The advances in basic happy pills/anti-depressants/mood stabilizers, etc. are huge if you've not been assessed for any of those and aren't aware of the options.

Get in and get a good eval and the sooner the better because it can take a few weeks before the dosage gets you to the levels where you feel some real uptick in your happy face feelings.

Don't mess around with this, ok? Getting some talk therapy in addition to the medical support is probably a damn good 2-pronged approach. There's zero reason to let yourself get cheated out of hope for a positive outlook and you're not gonna get there without help. Go for it, man!

*T2*

There are wonderful individuals who have devoted their lives to helping people going through what you are going through. If anything, they can help you decide what works best for you - whether it be one-on-one or a group setting. It will be at your pace and your comfort.

Whatever you do, don't do this alone. It's not worth doing this the hard way, when there is an easy way filled with people with open arms and hearts.

Cheers

Anyway SB, check you're in-box.

There is a non-drug therapy that is extremely effective. I am referring to ECT (electro-convulsive therapy) which I understand is about 90% effective and does not have any long term side effects. There is also a new therapy with maybe a 50% effectiveness called trans-cranial magnetic therapy, but it is so new insurance will not pay for it.

If you have had a lifetime of depression, bipolar or clinical, go get ECT and be cured from this awful disease. Fuck the stupid ineffective drugs and their terrible side-effects.

A really good friend who was under a lot of stress at work, working insane hours and crazy overnight shifts had similar problems. In addition to having problems at home, he was on-call whenever he wasn't at work or online working from home and was also diagnosed as being manic depressive. He was prescribed two or three different sleep aids and they messed him up badly. He had a really awful breakdown, lost his job, almost lost his family and made some really poor financial decisions.

While he was being evaluated and eventually hospitalized, it was discovered that he had sleep apnea. He was given some kind of breathing machine to counter the episodes where he would quit breathing. Relieved of his crazy work schedule, pressures at home and finally able to get some real sleep, he eventually turned everything around, got a new job and is working on repairing his relationship with his wife and kid.

I believe that lack of sleep was the primary cause of all his problems, getting his sleep apnea under control probably saved his life.

Who knows if your situation is similar? I'm definitely not a doctor, but my advice is to take care of the sleep apnea first and then see where you're at.

Good luck to you!

If it weren't for the last minute, a lot of things wouldn't get done...

You're doing the right thing by asking rb. You should seek out as much support as possible including from your family or friends.

Although bad things happen, try to be optimistic and appreciative for the good things in your life. I have a friend of my family that has 5 kids, recently divorced, a brain tumor and 2 breast cancer surgeries.

Generally I would say find joy from the most simplest things in life. Like the saying goes, take time to smell the roses. Also, some times changing your perception and trying to change negatives to positives help.

Best wishes,
Amiya (