But really I think as long as you have a plan for yourself that’s all that matters. Even if it isn’t a grand plan just something to not be destitute and to be somewhat happy.
Anecdotal but I also have depression mixed with ADHD and a nice dosing of anxiety (so fun!) and I found medication did help a lot. For a long time I was very reluctant to try anything but it has been very nice to have some relief.
It never all goes away though. In many ways I think my depression is mostly caused by not feeling like I fit in well to our society (USA) and that I often am playing a role and not being myself. I know lots of people probably feel that way, maybe that’s why it’s so widespread. Like we know this shit is broken but we’re all trapped in it together.
You said you were happy working at a start up. Perhaps you have the skills to freelance or create a piece of software like a video game. That can bring in money and give you some meaningful work you’d enjoy pursuing. Living off savings is always an option but the more you keep in the bank, and more importantly wisely invested, the more it’ll increase over time.
Never knew the term anhedonia, thanks for teaching me something new! I’m sorry you have to deal with that, it sounds difficult. Chin up mate
Anecdotal but I also have depression mixed with ADHD and a nice dosing of anxiety (so fun!) and I found medication did help a lot. For a long time I was very reluctant to try anything but it has been very nice to have some relief.
I grew up in a family where we just didn’t go to the doctor. One time, my dad seriously cut his arm. He stitched the cut closed himself using the same needle and thread that he used to fix torn socks. (We had health insurance. He’s just that kind of person.) I didn’t even seriously consider medication for the first five years, and I’ll always be grateful to the woman who finally convinced me to try antidepressants.
With that said, my antidepressants take me from being very, very unhappy and frequently unable to do anything to just being kind of unhappy but still frequently unable to do anything. That’s a really big improvement (I’m not being sarcastic) but I still have a serious problem.
Ritalin made me jittery and nervous. It also made eating optional. Adderall feels a lot better. It makes me less sleepy during the day, which is nice, and eating remains optional. However, I haven’t experienced the sort of dramatic improvement that some people say they get from these medications. My sister takes them to study, and she says she can study non-stop day and night while using it. I have felt nothing like that. I think I might be resistant to stimulants - even several energy drinks’ worth of caffeine has no noticeable effect at all. I wonder if I should try two pills at once, without telling my psychiatrist. (I doubt he would approve.)
I got lorazepam for anxiety once and it felt really good. At the time, I described it as feeling happy all the way down for the first time in years. However, I only took it for a short while since it’s addictive. I keep the pills around, just in case, but I don’t take them.
Do you mind talking about what you take, and how effective it has been for you?
I think my depression is mostly caused by not feeling like I fit in well to our society (USA) and that I often am playing a role and not being myself.
A friend of mine talks about feeling that he is just playing a role, and how lifestyle changes and medication help him deal with that. I don’t really know what he means by that, since his description doesn’t match anything I have ever experienced myself. It’s interesting to hear that his experience isn’t unique. I wonder if it has something to do with not fitting in for him too - he has told me that when he was growing up, he felt like his sexual orientation was somehow wrong despite having a supportive family.
I’ll readily admit my ADHD isn’t super in check but manageable enough to not keep me from being employable and functional. I just don’t want to take Adderall nor will my current primary care provider prescribe it if I test positive for THC.
I forget my doses right now but I’m taking the generic of Zoloft and Wellbutrin (sertraline and bupropion) and it’s tamed my anxiety a lot and my depression a fair bit. Sometimes I miss the bupropion at night (take morning and 1 night) because I’m me and I can tell it makes a difference. I’ve had times were I didn’t take a couple days worth and you notice.
The sertraline is long acting so ok if I miss it every so often, helped a ton with my generalized anxiety but when I first started taking it it really fucked with my uhh “performance”, we’ll say, but after a couple months of frustration I got back to my normal too horny self.
I also use marijuana which I think helps with all 3 things to a degree but I also just like how it makes me feel. Usually helps with my anxiety and I feel like it slows my brain down some to where I can relax without thinking about a zillion things at once but it can have the exact opposite effect on people too. So I’d say you may or may not like it but if you try it just start small and be very conservative about it. You won’t die or anything but getting super high is very uncomfortable. I’m a habitual user and probably smoke too much as well so worth keeping that in mind too I suppose.
Anyways, I’d just say try to focus on what makes you feel good and chase that. Unless it’s murder, don’t chase it then just push that deep down and don’t think about it. 🙂
Your secrets are safe with me friend 😉
But really I think as long as you have a plan for yourself that’s all that matters. Even if it isn’t a grand plan just something to not be destitute and to be somewhat happy.
Anecdotal but I also have depression mixed with ADHD and a nice dosing of anxiety (so fun!) and I found medication did help a lot. For a long time I was very reluctant to try anything but it has been very nice to have some relief.
It never all goes away though. In many ways I think my depression is mostly caused by not feeling like I fit in well to our society (USA) and that I often am playing a role and not being myself. I know lots of people probably feel that way, maybe that’s why it’s so widespread. Like we know this shit is broken but we’re all trapped in it together.
You said you were happy working at a start up. Perhaps you have the skills to freelance or create a piece of software like a video game. That can bring in money and give you some meaningful work you’d enjoy pursuing. Living off savings is always an option but the more you keep in the bank, and more importantly wisely invested, the more it’ll increase over time.
Never knew the term anhedonia, thanks for teaching me something new! I’m sorry you have to deal with that, it sounds difficult. Chin up mate
I grew up in a family where we just didn’t go to the doctor. One time, my dad seriously cut his arm. He stitched the cut closed himself using the same needle and thread that he used to fix torn socks. (We had health insurance. He’s just that kind of person.) I didn’t even seriously consider medication for the first five years, and I’ll always be grateful to the woman who finally convinced me to try antidepressants.
With that said, my antidepressants take me from being very, very unhappy and frequently unable to do anything to just being kind of unhappy but still frequently unable to do anything. That’s a really big improvement (I’m not being sarcastic) but I still have a serious problem.
Ritalin made me jittery and nervous. It also made eating optional. Adderall feels a lot better. It makes me less sleepy during the day, which is nice, and eating remains optional. However, I haven’t experienced the sort of dramatic improvement that some people say they get from these medications. My sister takes them to study, and she says she can study non-stop day and night while using it. I have felt nothing like that. I think I might be resistant to stimulants - even several energy drinks’ worth of caffeine has no noticeable effect at all. I wonder if I should try two pills at once, without telling my psychiatrist. (I doubt he would approve.)
I got lorazepam for anxiety once and it felt really good. At the time, I described it as feeling happy all the way down for the first time in years. However, I only took it for a short while since it’s addictive. I keep the pills around, just in case, but I don’t take them.
Do you mind talking about what you take, and how effective it has been for you?
A friend of mine talks about feeling that he is just playing a role, and how lifestyle changes and medication help him deal with that. I don’t really know what he means by that, since his description doesn’t match anything I have ever experienced myself. It’s interesting to hear that his experience isn’t unique. I wonder if it has something to do with not fitting in for him too - he has told me that when he was growing up, he felt like his sexual orientation was somehow wrong despite having a supportive family.
I’ll readily admit my ADHD isn’t super in check but manageable enough to not keep me from being employable and functional. I just don’t want to take Adderall nor will my current primary care provider prescribe it if I test positive for THC.
I forget my doses right now but I’m taking the generic of Zoloft and Wellbutrin (sertraline and bupropion) and it’s tamed my anxiety a lot and my depression a fair bit. Sometimes I miss the bupropion at night (take morning and 1 night) because I’m me and I can tell it makes a difference. I’ve had times were I didn’t take a couple days worth and you notice.
The sertraline is long acting so ok if I miss it every so often, helped a ton with my generalized anxiety but when I first started taking it it really fucked with my uhh “performance”, we’ll say, but after a couple months of frustration I got back to my normal too horny self.
I also use marijuana which I think helps with all 3 things to a degree but I also just like how it makes me feel. Usually helps with my anxiety and I feel like it slows my brain down some to where I can relax without thinking about a zillion things at once but it can have the exact opposite effect on people too. So I’d say you may or may not like it but if you try it just start small and be very conservative about it. You won’t die or anything but getting super high is very uncomfortable. I’m a habitual user and probably smoke too much as well so worth keeping that in mind too I suppose.
Anyways, I’d just say try to focus on what makes you feel good and chase that. Unless it’s murder, don’t chase it then just push that deep down and don’t think about it. 🙂