I got to a point in my life, where I need to look around and decide what to change. And although it may look as if I should have a lot of options and possibilities – I feel stuck. I would appreciate any comments from you – any hints, suggestions, ideas or stories how you overcame similar problems. I do need inspiration and I would be very thankful for any feedback from you.
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posted by dogbert
on Jun 17, 2013 -
17 answers
I didn't communicate with my SO before hand, and now I'm self destructing. What are my options?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 16, 2013 -
14 answers
The past few weeks I've been starting to feel the sorts of things that I associate with previous depressive episodes, and I am hoping that there might be some way I can stop it before it really becomes a problem again.
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posted by madelf
on Jun 13, 2013 -
26 answers
I've always been prone to depression as a result of my dysthymia and due to recent traumatic events, I've slumped into depression again.
My work productivity and quality suffered as a result and I ended up breaking down to my manager, sobbing my eyes out and explaining my situation. I was even developing suicidal ideations and at this point, I've taken a little over a week off of work.
In the mean time, I've seen a doctor, a psychiatrist, and a therapist for my depression and I've been prescribed Pristiq.
Now, my question is in regards to requesting a leave of absence for my depression
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 13, 2013 -
7 answers
My parrot Scooby died a week ago. I am still in a horrible state of mourning. My wife is over it. She keeps telling me to get over it too. YANMT. What can I do to move on? I loved Scooby so very much. I have to force myself to eat every day. I've been drinking a lot. I can't stop thinking about her and what she was like and did. I dream about her death every night. I think it's affecting my physical health.
posted by Splunge
on Jun 12, 2013 -
45 answers
I have come down with a case of bad apathy. How do I find the energy/motivation/desire to even start to want to come out of it?
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posted by kanata
on Jun 12, 2013 -
13 answers
My life is a mess right now, and I can't seem to start taking the steps I need to take to dig myself out of the hole I'm in. Any suggestions?
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 12, 2013 -
17 answers
"Curing" bipolar II through diet (specifically, by giving up sugar, alcohol and caffeine). Is this BS?
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posted by whistle pig
on Jun 10, 2013 -
21 answers
I'm a man in his mid-twenties. I've never been in a relationship. I've never even taken anyone out on a date. I want to rectify this, but I think my mental health and my living situation prevent me from doing so. Should I even try to date? If not, what should I do? Details inside.
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posted by anonymous
on Jun 10, 2013 -
35 answers
I'm sort of new to watching tv. But thanks to Roku and Amazon Prime, I'm all "whoooooa this is awesooommmmeee!"... for, like, an entire day. How do I know how much tv is 'normal', since I'm prone to being sedentary and depressed at times, and really can't tell?
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posted by ArgyleMarionette
on Jun 8, 2013 -
21 answers
I'm depressed, in a gruesome summer class, and feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day to handle both my responsibilities and my well-being. How do busy people balance these things? Why do we even bother with these pesky responsibilities that society imposes on us?
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posted by DayTripper
on Jun 8, 2013 -
9 answers
Please describe the experience of going from "usually slightly depressed" to "usually reasonably happy".
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posted by zeri
on Jun 5, 2013 -
13 answers
Yesterday I admitted aloud to my husband that I think I am suffering from depression. This came after a lengthy argument over something trivial. Lately I have been feeling very, very irritated at the littlest things, and I feel like I could tear the world apart.
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posted by ThaBombShelterSmith
on Jun 4, 2013 -
39 answers
I am depressed -- not the sad miserable suicidal kind but the apathetic, heavy can't get out of bed kind. (I am unfortunately familiar with both.)
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posted by summer sock
on Jun 2, 2013 -
20 answers
I was sexually assaulted a few times and stalked/harrassed by an abusive, predatory and highly manipulative man who was in a position of trust to me. (We weren't in a relationship; he is nearly three times my age.) I am confused about where I should "be" or where I amin terms of getting over the events.
Counselors and websites are quick to point out things like PTSD and rape trauma syndrome; they are suggesting things like EMDR and strongly hinting that I'm traumatized. I'm not convinced. Is it possible to actually be traumatized and not realize/recognize it? Is a "trauma response"... with panic attacks, flashbacks, and such... the only possible response to rape and harassment? Secondly: Is therapy always necessary to deal with this sort of thing? Or is it possible that I have/will get over it by myself? I don't want to pathologize myself. I don't want to create new problems for myself by going to therapy that I might not actually need. I wanted to ask metafilter because the counselors I speak to are obviously going to be somewhat biased in telling me that I am "traumatized".
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posted by gemutlichkeit
on Jun 1, 2013 -
26 answers
A family member is extremely depressed. Several of us are concerned. I want to help, but don't want to do anything that will make things worse or alienate this person.
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posted by Eolienne
on Jun 1, 2013 -
9 answers
I'm asking for a friend. Any recommendations or resources available? Located in Vancouver area and working on a sliding scale (or relatively affordable) would be much appreciated.
posted by Hawk V
on May 30, 2013 -
4 answers
I've been on 40mg of Citalopram for over a year, I'm also on medication to reduce my blood pressure. About a week or so ago I stopped taking them, initially I just forgot for a day or two, but I now feel like I want to stay off them. Am I making a really bad decision here?
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posted by zingzangzung
on May 30, 2013 -
25 answers
I am in my 30s and have recently developed binge eating habits, and would like your advice/suggestions on how to approach this, when already feeling overwhelmed with life. Medication info and other elaboration inside...
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posted by anonymous
on May 29, 2013 -
21 answers
A friend of mine refuses to address his anxiety issues. I don't want to lose him as a friend, but also don't know how much more I can take. Please help.
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posted by stedman15
on May 28, 2013 -
15 answers
My bipolar father will go on crazy consumer debt fueled sprees of spending / gambling. What can we do on a severely limited budget to ensure he doesn't end up homeless or otherwise in major trouble?
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posted by anonymous
on May 28, 2013 -
10 answers
I dated my first love for 2-1/2 years and then we got married. She was my first girlfriend and I was her first boyfriend. She asked for a divorce about a month ago. How do I cope? Please see the extended explanation for specific questions.
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posted by speedoavenger
on May 27, 2013 -
22 answers
I'm in the midst of a terrible months-long depression and a friend of mine recommended I look into Buddhism. I'm willing to try anything, but I have no idea where to start and the Buddhist literature is pretty overwhelming. Buddhist MeFites, extend to me your enlightened hands and tell me what books to read, websites to check out, etc.
posted by ScarletSpectrum
on May 27, 2013 -
37 answers
I graduated from law school this month. I got great grades, and have a good job lined up that will keep me busy for three years after the bar exam and before entering law firm life. The problem is that I'm the new cliche: I have accumulated close to $250,000 in educational debt through undergrad and grad school and I don't want to be a lawyer. At all. Blizzard to follow.
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posted by sevensnowflakes
on May 26, 2013 -
30 answers
My grandfather grew up an orphan around the turn of the century and remained very poor as long as I knew him. He made us something called "hot ice cream". I think it had milk, and vanilla, food coloring and corn starch.
I have googled but am not getting very far. Can anyone help with this recipe?
posted by beccaj
on May 25, 2013 -
12 answers
I had a seizure on Monday. Is it normal for your emotions to be affected afterwards and what can I do to remain calm and not panic until the results of a CT scan come back?
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posted by kanata
on May 22, 2013 -
8 answers
I made an appointment at a local clinic. Assuming things start well (right Dr.+ right drugs). What can I expect 2-3 years down the road?
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posted by anonymous
on May 21, 2013 -
4 answers
I'm childfree, meaning I don't have kids and don't want them. I'm also on the far end of the loner scale. I have some questions about finding a partner and using OKCupid to do it.
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posted by moonlit walk on the sun
on May 19, 2013 -
48 answers
My dad, in his 60s, seems to be depressed. He is deeply unhappy and anxious, and he's also become angry and bitter to the point of a total personality change, mostly with my mum. She is miserable, and me and my siblings are so worried about both of them, especially because Dad refuses to get any help or even have a conversation about this. What, if anything, can we do here?
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posted by smockpuppet
on May 18, 2013 -
11 answers
Just started a new job that moves way faster than me. I'm scared that I can't keep up. What can I do to make it work?
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posted by anonymous
on May 16, 2013 -
26 answers
Can you offer any recommendations for CBT-centered therapists in and around the Pittsburgh area, ideally east end? I'm looking for a CBT psychologist to provide therapy in conjunction with meds.
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posted by woolly
on May 14, 2013 -
1 answer
My pdoc wants to decrease the dosage of a medication that has proven to work well for me, while increasing the dosage of an expensive designer drug that the jury is still out on. I'm skeptical.
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posted by mirepoix
on May 14, 2013 -
27 answers
I've been struggling with mild depression for a long time. I think therapy is probably a good idea for someone like me, but I've been unable to find a therapist I really respect. I've tried seven different therapists (one I stuck with for a couple years), but none have seemed very insightful or helpful. I'm feeling like I should try again (my wife definitely wants me to). Do I just have to be willing to try a dozen therapists until I find the "right" one? (That seems really daunting.) Or is there maybe some way I can better benefit from a therapist who doesn't seem very insightful?
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posted by anonymous
on May 10, 2013 -
26 answers
Do I need professional help or just time? I've been feeling anxious and stressed for the past three months, and I'm having a hard time parsing if this is due to this being an exceptionally...erm...challenging point in my life or if some sort of anxiety or depression has settled on me.
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posted by brambory
on May 6, 2013 -
8 answers
I have a history of romantic involvements that usually never get past three or four months (with a single exception that went on for 3.5 years). This didn't used to bother me so much, but it's now starting to make me ridiculously sad. I'm 30. How can I learn to hold someone's interest in me and/or choose better? Sorry for the book below, and thanks for any suggestions.
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posted by oogenesis
on May 2, 2013 -
34 answers
I just had a weekend (non-adulterous) affair with someone who lives halfway across the country. It went well, incredibly well, so well, and now she has gone back home and I am experiencing a massive onslaught of feelings and I am not sure how to proceed and maintain my sanity. Details inside.
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posted by My Famous Mistake
on Apr 30, 2013 -
13 answers
Two nights from now I will be back living with the parents on the other end of the country. Help me turn this into a positive experience. What worked for you?
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posted by signondiego
on Apr 29, 2013 -
9 answers
Looking for a design project: A few years ago I saw a design project where someone made a set of black and white business cards or similar, that told people to look up at chimneys/roofs when they were down, as the light stimulated some sort of happy-chemical. But now I can't find it!
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posted by teststrip
on Apr 29, 2013 -
1 answer
How do you get used to yourself as bipolar (II)? Trying to understand my lows and mixed highs better, but find myself slipping into despair.
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posted by elephantsvanish
on Apr 28, 2013 -
11 answers
I am currently finishing up my exchange in France where I've had awesome experiences and faced life-changing learning curves. Now I'm returning home to my extremely estranged parents who have been fighting all my life--deep, disgusting trenches of arguments that seem never-ending.
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posted by rhythm_queen
on Apr 28, 2013 -
48 answers
Hey Mefites, here's my question:
My younger sister, mother, and I suffered years of abuse at the hands of an alcoholic stepfather - physical, verbal, etc. When we were younger, my sister and I were absolutely focused on getting the fuck out and did, getting scholarships to great schools, thankfully. My mom, not so much. She is no longer in a relationship with him, but they have been living together for economic reasons - she needs his disability paycheck to pay the bills (all of which are in her name, including the mortgage payment.)
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 19, 2013 -
15 answers
I'm going through a bout of depression and while it isn't affecting my work, it is affecting how I behave at work. I realised today that some of my colleagues have picked up on this change in behaviour. How can I maintain my dignity and privacy?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 19, 2013 -
7 answers
About 8 weeks ago I sliced the flexor profundus tendon that allows the tip of my right pinky to function. I had surgery and have now subsequently re-severed the healing tendon, requiring ANOTHER round of surgery to try to repair again. Should I go through with this? Issues related to post-operative depression, unemployment, and general existentialist angst inside. See
previous.
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posted by jnnla
on Apr 16, 2013 -
11 answers
Hi.
I'll try and cut a long story short, about 6 month ago I've been diagnosed with ADHD and now I'm doubting my diagnosis.
(more down there, all sappy again)
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posted by ahtlast93
on Apr 16, 2013 -
12 answers
What is it like to be lazy or whiny but NOT depressed? Please share your stories of irresponsible laid back behavior so we depressives can finally see the difference.
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posted by iamleda
on Apr 11, 2013 -
38 answers
What techniques can I employ to help deal with crippling anxiety and bug-phobic behaviors until I can afford regular therapy appointments? Ugly details inside - apologies for the length.
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posted by woolly
on Apr 10, 2013 -
16 answers
