Do you feel your depression is worse or better with time of day?

Posted by liz223 @liz223, May 20, 2018

Do you feel more depressed at certain times of the day or night? When I first wake up in the mornings, I'm very depressed. I go into the kitchen in a brain fog and feel so low I want to cry. After I force myself to make a good breakfast and have eaten, my whole attitude changes and I feel I can face the day.

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ann78 | @ann78 | Jul 16 5:46am

In reply to @maryjjeandennis "@msmarymac I find mornings to be worse. Mjdennis" + (show)

@maryjjeandennis
Mornings are my worse.

margaretallen | @margaretallen | Jul 16 7:51am

In reply to @hopeful33250 "@mamasitalucita What very helpful words, @mamasitalucita. You acknowledge the difficulties you have in the mornings, however,..." + (show)

@hopeful33250 I will try that took. Does anyone have anxiety alongside the depression

lakesofdelray | @lakesofdelray | Jul 17 7:19am

Mornings are the worst.

lakesofdelray | @lakesofdelray | Jul 17 7:21am

They are siblings

kleelibby | @kleelibby | Jul 18 2:28pm

In reply to @margaretallen "@hopeful33250 I will try that took. Does anyone have anxiety alongside the depression" + (show)

@margaretallen
I have both anxiety with depression. Horrible.

kleelibby | @kleelibby | Jul 18 2:30pm

In reply to @gailb "@liz223 I have a few questions for you. - Do you take any medications at bedtime?..." + (show)

@gailb

@liz223

I have a few questions for you.
- Do you take any medications at bedtime?
- Do you have diabetes?
- How many hours do you sleep at night?
- Do you snore?

I'm asking these questions because all of these things have affected my feelings of depression and brain fog in the morning.
-The medication that affected my brain fog the most was Gabapentin, which is also Neurontin, and they are close in chemistry to Lyrica. I had memory loss and brain fog until I stopped taking the Gabapentin.
- I have Type 2 diabetes. When my blood sugar is high I feel lethargic, brain fog, and sleepiness, as well as thirst. If you don't know whether or not you have diabetes, you may want to check with your physician about getting tested. If you do have T2 diabetes, check your blood sugar level first thing in the morning to determine if it's high. I'm talking about levels of 200 or higher.
- When I don't get adequate hours of deep sleep, especially when it became chronic due to stress, I had brain fog and depression in the morning and the afternoon. Make sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Sleeping too much can also result in brain fog and depression. This can be caused by medications and/or general depression. Check with your physician again if you are taking antidepressant medication as this may need to be changed. If you aren't taking a medication for depression and you are depressed, you may want to have genetic tests to determine an antidepressant that would work for you. The tests will also help determine if you need to change antidepressant if you are taking one now.
- Last, if you snore at night, please get a sleep study. You may have sleep apnea which can make you feel like you have described. I had sleep apnea and began reluctantly to use a Cpap machine at night. They look ugly, and I swore after seeing my brother using one that I would never do that. But, after one week of using mine I was amazed at the wonderful quality of sleep I got! I awoke each morning with energy and feeling completely rested. I loved it. I have lost 80 pounds since then, and no longer need the Cpap, but right now when I have a cold I wish I still used it. LOL

If any of these items are true for you, please check with your physician to see if you can do anything that will correct your morning depression. I also recommend getting adequate exercise each day. Walking does wonders for depression and quality of sleep. Please keep in touch with us and let us know how you are doing and what actions you are taking.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

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@gailb
Thank you, this is so helpful.

tonnie9 | @tonnie9 | Jul 25 5:08pm

I remember those days when I woke up angry and sad. It seem like a dream now that ever happened. I begin to wonder why I felt the way that I felt growing up in a home with alcoholic parent while the other parent on their off days would cry all day while the other parent was gone enjoying their lifestyle. Eventually when I became adult I began to seek help through God, support groups, stay away from negative people which includes some members of my family. You can't change other people only person you can change is yourself.

ellu | @ellu | Jul 26 10:27pm

@ellu I have been living with Bi-polar disorder for 50 years, although I was not diagnosed until I was in my 40s.
My psychiatrist draws the following picture - if you wake up feeling depressed, then tnis could be clinical depression, and should be investigated. If you become depressed later in the day, then this is usually due to tiredness, worry about what has happened during the day, and is pretty common. I have no medical qualifications, but from my own experience I would advise that if you are waking depressed, it is worth consulting a doctor. If you are feeling depressed later in the day, try to plan your day so that you do not wear yourself out, and have a "wind down" routine which helps you recover. It might be that a short nap, doing something you enjoy (maybe a hobby), or just relaxing with a cup of herbal tea could lift your mood. Personally, I lead a pretty busy life, so every day after dinner I try to turn myself "off" by watching an hour or so of some rubbishy programme on Netflix so that I unwind and am ready for bed. But remember, I am not a doctor - if anything about your depressed mood bothers you, then please see a doctor for advice. @ellu