Anxiety / Depression

...^^^... Sent you a PM on VA.
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Replied,
Thanks for the advice and kind words, it is deeply appreciated.

 

Sounds like him and I are in the same boat. I was also IED and got hit with shrapnel from an RPG. I too suffer from memory and cog issues and fought hard to get through college. It's a one day at a time type of thing, and some days are better then others. Thanks for sticking by him.

 

You are far from the only one and I hope your anxiety/depression is getting better from when you made your first post.

I found this "Depression, the Secret We Share" by Andrew Solomon on TED Talks, really explains what we go through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eBUcBfkVCo

 

I suffer terribly from anxiety and really don't like to talk too much about it. Mine situation is quite confusing and very hard to treat, I have IBS-D which then causes Anxiety and then the Anxiety makes the IBS worse and then it just snowballs. My quality of life is not very good and I pretty much prefer to mostly be alone as I just don't want to be around anyone nor do I really want anyone to see me in a vuneral position. I hope everyone that suffers finds some relief and has some enjoyment from life!

 

This is actually very hard to share. I've been in EMS for 25 years. Some of it in the military, some as a private contractor, etc. I've spent the last 6 years in the Middle East. Over about the past year and a half, I've noticed symptoms of PTSD and depression. Over the past two months, its become just short of uncontrollable. I though i could handle it on my own and boy was I wrong. Some of my family say they've noticed for almost up to 3 years differences in me. My sister described it as my soul looking tired. Now it's time to get professional help. I'm afraid I can't do this work anymore so I am looking into disability. It's not really safe anymore for me to be making life and death decisions for others. I need my head right for me and my family. I've turned to God and because of him, I have an outstanding support network of family and friends.

 

First, Thank you for your service and sharing something so personal. You are seeking help and that is a big step and you have a strong support network, which is so important. I wish I could say the same, but I haven't given up hope yet. Best wishes--Mark

 

Even with a strong support network its hard. Mornings are the worst for me. Either way, don't give up home. If you need, PM me. I'd at least try to start that support network for you.

 

I appreciate your offer and agree with you about turning to God for help. One thing that I kind of got out of the habit of doing, which helped a lot and I need to start again, is writing down 5 things that I'm grateful for during the day. It's amazing the affect this small thing has over a year, you start looking for things to be grateful for during your day. After talking with you, I will start again today with my"gratitude journal".

 

Actually I like that idea and will use it myself. Thank you.

 

I had some days that I have a hard time seeing anything and on those few occasions I will just rewrite my pass days gratuities, but once you get started, you see even the smallest things, then keep them forever in your journal. I know it will help, so it's good to hear you will be keeping a journal too.

 

I was already keeping a journal. Just started it about 20 days ago, I just didn't list 5 positive things.

 

There are a number of different techniques that I have used to help a lot of my patients over the years with both anxiety and depression. One small technique that has helped people with more of a generalized anxiety is something called "red light relaxation." It may sound stupid but it does work. Throughout your day, you don't realize how many actual "red lights" you see. A stoplight, rear brake lights, etc. whenever you consciously see a red light, you take one deep breath. It takes practice to remind yourself to stay conscious of it but once you are able to acclimate it into your schedule, you will notice that you are using a breathing technique all day long.

The difficulty in both anxiety and depression is that they are nasty stepsisters. They are very much related but they are very much not. A person can be severely depressed and be anxious because they are depressed. A person can be severely anxious, and depressed because they are anxious. It's where a person is on that sliding scale that needs to be figured out. Medication can help with certain people but it can take up to a month before any type of medication start working before you figure out that it is not working and need to try something else. Once a good depression medication is working for you, it can work great but there is a need for patience and time. Within that time, working on new coping skills can help ease the burden of everyday life. Unfortunately, a lot of people have difficulty with therapy because there are a lot of really bad therapists out there. I have a lot of patients come into my practice and tell me that they are skeptical because of problems that they have had with other therapists who seem to be talking more about their own problems with the patient than helping the patient. A good qualified professional will take the time to help but unfortunately, Rome wasn't built in a day And, a lot of times, insurance companies, Will not pay for the amount of sessions that is typically needed to help a person. Understand that therapy, in and of itself, is a very positive thing but the real therapy happens when you leave the office. A good therapist will not "just check in to see how your week went," they will follow up with how you applied what you've learned in the previous session.

If anyone would like to PM me, My resources are open to the community. I do not claim that I am omnipotent but I might be able to point you into a more positive direction.

 

https://youtu.be/ByNg5ivLi80


this song has also helped me a lot- lol

 

I had also struggled with anxiety/panic attacks. I knew that it wasnt "just" that I was depressed but I felt that my body was resonding to something due to other physical symptoms. After tons of research, I for the most part have nipped it in the bud. I found that amalgam fillings contained 50% mercury and many of what i was experiencing was mercury poisoning. The right protocol and I started to feel right as rain!

 

I've been down this road. Scary and lonely. One would think that with a great job, good wife and kids, that anxiety and depression would not be a thing. Well it was and it came out of nowhere. It was worst at home and sometimes at work. I decided to make health changes thinking that was an issue. 80lbs lost and no relief. I would try different things throughout the day for weeks hoping it would just go away. This went on for about 2 yrs. It wasn't until I started to get out more that I relised I didn't suffer any issues. I made new friends, took a part time job. Anything to keep my mind off of what could be the problem and just get out. It's been 8yrs and I have not had any issues since.
I didn't want to see a dr or take meds. I really wanted to figure it out on my own. I was lucky to figure out that staying at home and not being mentally engaged with others probably caused the issues.
The new friends I made back then have since moved on with life. I don't really get to see them or talk to them often. They have no idea how much of an impact their friendship had on my well being. Forever greatfull, and maybe one day I'll tell them so.

 

Any James Taylor song puts me in a better mood, but I have to admit to favoring that song too. My sister and her husband got to see his concert at Fenway park and I was so Jealous, but maybe someday I will be able to see him play live in concert.

 

Mine is a little weird too, like i can't drive on the in the left or middle lane, has to be on the far right, because i am conscious of being alive and fear getting a flat or something and not being able to pull off the side of the road

 

Psalm 143

Thank you for your service and may God give you peace.

 

For those of you that like music as ways to cope, my wife shared this with me when I was at my darkest. https://youtu.be/yutmTFtalKs