How has mental illness affected your life?

That sounds terrible! Do you think you can bring depression on yourself? For example, if you're not a positive person, you're at risk of depression?
What is your next stage of treatment then if you don't feel good after all the things you've had so far?
What are your thought processes when you're feeling bad? What do you feel like?
I still think it's bad that you've not been able to feel better in this day and age, with such a common illness such as depression. Why did prozac make you so ill?

Over £1000!? Jeez! I suppose it depends on how many sessions you need from a therapist etc... As you've mentioned, I feel like I know what my goals are, and what I'd like to be, so CBT should be of use as I know my goals and targets.

I don't have a health insurer so I'd have to register with BUPA or someone... which would cost a load upfront I'd imagine...

I think some people are more at risk of depression than others, but who knows! There isn't a next stage of treatment for me as they've run out of ideas. My plan is to stay alive and hope that it goes away one day. It's so far sort of managing. I just hope things will change when I'm at uni (if and when I get there!).
Thought processes always sound so ridiculous when you write them out - I did it in my last session with my therapist and even I agreed that it was just totally bizarre - you go from "my friend ignored me" to "i'm a horrible person" within a split second. Prozac made me ill ... I'm not sure why. I just have a weak stomach and can't tolerate things sometimes.

You may struggle to register with a health insurer if you have a preexisting medical problem. Im not sure of the ins and outs of it, but if they know you're gonna start claiming as soon as you've registered they might not be so keen! Private health is crazily, stupidly expensive so I would definitely look into other options first if you can.

Tbh, I think that's sickening that they've 'run out of ideas' I'm thinking of people like Stephen Fry who have had severe bi-polar who are now 'cured' and then there's you who has no severe symptoms, but still suffering in silence with your whole future ahead of you. So do what is your actual official diagnosis if you don't mind me asking?

If I recover from my Anxiety/depression/OCD , I honestly will be so humble about life, and never take the feeling of happiness for granted ever again. I never knew a state of mind would have so much bearing on everyday life.
I woulnd't wish any mental health issues on anyone!!

I suffer from anxiety/depression, and have done since I was 14 (I'm now 26). This escalated during my early twenties, during which I was in an abusive relationship. He convinced me that no one could ever love me, and put me through physical and mental hell. When my son was born, he convinced me that I'd lose my son, so I struggled to bond. As he threatened to kill me if I ever left him, when I did eventually leave him, I developed social anxiety disorder. I still have days where I can't leave the house. I freak out when I hear the electric meter click in the middle of the night. If someone tries to get close to me emotionally, I'll push them away. Only two people other than my family, landlord and neighbours know where I live. I've had issues with self harm, and still suffer from trichotillomania. I suffer from recurring nightmares, which I get at least twice a week. Thing is, I can also hide how I'm feeling. My parents have a dim view on mental illness, so I can't tell them how I feel, or whats going on.

Just wanted to say, you were very brave to leave him, getting out of the abusive relationship. Well done for that, I know someone who also went through the same as you and had a child by the guy, but she left him and now is with someone a lot better for her. Don't believe what he said to you, Everyone deserves a second chance in love and life. You'll find someone special if you haven't already.

Depression/anxiety for the past five years.

About four years ago I told my two best mates. They told me I was an attention seeking guilt tripper. They are no longer my friends and now have reputations of being d*cks - pick friends more wisely, lesson learned!

More recently, as it got worse, I've told my boyfriend, my current best friend and my parents. My boyfriend believes me but there's not a lot he can do. My best friend is the same. My parents don't take it seriously.

Recently told my GP. It's going to take several months to get me to see a psychiatrist. They won't let me see one until I'm seventeen. I tried this organisation; they took seven weeks to even get back to me.

I've had thoughts of "I'd be better off dead". I spend every night crying myself to sleep. I believe I have GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) because I'm always anxious about everything. I'm never chilled out and my mind has to be worried about something. Even when there's nothing to worry about I have constant bad feelings of angst. I have panic attacks. I'm physically ill. I have really low self esteem. I was really badly bullied in the past; that probably didn't help. I'm never happy.

I'm bi-polar. Sometimes I'm just over the top happy, and I drag people out on nights out and I don't even sleep. Other times though, like now, I just sit in my room. I can't face leaving because I feel people will know, and think I'm crazy. Doesn't help that I'm in university. At home my mum would drag me out, she'd help.

I also have Binge eating disorder - sounds like an excuse for being fat. Sometimes all I can think about is eating and cooking and food and I'll eat till I feel sick. But people don't think it's an ED, they just think I'm greedy. I don't like eating in front of other people, because I feel that they look at the fat girl and judge me for eating.

Sometimes I'm amazing. Sometimes I'm not. But I'll cope.

I've just sat and cried my eyes out at this thread. Now I feel like I need to post (though my experiances are definitely not as bad as others on here)

Mums depression
she stays in bed for weeks on end
often resulted in us not getting the proper care or food we needed as kids
she's been on tablets which made her really reckless (prozac) causing her to get with people MY AGE
last year she had a mental breakdown, resulting in me having to move out

My depression and anxiety
stopped me from going to uni last year
have no motivation to do anything
stay in bed until about two every afternoon
I hardly eat
can't get motivation to get a job, and i'm terrified of it in case i do something wrong
not having a job makes me hate myself, think im lazy and scrounging (doesnt help that thats what everyone else probably thinks)
I ****ing hate myself, and punch and pinch myself because I get so frustrated that im such a ****
im terrified that there is going to be some sort of disaster eg when a plane flies overhead i automatically assume its a meteor about to hit the earth


My friends know that im depressed but they have no idea about all of the above.

the only thing i can do to make myself feel better is go out and drink loads. makes me feel like im not wasting my life.

I've suffered from pretty severe OCD for five years now; it crushed myself confidence and made me a pretty messed up individual.

Only now am I kind of coming to terms with the fact that I really do need help (taken long enough)..and I'm so tired of having to pretend everything's okay- I daren't moan about it incase I annoy people.

My parents still don't know but I hate to admit I can't help but feel ashamed and embarassed even though I know I shouldn't.

Anyway, I'm interested in how people handle it whether it's yourself or someone you know.

I think that there should be more of an emphasis on recognising mental illnesses because in my experience nobody really talks about them because they're kind of invisible if you get what I mean and my parents have often just labelled me as a 'hormonal' teenager :/