Thankyou Jake. It's been getting worse all day. Sick as dog. Went out to my shop to work on my semi in hopes I was getting better since going back on the effexor. Not so tired, depressed and sick. Could it be the side effects of going back on effexor? I know I wany life back. This is been a rollercoaster ride.

I hear you and I understand. Wanna know what I did today? I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home a couple days per week and I moved my desk straight in front of a window. Sunshine! Exercise! Eat minimal sugars and get decent rest. Depression and anxiety are real, but keep up the good fight. Incidentally, since it seems you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, dig in some soil. With your hands! I remember reading somewhere that there’s mood lifting qualities in touching dirt! Ha! But look, I hope knowing you’re not alone helps if only just a little. Yesterday was a bad day. I could cry if the wind blew. Today was pretty good, but I still broke down. Hoping for a better tomorrow. For us both!

(I am not allowed to post urls, sorry. Please google soil and depression)

This is just one article of many about the Seratonin releasing qualities of soil. Sounds perfect for farm boy 🙂

Oh, and I forgot, meditation. Be it true meditation or merely saying prayers while digging in soil. Try this for at least 20 minutes per day, everyday. It changes your brain chemistry and truly helps.

@farmboy
Hi
Effexor can cause drowsiness but if your taking other medication for pain, sleep, muscle relaxants, allergies, seizures etc, they can intensify the sedative effect. Also, Effexor can raise blood pressure as can coffee so you may want to keep an eye on that.
Jake

I would go play in the dirt but the dirt is frozen here in Iowa. I've stayed in the shop as long as possible today. I try to stay busy. I hope you have a great day tomorrow.

Thank you for the info Jake. I'll keep an eye on my blood pressure.

Sounds interesting enough

I’m in Delaware and, thankfully, spring is springing! I crossed through Iowa once and it’s beautiful! I hope spring comes soon!

Me to. It actually just started thundering and lightning here. It's been a crazy winter here.

@farmboy
I read this somewhere, too, about the mental health benefits of gardening–actually getting your hands in dirt. The ground might be frozen, but you can certainly try houseplants and starting seedlings for your garden to plant later in the Spring.

Here are a couple of articles about the mental health benefits of gardening—
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm
https://qz.com/993258/dirt-has-a-microbiome-and-it-may-double-as-an-antidepressant/

I've forced myself to get into my sewing studio. I dont understand how sometimes, a hobby is a joy and other times it seems a chore. Trying to get out into the sunshine, and I have a slew of African violets in my kitchen that I propagate. We also have bluebirds in our backyard. Sometimes I think they are the only thing that gives me hope, they show up when I need them most. The fatigue though is debilitating and so frustrating. Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow, thank you for being here.

I know what you mean about your birds. The bald eagles are still hanging around here in southern Iowa and when I see one for some reason it gives me hope. I know what you mean by having to force are selves to get out and do something. It's seems like a big chore. I'm on day 5 of restarting my effexor. As of right now it seems to be making my depression worse. But like you said, have a good day tomorrow. Warmer weather and lots of sunshine I think will help us all. At least I pray it does.

Hi there, I just joined Connect in preparation for my Effexor detox. I'm starting on Monday, and I'm pretty scared bc I've already experienced the withdrawal many times from missing doses. Been on 300 mg for about 8 years and really feel like I'm ready to come off. I'll be taking a leave from work, so I can taper aggressively and just focus on being healthy. Just hoping to find some support and solidarity 🙂

There is alot of good people on here with great advice. The number one thing that everyone will tell you is to go SLOOOOW. I made that mistake 2 weeks ago. I went way to fast and had major withdrawals. Panic attacks anxiety attacks and felt like I was losing my mind. I ended up in the emergency room twice. Please listen to what people tell you on here. You found a very great group and great people. Remember don't go to fast!!