Great topic to start, Georgette.
You wrote:
"discussing managing mental health issues as a senior, after a lifelong challenge with this disease. This issue can be further complicated as we age because many people do have memory loss and other symptoms of aging, and it is very difficult to tell the difference between life-long anxiety or depression and other mental health issues.......and age-related symptoms or conditions. Am i feeling depressed because i cannot do the things i used to do, or am i depressed because i do not have chronic depression under control?"
Thank you for this post, John @johnjames . I know it was months ago, but I ran across it and was encouraged by your words. Even my wife, after living with a depressed husband for more than 12 years, doesn't understand the feeling of heading down into that dark hole. The triggers of depression were several, but I couldn't name them until I'd been through 3 or 4 years of therapy. I don't know if I yet know all of the causes.
I haven't heard from you for awhile, so I thought I would reconnect.
Depression is hard enough w/o the addition of chronic pain. There are these times when nothing helps. Merely existing is unrewarding. Suppose stress is the culprit. Too much all at once. Try to find a distraction that will help...nuncupative noise trashing my day.
Depression is hard enough w/o the addition of chronic pain. There are these times when nothing helps. Merely existing is unrewarding. Suppose stress is the culprit. Too much all at once. Try to find a distraction that will help...nuncupative noise trashing my day.
Hi @parus, you are so right. Depression is hard enough all by itself. I did hear a speaker early this year that gave a good explanation of the part the brain plays in stress. I think if you can understand how the brain functions it may help reduce the stress or give you tools like you say to find a distraction that helps. I find that a lot of his short videos on http://stressfree.org/ do a good job of explaining the part that the brain plays and they do it in a manor that provides a little humor.
Pssst...thanks for teaching me a new word and increasing my sometimes limited vocabulary. ☺ Hoping you have a stress free, pain free day.
Always glad to enlighten, expand and educate. The dictionary has been my best friend since childhood...I did check out the site and HAD to mute the sound as those high pitched cacophonous frequencies were sinuous in my neuropathic world. I did read several and liked what I read. Thanks for the share and I have saved the site. Teeny-tiny baby steps are all I can do for today. Weather moving in-Doppler eat your radar out...tee-hee.
Hi, I am Kaydas. it is my first message and I don't know much about the forum. I hope to find so many golden hearts and find solidarity and empathy. I have a depression and anxiety for 32 years. The number of years of my suffering tells that nothing helped me to recover. I hope that little by little I will gain confidence and friends. God help us.
Always glad to enlighten, expand and educate. The dictionary has been my best friend since childhood...I did check out the site and HAD to mute the sound as those high pitched cacophonous frequencies were sinuous in my neuropathic world. I did read several and liked what I read. Thanks for the share and I have saved the site. Teeny-tiny baby steps are all I can do for today. Weather moving in-Doppler eat your radar out...tee-hee.
Hi, I am Kaydas. it is my first message and I don't know much about the forum. I hope to find so many golden hearts and find solidarity and empathy. I have a depression and anxiety for 32 years. The number of years of my suffering tells that nothing helped me to recover. I hope that little by little I will gain confidence and friends. God help us.
Hi, I am Kaydas. it is my first message and I don't know much about the forum. I hope to find so many golden hearts and find solidarity and empathy. I have a depression and anxiety for 32 years. The number of years of my suffering tells that nothing helped me to recover. I hope that little by little I will gain confidence and friends. God help us.
Welcome, @kaydas - I don't know how long ago depression and anxiety and a few other fun things started for me. Long before I realized I needed help. This is a great place to find support from others of us who pray for God to help us.
I know that it gets really old. Do you have people around you who care about you and maybe even understand some of what you deal with every day? As Justin said, feel free to share with us as much about yourself as you're comfortable. We're here to offer our love and support anytime you need it.
I'm glad that you found our discussion about lifelong mental illness. We have many supportive people in our online community who will be glad to share with you from their own experiences. As Justin @JustinMcClanahan and Jim @jimhd have mentioned, please feel free to share with us, as you are comfortable, more about yourself.
In these discussions you will meet folks who, like yourself, have struggled with mental health issues. This group of very courageous people will encourage you in your journey.
Have you looked into a NAMI support group in your area?
Hello Teresa, Justin, Jim and many others,
Thank you so much for your warm welcome. I am Canadian. I am 66 years old man with a long history of struggle. I was 35 when my life crashed. Little by little along all these years I lost everything: my true identity, joy, interest and even my profession and job. What I learned during all there years that medication (antidepressants, antipsychotics...) do not work. They make more damage that good. ECT is a killer. It erased my memory, added more anxiety and gave more suffering. First, you have to have really a good doctor who cares. I had no lack with this. They just push a medication and nothing else. How about nutrition, many tests (like thyroids), change of lifestyle... Never ever they asked me about all these things. In town where I live I lost all my friends. They didn't want to deal with a person who is caries negative thoughts. I am alone. I do have a family. My children grew up and have they own lives. I hope I will get more info about you all. Thank you for support and welcome.
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Thank you for this post, John @johnjames . I know it was months ago, but I ran across it and was encouraged by your words. Even my wife, after living with a depressed husband for more than 12 years, doesn't understand the feeling of heading down into that dark hole. The triggers of depression were several, but I couldn't name them until I'd been through 3 or 4 years of therapy. I don't know if I yet know all of the causes.
I haven't heard from you for awhile, so I thought I would reconnect.
Jim
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3 ReactionsDepression is hard enough w/o the addition of chronic pain. There are these times when nothing helps. Merely existing is unrewarding. Suppose stress is the culprit. Too much all at once. Try to find a distraction that will help...nuncupative noise trashing my day.
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionHi @parus, you are so right. Depression is hard enough all by itself. I did hear a speaker early this year that gave a good explanation of the part the brain plays in stress. I think if you can understand how the brain functions it may help reduce the stress or give you tools like you say to find a distraction that helps. I find that a lot of his short videos on http://stressfree.org/ do a good job of explaining the part that the brain plays and they do it in a manor that provides a little humor.
Pssst...thanks for teaching me a new word and increasing my sometimes limited vocabulary. ☺ Hoping you have a stress free, pain free day.
John
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Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsAlways glad to enlighten, expand and educate. The dictionary has been my best friend since childhood...I did check out the site and HAD to mute the sound as those high pitched cacophonous frequencies were sinuous in my neuropathic world. I did read several and liked what I read. Thanks for the share and I have saved the site. Teeny-tiny baby steps are all I can do for today. Weather moving in-Doppler eat your radar out...tee-hee.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHi, I am Kaydas. it is my first message and I don't know much about the forum. I hope to find so many golden hearts and find solidarity and empathy. I have a depression and anxiety for 32 years. The number of years of my suffering tells that nothing helped me to recover. I hope that little by little I will gain confidence and friends. God help us.
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1 Reaction@parus
Thanks for the smile!
Teresa
Hello @kaydas, welcome to Connect and thank you for posting your first message to this discussion on managing life-long mental health as a senior.
@kaydas, if you don't mind sharing, how are you doing with your depression and anxiety? 32 years is certainly a long time.
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2 ReactionsWelcome, @kaydas - I don't know how long ago depression and anxiety and a few other fun things started for me. Long before I realized I needed help. This is a great place to find support from others of us who pray for God to help us.
I know that it gets really old. Do you have people around you who care about you and maybe even understand some of what you deal with every day? As Justin said, feel free to share with us as much about yourself as you're comfortable. We're here to offer our love and support anytime you need it.
Jim
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Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHello @kaydas and welcome to Mayo Connect
I'm glad that you found our discussion about lifelong mental illness. We have many supportive people in our online community who will be glad to share with you from their own experiences. As Justin @JustinMcClanahan and Jim @jimhd have mentioned, please feel free to share with us, as you are comfortable, more about yourself.
I would also encourage you to look at some of our other discussions such as, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/how-spirituality-can-help-stress/
And https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/long-term-depression/.
In these discussions you will meet folks who, like yourself, have struggled with mental health issues. This group of very courageous people will encourage you in your journey.
Have you looked into a NAMI support group in your area?
Teresa
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHello Teresa, Justin, Jim and many others,
Thank you so much for your warm welcome. I am Canadian. I am 66 years old man with a long history of struggle. I was 35 when my life crashed. Little by little along all these years I lost everything: my true identity, joy, interest and even my profession and job. What I learned during all there years that medication (antidepressants, antipsychotics...) do not work. They make more damage that good. ECT is a killer. It erased my memory, added more anxiety and gave more suffering. First, you have to have really a good doctor who cares. I had no lack with this. They just push a medication and nothing else. How about nutrition, many tests (like thyroids), change of lifestyle... Never ever they asked me about all these things. In town where I live I lost all my friends. They didn't want to deal with a person who is caries negative thoughts. I am alone. I do have a family. My children grew up and have they own lives. I hope I will get more info about you all. Thank you for support and welcome.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions