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Feeling lost/struggling to find meaning
I was originally diagnosed with Depression a couple of years ago and had some therapy. In April this year I was prescribed antidepressants and my doctor upped my dose in November. I had a panic attack and a physiatric nurse told me that he thought it was unlikely that I was depressed and more likely that I had Anxiety Disorder. I went back to my doctor and she recommended that I continue taking the antidepressants and start a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in January.
Since then I have really been struggling to find any meaning or enjoyment in life. I'm feeling very lost and almost like I'm not really involved in my own life. I no longer feel sad all the time, just a constant sense of numbness and indifference.
Has anyone got any suggestions as to what I can do?
20/F
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I am 22 and I also suffer from general anxiety disorder. I was on antidepressants during high school. then I moved in with my husband and got off of them. but shorty afterwards I got pregnant, had my baby, and started experiencing postpartum depression. no thoughts of hurting my baby but i did feel hopeless, like there was no meaning to my life. i had to get back on my antidepressants and pray like crazy. and then after six months of PPD I realized that I wasnt crazy and that everyone at some point in their young adult life asks that same question. does my life have any meaning at all? the answer is yes it does. your purpose may not be what you expected it to be when you were still a kid growing up, but you definitely have one. we all do. and it maybe 50 years before you ever figure out what that purpose is. my grandmother is in her 60's and she recently told me she is still looking for her purpose. but until then enjoy life one day at a time instead of worrying about what your future purpose holds. it will come with time. and stick with your therapy and medicine too. i wish i could go to therapy. i have to wait until i get my insurance next year. i hope this helped a little.
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I have always said that the 20s are the toughest times in a person's life. I'm not even halfway through and I've had a VERY hard time dealing with things. I don't know if I'm depressed but I understand what you mean with the whole being numb ordeal. I was always in a constant 'blah' mood that made me pretty much feel like I could do nothing right and almost like I failed. I didn't have a plan after high school heck I still don't and I beat myself up over it. Not everyone knows what they want in life or what they plan on doing and the future can be scary.
What I try to do is think positive and be as positive as I possibly can. I'm not saying I always can be but I try my hardest. I have even started meditating as well was learing a lot from Oprah. I find her to be a positive person with such uplifting words. Listen to music that is happy and try to stay away from the negative music or the music that upsets you. Watch a feel good movie or a comedy show or maybe a favorite comedy. Find something that makes you feel happy.
When I'm stressed out sometimes I belt out a song that expresses what I'm going through or maybe even exercise to get thigns off my mind Whatever it maybe be thats on your mind let it out. I have those days where I'm in that 'blah' mood still but I try to not let it effect me everyday. Hang in there and things will get better with a positive attitude. Good luck and Happy Holidays!
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I too was diagnosed some years ago with depression and know the feeling you speak about. It was something I felt while being treated for my depression. I'm not sure CBT is the answer to your problem, then again I'm not a doctor and I;m not your doctor.
For me working with my psychologist, who some 6 years later I still see but not as much, helped me with talk therapy. My depression was and is the result of an auto accident and all the stressors it placed on me. I was the only innocent in a three car collision, yet I had to deal with Worker compensation, lawyers, my own employer and my injuries, which were disabling.
My injuries caused much of what you are feeling as it was truly a life changing event for me. I now had to deal with life in an entirely different manner even though to look at me you cannot tell I'm disabled.
I have a great therapist. We spoke for many hours about what I knew to be troubling me and what she worked at to draw from me were things I had buried so deeply I had not been aware were effecting me as well. She was not the first therapist I worked with. She was the third one I tried but she is the one I found success with and stayed with. The same is true with the psychiatrist who treated me with antidepressants. He was not the first he was actually the forth one I saw. But he was the one I trusted and found I could talk to as well.
This is what it boils down to. In order to beat the depression and everything that goes with it you need to be comfortable with and trust the doctors you work with. It took me several tries to find the right fit and when I did I started to get better.
I'm not sure this is the answer your looking for, but if you are not comfortable; if you find yourself holding back form your doctor or therapist. Then you need to find a new doctor or therapist.
Ask yourself those questions. If the answer is you are not comfortable or not trusting. Then you are not getting what you need and you need to find someone to replace them
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