So I did quit drinking a little more then 6 months ago, for a lot of reason, but one of them was because of my mood swings involved with my drinking behaviours. I actually wanted to see with my therapist if my mood would stabilize if I stop (don’t want to take meds, but have some littles high some times and depressives phases without effective reason). I’m not seeing any therapist anymore because $
For most of the time, I’m better. Especially because of the clarity that sobriety gave me. And also because there’s no more induced depression and anxiety from using.
But accounting to my mood journal, it’s been a month I feel like shit. These last days are pretty rough. Questioning the sens of everything and stuff. Today I tried to work on school stuff - it was so hard to motivate me I have made myself delivered 2 trios from Harvey’s. Didn’t work out and felt like shit about eating all that crap. So I tried to change my mind, and watched 3 movies. I ate 2 pint of ben and jerry ice cream. Basically lost my day trying to cope with my depressive mood, in a way that doesn’t really differ from my old days drinking alone on my couch watching movies - just trade the booze for scrap.
It is hard because when I drank I used to say « tomorrow is gonna be better, a new day » and whatever, but these days I’m not quite sure I’m going to wake up in a better state or if I will have the power to work it through by myself - or if it’s even worth it.
Anyways I wanted to know if some of you guys had strategies to when it comes to feeling depressive. Because my plans aren’t satisfying me so well. Maybe there’s better ways to live with a mood like this.
And I searched on the forum if there was a post like it but didn’t find it. If there’s one and someone knows it you can link it to me would appreciate it!
Hi! I don’t know any forums talking about this topic but I can say to you how I am facing my depression. At first I felt desperate but I started thinking that I made one big thing: I wasn’t drunk! This helped a bit my mood. Surely just the fact of avoiding alcohol is helping your mood. My therapist told me that alcohol has a depressive action on us. My experience with alcohol and depression teached me that if you drank you would feel worse. Another thing I made was spending time with my family. Don’t isolate yourself! Even if you fell like crap search for support from family and friends. It helped me a lot but, above all, remember that drinking won’t help you to feel better.
I just took a test online, said I’m severely depressed. I didn’t need a test to tell me that. For me, this time of year gets me sad. Just getting out of bed has been a struggle lately. But the way I see it, I can do one of two things.
I can lay in bed or on the couch and feel sorry for my self while I stuff my face. Or…
I can commit to being as productive as possible while I feel sorry for my self.
So, starting tomorrow morning, I am going to put my foot on the gas and go balls to the wall and be the best that I can be. I’ll still feel sorry for myself and I’ll be sad, and I’ll probably end up crying, but at least I’ll get shit done.
Warren Buffett once said “I can buy whatever I want, except time. I can’t buy more time”.
I know that this will pass. It might take a month. Might take two, but it will pass, so might as well take advantage of the time that I have, because I ain’t getting that back.
I find that I go through waves of really struggling. Meditation, yoga and exercise help when I can find space to do them and I try to make the effort to do them when I’m feeling well. Steadying the ship for the next storm.
I try to recognise my negative thought spirals and that they are largely a product of a busy mind. It is hard though, all the time I’m spending feeling like shit is time I’m not doing the things I feel like I should be doing… And the spiral continues.
I don’t really know what the answer is. I am just trying to forgive myself for the things that aren’t getting done and reminding myself that the world won’t stop turning just because I’m taking a little step back from it. The sun rises again tomorrow etc.
When I stopped drinking to start with I could find a sense of gratitude for feeling all the feelings. Now, not so much
I get what your saying about not having money for therapy. I see one at the community health center where I live. Its not free but it doesn’t break the bank. About the meds no one really wants to be in meds. That is how I felt for a long time but I was told (and this changed my mind) that when we chose a path of drugs and alcohol our brains changed no we probably didn’t need meds before but now to even out the chemical imbalance in our brains we may need them. Maybe not forever but to get our minds out of the thought that we are depressed it may help. And you can make sure who ever you see knows that your long term goal is not to be on meds. Have you tried a more holistic approach. Meaning natural erbs from a health store?
I hope this helps.
You’re right about the family thing. But that is the worst part: people would like some time to see me and i would just decline the offers to, like you said, isolate myself. It’s the rough part because I’m known to be an happy and funny person, but I don’t like being seen depressive, especially because I don’t want people to worry about this. BUT you’re right about having to do stuff even if we’re not feeling it… but damn it’s hard. Just today i have stuff to do that are good for me (physiotherapist because of shoulders injury pain) and I so don’t feel like going. I guess I’ll just kick my ass up there !!
Also i felt for a long time alcool is a big depressor for me too. I can imagine how much worst I would feel today if my binge eating of yesterday would’ve been binge drinking… anyways! Thanks
Commit to being as productive as possible while feeling sorry for myself sounds like a good commitment to me as well … hard one but legitimate : even if I take the option 1 I still feel like crap anyways.
It made me think of the gym. Even when I don’t feel like it or I’m tired, i go and i do « what’s possible » in my physical state of the day. Might not be as fast or focused as I would like, but at least I went and worked out. When I feel that I am at 70% of my full capacity (let say because lack of sleep or eat) I still give 100% of that 70, and that is how I get better.
Maybe I should give a try like you and give 100% of my 20% shitty mood. Thanks to you hope you’ll do good
Thanks for you answer. But yes my mother is really into natural stuff and basically force me to use it lol.
But about the meds and addiction impact, i know using could’ve been a trigger to my depressive state, but only partly. I’ve been having these mood swings long time before I started really using. But for sure it can trigger mental disorders. What makes me doesn’t want to take meds is that my depressive states affects me mostly in certain period of the year, like now. I didn’t feel it was worth taking it all year around when it maybe affects me for couples of weeks at the time …but maybe I’ll change my mind… because it’s starting to make me fail in different aspect of life. I’ll see how long this last. Have a good day yourself !
How you doing today? I woke up feeling pretty meh. All the dishes in my house were dirty so I cranked up Alexa and played some Disturbed, the best cargo short wearing Dad bands ever! I got the dishes done, wrote s song, then took a shower. I am about to go to the gym now and get my sweat on.
I went to the Dr., and after some discussion he decided to put me on a low dose of an antidepressant/ anti-anxiety med. For now I feel like I need it, but hopefully I can taper off of it by summer!
Oh well that’s sound like a nice day!
I too woke up pretty meh. Felt down until mid afternoon, after I forced myself to go to my physiotherapist appointment. Talking to someone actually helped me a lot I think. After that I did my groceries and just went to the gym without asking myself if I should go or not. Talked to a couple of friend there, and felt great since then… so weird how my mood can change like that it’s annoying
Hope it’ll work well for you. I personally had bad experiences with those but sometimes it’s hard to find the right med that fits you. Hopefully this will be helpful for you !!
I’ve been on them before. Just took finding the right one for me. The side effects from this one should wear off in a couple of weeks, but all in all they’re doing the trick!
I have always been against antidepressant. BUT after I had a long talk with my friend who’s a doctor plus my therapist I decided tio give it a try. The meds have helped me through some of the worse anxiety and weird thughts I used to have. Another thing I did was to change my diet and it really helps too.
After we drink a lot for a long time we damage our brains and it becomes harder to find the “happy place” I would think about it again If I were you.
I take antidepressants too. They helped me a lot. This is not the solution to depression but they are very helpful, according to my personal experience. Now I can do simple things such as listening to music without crying or going out with friends, that when I where on severe depression I simply couldn’t.
Stay strong!
