Okay… So I’ve been feeling this way for a little over a year and a half now and I’m sick of it, so I want to see what I can do to fix it. I’d like to have an idea of what’s wrong with me before I walk into the doctor’s office though.

1. Worried. Constantly. About everyday things that really aren’t that big of deal. Something as simple as driving to the grocery store calls for about 20 minutes of analysis. I constantly feel like everyone’s staring at me, judging me, and even though I’m surrounded by friends all of the time and people tell me that they absolutely adore me, I constantly question whether or not they, or even my family for that matter, really like me or care about me at all, or if they just hang out with me to be nice. Even when I have no reason to worry, I worry.

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I am 38, mother of 4, and 3 step children (all living with me ages 2-17). I have a supportive family, but have been battling depression for almost 20 years if not longer. My dad was an alcoholic vietnam vet so I know I have a touch of secondhand PT SD due to the alcohol and guns. Been to many Dr’s. for treatment all to no avail. 2 hospital stays (one due to cutting in depressed state) and other for vicodin addiction (the only thing that ever kept me from being depressed and feeling happy and energetic). Now on Pristiq, adderal xr, and today dr. wants to add wellbutrin (been on it already). I feel so hopeless to the point I wonder if I am actually going crazy. No dr has given me an exact diagnosis..just more pills. Esp, the week before my cycle, is SO bad. I visualize killing myself, think about what I would write in suicide notes to my kids, etc..I cry and get angry. I would never do that to my babies. It feels like my soul is in a constant state of torment and I want to feel better for myself and children. I feel foggy headed half of the time waiting for the next time ” I don’t feel right”..can anyone relate? I have been to psychiatrists, therapists, Dr’s for the last 10 years. I feel I truly am mentally exhausted and the stress of raising these kids with a husband working his butt off just to pay bills is crazy. Sometimes I feel like such a bad mother, a loser, for thinking such bad thoughts but sometimes I can’t get them out of my head, esp. at night.
Please don’t be mean and leave nasty comments for fun….this is very serious to me. I am in such a bad spot and feel like I can’t get out.

It has been a long time since I have really been happy. However, I still carry on with life, and have no problem doing the things I know are for my own good. I am probably better at my job than anyone else where I work, and I work out daily. In fact, there have been some benefits due to my inability to feel happiness. I used to drink a lot, but without the euphoric effect, alcohol only caused problems for me. As a result, I managed to give it up all together. I have also stopped eating out of boredom, and lost 40 lbs. Though it has also been nearly impossible to maintain romantic relationships, and friendships have suffered as well. I have found that most people are simply looking to be happy, and if I do not share this desire, relationships are difficult to maintain. Still, I do not have strong negative feelings either. The best way to describe it would be that I do not feel much of anything at all. Though I do not know why. I admit that I miss the sensation of happiness, but I have seen that I do not need it. Is this a form of depression?

The day after I get drunk, I usually have a mild hang over. You know, I’m sort of sluggish and dehydrated. That’s about it.

But emotionally, I feel really depressed and almost guilty about something. It’s a heavy dreary feeling. The first few times this happened, I kept feelin like I had done something wrong. But now, I realise it just happens after I drink a lot. There must be a chemical cause to this awful feeling associated with hang over. Does anyone else have these effects or know what causes it?

(Also, I drink an appropriate level of alcohol. I get really drunk on those occassions when others are drunk too- for example at a wedding or a holiday or a party. Friends and family drink a lot, but I’m not talking about regular boozing)
I’m not asking for advice. I know it is a depressant and I know that I could obviously just not drink to avoid the feeling.

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I’ve really had the blues lately. I’m starting my second pack of pills, after having a baby a year ago. There are plenty of things in my life that could be causing mild depression, but a friend thinks it could be the pill. I’ve been exercising, eating well, no alcohol, trying to get enough sleep, etc, and I can’t shake the blues.

Could it be the pill?
I’m on Femcon FE

I have been taking mucus relief DM expectorant/cough suppressant for an acute sinus attack.I normally never take anything but this virus is very bad.The medication has me feeling so sad and depressed.This has happened one time before as I called on my friends here to help me.But then I never tied it to the medication.If this is the case man they better do something about this because I have been about to check out.Seriously…My question is do you think this Dollar General generic medication can cause sudden and severe depression?I take no other prescription drugs and I have not been drinking alcohol or anything else.I have been a bit sad due to lonliness but I have been talking to someone and trying to get over it.Today I suddenly felt like I cant take it anymore…Do you think this stuff could have caused this?
I cant even get to the doctor for a HERNIA I got at work!!Ha!Ha!

I’ve been depressed for quite some time now, and I would very much like to not be anymore.
I used to be the person who loves life more than anything else, and the one who counseled others on their problems. I’ve had depressing things happen to me. I’ve seen death on many occassions, and I’ve held dead children in my hands, but after Sept. 1st, I’ve done many many things that have led to a depression that I cannot fight my way out of.
On Sept. 1st, my girlfriend who I loved completely, and learned the true meaning of love, lost her father, leaving her bereft of most of her family. Her mother died when she was young, and most of her aunts and uncles passed away as well. Needless to say, it was a very hard time for her, and very hard for me as well, as I was unable to help her. She began to become distanced from the world, and from me as well, which began to break my heart, but I stayed strong for her, and to give her someone to depend on. However, she eventually told me that she no longer felt the same way about me, and wanted to take a break. Now that was devastating to me, but I still clung to the fact that at least I still had my beloved life to hold onto, my family, and a few close friends to confide in.
Well I began to do things that I greatly regret in an attempt to find something to fill the enormous gap in my life I now had. I drank even more excessively than I already did. I smoked weed for the first time ever, and did so twice. I lost all interest and motivation in college, and as such, my previously good grades plummeted. I betrayed family, and betrayed friends, and every time I did such things, my morale and depresion sank deeper, causing me to do even more things I greatly regret. I used people, and betrayed myself. I lost control of my rage, got into fights, and let loose my rage on people who didn’t deserve it. I distanced myself from family and friends, and even let my emotions affect my job in the Fire Department. I hurt many people, and lost sight of my future.
Now I know the loss of the woman I love in my life is the root cause of my depression, but it is not the MAIN cause of it. The actions I did after the fact are. I went from being the person who’s life was devoted to helping everyone else, to the person who hurts everyone else, and that fact I cannot live with.
Through my depression, I even considered giving up the one thing I held above all else: my life. I just would not consider doing it myself. I began to wish that bad things would happen to me, just so that I wouldn’t have to deal with everything else. I began to imagine myself being in car accidents, dying in fires, and having a bad reaction with medicine and alcohol which would cause me to at least lay in a hospital bed and see who cared enough to come visit. I began to not sleep, and I lost my will to live.
I am beyond all that now, yet my extreme loneliness augmented my depression still exists. I also still cannot sleep.
If you have motivated yourself to read through all of that, then maybe you know of a way to help me, or somewhere I can look for help. Any help on my above situation would be greatly appreciated.
so a few more details. after reading many of these answers, I realized that I left many things out.
1. (I might have included this, but I lack the motivation to check.) It is extremely hard for me to relax. My counselor has told me this, and has tried many things to help me relax, all of which have failed.
2. Megan (the girls name) is transferring to my school next semester, which has the potential to be disastrous.
3. Megan is seeing someone else now. She actually started seeing him 2 months after breaking up with me.
4. I don’t trust any medication that messes with my consciousness or mental facilities. It took me a while before I would trust myself taking nyquil. (When I did, I took excessive amounts, along with many other night time drugs, along with tylenol PM, benedryl, and some alcohol to wash it all down in attempt at relaxation) None of these helped me sleep, but they did make me quite unsteady in the morning…

Long story short, I am only on antidepressants and ibuprofen, no other drugs or alcohol.

I had nightmares that woke me up, but no worse than any other night.

But when I woke up, I LOOKED like I had a hangover and I felt like I had been up partying for a weekend! My whole body ached…

I made breakfast then tried to do some work (I’m lucky I work from home) and I couldn’t keep my eyes open after being awake for only 2 hours…

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I believe i have been suffering from depression for some time due to early teen use of marijuana and alcohol. I read that this causes the brain to have trouble producing dopamine or seratonin. Because of this I have lost more and more the ability to get excited or happy about anything and I cant remember the last time I laughed. I have no energy or reaction to things around me like im lost in my own world. I really want to feel better I want my energy levels to be much higher and I want to have a sense of well-being but I am not into prescription medications or Therapy. I believe there are natural cures for what the body lacks so if anyone knows about natural medecines to help the brain produce seratonin or dopamine and that give an energy boost I would be so grateful to hear it Thanks!
Just needed to mention I have tried prayer I have asked God to help me get through this and give me strength and patience and to forgive me for certain sins but i still feel terrible and at the end of the day lately i have this headache that feels like a migrane from all the racing thoughts
WOW! I just have to say thank you so much to all of you for your great suggestions! I especially love the one from Fergus (who doesnt allow e-mail so ill say it here)about the epsom salts because i am a big believer in natural medecine and internal cleanse but i had no idea it could help depression….a friend of mine once told me that an enema is good but taking the salts orally sounds more appealing to me Thanks! I will definitley try it asap!!!