unless he is really bad. That way he knows your history, he knows how you look, he remembers you, and you will receive better treatment as an old favorite patient vs. some person who wanders in once or twice for meds.
Take some time to inventory what resources you have to support you and facilitate your recovery.
> I've been in and out of depression/anxiety for years now, but this past year has been particularly bad. I've had either a day or a few in a row where I basically don't get out of bed except to eat (sometimes I don't even do that) or use the bathroom, and I've also done the *stay in bed* thing for several WEEKS at a time. I get to the point where I basically cannot function beyond survival mode. Needless to say, when this happens I get even more anxious.
>
> From the posts I read on here, people are struggling yet y'all sound so much more together than I am when I get really depressed.
>
> Is there ANYONE out there who goes through periods where they basically can't get out of bed? Any feedback, words of wisdom or support greatly appreciated.
poster:fachad
thread:99162
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020318/msgs/99205.html