rabsody

Have you read "Running With Scissors"? It's a real life story on a similar situation to the one you describe with your friend. It's a fab read

Gettingtheflipout

Hi everyone.

Think I've developed (or amplified, whatever) SAD, since I moved to New England- Winters I find utterly desperate, Summers I find too hot and humid, and the two weeks either side known as Spring and Fall are too fleeting to enjoy properly.

As such I spend most of my life as a recluse- I hate being inside (its sunny/snowy! standard british prompts to get out there and enjoy it!) but I hate being outside (have to wear ten tonnage of clothing in winter/can't wear too little in summer- pass me the razor, I think I need to shave my skin off- this and I work in an office, where women get to wear summer dresses and sandles, and men get to, essentially, take their effing jacket off (COME ON!), so I get dirty looks from my director (who drives to work in an air-conditioned Jag, and sits in an air-conditioned office all day) because I wear short-sleeved shirts (would you prefer I die?)

Crimbo/winter fro me used to be ok-new Pratchett book, roast parsnips, some Bond on the tele and spring to look forward to. Summer was always ok (UK summer is a Vermont spring, afterall...) autumn meant trenchcoats and umbrellas, and I love that look, and winter meant chuck a scarf on the autumn ensemble.

here, the transition from Autumn (aside from the two weeks of relative sanity around November time) means lock up your shorts and strap on your fleece-lined long-johns.

Hate it, hate it, hate it...

I miss the cold, the damp, the long nights and rainy summers. I never owned a pair of shorts in the UK, other than running shorts, and I never owned a hat other than my camo hat for airsoft and birdwatching. Here, thy're flippin' necessity and I hate it...

PS_ I'd smoked for ten years in the uk, from 14 to 24. I quit at 24 (had cancer scare, went insane with visions of own death, ate choccy, put on weight, eventually jogged it off once I could be trusted to leave the house and not immediately mug someone for their half-smoked fag, and became happy, non-substance-reliant member of English Community...). after 12 months in the US, I was back on the ciggies, and smoking a cigar every night after work. eventually quit that nonsense after moving to Vermont, but spend most evening sorely tempted by this or booze.

light is at end of tunnel, and is not a flame-thrower- Wifey and I are looking at a sooner ranther than later departure (burn belongings: check- shovel remainder into small napsack: check Buy tickets to UK: Check and double Check)

busterboy

No but I have seen it and I am due at the bookshop tomorrow...thanks for the tip.

Fleaflyfloflum

My GP has suggested I go on them as of yesterday.

I have had a relapse with my pnuemonia. I have been told I need to go back into hospital but i have refused to go until after the weekend. I want ot see if the new antibiotics will improve things first, but after the long catalogue of horrible events in the last few months, it is starting to take its toll on me emotionally. I have been bursting into tears for no reason, and feeling so low in mood over the last few weeks. I miss my husband big time even though my daughters have been great. I have not been able to enjoy being back in UK due to being so sick all the time.

I just hope these pills will be temporary until i am back on my feet so to speak. I have no qualms about taking such things. Sometimes we need this kind of thing just as we need medication for other ailments

busterboy

Flea, too much change in a concentrated period of time. You may need a little help just to get back to an even keel.

Will be thinking of you from a freezing Melbourne.

Baby75

This is my fear im only here 7 weeks and some days all i want to do is get on a plane and go home I am pregnant and staying with friends but lately im finding im having more bad days than good I know its normal to be teary when pregnant but I feel Im a bit to much im so scared that after the baby ill end up with PND

I don't hate Australia and i had realistic views before we got here just I think its little things Im out of my comfort zone and its hard living under some one else house and rules feel we are being extra hard on the kids for making noise generally its not to bad no fighting only im a little annoyed at our friends as they said to come on over it will be grand they had planned on traveling but had said they would be back for when I have the baby but are only leaving in a weeks time and have extended their trip for 3 and a half months so now i cant help but think why didn't they tell us before we got here instead of now I might be doing this on my own there other little things as well but ild be here all day

me just moaning I guess then Im so worried that if I do decide i want to go home My DH wont at the minute I don't think I could last 2 years but then that could change when we have our own place and im a bit more normal when Im not pregnant any more

JoolsB

Oh no I'm sorry to read you're going thru such a bad time when you were so upbeat about your trip back. It is amazing how much stress one can put up with but when you reach a certain level you can poop out. I agree meds for depression are like meds for anything else-it's a problem that needs treatment & that's that. I hope you start to feel better soon physically and emotionally. Mine have done wonders for me!

Fleaflyfloflum

Thanks busterboy and jools

I am certainly not clinically depressed more environmental ie situations and events that have created the emotional reactions.
I have had probably the worst sequence of events happen to me in quick succession ever!! We all have catastrophes and bad things happen throughout our lives but I have been unfortunate enough to have a whole catalogue one after another.
It has made me so worn out emotionally. I cant even be bothered to type on here as much as i used to. I have lost my mojo!!

Hopefully it is over now!! I fear i am tempting fate even typing that

horrigans

I really feel for you - and about a month ago I could have written the same. Moving back from Australia and all that went before we left had me feeling like I had absolutely nothing left to give. I felt like I had nothing to say to anyone. I got so tired of feeling down about everything and nothing seemingly going quite right. Well, I made up my mind that I would go back to work full time (have worked part-time from home whilst being full-time mum and part-time student for the past few years) and all of a sudden starting to feel a bit more in control of what I was doing, I started to feel more like me again. Have just got the (geeky!) job that I really really wanted and I cannot believe how much better I feel all round. Moving towards something and starting to regain control when you've had a nightmare year helps enormously.

You're going through a whole load of massive changes - some good, some bad... and it will take its toll. But... it will get better and be so very worth it. Look after you as much as possible and it will work out in time.

Sarah (who had her sanity saved by MBTTUK when it was all going horribly wrong in Oz and is finally getting her mojo back too!)

rabsody

Hi Flea, so sorry to hear of the difficult times you have been through, especially after all the dramas to get over there in the first place. You've had all these unwelcome things happen to you recently, which must mean the only way is up hun!

peanut21

HI Sarah

So happy to hear you are sounding happy now. I think like you said it takes us all time to get over things both good and bad...congrats on the job
NIcola

Xebedee

Any opinions on "CYMBALTA"?

Just switched from Effexor as it wasn't working anymore even at double dosage.
Am now taking 60mg doses of Cymbalta and after ramping up from 30mg, it seems deffo different. Getting used to it I suppose.

After popping one, there is such an amphetamine-type rush.
This lasts about an hour or so, then settles down - but at first there is a fair bit of dizzyness.

Any experiences??

SarahInTX

I couldn't tolerate Effexor. Made me nauseated. Haven't tried Cymbalta yet. I like the ads though. They really resonate with me . . . When I first started on Prozac I was on a high for a couple of weeks. Couldn't stop grinning.

Sarah

Ruby Murray

Hi, I'm on Cymbalta....have been since May. I was initially on Sertraline but they just weren't working at all so my Dr suggested I try these, taking a 60mg dose and there was an improvement. However, it wasn't until I saw my psychiatrist and she increased my dosage to 120mg per day. I was also on anti-anxiety meds but they zoned me out and made me feel totally weird. I'm not depressed anymore, I can get on with my day to day things but I still think about my England and family back home and how I long to have another chance to live there again and appreciate it this time. I have no problem whatsoever with anti-depressants - they have helped me through the most horrendous past 6 months of my life - very black times. They are simply a tablet to make your head better, just like meds would make your heart better or your blood thinner, etc.

ozzieclare2b

glad i found this thread. Only been here over 2 months and feel like im sliding into depression, i really dont want to go back on anti=ds , i was on cipralex before for pdn and it took me ages to wean myself off them due to the withdrawal effects. Any suggestions for keeping it at bay naturally?