How do you cope with your depression?

Depression and SI... How do you cope?

• It's been a very bad last couple of days for me. I go through this from time to time and I hate it. Dealing with panic w/agoraphobia makes it worse. The urge to cut just to make it all go away, is so intense. It seems that trying to take my own advice that I try to give others doesn't work when these feelings are that bad. For those of you who deal with this, how do you cope when your pain, depression & urge to cut is at its' worst?

• Answer:

  I can feel your pain. I pray that the following will help you overcome agoraphobia. I wish i could send you the whole article so you could benefit from it fully. Anyway here is the excerpt from the Awake magazine (i would say an excellent article): "Panic is the body’s normal response to danger. Imagine yourself walking across a highway. You suddenly notice a car speeding directly toward you. Instant physical and chemical changes in your body enable you to sprint to safety. But now imagine this same feeling of panic with no apparent cause. Dr. R. Reid Wilson says: “Panic attacks are produced when panic deceives the brain into thinking there is imminent danger. Here you are, standing in the aisle of the grocery store, not bothering a soul. Flip. On goes the Emergency switch. ‘Red alert! All systems prepare for battle!’” Only those who have experienced such attacks can fully grasp their intensity. American Health magazine describes it as “an adrenaline rush that screams through your body for five minutes or an hour or a day and then departs as quickly and mysteriously as it came, leaving you limp, exhausted and dreading the next one.” The Roots of Panic Panic attacks usually begin in young adulthood and affect more women than men. What causes them? There is no clear answer. Some say that sufferers are biologically predisposed because of an abnormality in the brain’s limbic system. Many feel that this condition can be inherited, while others claim that the brain’s chemistry is altered by stress-inducing factors. In some cases the attacks are induced by memories of traumatic experiences, such as war, rape, or child abuse. One survey revealed the percentage of incest survivors with panic disorder to be 13 times higher than that of the general population. Indeed, while panic attacks and other syndromes are full-fledged problems in themselves, they can also be what writer E. Sue Blume calls “spokes with incest at the hub.” Of course, not all panic attacks are induced by trauma. But Dr. Wayne Kritsberg cautions that when such is the case, “treating the secondary consequences of the abuse—rather than healing the original trauma—will not solve the problem permanently. It would be like taking cough syrup to cure a case of pneumonia.” Can It Be Cured? Panic attacks can be brought under control. Many whose fear of panic keeps them housebound have been helped by exposure therapy. In this treatment a patient is exposed to the situation he fears and is helped to stay there until panic diminishes. Those with heart trouble, asthma, peptic ulcer, colitis, or similar illnesses should consult a doctor before attempting this treatment. Relaxation techniques can be employed to alleviate the buildup of anxiety. Some of these are discussed in the accompanying box “Calming Skills.” But do not wait for the onset of panic. These skills are best practiced during low-anxiety periods. When mastered, they can diminish or even prevent future attacks. Panic thrives on perfectionism and low self-esteem. “While I was having anxiety attacks, Mr. Negative ruled my life,” says one sufferer. “I told myself that because I had anxiety, I was inferior to others and therefore unlovable.” Reversing such attitudes can reduce anxieties that lead to panic. There is great value in confiding anxieties to a trusted friend. Talking them out can help the sufferer to distinguish problems that must be endured from problems that can be solved. Not to be overlooked is prayer. Psalm 55:22 says: “Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself, and he himself will sustain you. Never will he allow the righteous one to totter.” Rather than a single, mountainous problem, it is often the accumulation of small, seemingly insignificant distresses that induces panic—much like the way running too many individual electrical appliances on the same circuit can blow a fuse. One solution is to write down each problem on an index card and arrange them from the simplest problem to the most difficult. Tackle them one at a time. Writing out your distresses changes their makeup from what you fear and avoid to what you can see and resolve. Some are aided by taking prescribed tranquilizers or antidepressants. However, a caution is in order. “I do not feel that medication alone is the answer,” says counselor Melvin Green. “It should be used as an adjunct while seeking the answer. . . . Drugs may allow you to be more functional, and that can give you the opportunity to seek other help to deal with the causes of agoraphobia and work toward your recovery.” Other advice that helps: Calming Skills Calm breathing. Panic attacks are frequently accompanied by hyperventilation. To relax your breathing, try this exercise: Lie on your stomach. Count to six as you inhale; count to six as you exhale. Next, try the same deep breathing while sitting down. Then, try it standing up. Breathe deeply from the diaphragm, and practice this daily until it becomes natural. Some benefit by imagining beautiful surroundings while doing this exercise. Calm thinking. ‘What if I collapse?’ ‘What if no one is there to help me?’ ‘What if my heart gives out?’ Catastrophic thoughts fuel panic. Since these thoughts are usually of future disasters or past attacks, try concentrating on the present situation. “To focus on the immediate is instantly calming,” says Dr. Alan Goldstein. Some suggest that you wear a rubber band around your wrist. When catastrophic thoughts arise, snap it and tell yourself: “Stop!” Interrupt anxiety before it has a chance to escalate into panic. Calm reacting. If panic befalls you, don’t fight it. It’s just a feeling, and feelings need not harm you. Imagine that you are at the ocean watching the waves. They rise, they peak, and then they dissipate. Panic flows in the same fashion. Instead of fighting the wave, ride it out. It will pass. When it is over, do not overreact or overanalyze. It is gone, like a sneezing spell or a headache. Panic is like a bully. Provoke him, and he will attack; do not provoke him, and he may go away. Dr. R. Reid Wilson explains that calming skills “are not designed so that you can better ‘fight’ panic or ‘banish’ panic at that moment. Instead, consider them ways of passing the time while panic tries to pick a fight with you.