Mental health

[Kate]

I have schizophrenia and have had clinical depression.

At the moment I think I'm quite well, in fact my mood is better than it's been for years and I rarely have psychotic thoughts. That can all change quickly so I try to be careful about things like the amount of stress and negative influences I'm exposed to.

It's been a few years since I was locked up for being a loony and I hope to never experience that again.

Anyone else here with mental health issues?

 

[Kate]

 

[bigeyes]

I have hypothyroidism, and interestingly, hypo patients are often misdiagnosed as bipolar before they are properly diagnosed with hypo.

Once properly treated, the mood swings go away and docs find that we were never really bipolar at all. The drugs that treat bipolar disorder actually make hypo worse, and smoking tends to stave off hypo symptoms, so when I quit smoking the first time I was a real joy to be around, let me tell you.

I also have fibromyalgia, which can lead to depression.

I think any chronic disease can lead to some mental issues simply from the isolation it brings, though, since most of my contact with the outside world comes from the internet. I was a very gregarious person in my former life and living like a hermit is a big change.

 

[CatVTTV]

I had what was termed a 'Breakdown' which really was Anxiety and Panic Attacks, resulting in my spending 2 years in my bedroom. To this day I am still agoraphobic through this, and often feel anxious even sitting in my own living room.

I do go out, but only if I am in control, and by that I mean, in my own car, with me driving, that to me means I can leave when I want and return to my 'safe haven'.

I still feel anxiety when things are out of my control, but in general I have learnt how to cope.

On top of this I have M.E. which brought about a repeat of the bedroom thing, Gawd, how things go in circles eh?

And you are right, stress can cause loss of control and chaos to reign again.

Oh I almost forgot the OCD....lol

Its not too bad, but never the less, still there....lol

 

[pipe6078]

i have chronic depresion that no med will touch. to stop smoking i always need to be hospitalized. Not this time 11 days and i'm doing great. will see dr. this week for retaining water. I'm so excited that something works....

 

[ShimmyPrincess]

Severve panic attacks here, have had them for 18 years, but the doctors back then called it "bored housewife syndrome"
I also suffer from MVI, COPD, rhumatoid arthritis, chornic fatigue and am agoraphobic.
I have my good days & my bad

 

[Chorizo]

SURE DO!!!

I have "Anxiety Disorder NOS" which I don't get, but I've only seen a p-doc once so yeah.

Oh, and the AWESOME thing about this is that I am on THREE meds for this anxiety and nothing is helping me.

I'm pretty sure I have some weird mood thing too. But we are working on a diagnosis.

 

[gep]

Here's a good site as well!!

No Kidding, Me Too! Removing the Stigma from Mental Illness.

And yes, I've fought my way out of the "abyss" of depression a few times and have suffered with Generalized Anxiety Disorder since my late teens and both were exacerbated by my pregnancy. So now my diagnosis is chronic depression with GAD. Such is the roller-coaster of life. (My dad used to say I was wound up tighter than a ten-day clock. If you're old enough to remember having to wind up your alarm clock or if you sill have one.....well you understand the expression.)

Found a great doc, who kept listening to me when things worked and when things didn't and we finally found the combo of drugs and therapy that work for me. Although the last 10 years have been the best of my life, it still doesn't take much to upset the balance, but I'm learning how NOT to fall so hard and so deep and bounce back quicker. Like many, too much exposure to negative things and not allowing myself to recharge emotionally will cause set backs. But I'm learning the triggers and learning that it's ok to put myself first. Is that because of my age and experience or the meds and therapy? I don't know or care. It's working.

Let me add too, that if my sleep patterns are disturbed it throws me off so I'm going for a sleep study in a couple of weeks to see what's up. We've pretty much ruled out thyroid issues and menopausal stuff so this is the next step. (My parents used to snore loud enough to shake the windows and I'm guessing as I've gotten older I starting to suffer the same fate. We'll see.)

So, yeah....me too!

 

[Cherrysky3]

I'm relatively new to this forum, but not new to anxiety disorders... I don't know if you guys have heard of a program called "attacking anxiety & depression" but it truly has changed my life... In college I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder & no treatment was helping... Until years later a friend got me the aforementioned program... I'm almost all the way through it (I've done 13 out of 15 weeks) & I can actually function again... I'm sure if you googled it you could find it... Hope this helps

 

[Kate]

Have any of you thought about how vaping affects your mental health?

Usually during the winter I get low moods and a bit off balance with perspective, paranoia and such but this last winter I was great. I haven't felt this good and level headed for years and I seriously think that quitting smoking and getting 'clean' nicotine by vaping might be doing me some good.

Without nicotine I tend to not be so good so I don't think it's just the ritual. Maybe I imagine I'm getting something out of it and it's a placebo effect, I'm not sure.

Have any of you noticed a mood change with vaping?

 

[booboo]

Have any of you thought about how vaping affects your mental health?

Usually during the winter I get low moods and a bit off balance with perspective, paranoia and such but this last winter I was great. I haven't felt this good and level headed for years and I seriously think that quitting smoking and getting 'clean' nicotine by vaping might be doing me some good.

Without nicotine I tend to not be so good so I don't think it's just the ritual. Maybe I imagine I'm getting something out of it and it's a placebo effect, I'm not sure.

Have any of you noticed a mood change with vaping?

Maybe it is the raised blood sugar affecting your mood.

 

[bigeyes]

I think it helps. I've read a lot of things about how smoking raises cortisol, and it was on this forum where someone mentioned that it lowers estrogen.

Estrogen is one of the things that affects my migraines, and my cortisol levels were apparently part of my mood swings. I was in a constant state of fight of flight, would get angry to the point of shaking over the slightest little thing, really for most of my life, and it wasn't until I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue that someone made the connection to childhood abuse and adrenal burnout. Your cortisol and adrenaline levels get all screwed up and I was getting adrenaline surges, hence the shaking and mood swings.

I started taking hydrocortisone and the mood swings lessened considerably. Every cigarette I had smoked over the years before I quit was giving me a dose of cortisol all day long, soothing my nerves, and I didn't even know it all those years, so when I tried to get healthy I screwed myself up. My headaches got worse because of the estrogen surge, and my moods were all over the place because of the drop in cortisol.

I had no clue about this until I joined a thyroid and adrenal fatigue support group and someone else clued me in. I honestly thought everybody got the shakes when they got mad or needed to eat until I was in my 30s and learned it was just me. Others in my group tell similar stories, so it kind of makes me mad that doctors don't realize this happens, but I guess they don't want to do anything to encourage smoking. Plus they tend to discount anything women say about our health anyway.

With the e-cigs it seems to me I'm getting the same effects I got from regular cigarettes. I never got that from the gum. I could be in the honeymoon-placebo stage here, but I hope not.

 

[Kate51]

I think it helps. I've read a lot of things about how smoking raises cortisol, and it was on this forum where someone mentioned that it lowers estrogen.

Estrogen is one of the things that affects my migraines, and my cortisol levels were apparently part of my mood swings. I was in a constant state of fight of flight, would get angry to the point of shaking over the slightest little thing, really for most of my life, and it wasn't until I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue that someone made the connection to childhood abuse and adrenal burnout. Your cortisol and adrenaline levels get all screwed up and I was getting adrenaline surges, hence the shaking and mood swings.

I started taking hydrocortisone and the mood swings lessened considerably. Every cigarette I had smoked over the years before I quit was giving me a dose of cortisol all day long, soothing my nerves, and I didn't even know it all those years, so when I tried to get healthy I screwed myself up. My headaches got worse because of the estrogen surge, and my moods were all over the place because of the drop in cortisol.

I had no clue about this until I joined a thyroid and adrenal fatigue support group and someone else clued me in. I honestly thought everybody got the shakes when they got mad or needed to eat until I was in my 30s and learned it was just me. Others in my group tell similar stories, so it kind of makes me mad that doctors don't realize this happens, but I guess they don't want to do anything to encourage smoking. Plus they tend to discount anything women say about our health anyway.

With the e-cigs it seems to me I'm getting the same effects I got from regular cigarettes. I never got that from the gum. I could be in the honeymoon-placebo stage here, but I hope not.

I'm glad you said that, about getting the same effects. That shows we are on the right track, would'nt you say...I will do this till I go to my grave, probably, would like to think healthier when I get there~!!!
I think that is a conundrum. Anyway, it just shows the Docs do not have all the answers and we have to listen to our own body's reactions. Frankly, glad I thought of this vaping thing. Have been watching my emails all day for my Janty shipment notification, wonder did anybody get one?

 

[Kate51]

Have any of you thought about how vaping affects your mental health?

Usually during the winter I get low moods and a bit off balance with perspective, paranoia and such but this last winter I was great. I haven't felt this good and level headed for years and I seriously think that quitting smoking and getting 'clean' nicotine by vaping might be doing me some good.

Without nicotine I tend to not be so good so I don't think it's just the ritual. Maybe I imagine I'm getting something out of it and it's a placebo effect, I'm not sure.

Have any of you noticed a mood change with vaping?

Kate, we'll just keep our eyes on you for a reference point, ok. If you tip over we're all doomed! Na, if I tip over nobody will know, I'll just be here vapin away. BUT in the interest of science, my husband says I am a different person. Ticked me off no end. He thinks I get too "sharp", he calls it, but what are you gonna do with 'em, I'd like to know. I take "Women's Wellness" for post menopausal supplement, instead of hormone thereapy,(Andrew Lessman's from ProCaps laboratories) and they work wonders for me, highly recommend them, but doesn't make HIM any easier to live with. It is easier now for me to keep a curb on my tongue and keep a sense of humor. Would still like to know exactly how much nicotine is absorbed and how much gets stuck on my atty. Hopefully more info is to come, but I know very well that having to quit smoking cold turkey would put me in the bathroom sobbing. For the rest of my life.

 

[bigeyes]

I'm glad you said that, about getting the same effects. That shows we are on the right track, would'nt you say...I will do this till I go to my grave, probably, would like to think healthier when I get there~!!!
I think that is a conundrum. Anyway, it just shows the Docs do not have all the answers and we have to listen to our own body's reactions. Frankly, glad I thought of this vaping thing. Have been watching my emails all day for my Janty shipment notification, wonder did anybody get one?

There are a bunch of us in that one group who had the same experience, going to doctor after doctor, being told our symptoms were all in our heads, and usually we'd just start smoking again in frustration.

 

[CatVTTV]

Have I noticed a difference in my moods?

Well I think I am the opposite to you guys, I feel my anxiety level and paranoia is actually worse than its been for some time. But that could be because I am using various nic levels through the day and havent as yet got the balance right.

One of my problems, and this could simply be a personality trait, is that I cannot stand loose ends, and by that I mean, situations that have not been resolved.

I recently had a problem, believe it or not, with an e cig supplier who wrongfully, in my opinion made decisions about me, and I cant resolve it, so it may be the cause of the anxiety I am feeling.

Yesterday I felt so stressed I would have lit up a ciggie, if I had one.... fortunately I didnt.

My mood is constantly black, since this happened, but I cant let it go...

Dr does this make sense?

Gosh I am getting deep here....lol

 

[Mary Kay]

Post Tramatic Stess Syndrome here. "It's not just for returning vets anymore!"
I wish I had a printout of what the Phyciatrist told me..because now I can't seem to make my Doctor's understand. I could go to another one, but He/she would just try to medicate me with whatever the pill du jour is.
Well it would have to be a she, because I won't go to male Doctors.
Smoking calms me, as did drinking. I can't drink of course ..sugar. But I find that P.V.'s are just as much comfort as analogs. With or without nic.

 

[bigeyes]

Post Tramatic Stess Syndrome here. "It's not just for returning vets anymore!"
I wish I had a printout of what the Phyciatrist told me..because now I can't seem to make my Doctor's understand. I could go to another one, but He/she would just try to medicate me with whatever the pill du jour is.
Well it would have to be a she, because I won't go to male Doctors.
Smoking calms me, as did drinking. I can't drink of course ..sugar. But I find that P.V.'s are just as much comfort as analogs. With or without nic.

You probably have a cortisol thing going there that smoking helps. PTSD is similar to adrenal fatigue with the cortisol/adrenaline balance.

They used to try to give me pills too, and they only make things worse.

 

[Mary Kay]

Pills work backwards on me, Sleeping pills wake me up, pain pills make me woozy but don't do a thing for pain, aspirin knocks me out. Cheap date!
If I could be sure it would work I wound'nt mind having a bit less stress in my life. I am just concerned what they MIGHT do.
I saw a Dr. once who gave me some pill for stress..forgot what it was but all the docs were giving it to people. Anyway I showed Hubby when I got home and he threw it in the trash. Some lady on that med had chopped her husband with an ax. It must have been true..it was on the news.

 

[Rexa]

Pills work backwards on me, Sleeping pills wake me up, pain pills make me woozy but don't do a thing for pain, aspirin knocks me out. Cheap date!
If I could be sure it would work I wound'nt mind having a bit less stress in my life. I am just concerned what they MIGHT do.
I saw a Dr. once who gave me some pill for stress..forgot what it was but all the docs were giving it to people. Anyway I showed Hubby when I got home and he threw it in the trash. Some lady on that med had chopped her husband with an ax. It must have been true..it was on the news.

When it comes to mental health, pills for stress, depression and anxiety are all just experimental. That's why there are psychologists and psychiatrists. That's why a billion schools of thought still exist and so forth. It's ultimately your choice in the end as to the course of your treatment which can be both a scary realization or an exciting one depending on how you view it (or based on how much money you can spend if your insurance doesn't cover it). You're the one who ultimately treats yourself by picking how you want to go about that treatment.