Depression/anxiety

I've been depressed and dealt with anxiety since probably.. middle school. I guess I would be 12 or 13. It got worse as I reached my high school years, and then ultimately went away but has come back again. A lot of it has to deal with being insecure and confused my entire life about whether I was gay or not, and how my friends and family would perceive that. I'm on medications for it, but sometimes I still have my days. Have you been on any type of medication? Or have you relied strictly on support from your doctor? Like therapy? EC is my therapy, I've never tried it in person; medication does well for me.
I'm always feeling anxious, but you have to learn to cope with it the best possible way. Find ways to alleviate the anxiety (with your thoughts.. breathing.. etc. Whatever works best).

And you don't have to come out. Don't worry about that. Like my friend told me, it's not that big a deal. Just come out to those who ask; otherwise it's none of their business

 

I have chronic depression and anxiety. It's tons of fun.

Honestly, if you don't feel like you're ready to come out, maybe you should just chill in the closet for awhile. At least that's my tactic. See, I first time I came out it was waaayy too fast and it caused a lot of problems, including getting my orientation wrong. (not saying you are, but that's just my experience). My point is, I think it's important to become comfortable with yourself before you come charging out of the closet. It just makes things easier to handle.

 

I've grappled with depression a few times, but only for set periods. One was 1994, and the other was 2008. And yeah, it sucked rocks. Luckily, I had some great people working with me to help me through it. I used "talk therapy" the first time, and a mild anti-depressant the second. Each time, I think I made the right call.

Lex

 

This is my kind of thread!

I deal with severe anxiety/panic disorder. I think the first time I had a panic attack was probably when I was 9 or 10. I remember being in class and it felt like I was on a roller coaster going down a huge hill. I didn't want to eat or do anything!

Over the years, I've tried different things. I was in therapy for about 3-4 years with a counselor that my mom knew. She was.......alright. It was fine for the moment. I got to a "good" point, and stopped going. When shit hit the fan about 8 months later, I needed to go back. Apparently, no one wanted to inform me I would be removed from the system..and my therapist moved to another location.

But this was a blessing. I ended up going to another psychologist I knew from my school, and it's great. I am doing better. I still have my days, and I notice some other symptoms (like it took me longer to get back to feeling normal...) But, I've realized that there's a lot of parts to our lives and I am doing better. I can catch myself trying to slip back and it works so well for me.

The best advice my doctor has given me is that she loves when people with anxiety disorders can learn how to handle it on their own, because they ALWAYS have the tools, and don't have to rely on medication. I am not bashing medication - it has a time and place.

I (and we!) are always here!

 

I've been professionally diagnosed with anxiety (GAD, social, agoraphobia), depression, ADD, and OCD. There's the possibility that I'm misdiagnosed on one or more, but deciding which traits are caused by which is a bit challenging, since they have similar symptoms, and are possibly feeding into each other, not helped my this toxic environment. It's been rough, to say the least, though I should say it's still rough, since I'm still dealing with the same issues today, just more effectively.

What I've learned through therapy and interacting with others suffering similar disorders is that the path is different for everyone; we're never going to 'rid' ourselves of these traits completely, so the most we can do is learn to deal with them efficiently. The usual - support, exercise, diet, medication, activity - is what I'd recommend, but it's really common sense for most of us.

As far as coming out goes, it's also a different journey for everyone, and no doubt remaining closeted would make your disorders worse, but at the same time, coming out at the wrong place, or wrong time, could cause more potential harm in the short run. Some people will say the sooner the better, it's worth it, but I say if you have your mind and heart set on it, you'll do so when you're ready, and that's what matters.

We have it doubly difficult, being LGBT and having mental disorders, though the two aren't mutually exclusive, and many of those from one community deal with issues from the other. It's extra tempting to self-medicate, along with other self-destructive behaviors, but we have what's necessary to overcome in ourselves, not to mention with the backing of several support systems. In the end, the choice is still ours to keep at it and persevere, but that's life for everyone, really. Our unique situation probably makes us more resilient than other individuals, and believe it or not, probably puts us in a position of being looked up to and helping others.

All I can say is to keep holding on, and things will improve, albeit little by little and sometimes slowly.

(*hug*)

 

I definitely have had issues with depression, and they've been there my whole adult life. One reason I've been asking questions lately about therapy is the depression.

---------- Post added 27th Apr 2013 at 04:28 PM ----------

I don't know what will happen with coming out since I've not done it, except here, and to a few people whom I don't actually know (like at a PFLAG meeting). What happens when I actually come out to people in my real life is a mystery, and the way things look, it may remain an unsolved mystery for quite some time.

That said, I think becoming honest with myself was a huge help. The only minus is that there may be some depression about, and certainly frustration about, the fact that I'm stuck in the closet for a while yet...

---------- Post added 27th Apr 2013 at 04:35 PM ----------

What a great doctor! And I agree 100, 000, 000%!

One thing that concerns me is that the approach has so often become just cut a prescription, and tell the person to have a nice life. This is also a practical irritation for me--as I say, I'm looking into therapy. But my options are pretty limited, and I'm afraid on my budget the only thing available is the fast prescription model.

Drugs may have value. But it seems like in medicine in general has become too much about a fast prescription, instead of having the patient do things that may help his or her condition, whether it's depression, or high blood pressure. Lifestyle changes may, of course, not fix the problem completely...but there's at least hope that it will mean one can get away with a milder drug, or lower strength.

 

Oh, hon. It's never hopeless. Although at times it may seem that way. Just remember you are stronger than you realize. Besides all of us here have your back, and we are more than happy to listen to anything you want to talk about. I find sharing pain and frustration, can help get through it. (*hug*)

 

Man I wish someone had told me this. I really wouldn't have rushed to come out and I would've put my anxiety on the fore-front but stuff happens so, meh. :dry:


Personally, i've never had professional assistance with it. I've just been dealing since I was 14. So I do pat myself on the back for having been able to beat it back a few times and not allowing it to ruin my judgement, not completely anyways. Now I realize that "beating it back" isn't the same as "being functional." So i'm just trying to get help from the professional side now but since me and the people around me don't see eye to eye at all, I can't ask them for help with it so it sucks alot. Feels like I keep falling and i'm doing my best to claw my way back up but I just can't. Not alone anyways.

That reminds me, Does anyone know how to go about getting a therapist?.....I would really appreciate the help. :icon_bigg