[froggie2]

Sometimes this is so discouraging. has anyone managed to get their life back? Hold a job? Have energy to ride a bike? go dancing? Have a clear head? sleep at night? I wonder if this last episode I have had is more about griefing the loss of a life than anything else. It feels like life is over. How do you get that zest back again? i tell myself to volunteer, exercise whatever. Can't even get there.

it's hard....i understand how you feel. it's an uphill battle sometimes and you feel as if there's no point in trying. but, it can get better. small increments......an entire whole day! then a week!

keep trying, love, pat

I know how you feel. I worked myself up real good one time grieving over how great I *used* to be. It made me soooo sad!

There's ups and downs, when I'm down I try to remember what I have overcome. I can now drive-relaxed and carefree!! After 3 long years of being terrified to drive. After 6 years, I hardly ever obsess about my breathing anymore.

I started gardening again, despite me really not wanting to, but now I'm surprised that I"m getting a lot of joy out of it.

Sorry, I'm not trying to make this reply about *me*, just kind of an example of one person that is getting better, slowly! So have hope,. there's more of us out there!!

take care
Jen

[OliviaC]

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froggie2 said:
Sometimes this is so discouraging. has anyone managed to get their life back? Hold a job? Have energy to ride a bike? go dancing? Have a clear head? sleep at night? I wonder if this last episode I have had is more about griefing the loss of a life than anything else. It feels like life is over. How do you get that zest back again? i tell myself to volunteer, exercise whatever. Can't even get there.

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(((((((Froggie))))))) I can relate. No I am not working and keep making excuses for not volunteering. I try to exercise. I take care of my mother's doctor's appointments (she's 85). But everything is so hard to do especially mornings. Black. Anxious. Most of the stuff I manage to do is afternoon/evening. I get jealous when I see someone doing office work even at the vet's today with my cat.......I used to be an assistant to a VP and now couldn't even get a job working in a vet's office.

And I also did not mean to make this all about me ! We will get better - one step at a time. Just know you are not alone.

[Juliana]

Hi Froggie. Hang in there. I know how discouraging it can be. I got my life back, though, and for a long time I thought I never would. I got a physical illness in 2000 and then became severely agoraphobic and was totally housebound for over 4 years. I became well enough to go back to work eventually, though, and even though I was still having panic attacks, I started getting my life back little by little... and the panic attacks came less and less frequently. I went into a major depression at one point... I think part of it was grieving all the time I had lost, but I feel like I'm putting that behind me now. I have my career back on track now (I'm ahead of where I was before I got sick), I went travelling this summer, I'm earning a good salary and starting to see a way out of the debt that spiralled out of control while I was too sick to work, I'm socializing and dating again, having fun again, feeling more and more like my former self... and if you had told me 2 years ago that I would EVER feel good again, I wouldn't have believed it. It was a struggle to get my life back and I still have bad days, I still get down sometimes and there are frustrations and setbacks, but it is SO worth it. Please don't give up hope. I know it's hard, but keep fighting the fight. There is a light at the end of the tunnel... and what I've found about this light is that I appreciate it so much more than I ever did before... because I spent such a long time in the dark.

[DePressMe]

Well, i think I have been getting better. My current combo of meds seem to be working and therapy is going good. My job is improving... Yeah, I was at the bottom of the pit for a long time--now I do have a bit of hope that things will continue to get better. Are you taking meds or seeing a therapist or stuff like that?

for me its about being able to have a life in amongst all the D.
i feel it wont go away that i may be able to get better but its always gonna be there and i will be highly predisposed to getting unwell over and over
so trying to learn how to cope with past traumas that lead to D and living life aswell

ITS SUPER HARD AND FEELS IMPOSSIBLE MOST DAYS

[froggie2]

Thank you everyone for sharing your stuff. I have worked but find I crash after a year or so. Now i think I am scared to even try anymore. I too get the agraphobia and am stuck in the house. I am trying to break that cycle. I walk my two little dogs most days and then there comes the days I can't move. When people are around I seem to do better. I am a square/ round dancer and the last two years the joy is gone and I am very tired fast. Before I was one of the last off the floor and having a blast.

[froggie2]

Depressme I am back on meds after a year and 1/2 off them and trying to do it with omega 3's and vitamins. Now I am on Lithium. Its only been a month. But while the mood swings have gone I now have a fuzzybrain and can't think properly. I am hoping it passes. Most groups are too far away from me and I haven't been functioning well enough to get there.I just saw a group that might closer and easier to get to. I have to try as this being in the house all the time is driving me crazy. No The pschiatrist really messed me up. I was doing will before her so now my Doctor has taken that job back. He really takes his time and is careful monitering me. She never monitered for over a year and wouldn't listen when i would tell her something was wrong.

[DePressMe]

Hi, hope tonight is going better for you. I am glad you are on meds. I am one of the lucky ones, lamictal/abilfy is working for me and I don't get all the side effects of the other drugs. I don't have any groups close to me, but I do see an individual therapist--that helps a lot. Yeah, I understand about being "trapped" in the house--its no fun. I Have a good evening.

[froggie2]

Thanks Depressme Tonight is better. i when to the Doctors today and I usually use that as my exercise program as its so far. I visit all the malls on the way home which usually means a few hours walking. If I sit down though when I get up I am shaky and dizzy.

[DePressMe]

Maybe you could use this as a springboard to get out a little more. Exercise--uuugghhh....that is one thing missing in my life. Good for you for walking for a few hours. I don't know about the shaky and dizzing--did you ask your doc? I have had some meds make me feel like that--more dizzy and light headed than shaky. Sometimes, anxiety makes me shaky and a little light headed. BTW, I love your little froggy signature snapping the fly. Have a good day.

Got stable about 5 yrs. ago after a long trial & error period with meds. Work only part-time to avoid the stress that full-time work creates in me.

Try to manage my environment to reduce symptoms (bp1). Did pretty well, but did have an episode last Aug. that I'm still recovering from.

Took some classes from NAMI that were very helpful. Try to reach one positive goal a day & make it a habit & then add another one. Take care.--Suzy

[Bethsway]

I keep wondering that myself Froggie...when do we get our lives back? I guess we keep plugging away until a little at a time we achieve it!

[froggie2]

Nami --For PTSD? How good were they? I have read a lot on the sight. Got a lot of info there. Going to a workshop next weekend that is discharging. Lots of support. Looking forward to it but I know the days after will be rough.