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Originally Posted by imtrying
How do you do that, follow through with a health plan? I'm unable to make myself mediate, exercise, etc. I'm stuck. I can't help myself. I can't control the anxiety. I'm always so tired. I've lost all will power, self control, and self confidence. It's been a year and a half and I don't know how to have a life when I can't work and don't want to talk to anyone. I was recommended for ECT because meds didn't work and my program said I knew all the DBT skills but was unable to apply them. I feel hopeless.
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What meds have you tried for anxiety? There are meds that are very effective for it.
What meds have you tried for depression? These are not so great and it can take lots of trial and error to find one that works.
The goal of meds is to lift you up to such a place where you can apply your DBT skills and meditate, and exercise, and so on.
I know exactly what it is like to be stuck in bed and not be able to do anything to help myself. When I am in that space I have to set very small goals. Like I will brush my teeth. I will open my mail. I will make that one phone call I need to make. I will take a shower. It may be just one of those each day. When I do that one small thing I feel better about myself and I need to pat myself on the back for doing that one small thing and not beat myself up for not doing more. Baby steps. Go back to the psychiatrist and come up with a new plan. My therapist just pointed out to me that the time of day makes a big difference. I had never thought about that. When deeply depressed I tend to sleep during the day and have absolutely no energy. At night I am more awake. My circadian rhythms get all whacked out. So the most likely time for me to take a shower is not in the morning but late at night. It is probably much more likely I will check my email and phone late at night when in that place.
Another thing she is always telling me is that I have choices. They may not be great choices but I need to figure out what choices I really do have. Even in the most hopeless state we have choices. Realizing that is empowering. They may be very small choices and not the big life changing choices we would like to have. Focus on the very small things you have some control over.