For anybody struggling ❤️ #2

[swimming]

I’m so numb. I strongly believe I have “depleted mother syndrome” and there is absolutely sod all I can do about it because I am 100% on my own with no support system or friends to help me.

When I have mentioned to people that I’m feeling so burnt out and numb, the most response I get is “you can’t pour from an empty cup you need to rest”.

ok but how the duck? Unless that person is then offering to come round and physically remove my Velcro 4 year old from my lap when I’m trying to have a wee, my cup remains empty.

I got into bed at 7pm tonight and just laid here and cried. I am SO tired. I find zero enjoyment in things and cannot remember the last time I laughed.

been through this before and the gp just prescribed sertraline over the phone without seeing me. I weaned myself off them as I didn’t like the side effects.

I could type for hours about my woes but I’m too tired and ill be asleep any minute now!

if anyone has felt this way before please tell me how to make it better? I get zero time to myself and I have no baby sitting options.

 

[ChampagneBox]

some big feelings have bottled up inside me and last night and today they’ve come out, been crying on and off from last night. Im a maladaptive daydreamer and for work have been using chat gpt for various work applications.

Figured last week I could use it to help me write some imaginary fantasies, but like always I got so obsessed with them and then the crushing depression when I realise it’s not reality, not real and I can’t exist in them really.

i feel such a sense of sadness and deep longing for all my imaginary worlds. turned 30 last year and felt such a shift in the world lately that I can’t explain, coped fine through covid, but just lately there’s been something I can’t explain, and got stuff going on in my personal life, even got a sadness that my hometown just isn’t the same anymore.

I’m just too sensitive to everything and it’s so difficult to navigate.

Have felt like this before, but also have health anxiety so worried this will spiral and I’ll be sent to hospital or something or have a full on breakdown.

 

[iLoveMeSomeCanoles]

Hi all!

Not sure if this thread is still active but I thought I’d ask anyway. I recently started Cymbalta (30mg) for my depression and I wonder what are everyone’s experiences with it. I’m especially worried about it potentially making me gain weight as I also struggle with an eating disorder.

Just seen your post - I have been taking Cymbalta (Duloxetine) since June 2024. Started at 30mg but increased to 60mg in December.
I’m taking it for both depression and pain. The pain clinic suggested I take it and wrote to my GP asking to prescribe it.

Generally I’ve found it ok. My GP made out like I’d have terrible nausea and/or sickness from it at first but I didn‘t experience those particular side effects. I lost my appetite for a few weeks but that resolved (it’s a common thing for me when changing medications though). Since then, it hasn’t made me ravenously hungry like previous meds have. I haven’t gained any weight.

The major drawbacks for me have been;
- constipation (it does kind of resolve itself but I have to be diligent about drinking enough water and eating healthily)
- withdrawal symptoms on a par to Venlafaxine if I miss just one dose (brain zaps)
- it might be just a coincidence but my skin has become extremely dry since taking it

Within a few weeks of taking it I felt brilliant mentally and wished I’d been prescribed it before. But then I had a major dip in November/December when it felt like it had stopped working and felt very depressed again but managed to see GP who upped the dose and that has helped. The dosage goes quite high so there is room for manoeuvre if I go downhill again.

With regard to my pain though, it’s done bugger all.

Sorry for the late reply. Hope you’re getting on OK with it.

 

[CrazyGiraffeLady]

I wanted to give a little update- some days I have fallen lower than rock bottom, I did consider trying medication from a doctor but I don’t feel like I should do that because once I wean off them I’d still have my thoughts and feelings. However I’ve started doing coursework again and I’ve gutted my house out so I feel a little better, when I’m doing “well” I seem to feel mums presence which is weird because youd think I’d feel it when I’m low. But I’m okay for now I’m plodding on. The funeral was perfect for mum, the wake was interesting but I was on my best behaviour and I feel like we did mum proud I want to thank each and every one of you for the kind words, the support and the encouragement, sometimes I’ve been here really looking for a reason to stay and someone has said something kind and it’s changed my mind. Thank you everyone I’ll be depressed again tomorrow so enjoy the good mood while it lasts

 

[Dogtanian]

I wish I could be of more use in this thread, but I’d like you to know that I’m sending you all my love.

 

[thegirlscout]

How have things been for you recently? I hope you've found thinks that have allowed you to feel more in control

They’ve been up and down. Mostly down. I’m seeing the Dr on Thursday and I think I might mention how I am just so it’s on record.
I try to find some positives but I am struggling and then I feel ‘what’s the point’.

 

[Good Egg]

What worries me the most is what if I’m old and alone. What if I never find my person. What if I’ve missed out on all those opportunities to connect with another person, to give love, to feel love, to bond and be an even better person with someone who fully supports you…. I’m getting older. I have no anchorage and I feel, I know that time is slipping away so fast. My youth, my younger years have gone. What makes me so different from everybody else? I know life isn’t perfect and I should be grateful I’m here but ultimately it’s a lonely experience for me, life at the moment is painfully lonely and I feel so different and disconnected from the world and I’m terrified of a future without love and that’s the cause of why I feel so sad. I’m sorry.

 

[hannah1799]

Really struggling today. When you have 3 young kids 6 and under I don’t know how to make time to do any of things of my never ending to-do list. Feel overwhelmed everyday and like I’m constantly chasing my tail. When I’m not at work I have my kids 24/7 and feel so guilty when I have to make phone calls/send emails/do jobs/housework I feel like I am hardly spending any quality time with them at the moment but just feel like I have so much stuff to do all the time I just want to be a good mom to my kids that’s all. I heard a saying and it is so true it’s not raising kids that’s hard it’s trying to do everything else whilst raising kids that’s hard. Sending love to those who trying to juggle everything at the moment. Today has been a write off.

 

[Good Egg]

Really struggling today. When you have 3 young kids 6 and under I don’t know how to make time to do any of things of my never ending to-do list. Feel overwhelmed everyday and like I’m constantly chasing my tail. When I’m not at work I have my kids 24/7 and feel so guilty when I have to make phone calls/send emails/do jobs/housework I feel like I am hardly spending any quality time with them at the moment but just feel like I have so much stuff to do all the time I just want to be a good mom to my kids that’s all. I heard a saying and it is so true it’s not raising kids that’s hard it’s trying to do everything else whilst raising kids that’s hard. Sending love to those who trying to juggle everything at the moment. Today has been a write off.

sorry to hear this. you sound overwhelmed. Can you break it down a little. Little steps. Small achievable tasks.

I’m guessing work takes a big chunk of your day, On your days off can you prioritise and factor in quality time and plan an activity or something with the kids? Make that the priority for that day? It is difficult and you’ve got a lots of plates spinning at the same time.

don’t try to think you have to get it all done all at once, are work supportive?

sending a hug. I hope today is better.

 

[charlied0106]

My mum has hours to live. I'm not sure how I'll cope when she's gone

 

[Pandakitten]

My mum has hours to live. I'm not sure how I'll cope when she's gone

I’m so so sorry. Sending a big hug and hope she is peaceful. Mind yourself.

 

[thegirlscout]

They’ve been up and down. Mostly down. I’m seeing the Dr on Thursday and I think I might mention how I am just so it’s on record.
I try to find some positives but I am struggling and then I feel ‘what’s the point’.

Spoke to a doctor today and he was really helpful. He’s a trainee so isn’t there all the time but it was just so nice to tell someone in the real world how I was feeling and now I feel so much better

 

[supers0nic]

Spoke to a doctor today and he was really helpful. He’s a trainee so isn’t there all the time but it was just so nice to tell someone in the real world how I was feeling and now I feel so much better

Definitely keep your doctor informed about your wellbeing it's really important. They might be able to offer you more resources to help you. Do you feel it's bad enough to require antidepressants?

 

[thegirlscout]

Definitely keep your doctor informed about your wellbeing it's really important. They might be able to offer you more resources to help you. Do you feel it's bad enough to require antidepressants?

I’m on them at the moment and have been long term. I think chatting to him just really helped and he encouraged me saying I was doing well with everything going on

 

[Jadejones9596]

Feel bloody awful today
Had a disastrous night last night and I’m now knackered and in pain
And I’m single again on crappy Valentine’s Day. Can I go and hide in a hole

 

[thegirlscout]

Feel bloody awful today
Had a disastrous night last night and I’m now knackered and in pain
And I’m single again on crappy Valentine’s Day. Can I go and hide in a hole

So sorry to hear you’re not doing well. What caused the disastrous night, can you take some pain relief or is it emotional pain?
I think quite a few people are alone or single on Valentine’s Day and that’s ok! I always am! Try to be kind and gentle with yourself.

 

[Fashhunnn]

It's been an awful week, life has been a lot lately and that's putting it mildly. I couldn't give a crap about valentine's but for some reason when the kiddies got home from school and gave me the little cards that they made in school I wanted to cry my eyes out... I do think it was the thing that just tipped me over and made everything come to a head if you get me.. anyway Im not even making sense really just looking to vent I guess. Lots of love to anyone else feeling like absolute crap

 

[mee43]

My mum has hours to live. I'm not sure how I'll cope when she's gone

I’m so very sorry
I hope you have people around you to support you

 

[mee43]

Hubby acted all mortified when I reminded him it was Valentine’s Day.
We don’t really celebrate it, but it’s come at the end of a period where I’ve been openly upset, several times, about the fact that he never makes me feel special (I recently had a big birthday where he didn’t really make much effort, told me the day before that he didn’t know what to get me so I was to “pick something out”, and didn’t even bother to get me a small bunch of flowers to get up to)
I believe he’s not wired to feel emotionally connected so although it upsets me I don’t usually blame him but I feel utterly depressed that I’ve spent years caring and loving someone who treats me like part of the furniture.
Add to this that everyone else in my life treats me in much the same way and I feel really miserable lately.
There are other issues getting me down but this post is getting too long and self pitying so I won’t add more.
Just needed to unload a tiny bit.
Trying so hard to be positive but it’s all gone pear shaped today and I feel like just shutting myself away and giving up.

 

[or JusRollWithIt]

Give yourself a day to not be positive. It’s forced on us to look for silver linings and stay positive. But sometimes things are not great, and that’s ok. You feel things that are not great, and that’s ok. Feel those things and forgive yourself (as you have for others!) for that. It’s ok for things to not be perfect, as long as you don’t get stuck in those feelings in the long term, you know? I’m certain you are deserving of all that you feel you’re not getting from your partner. It’s ok to feel sad about that. It’s not always a reflection on you or your fault for how others behave. Take care of yourself