Who you are - 26 year old female, depressed, anxiety, oxygen thief :'(
When it started - 7 years ago
How long you've had it - 7 years
Official diagnosis - No official label given, but I know I have it.
Therapy/medication - GP prescribed Citalopram four years ago. On and off it the past few years/ failure to keep on top of repeat prescriptions. Was given therapy too but gave up after two visits - felt the therapist wasn't listening to a word I was saying.
When it got worse/when it got better - It was steady for four years or so but recently it has taken a nasty tumble....
How has it affected your life? - It has a major impact on my life. Only a handful of people know I suffer from depression (my boyfriend, his pal and my GP), no one else knows. If you were to look at me, you wouldn't think I had depression...looks can be deceiving. I have always struggled to hold down a job due to depression and possibly because of an undiagnosed mental disability too - I can't remember things off the bat, I get muddled and confused, I find it hard to learn new things, struggle with numbers, I lack inspiration.
I remember in my last job I was going through a bad patch with my depression, I went to my GP and he wrote me a sick note to give to my employer to give me two weeks off from work. During those two weeks, my mood improved and I felt happier and looking forward to going back to work..when I went back on the Monday, I was dutifully informed I was sacked....
That was three years ago already and I haven't had a job since. My mood has worsened, I feel very depressed, anxious, hopeless, feel suicidal at times..I feel like an oxygen thief...I worry a lot daily about where I am heading in life (or not, as the case currently is.) I worry I don't have a future, I worry I can't hold down a job, can't get a job, I don't have good references to give...the list goes on....
Uni isn't an option..I don't have the grades for it.
How you are coping now - Not well. However I am very lucky to have a wonderful boyfriend in my life who has supported me - emotionally and financially - throughout this troubled time. He is my beacon of happiness at this moment in time, but the outlook on my life is bleak.