Part 1 of 10

this bloke is great!

Teenagers, huh

You can tell it's not real because he was quite articulate for a teenage boy (and he didn't once say 'whateva')

True. And the other bloke was too saintly patient.

I have kind of skipped to the end of this thread so not sure if this has been mentioned but I can only say that this was what helped me....
http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-...M/mindfulness/
I was lucky enough to be accepted into the original trials of a collaboration between Prof Mark Williams at Bangor Uni (now in Oxford)and Jon Kabot Zin in the States. The mindfulness course I did was amazing and not only helped me 19 years ago, but I still use some of the strategies even today.
There is still a centre at Bangor University..http://www.bangor.ac.uk/mindfulness/

Agree!

I've sat here and read this whole thread from start to finish. It's incredibly reassuring to know that I'm not alone feeling as down as I have been. I've always been inclined to suffer from depression but generally not so much that I couldn't treat it myself (by cutting my commitments to allow myself more time to relax, sleep etc) and seeing good friends who would talk me down off the ledge (figuratively!).
But since I've been in Australia I've had bouts of such darkness that I'm thinking I'll just have to go to the doctor and see what he has to say about it. It's not even that I'll feel down for a week at a time because something bad has happened etc, I can be fine one morning, then go to the pits of despair and not be able to function for the afternoon, then in the evening I'll be fine again! It feels like something gets hold around my throat (I can physically feel it), I get a splitting headache and I cry a lot but can't really figure out why, I just feel crap. I've been blaming in on emigrating, loneliness (have no real friends here), trying to settle etc but I struggle to tell if I just don't like Australia or if it's genuine depression or a chemical imbalance etc. I feel better when I've been out at the weekend, spent some time with my family here etc but then if I'm on my own for a bit (husband is off playing football or whatever) it's just awful. I know I should socialise but really, I don't feel like it and there's no-one here I feel i can just relax with, they don't want to know about how I feel, they barely know me and I don't have the energy to fake being happy when I'm not. Even my family here have no idea, it's too hard to say to people 'I'm depressed' and see that look on their face when no-one knows what to say.

That's it really, off to the doc with me I guess, I know I don't want anti-depressants though so I wonder what he'll suggest...

Can totally relate to your situation. On Saturday morning I had another bad episode, took my until well towards evening before I recovered. I could harly say a word to anyone whilst it was happening and even felt so down watching my son at his swimming lesson. Getting better again but still bad headaches.

Doc may suggest you go and see a specialist to talk it through. I am like you in that I don't like anti-depressants but sometimes when it gets so bad you have to do whatever might help.

I didn't want anti-depressants - until I took them and got me and my life back.
Re-assess your feelings once you have alleviated the depression - by whatever means it takes. You really can't make rational, constructive decisions if you are depressed, so be prepared to rethink things when you feel better and try to remember what you decided if the depression returns.

Good luck.

Hope you're feeling better this week Jon. I too get really bad headaches when it hits and nothing seems to take the edge off much.

I'm reluctant to take anti-depressants because I had them for a few months many years ago and I HATED the way they made me feel. I felt nothing at all for ages which was almost worse than being depressed then when i did feel better it felt fake so i ended up coming off them altogether. Well, we'll see what the doc thinks.

Some anti-depressants may disagree with you - you need to try a different sort -talk to doc. I had one lot that that had an effect similar to your experience (it was Seroxat - noted for side-effects as I found out) and stopped taking them knowing full well I was going to be feeling awful with depression, but then I could go to the doc and get a different variety started without delay. I'm still taking them and feel absolutely fine.

Thanks for that. It's the rollercoaster of trying different ones (assuming the first one doesn't suit) that I dread. I had an awful time when i got here first as I can't get my usual Pill in Oz and the one the doc put me on made me completely mental

Got to be better than feeling like this I guess...

RIP gentle kind nephew you'll be desperately missed.
Tim 1987 - 2013