The Mental Health thread

[SuperBacon 7,634]

3 minutes ago, Nick James said:

Hi all, 

Just a quick question, I have been on Sertraline for a good few months (since February) and was up to 150mg until a few weeks ago when i reduced to 100mg. My issue is, i want to completely come off them, they are having an adverse effect on my physical health and the Mrs and I are planning on increasing our family and the sertraline is having effects that could hamper that. 

Does anyone have any experience in just stopping taking them or how to reduce the dosage to nil? 

Thanks 

Go to see your doctor. Do not just stop taking them. That's dangerous. DM if you want.

[Shy Dad 1,120]

Yeah completely coming off them is not an advisable solution. 

I've a lot of history with stuff like this so if you want to message I'm also free. 

[Nick James 616]

Cheers both, I frigging love this place, you can always guarantee someone is out there to help you. 

[Michael_3165 236]

4 hours ago, Nick James said:

Hi all, 

Just a quick question, I have been on Sertraline for a good few months (since February) and was up to 150mg until a few weeks ago when i reduced to 100mg. My issue is, i want to completely come off them, they are having an adverse effect on my physical health and the Mrs and I are planning on increasing our family and the sertraline is having effects that could hamper that. 

Does anyone have any experience in just stopping taking them or how to reduce the dosage to nil? 

Thanks 

Good question. I'd say discuss with GP. 

They generally taper the dose down over a period of weeks. The problem is the bounce back of withdrawal can be quite unpleasant, for example vertigo etc. With sertraline they normally go 50 or even 25mg decreases at a time. It also depends on if you want another medication as a replacement. 

I know that those side effects in particular are a bitch to deal with. I had to come off it because I wanted kids too. 

Def week advice and good luck! 

 

Ah someone beat me to it! 

Edited August 17, 2020 by Michael_3165

[Boycie 7]

Hi guys, I apologise if this is the wrong thread for this, feel free to delete it if so. 

I've been feeling extremely low as of late and I can't really explain why. I met someone a few months ago and it's been going great for the most part. We get on really well, make each other laugh etc and I've become extremely fond of this person and I would like to think that she feels the same about me. 

However, I suffer from massive trust issues and find myself flying off the handle whenever she interacts with other men. If she hugs someone for example then I'll see a red mist and become very withdrawn and even quite angry. This then becomes a problem as she will think that she's done something wrong even though she really hasn't.

My biggest fear is that I'll end up pushing her away and my life will be full of regret as I've fucked up the thing that matters most to me. 

I apologise if I haven't worded this particularly well. I don't post on here very often but I do follow a few of the threads and you seem like a decent bunch. Any advice would be much appreciated. 

Thanks 

[Vamp 253]

Have you spoken to her about it? At least make sure she knows why you're reacting like that. 

Depending on how you feel about CBT it might be worth doing a Worry Tree. Realising that your worry is hypothetical and that you can't really do anything to stop it might be a good first step towards letting it go. 

Also, I know you mention you've had trust issues, but its still worth asking why you don't trust her. If it's because someone has abused that trust before then its understandable but you need to remember that she is a different person. 

[Vamp 253]

Not sure this is the right place for it but here goes...

Has anyone ever been "the other man/woman" in a relationship? If so, how did you manage to walk away? 

[Ralphy 1,153]

Hi, I am about as bad as I have ever been mentally. I'm having many manic spells, doing things that I don't know why I do spending money I don't have I feel extremely angry anxious and even getting paranoid now. 

My family relations are not good I've started binge eating again and walking stupid distances. 

I have walked 26.5 miles today and it feels like I've done nothing I'm full of energy but not in a good way

I'm having suicidal thoughts and the thought of it often brings a smile to my face oddly

Since Sunday I have walked 88.8 miles trying to escape the demons the voices and the house 

Nothing works anymorr

Ehen I have my crazy depressive episodes I can't leave bed and go for days with no food and a week without showering 

My whole life is fucked and I have given up I just honestly wish I had the balls to top myself but I don't 

I've turned to high strength weed cocsine and whisky at times and I know its not good for me but I can't face life anymore

The support lines don't help me 

My life is heavily controlled by my parents, they have all my money I get currently and my mum has terrible anxiety and my dad is aggressive angry controlling and intimidating I'm scared to even speak or do anything most days in fear of a comment or an angry outburst that will set me off 

My parents have always instilled a routine for eating that I can't seem to break, meaning I often wait till I am Ravenged with hunger then binge then feel sad and angry about it and regretful 

I dieted for years and it's ruined my relationship with food completely 

I don't see any hope for me anymore I want out of this world 

 

[Ralphy 1,153]

I feel so freaking angry arghh and it's like I've done nothing

[Rule One 127]

@Ralphy

Believe it or not you are in control despite not feeling that way. Take things at a step at a time and please try not to overthink things. This is a cycle only you can break and using/channelling your willpower from other aspects of your life will break it. 

Why are you spending frivolously? Is it things you need, crave or is it on impulse? If its the latter it's definitely tied into your suffering.

With your family relations. Is there any way you can leave the household/get a break for a few days/weeks? Have you tried any sort of mediation for your problems with your father? Either informal or otherwise? There will be a breaking point where this is concerned and I hope there is some way to amicable solve it before it goes beyond that. Again try taking it in small steps but the key is keep trying. 

On the other end of the scale, have you looked into what your local adult social services can do/help with? Is there any assisted living programs nearby?

If you're at the deep end and you feel that you can't take it anymore, please get yourself to A&E and don't leave until you're seen by a mental health team. They might commit you or be able offer some support that at least starts the process of helping you. 

You have everything to live for but because of pressure, situations, illness and everything else piled on top, it clouds your ability to see that. Don't give up on yourself but you have to start helping yourself, you have to ask for help and don't ever be afraid of asking for help because we all need it from time to time. There is help out there but you have to ask, dig for it and it can be a slow process but it's there. 

Stay safe Ralphy and keep your chin up. 

[DCW 443]

Been feeling like dogshit the last few weeks. No energy at all. Drag myself out of bed for work (which is also going horribly due to massive backlog of assessments to do and huge pressure to speed through them, which I'm not comfortable with doing) get home at 6.30 every evening and right back to bed, drained. At the weekend I venture out as far as Aldi and that's about it as everything else is closed. Nothing to look forward to, nothing enjoyable on the horizon. Just poxy nothingness and four walls for company. 

I had an awful time weaning off venlafaxine over the summer so I'm reluctant to go back on meds again so soon, but will probably have to get on to gp to try something soon cos the thought of things continuing like this does not appeal to me at all.

[quote the raven 435]

Ralphy you really have to tell your parents/Doctors you are thinking of killing yourself. They wont ignore you and hopefully you get the help you need. 

Edited October 16, 2020 by quote the raven

[Ralphy 1,153]

Thanks so much to all that have replied and messaged me, I'm not great still but I promise to get back to each and everyone over this weekend

[Tamura 351]

This seems the most appropriate thread, rather than creating a new one

At present I'm a live-in carer for my elderly mother who has various health problems. She has occasional memory problems, like many older people, but over the past few days things have got really bad. A few days ago she phoned up my brother and was talking to him about my dad having an affair and how he'd "gone walkabout" and had been sleeping on the sofa. My dad did have an affair thirty years ago, but he's been dead for over ten years. This morning she was talking to me and mistook me for my elder brother, who hasn't lived in the family home for over thirty years and has never lived in the house we live in now. Even when I corrected her she said "you're Simon", when that's my brother. Then she tried to give me some dinner (I'm northern, we don't do lunch) money. I went out to the supermarket, and when I came back she said "I'm sorry I thought it was Monday, otherwise I wouldn't have sent you to school", I left school over thirty years ago.

I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow and explain all this to him, if anyone has any advice it'd be much appreciated.

[Shy Dad 1,120]

I've had a rough few weeks where I ended up being taken to hospital again Thursday after having another stress related meltdown. 

Took the decision to step away from looking at teaching jobs for the time being (I'm still registered to do cover work but I'll only be doing a day here or there I think) until next September. 

Applied yesterday for a full time role at McDonald's taking in deliveries, around the site maintenence etc, got offered an interview straight away and got a job offer on the spot this morning where they want to also teach me how to do the opens on a store too. 

Just being able to take a step forward right now might help my brain, I've been so exhausted the last few weeks, this finally feels like a win.