I don't exactly know where to post this, hopefully here is ok. I just got done with spending almost the whole month of December in the hospital. I was in for about a week at the beginning, out for a week and attending a partial hospitalization program, and then readmitted for two weeks towards the end of the month. I ended up being diagnosed with depression and PTSD (I had been previously diagnosed with those). The thing that was really weird to me was that I never saw the whole episode coming. I was ok over thanksgiving, then the week after that whatever it was snuck up behind me and hit me over the head with a sledgehammer. I went from ok to suicidal in about four days, with no unusual stressors.

I am trying to figure out how to get back to normal life. I still feel depressed. I am making myself get dressed every morning and trying to incorporate some form of exercise and stuff every single day. I am in my early 20s. Right now I am not working because of this, I am taking a medical leave. I am obsessing about whether or not I am going to be able to go back to work - I don't think I will, but I also don't think I should probably be deciding three days after I got out of the hospital.

I am on a bunch of new meds that are making me sleepy and are causing some other mild side effects.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone has any similar experiences they can share. How do you return to normal life after being in the hospital that long? Has anyone ever quit their job because of something like this? Were you able to find something lower stress?

Any ideas, experiences, comments would be appreciated. Thanks.