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15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Starting over again

Hello All, as you can see, I had to reregister. Had some techical difficulties, it wouldn't let me post, and I didn't want to wait to get it fixed. So you see now I am"Ralph 2", but i can assure you it is the same person. I want to thank you all for your responses. It seems that I have searching for along time to find a forum like this where I can talk to people who really understand what i am going thru. Wildcat, you are very right in your analogy as to suicide confusing a foe with a friend. That is why I am so scared of a relapse at this time. Also, I too, realized that my wife did as well have so much invested in me. The thought of causing her so much pain in having to deal with what I was going to do is a great source of shame and guilt right now. It is hard for me as well, because I have tried to change so much in my life and still failed to get over the hump to wellness. I was self medicating at one time, alcohol  to the extreme, and I was able to stop. I quit smoking, drinking, ate right got excercise, went to church, basically turned my life around and yet, here I am, right back where I started from. The only factor that I stopped was the medication. Makes me wonder, is it just a chemical process? Goofy, thank you for your thoughts on work. I am still not sure what to do at this time. I worried alot of people who are close to me, and they are all encouraging me to tale my time, but  still have this urge to get out and do something. They all say take it one day at a time, but I worked for almost 30 years in retail management. A major part of my job was to always be in the future, planning, anticiapting problems and figuring out how to avoid them.trying to find small problems before they became big. I realize this type of thinking help put me in the position I am in today, but it is not easy to stop and I am not sure how to go about it. The other thing is I can't seem to find what I want to do. Since leaving retail management last year, I have taken the poatal exam, started a tax preparation class(which I didn't complete), gotten my commercial driving liscense(spent 2 months drving semi truck over the road, my wife couldn't take me being gone all the time), worked a month as a security guard and lastly worked as a cashier and day stocker at a grocery store. And this is all in just the last year, can't seem to find anything satisfying enough to stay with and now hesitant to just keep looking becuase of the amount of money for training I have already spent and am not using. What way to turn? Mother of 3, on an intellectual level I totally understand your point, on a spiritual level, I am having a real hard time. Not because you aren't right, you are. It is just that I wonder, do I have so little faith that I couldn't bear the cross i was given? You see I too, have a great deal of guilt about suicide. I was raised catholic, where suicide was considered one of the ultimate sins. Not only were you throwing away God's most precious gift,life, but also if you did the things you were supposed to do, you should have enough faith to get you thru life troubles and tribulations. Because of these feelings I have had a hard time going to a clergy member and talking to them about my problems. I have made several attempts, via email, in order to gauge how they would feel before I go in person to person and do not get a response. Their silence is condeming. i will continue to pray though it it was hard to start again, I had prayed so very hard during the last episode I had and felt he had abandoned me.  I realize that this is my thorn as well, but it is hard for me to accept it. I have spent my entire life trying to fix things, accepting that I may not be able to fix this, is very frustrating for me. One day at a time? I'm working on it. 
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Reality hits home

Goofy, I wish I knew the words to fill the empty place that a loss like this brings. I do know the feeling. I lost my Mom last year at this time and my Dad 21/2 years before that. I was very suprised with how hard it hit me when my Mom passed. I didn't think it would be as hard. My Mom was human, she had her faults, but I could always count on her unconditional love. Her passing brought back memories long forgot. It hurt then, it hurts now. I think differently about the hurt now though, at least I was lucky enough to have  parent who did love me so much. I have a number of friends whose relationships with their parents were bad at best. My memories may be bittersweet, but at least I have them and that is what gets me thru. Take care and be good to yourself, your Mom and Dad would have.
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Starting over again

    Rose, please do not be afraid to respond and I do not think that this discussion has been negative. I believe that we are a product of all the influences that have happened to us in our lives and this affects how we view things, and it is good to hear things from someone elses point of view.  I sometimes think that we are in the spot we are because we care about things. We want to do what is right even when it is difficult. We struggle with religion, because we would really like to know the answer.  We struggle with religion because we have seen to many people use it as an end to their own means, and most of us already have trust issues. As, for me, I still believe and will always believe as a Christian. I still believe in the power of prayer and I believe it is important to lead a good life( love your neighbor as yourself). I just haven't been able to find a church that fits my personal and spiritual needs, but I will keep trying.
  As for me  personally, I am doing much better. The meds are kicking in. Don't quite understand why they make such a difference in my mood but they certainly do. Been doing some research on the internet about brain chemistry and depression, very interesting. I have to say though that being involved on this group has been a very positive experience as well. The support I have felt was much needed and the way you all have handled the discussion, even on a topic like religion, in a caring and considerate way has made me feel, well safe. Thank you!
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Starting over again

Dear Rose, I have been reading your other posts. I know where you are, I have been there and it is no fun at all. I wish I knew what to say to give you some hope. The medication I am on is Cymbalta, I was on effexor before, which is basically the same thing but with a few more side effects. I have been on it for 11 days am really feeling it start to kick in. My mood is better, I am not amplifying the negative aspects of my life and myself. It is a serotonin uptake inhibitor. I have been doing alot of reading about brain chemistry and there are actual studies that show that was is happening to us is not all our fault. My readings show that there may be a specific gene that makes cetain people predisposed to depression when certain life events hit. Not only that  studies suggest that as we go thru depression our brain chemisry changes, which makes us predisposed to it happening again. I was lucky the doctors found what was effective for me on the first try. This doesn't take away from the fact that there are alot of issues we have to deal with, it just puts them on a level playing field so we have an equal shot at meeting them head on. So there is HOPE! You just have to get thru where you are at right now! I know that is hard, I have been there, right there, right where you are right now! I have been thru the same things at work and felt the exact same way about friends and family! I see the cry for help in your posts! That's why you want to just take off! Go somewhere, anywhere but here where I feel like such a failure.  I know how frustrating it is, you do what they say and it doesn't seem to help, so you think there is something wrong with you. But it not something you can help right now, there are physical parts to it that are going to take time, but you can get thru it! We all care for YOU! We are all here to HELP! Just tell us what we can do and realize it will get better. If there is anything I can do write me. If you want to talk thru this forum, I am here all day. Like I said I am doing better, still not ready for work yet. Still have a long, long way to go, but at least I feel good about the fact that I have started! Take Care! and rememberWE ALL CARE ABOUT YOU! 
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi

Just wanted to welcome you!
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Disappointed but not depressed

   I am disappointed with myself because I did not leave the apartment yesterday. It was a nice day down here in Arizona(75 degrees) and I didn't even take advantage of it. One thing was there were alot of people out in the courtyard, that I know and know what happened and I haven't spoken to them, since it happened. I don't know, it is hard to confront them again, especially the first time. It also seems like I am having a harder time getting motivated during this recovery. Last 2 times ,I was out riding my bike, taking the dog for walks, working on things I knew would help my recovery right away. Just seems to be more difficult this time to get started and I am not sure why. It is not like I am laying around saying"woe is me", I mean I'm fixing meals, doing laundry, cleaning the place. Just don't want to seem to leave it. Anyways, set up some things for today that will force me to at least get my bike fixed and go for a ride, so I will start with that and see what happens from there. I seem to do fine once I get out and about, it is just taking that first step to get out!
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Why?

   Why is it when someone is battling an illness such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease all their efforts are lauded as they fight courageously against their disease. Mention "mental illness" and you are treated as if it is your own fault that you are having the problems you are. This even though more and more studies show that there are genetic traits and chemical changes in the brain that cause the problems we are having. The perception of the disease itself causes as much stress, as we try to interact with society, as the problems that started the ball rolling in the first place. Is it any wonder, we have relapses and struggle to stay well?  
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
negativity at work

Rosie, I can feel where you are coming from. I was in a very similar situation just a short time back. Bad situation at work. My boss was worse than indifferent he was abusive and I just stood there and took it. My marriage was on the rocks, my wife(now ex-wife) had been cheating on me. I felt like I had no future, no where to go and no one to support me. Just wanted to go away, anywhere, just not to be in the place I was. Finally, I felt like I couldn't take it anymore and I did just that. I took off. just got in my car and drove. I was gone for 2 days. At first it felt liberating, just to be on the road and free from everyone, but as more and more time went by I realized that I couldn't run forever. The problems, the worries, they were still there and I still had to deal with them. And when I got back it was even worse, because now I had to deal with additional problems I had caused by doing what I did. Things did not end well, I ended up leaving the job and getting a divorce. Now I am not saying that will happen to you, but I am saying that I did make it thru. Though I haven't found what I am looking for as far as work yet, I still seem to be able to survive and get thru until I do. And I have met and married someone else and this person loves me enough to bring me back from the brink of suicide. I wish I knew what to say other than we do care for you here, and you are in our prayers  and we are hoping you can find someone to talk to, to help you find your way. Take Care!
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Why?

I was reading Em's introduction and story of her husband's attempt at suicide and it really hit home. I can look back now  and try to rationally understand what happened when I made the decision to end my life, but when I was in the middle of it, there was nothing rational about my thinking at all. I guess in looking at it I can understand why people who have never been thru it, can't understand why someone would think that way. I mean if you saw me on the street you wouldn't have a clue that I would ever in my life consider something like that. I myself  never thought it would happen again. I'm sure continuing to educate people will continue to make a difference in the long run, but I don't think we will really change peoples minds until we get a cure or more effective treatment and I think that means more effective drugs and why shouldn't it. This iis a disease that causes actual changes in the chemistry of our brains. We have to adapt to side effects, but they aren't any worse than people who have to go thru drug therapy for cancer, diabetes, or other diseases. Right now I would rather be on medication for the rest of my life than go thru another episode again. don't want to put my family and friends thru it. Don't want to put myself thru it.
15 years ago 0 51 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
husban in psych hospital

em, I can tell you somethings from personal experience. I don't know how closely they will relate. I went thru a simliar episode to your husbands. At the hospital, some of my focus returned, because it was a place I did not want to be. When I got to the hospital my main focus shifted from the problems I was having to concentrating on doing whatever I had to do to get home. I will admit that i did recognize that I needed help then and did honestly make a effort to be truthful in the group and individual counseling sessions, but I can tell you, if they had told me that I had to stand on my head and bark like a dog, I would have done it to get out of there. I know the people are there to help you,but when I was there the only thing I could think of was how much I wanted to go home. Now I can't say if that is the reason you see such a drastic change or not, it's just my personal experience from being there.I will keep you both in my prayers.