Is there any cure for this?

[ed miliband]

I go through bouts of... I don't know what to call it tbh.

I struggle to get enjoyment out of anything; reading, watching films, even listening to music becomes a chore. I either can't sleep or sleep for hours on end. I'll get bored but then lack the energy to do anything about it. Shit, even spending time with friends sometimes seems arduous. I'm not noticeably sad - I won't break down and cry or anything, but it's like the mental equivalent of a dull ache, slowly nagging at me. "Weary" is another apt word... weariness.

I was going to say that I struggle to care about anything, and to an extent that is true. However in some ways I wish it was wholly true, as I tend to care all too much about the most trivial of matters: fuck studying, I couldn't give a toss about that, but x has let me down over something so I'm gonna mope about it for a day, for example. Silly shit like that.

It's all relatively new to me, something I've not gone through before. I was having a relatively good period since coming back from uni, but I seem to have lapsed again.

What is it...? I mean, I've asked for advice from other people and they'll tell me to take up a sport, or join a group or something. Yeah, maybe good advice but it doesn't really address the issue.

Oh, and nobody needs to recommend drink or drugs. That's sorted (and probably part of the problem...)

[Sasha]

You could be bipolar (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder) but talk to a professional about it

[Robespierre Richard]

I have bipolar syndrome and used (well still do like right now) to have similar symptoms. However, bipolar starts around the age of 14 (it did for me) and becomes increasingly noticeable as you get older, though for some people it may just be random episodes throughout their life and not so rapid-cycling. It could very well be something else that is exacerbated by seasonal affective disorder as you don't get enough sun in the winter. I'd try taking some stuff like fish oil, multivitamins, and other supplements, but if that doesn't make things noticeably better within a few weeks talk to a mental health professional.

[Kitty_Paine]

I'm no professional but I do know a decent amount about psychological topics and disorders, if that gives me any credibility, lol. But I agree with psycho I would talk to a mental health professional if the problem gets worse or continues on for longer than you can handle. It could just be a phase. I know this is cliche but this is really the cure for almost everythings, lol - get good sleep at night, stop drinking or decrease (and whatever else), eat healthy, take time to relax and try not to stress out. Anyway this is what I think:

I don't think you are Bipolar like psycho suggested. To be Bipolar you must have suffered from a manic episode OR had a major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode. By what you've said, I don't think you've have a manic or hypomanic episode.

It sounds me like you could be suffering from Dysthymia, a milder form of depression. You don't quite meet the criteria for having a Major depressive episode or disorder unless it's a little worse than you make it seem. But I'd put my money on Dysthymia in my opinion, but It could be Depression. I could make a better analysis if I had more information, like duration of your first "depressed" state, the duration of you recovery, and how long you've been back in your "depressed" state. Also a specific list of all symptoms you experience in your "depressed" state.

You don't have to do this, and I'm no doctor, I'm just putting it out there to try and be helpful.

:)

[ed miliband]

See, I always thought depression was like major, longterm sadness or something, as crude and ignorant as that sounds... but yeah, I think talking to a doctor is worth doing. When this started I attempted to see a doctor but it meant waiting for over a week, at which point I was feeling better...

[Franz Fanonipants]

are you employed? do you have a regular sleep schedule?

getting a regular sleep schedule, regardless of employment is important. employment can be a means to that end, but getting yourself into a regular sleep schedule is one of the most important things you can do.

[Kitty_Paine]

See, I always thought depression was like major, longterm sadness or something, as crude and ignorant as that sounds... but yeah, I think talking to a doctor is worth doing. When this started I attempted to see a doctor but it meant waiting for over a week, at which point I was feeling better...

Your thinking of chronic major depressive disorder, which it qualifies as at about 2 years.

Speaking of that, you don't have Dysthymia, I just remembered you have to have symptoms for at least 2 years for that. Sorry! lol

From a diagnostic stand point, you only have to expereince symptoms for at least 2 weeks to be diagnosed with depression. And those episodes of depression typically last around 9 months if not treated.

So my money goes on depression, or at least close to that b/c you might not meet all of the diagnosis criteria (technically speaking).

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4906/psychaitry.jpg

[Lenina Rosenweg]

I've felt that way to an extent myself. Its hard to say what the specific causes may be not knowing you're overall life situation. It very well may have an organic cause but I would be a bit wary of medicalising all mental states.

As humans we are not always meant to be happy.

I could be wrong but you may be facing an "existentialist crisis", literally a search for something that is meaningful for you.Perhaps you are in a routine or in a situation which doesn't provide any deeper meaning or significance.Maybe you are facing "growth pangs" and you are ready for the next step in your life.

Meditation, say breath counting, may help. You don't have to connect this to any philosophy, its actually better if you don't. Deep absorption in some work which means something to you may also help.

Self medicating by drinking or other drugs will just hide the problem but won't really deal with it.

I could be wrong, only you can tell.If its a severe problem a good therapist (sometimes hard to find) may help.

[ed miliband]

oh yeah, the other thing: really mental dreams, like proper Freudian shit. It won't mean anything to anyone if I go through them here, but yeah... people I live with at uni (this is part of the problem...) smothering me, shit like that. It's mad.

[ed miliband]

are you employed? do you have a regular sleep schedule?

getting a regular sleep schedule, regardless of employment is important. employment can be a means to that end, but getting yourself into a regular sleep schedule is one of the most important things you can do.

I'm a student with a very irregular timetable, usually 6-8 hours of contact time a week. This is a massive problem imo, just so much free time with nothing to do.

[Kitty_Paine]

I've felt that way to an extent myself. Its hard to say what the specific causes may be not knowing you're overall life situation. It very well may have an organic cause but I would be a bit wary of medicalising all mental states.

As humans we are not always meant to be happy.

I could be wrong but you may be facing an "existentialist crisis", literally a search for something that is meaningful for you.Perhaps you are in a routine or in a situation which doesn't provide any deeper meaning or significance.Maybe you are facing "growth pangs" and you are ready for the next step in your life.

Meditation, say breath counting, may help. You don't have to connect this to any philosophy, its actually better if you don't. Deep absorption in some work which means something to you may also help.

Self medicating by drinking or other drugs will just hide the problem but won't really deal with it.

I could be wrong, only you can tell.If its a severe problem a good therapist (sometimes hard to find) may help.

I completely agree. Analyze your life and make sure these symptoms aren't a result of outside factors, aren't the result of alcohol abuse/substance abuse (I don't know you so I'm just throwing it out there) and aren't due to another medical condition.

So I'd say modify your lifestyle a little and see if that helps or changes the symptoms. You may end up finding what caused this episode was just chronic stress that you didn't even know you were experiencing.

[Robespierre Richard]

See, I always thought depression was like major, longterm sadness or something, as crude and ignorant as that sounds... but yeah, I think talking to a doctor is worth doing. When this started I attempted to see a doctor but it meant waiting for over a week, at which point I was feeling better...

The thing with therapy is that you really have to commit to it, as well as understand that many doctors are unprofessional and only concentrate on one disorder, such as major depression or schizophrenia, which turns making diagnoses into a secondary thing. In my experience, when I told my first doctor that I am depressed, I was diagnosed with depression and he became very angry when I told him that I have inconsistent symptoms or did not react well to the medication he gave me. He was a very shitty doctor for other reasons though, such as telling me that being depressed "is not normal" for young people so maybe it was just a bad experience.

With my second doctor I said that I feel bipolar, type II, and was diagnosed with bipolar. So far, after 6 months of treatment, most of my symptoms are gone. However, when it is something inconsistent, it is very difficult to diagnose, and there isn't much they can do except try different drugs and talking about your state of mind in general and during the condition. This may be very difficult, as you would actually have to try forcing yourself to read things and 'be normal' as it migh just be psychosomatic. In my case I was also diagnosed with ADHD because I got distracted a lot, and to focus created different games to keep reading and such, which tired me out to the point where I fell asleep reading things that I wasn't interested in.

However, drugs are only half of the treatment, they only rewire your brain functions from what may be abnormal. Besides, the most doctors can do is talk to you about the thought patterns that make your symptoms persistent and the environmental factors that contribute to it.

Also keep in mind that you will only see your doctor for an hour a week at most, so it is important to both not overload him or her with information AND categorize the things in order from most important to least important, for both symptoms and thought patterns that you have.

[Franz Fanonipants]

I'm a student with a very irregular timetable, usually 6-8 hours of contact time a week. This is a massive problem imo, just so much free time with nothing to do.

how old are you and what's your illicit substance use like? not like timewise a week but like do you do a lot of uppers? if so, cut that shit out immediately and try to reestablish yourself on a regular, personally structured schedule. get reading for two hours a day in, swimming for one, etc. and work that structure around your schedule.

also, try drinking less as that shit is a pretty powerful depressant.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

Of course only you can decide this but your mention of dreams about the people you live with and a feeling of being suffocated may have something to tell you. Dreams are ways our mind can cope with issues we are dealing with while still allowing us to sleep. You may want to keep a dream journal (its best to do this in the early morning, our minds try to wipe our memory of the dream). That's pretty much what a good therapist would tell you to do.

If you're at uni you may be able to see a shrink for free.

Echoing Franz, if you're doing uppers, cut it out immediately. A regular schedule can help.

[ed miliband]

Illicit drugs aren't really a problem; I smoke weed maybe weekly but I can do without it and have gone for weeks without smoking at all. I drink a lot tho, like daily (not drinking until I'm drunk, but y'know...)

I guess I'm going to have to make some pretty big lifestyle changes overall.

[Franz Fanonipants]

smoke weed every day if thats what it takes to stop drinking every day. even if you don't drink to get drunk daily, you probably have some ltd. chemical dependency if you are drinking every day. speaking of chemical dependency, do you smoke tobacco?

and don't see these changes as onerous or whatever, you'll be doing something helpful to your personal wellbeing if you can change unhealthy/unwanted patterns. not that i think you will see them as onerous, but its helpful to maintain a positive (not cheery happy sugardrops, but genuinely positive in terms of being willing to make these changes) attitude.

[Prometeo liberado]

Illicit drugs aren't really a problem; I smoke weed maybe weekly but I can do without it and have gone for weeks without smoking at all. I drink a lot tho, like daily (not drinking until I'm drunk, but y'know...)

I guess I'm going to have to make some pretty big lifestyle changes overall.
As someone who has been around many chemically dependant people as part of my job I cant help but be worried about daily self medicating. That would point to underlying causes which I think you already are noticing. Definitely see a professional and then get a second opinion and have them share the results. You have to be your own best advocate.:thumbup1:

[ed miliband]

smoke weed every day if thats what it takes to stop drinking every day. even if you don't drink to get drunk daily, you probably have some ltd. chemical dependency if you are drinking every day. speaking of chemical dependency, do you smoke tobacco?

and don't see these changes as onerous or whatever, you'll be doing something helpful to your personal wellbeing if you can change unhealthy/unwanted patterns. not that i think you will see them as onerous, but its helpful to maintain a positive (not cheery happy sugardrops, but genuinely positive in terms of being willing to make these changes) attitude.

The weird thing is I started smoking when I first started feeling like this (end of October) and smoked 10-15 a day solidly for about a month. Before that I had only smoked socially, but I took it up pretty big. Then one of the girls I live with, a medical student, pestered me to stop and I did - no problem, no cravings. Anyway, yesterday I started getting really bad cravings and I bought a pack. I guess it goes to prove the psychological function of using things like cigarettes as a "crutch".

I agree with you tho.

[#FF0000]

I have this same problem. No drugs or alcohol. My sleep schedule's pretty fucked tho.

I had the same problem when I worked regularly too.

[Fawkes]

Yes, there is a cure, but first you need to find the causes.

Think about when you started feeling like this and try to remember if there were any changes around that time. Also, if it happens repeatedly, look for any consistencies (e.g. time of year, after relationships, death of friend/family member, etc.). If you're able to identify some of the causes and they're within your control, you can try to watch out for them/combat them. If you're able to, I'd recommend speaking with a mental health professional. Don't jump straight to a psychiatrist though (as opposed to a psychologist), they nearly always tend to disregard situational factors (as opposed to dispositional ones) and just wanna give you drugs.

Unless these periods are punctuated by extended (few days or longer) episodes where you feel incredibly energetic/frantic, it's unlikely that you're bipolar.

[Fawkes]

just noticed this

I drink a lot tho, like daily (not drinking until I'm drunk, but y'know...)


That can be a major problem. Regardless of how drunk you get, alcohol is a depressant, so it's unsurprising that you feel depressed given how often you drink.

Just from personal experience, something I've noticed is that alcohol really distances me from the things I enjoy. For example, a few weeks ago, I was riding on the train to my last day of class where our teacher was throwing us a party. I was listening to music on the ride and I was moving with it and really feeling it, as usually happens when I listen to stuff I enjoy. After drinking a little at the party (just enough to get buzzed), I felt absolutely nothing while listening to music on the ride back. It just washed over me and it seemed as if there was a barrier between it and me that wasn't normally there.

So, in short, maybe try laying off drinking for a little and see what happens.

[Franz Fanonipants]

Anyway, yesterday I started getting really bad cravings and I bought a pack. I guess it goes to prove the psychological function of using things like cigarettes as a "crutch".

no bro, its not a crutch, it's literally an addiction. addiction isn't something to beat yourself up over, my best friend is a big time nicotine addict and he just spends his time stewing in self-hatred over being an addict and a bad man and etc.

you gotta understand, tobacco is manufactured to be as dependency-causing as possible. i mean most substances produced under capital for the poor are, but you know what i'm saying.

try to get a regular sleep schedule (in bed by like 10 pm at the latest, up at 6:00 if you can), quit smoking cigarettes, cut back your drinking.

[ed miliband]

Didn't have a drink post-12 am on NYE so this is the longest I've gone without drinking for months. Feels kinda good.