Returning depression

Hi,

About 18 months ago I started getting treated for depression. I was prescribed anti-depressants and had three months worth of psychotherapy, but my depression didn't lift particularly quickly. On anti-depressants I found myself getting worse and becoming a different person, so about 6 months ago I decided to withdraw from the medication without consulting a doctor which I know anyone will tell me was a bad idea, but I was pretty hopeless and messed up by then. Anyway, after a few weeks I was off anti-depressants.

Over the summer things started going pretty well and I began to feel happy and at ease with everything and everyone around me, but now things have gone wrong again. In September I left home to go to university, and I settled into life there really well. I've made lots of friends already (we've sorted out housing for next year already) and am enjoying the experience, but for some reason over the course of my first term at uni, my depression has hit me again potentially worse than before. I find myself unable to concentrate, staying in my room for hours and locking the door, and just feeling so low all the time despite settling really well at university and being accustomed to large scale change.

My problem is this: I know I should get help because things are like they were before and I know it'll only get worse but the treatment didn't work well on me last time and it really messed me up- I don't want to go back to that feeling. My other worry is that I've heard about a couple of people who have been forced to drop out of uni for a year because of depression. I don't want to drop out of uni! Will I be forced too if I go to a doctor with depression? I don't know what to do- go to a doctor and run the risk of ruining my future and further damaging my health or try and dig out a solution myslef? Advice would be appreciated.

Reply 1

FireDeuce

14

Sounds like your depression has got worse probably by many factors, but one of them could be Seasonal Affective Disorder..where you get more depressed in the winter.

http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm

And uni should be ok...if its going to make you MORE depressed they wont ask you to drop out... and even if they suggest it its ultimately up to you.

Reply 2

~Raven~

11

You would be better with some kind of counselling, or cognitive therapy, or even just someone random and impartial to talk to than anti-depressants - even though it's clear you don't see them this way, they can often become like a 'quick fix' solution when you're feeling down.

IF there was some way you could get some cognitive therapy it may do you good to try it - even if all you get out of it is the knowledge that you did try and make yourself feel better - which is a good start for coping with depression anyway.

Reply 3

El Capitan

It may have been one particular form of anti-depressants that disagreed with you. Sometimes you have to change from one to another until you find the one that works best for you. I think you need to go to the doctors and discuss it. And no, I don't think you'll have to drop out of uni, and besides any advice a doctor gives you is only advice, at the end of the day anything they suggest is up to you.

Reply 4

It may have been one particular form of anti-depressants that disagreed with you. Sometimes you have to change from one to another until you find the one that works best for you. I think you need to go to the doctors and discuss it. And no, I don't think you'll have to drop out of uni, and besides any advice a doctor gives you is only advice, at the end of the day anything they suggest is up to you.

Returning depression

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