Stress & Depression

[InvisibleEmpire]

Are some serious sons of bitches.

I never realized how much weed was helping me until I ran out about 2 months ago... similarly i quit my job back in january due to horrible working conditions, and have been on the job hunt for something decent ever since. Depression runs in my family, and so does addiction, with my grandfather being an abusive alcoholic and my dad being a narcotics addict...so starting out I have an inherent disposition...

I've been battling stress and depression for a good few months now, and have daily bouts with:

- headaches, mostly minor/faint but noticable
- dizziness
- fatigue
- muscle aches when i haven't even worked out
- low sex drive
- loss of interest in mostly everything

the list goes on...at times if I get in a good routine such as going to the gym, eating good and thinking positive a lot of my symptoms go away but soon come back as it is extremely hard to ignore your financial issues when you're facing major bills and have no money...

i worry about my financial issues, and until the coming new year I won't be "well-off". due to the job market and my thoughts on life and whatnot, i'm resorting to growing for a living...if my calculations are correct, come Feb 2011 I should be perfectly fine financially which will alleviate most of my worries...

until then it's a horrible cycle...and I don't know what the fuck can break it as I can't smoke for probably another month (harvesting in 2-3 weeks with a 1-2 week drying/curing period)...until then, i dont know what the fuck to do to alleviate my stress and maybe get out of this depression cycle...most say working out, but that only does so much...i can't get into meditating, i take a multi-vitamin daily but nothing seems to really truly help. it's my mind...it goes into this damned vicious cycle and i can't help it....fuck!

any tips, icmag community?

 

[igrowone]

a low cost aid that has helped me is St. Johns Wort
it can help a lot, but you never know how it will work for a given individual
generally widely available at many stores(get mine at walmart), it can be quite dramatic, may take a week or so to get best results

 

[SOTF420]

Don't you know anyone else who smokes weed?

You gotta have some friends you know that you can blaze with or get some nug from.

I can tell you from past experience that relying solely on a grow for income can be a recipe for disaster if things go wrong at all and when you are counting on the one harvest to get back on your feet it seems like that is usually when some unknown variables come into play.

I would suggest getting any cash job you can right now like working at a restraunt as a server or anywhere you get good tips for daily cash while still working on your grow and harvest cycles. Then only once you are back on your feet and everything is stable and running smoothly finance wise should you count on the grow for income but there are still alot of potential issues and maybe's anytime you are dealing with a living plant. Just trying to be realistic here so unless you are going to be pulling down pounds and pounds of primo you need to get your ass to work it will help with your depression as well.

 

[hunt4genetics]

I second St. John's Wort.

It really helped me. It took enough of the edge.

 

[Phedrosbenny]

Are some serious sons of bitches.

I never realized how much weed was helping me until I ran out about 2 months ago... similarly i quit my job back in january due to horrible working conditions, and have been on the job hunt for something decent ever since. Depression runs in my family, and so does addiction, with my grandfather being an abusive alcoholic and my dad being a narcotics addict...so starting out I have an inherent disposition...

I've been battling stress and depression for a good few months now, and have daily bouts with:

- headaches, mostly minor/faint but noticable
- dizziness
- fatigue
- muscle aches when i haven't even worked out
- low sex drive
- loss of interest in mostly everything

the list goes on...at times if I get in a good routine such as going to the gym, eating good and thinking positive a lot of my symptoms go away but soon come back as it is extremely hard to ignore your financial issues when you're facing major bills and have no money...

i worry about my financial issues, and until the coming new year I won't be "well-off". due to the job market and my thoughts on life and whatnot, i'm resorting to growing for a living...if my calculations are correct, come Feb 2011 I should be perfectly fine financially which will alleviate most of my worries...

until then it's a horrible cycle...and I don't know what the fuck can break it as I can't smoke for probably another month (harvesting in 2-3 weeks with a 1-2 week drying/curing period)...until then, i dont know what the fuck to do to alleviate my stress and maybe get out of this depression cycle...most say working out, but that only does so much...i can't get into meditating, i take a multi-vitamin daily but nothing seems to really truly help. it's my mind...it goes into this damned vicious cycle and i can't help it....fuck!

any tips, icmag community?

You and I have the same type problems.I take care of it with bud too.And im also out until tomorrow.It really sucks,but I just have to deal with it.

I wish you luck.Sometimes sleep helps.

Take Care

 

[supermanlives]

watch out for the antidepressants. effexor turned me into a lunatic. it was like speed they had to give me another drug just to sleep. the first drug they gave me did nothing. i quit em all and smoke more. i make sure not to run out ever. atleast some hash in the freezer

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

i have friends who smoke, but they smoke garbage. midgrade at best...and i dont have the money to buy.

i am looking for a cash job but been dealing with recruiters mostly who run you in circles...tough to get a job in IT right now where i live.

also, i have st. johns wort and occasionally take it before bed, i may start taking it again see if it helps any. i tried wellbutrin but that made me feel even worse.

thanks for some of the tips, i guess im looking for more of a non-drug solution at the moment aside from meditating, lol

 

[BrainSellz]

Sex usually works! (i would think) edit
Viagra might do the trick

 

[igrowone]

i have friends who smoke, but they smoke garbage. midgrade at best...and i dont have the money to buy.

i am looking for a cash job but been dealing with recruiters mostly who run you in circles...tough to get a job in IT right now where i live.

also, i have st. johns wort and occasionally take it before bed, i may start taking it again see if it helps any. i tried wellbutrin but that made me feel even worse.

thanks for some of the tips, i guess im looking for more of a non-drug solution at the moment aside from meditating, lol

depression is a bitch, it crept up on me over time
St Johns Wort has active principles that build up over time, that is my understanding of it
regular dosing is needed to build up therapeutic levels, intermittent dosing may not help
it took some time for it to help me, but when it hooked in, i got a manic surge, energy was coming out my ears
i've been taking it for about 4 years, and it does seem to not be as effective, though i'm on a low dose
i do take in the AM, taking it later seems to make me less able to sleep, but that could be just me or my imagination

 

[VerdantGreen]

exercise, walking is good - especially somewhere nice.
you need something to keep you occupied that stimulates you - any hobbies that you have neglected? a guitar or something?? a project.
read some novels
stuff like that

VG

 

[dgr]

I'm right there with you. Lost my IT job in November. Lost my GF of 3 years. Spent all of my severance getting to visit my daughter. Creditors forcing me into bankruptcy. Too old to start over (there's depression for you). It's been a tough year.

I would seriously recommend talking to a medical doctor. Not a shrink, just a doctor.

Lexipro -- not generic so it's expensive. Helped me a little bit. Has helped several friends a whole lot.
Wellbutrin -- generic. About $40 at walmart pharmacy. Seems to help but it could be better.
Working out -- you already know that.
Friends -- not pot head couch potato friends. Friends that get out and do stuff. Force yourself to go.
Melatonin -- OTC for sleep
Support of your partner. Or getting rid of that partner if she isn't supportive. No one that hasn't been where you're at can truly understand it. You need people that will support you regardless. That's pretty much a life axiom but it's easy to overlook on a day to day basis.

Keep at it. Most depression lasts a year or two according to my doctor. But, you still have a huge trigger that is looming over your head. Society leads us to believe it isn't good for men to not have jobs. One of the biggest depression triggers for us.

 

[RoachClip]

Advil helps and you can buy it at any walmart or try going to the worst part of your city and look for a vato who is selling weed who can hook you up amigo.

 

[Bionic]

I'm sorry you're feeling poorly. I wonder, though, if you're not confusing "feeling sorry for yourself" with "depression." Your financial issues are giving you "the blues". Depression is is a chemical issue. Your situation is caused by a lack of funds. At the very least, if you feel like you are actually suffering from real depression, you need to be under the care of a professional. Self-medication rarely works out the way we hope. Good luck.

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

Sex usually works! (i would think) edit
Viagra might do the trick

I have a 'booty call' that i can literally call at any time...I just have no desire to screw right now.

depression is a bitch, it crept up on me over time
St Johns Wort has active principles that build up over time, that is my understanding of it
regular dosing is needed to build up therapeutic levels, intermittent dosing may not help
it took some time for it to help me, but when it hooked in, i got a manic surge, energy was coming out my ears
i've been taking it for about 4 years, and it does seem to not be as effective, though i'm on a low dose
i do take in the AM, taking it later seems to make me less able to sleep, but that could be just me or my imagination

May have to start back on this and see if after 2-3 weeks it makes any diff...I should have realized that myself (intermittent dosing prob wont work)

exercise, walking is good - especially somewhere nice.
you need something to keep you occupied that stimulates you - any hobbies that you have neglected? a guitar or something?? a project.
read some novels
stuff like that

VG

I do need to get to the gym more often, and when i go i lift then do 30 mins or so of cardio, or I burn 420 calories...one of the two, lol. I do need to become occupied, but aside from the internet/computer, there isn't much to do that doesn't require blowing money (that i dont have)

I'm right there with you. Lost my IT job in November. Lost my GF of 3 years. Spent all of my severance getting to visit my daughter. Creditors forcing me into bankruptcy. Too old to start over (there's depression for you). It's been a tough year.

I would seriously recommend talking to a medical doctor. Not a shrink, just a doctor.

Lexipro -- not generic so it's expensive. Helped me a little bit. Has helped several friends a whole lot.
Wellbutrin -- generic. About $40 at walmart pharmacy. Seems to help but it could be better.
Working out -- you already know that.
Friends -- not pot head couch potato friends. Friends that get out and do stuff. Force yourself to go.
Melatonin -- OTC for sleep
Support of your partner. Or getting rid of that partner if she isn't supportive. No one that hasn't been where you're at can truly understand it. You need people that will support you regardless. That's pretty much a life axiom but it's easy to overlook on a day to day basis.

Keep at it. Most depression lasts a year or two according to my doctor. But, you still have a huge trigger that is looming over your head. Society leads us to believe it isn't good for men to not have jobs. One of the biggest depression triggers for us.

Sorry bro, we seem to be in the same boat, without a paddle, up shit creek. I refuse to go on anti-depressants any longer, other than herbal remedies such as SJW. I don't have health insurance, going to the doctor isn't an option - don't have the money. I do need to get out more though, but one of my friends who does that went back to MI for law school, and my other smoke buddy - 27 years old, unemployed, lives with his mom, and smokes crap weed every day. I only hang with him when he buys from me or to just smoke...that's it...he's no fun otherwise.

Advil helps and you can buy it at any walmart or try going to the worst part of your city and look for a vato who is selling weed who can hook you up amigo.

Again, i don't have money to blow on weed. I can get weed, i don't have the money. Plus i harvest in a few weeks.

I'm sorry you're feeling poorly. I wonder, though, if you're not confusing "feeling sorry for yourself" with "depression." Your financial issues are giving you "the blues". Depression is is a chemical issue. Your situation is caused by a lack of funds. At the very least, if you feel like you are actually suffering from real depression, you need to be under the care of a professional. Self-medication rarely works out the way we hope. Good luck.

No, I've discussed this with a doctor before and subsequently received a prescription for Wellbutrin, that should be enough for you to realize that it in fact was clinical depression, not "feeling sorry for myself"...i'm worried about money and getting by, not "how shitty my life is"....i have no money for "a professional". thanks for your input

 

[Nicoli]

Workout hardcore every single day.

It helps.

 

[!!!]

I've been clinically depressed for my entire life and life has been especially dark the past 10 years. Depression robbed me of so many opportunities I'm no longer angry or sad, I just try to laugh it off.

According to my own experience and experience of close friends, as well as scientific studies over the years, we know that every episode of depression makes the brain significantly more susceptible to a future episode of depression, and each consecutive episode is worse and lasts longer than the previous episode.

Depression, stress and a smaller hippocampus size are also known to correlate. Whether depression shrinks your hippocampus, or people with a shrinking hippocampus become depressed, the only thing we really have evidence on is that anti-depressants and other means of handling depression and stress stop the shrinkage.

NOBODY will understand how you feel inside. Understand this fact. People judge you based on your outward appearance. You can have a great job, a beautiful wife, good health, and dozens of toys, and be severely depressed, and NOBODY will believe you. Don't blame them, depression is not seen as a real illness. Do whatever you need to do to treat it, but don't sit around basing your actions solely on advice from random strangers.

FIX THE ISSUE. Don't sit around telling your brain atrophy.

edit: I recently came across this in my feeds: http://insightsynthesis.com/122/so-what-if-the-chemical-imbalance-theory-is-wrong/

 

[Bionic]

nevermind. Good luck to you.

 

[InvisibleEmpire]

A simple change in finances can make all the difference for me.

When I don't have money, I worry excessively...when I have money, the majority of that worrying goes away.

The depression spells I get & increase in stress comes from worrying too much, and that happens when i'm really unsure of my situation financially, my health, etc.

It's almost tried and tested, when I have a job and/or income or money, I worry about 90% less than I do when I do not have money or an income. My mind goes a mile a minute, which just exacerbates the whole issue...and like i mentioned weed helped me because it slowed me down, slowed my thought process and allowed me to rationally think about stuff rather than go over the same thing over and over and over and worry and worry and worry...

Xanax for awhile even helped, it relaxed me and my mind and I was able to calmly do things but I saw that my tolerance was building up quickly and knowing the potential for addiction, i stopped using it.

There are some things that do help, like I said working out, smoking, etc...but when I have no money and am literally one month away from losing my house, my car...worrying is inevitable for me. I just try to deal with it when it comes.

 

[igrowone]

clinical depression just makes everything worse, the normal trials we get in life become very hard to bear
from my readings, it is not completely understood how depression occurs
some progress has been made in understanding the brain chemistry, and some antidepressant treatments have improved
but a recent NEJM paper concluded that these antidepressants do not have substantial effect on moderate depression, only in severe depression do antidepressants seem to have a measurable longterm improvement

 

[EddieShoestring]

what do you need?
I have always been non-materialistic hippy type so it was a surprise to find that one of the few things that definatly lifted my mood in times of severe depression was making money. not sure why. maybe it's so ingrained in us that it is a subconscious thing. I found that it gave me a sense of power over my life at a time when i felt that in all other areas i didn't have any. And ICMag members know how to make money.
Horticulture helps too. When i felt too wierd to be around others there was the quiet hum of the indoor garden-or the outdoor patch where the whole nature vibe is v theraputic-i got into watching the buzzards.
I also found that when i was really fucked up that smoking weed didn't help-things were strange enough already and i found that it destabilised me.

hang inthere-you'll be ok
here's a pic of a kitten


eddieS