Nice to meet you. I have started this program about 4 weeks ago. I had been pretty down at that point, feeling quite a bit better this past week. One of the things I want to learn is how to identify when I am beginning a downward spiral. If I can do that, then perhaps I can work on getting myself better, before I do much damage to relationships, work and family. My history tells me that I am usually the last to know that I am depressed. I am in my 50s, may have had a mild depression when I was a teen. I remember my mom taking me to a doctor because I slept all the time. Doctor asked me if I had boyfriend problems and that was it. Got back home and went to bed. The second bout could have been when I was pregnant. I though I had a 5 month bout of morning sickness. The big one was about 4 years later. Perhaps brought on by the stress of being a single parent. Husband left about a couple of years after our daughter was born. My doctor told me I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He let me suffer for 2 years, till the day I saw him and told him that I was so frustrated, anxious and stressed that I was afraid of hitting my daughter. He asked me if it was OK if he gave me an anti-depressant. Told him that was OK with me. Willing to try anything. He told me that he was surprised that would take being told I was depressed so well, and that he had been afraid to tell me before. O My God, I thought. This doctor let me suffer for 2 years by telling me I had irritable bowel syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, A typical Hepatises, stomach ulcers, etc. I felt cheated out of 2 years of my life. I got better. A lot better. Sure there has been some down spells. Usually caused by difficult life events. That just gives me the confidence that I can get better this time as well.
Wow I can ramble on once I get going. One of the homework assignments is to post every day. Is getting it 'all out there' a method of improving?
All the best to you.
