I’ve a new car too so driving should be way smoother 
Very true indeed and I try to do bits of exercise each day although none this week given how I’m feeling at the mo 
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That’s always a big improvement when you become more fun 
Funnily I’ve had years of therapy way before I went on the meds and think it’s hard to come across a really good therapist that clicks for the individual. It wasn’t until my last one I truly felt like they was the perfect person who listened and made me feel right but I’ve not seen them since lockdowns started…
I am very into taking mindful time though and enjoy forest walks too 
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Very wise words thank you 
that’s what I’m hoping for that I’ll be able to cope better with myself than how I used to be and find the natural ways more helpful this time round to do 
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@AJSTAR I started therapy at the beginning of covid, we totally clicked right away and fortunately we did our meetings over zoom. I agree, your therapist needs to vibe with you in order for it to be moving forward. I hope you can find them again?
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Just need to get this tonsillitis to clear up then I can focus back on my journey lol
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Yeah I got their email thankfully, just hoping they’re still alive as last I checked when the lockdown started they had a heart attack and was in recovery 
Good luck to you. I wish you all on a journey that helps.
I have a friend of a friend who…self medicated with their depression and it has worked wonders for them. They used fun mushrooms but micro managed it. I cannot say how or what they done, but i myself agreed woth their method as i feel pills arent the answer. My opnion, yours may vary from me and thats ok, but thats how I feel.
If it works for them then it can only be a good thing in the method they chose as long as it wasn’t of any damaging impact to them or others
It’s a great example of how we’re all different in how we find ways to cope with life
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Already starting to feel more better thanks to these magic antibiotics 
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I hope all goes well for you @AJSTAR. We’re doing it together! I’m coming off mine too. Although my psychiatrist wants me to start some new ones once I’ve come off these. My plan is to come off my current ones and then make a decision about the new ones.
I’ve tried so many different meds and not had much luck with them hence the reluctance to try more. However, for lots of people they are amazing and I get very fed up with people critisising my / others choice to use meds. It’s usually people who have never been in a position where they need to use them who like to tell us that it’s not the best way to deal with things.
The only thing I’d say from my experiences would be take your time; if you feel stable and ready to reduce your dose then that’s great but if you don’t then wait until you feel ready. There’s no harm in taking meds if they help you but it’s also great to be able to move forward without them.
I hope it goes well for you, feel free to have a moan if you need to - the side effects of changing dose can be quite unpleasant. We’re here for you!
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Aw yes that does sound like a great decision to try out and makes sense as my doctor said as well about going on some different ones if I need to once off these. I sense it’s so we don’t get too used to one type of pill perhaps 
I’ve totally had that as well with people telling me to not rely on meds but I see it as a medical thing rather than a choice to be on them as logically if you’ve got proper depression then that’s down to an imbalance in the chemicals of the brain 
which taking antidepressants helps even the balance out again much like when people have to take pills for blood pressure or cholesterol.
Thank you for your kind words and indeed, I hope you are coping ok with yours too at the mo being lowered 
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Hope you’re feeling better today @AJSTAR? I came off antidepressants back in 2020… unfortunately at the time I had a rubbish doctor and ended up going cold turkey and the side effects were horrendous.
However, 2yrs on, I think coming off the medication is the best thing I could have done (although I probably should have staggered it!). On the tablets, I had become a bit “numb” to everything…I wasn’t depressed or anxious anymore but neither did I feel any other emotions and I was just “existing” rather than living. It was a bit of a learning curve to rediscover these emotions when I came off the medication but I just tried to take it one day at a time.
As others have mentioned, little rewards (your favourite film, TV show, music on loud, an edible treat) can make a surprisingly big difference. Also, a good old cry l, for me anyway, helps to release a lot of tension.
Have you ever tried CBT? I had tried, and failed to click with, a few therapists but i had some CBT through the NHS (if you’re in the UK, some you can self-refer through IAPT for some free sessions) and found it amazing. It really helped to change my mindset and I learnt some really helpful coping mechanisms for the bad days which meant I didn’t focus on the bad and spiral again.
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Thankfully my throat is feeling much better now thank you but my mind is still wobbling low and I’m not sure if it’s down to the new pills or would this be me anyway at the moment…
Damn!! Cold turkey is something the one good doctor I saw who put me on them said you shouldn’t ever do. What was the side effects like?
You’ve literally summed it up perfectly to how I’ve been for the past years of numb and feeling nothing, which is why I wanted to see how well I do off them now.
Yes crying can be very therapeutic to release a build up and is a healthy way to express I guess.
Indeed I’ve done the whole hog with counselling, therapists, CBT and hypnosis… think the good thing about having seen so many over the years is I’ve managed to gain little useful bits from all of them to use in my own ways and in a funny sense I have like my own mini therapist in my head who helps me logic things and gives guidance 
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I’m glad you’re throat is feeling better- hopefully you’re mind settles down a little bit. I think sometimes it’s like a reverse “placebo” effect and you’re not sure if it’s an actual change in meds or if it’s your brain tricking you…you will get there though, one step at a time!
It was pretty awful- it almost felt like the flu. My body aches, my brain hurt, I had cold sweats and d&v. A week in, I was a bit delirious and could have sworn that I rang the doctor for more pills. After about 9 days, I was physically ok but my brain was overloaded with all the emotions I’d blocked out. I was very lucky as, by that point, I’d broken down the “too proud to talk” and the “mental health taboo” with those closest to me, which I hadn’t quite faced up to when I went on the meds.
I know what you mean about the mini therapist- logically, I can break everything down and identify how and why I’m feeling it but I do still sometimes get stuck with the moving through/past it. Life is a big learning curve isn’t it?! I use the “it’s just a bad day, not a bad life” song as my motto now to get me through!
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@AJSTAR nothing wrong with a good cry mate I feel it helps just as a way of cleansing yourself as I have had a few of these over the last week or so, circumstances are different as we both know but it does help to reset ! Stay strong 
and we will get there together 
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