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Breakdown

Tiredmumof4Casual Contributor14 May 2018, 10:01 pm AEST

Breakdown

Hi
I have been struggling but managing to hold things together for a while now. I starting losing my grip and then everything just became overwhelming. I literally ran away from my life and family today. Drove for an hour blinded by tears. Then pulled over at a truck stop, parked there and cried for six hours. I realised I'm not ok. I'm broken
I went home and went to the doctor. I have been diagnosed as having a major depressive episode, or in laymans terms a nervous breakdown.
I have no idea where to go from here? There is a long wait for the psychologist. Husband could not care less, hasn't so much as enquired about how I am...nothing.
I'm exhausted and chronically sleep deprived. I have no support and I'm completely in pieces. I don't know what to do????

3 replies

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In response to: Breakdown

Unknown userMember14 May 2018, 10:50 pm AEST

Re: Breakdown

My heart goes out to you @Tiredmumof4. Did your GP give you any medication to help lift your depression and help you sleep? The sleep they can help with straight away, but the full effects don't kick in until at least 6 weeks. And can have some side effects until then. But after that time that can be greatly beneficial for mood elevation and calming the anxiety/distress. But it's paramount for you to get some sleep, rest and care right now. Is there any chance you can take a break in hospital for awhile for proper care? Do you have any family or friends that can help you?

Sleep deprivation is terrible - when the body is weak the mind follows. A snowball of worries and responsibilities can catch up on top of this and cause burnout. Once you catch up on sleep and take the right Mede for you, you will start to feel better and stronger, hang on; - if you didn't find your GP has helped sufficiently then it may be helpful to get an "emergency referral" to see a psychiatrist. If you feel up to it another support option is seeking out local face to face support groups for mental health disorders in your local area that can offer you some support and advice on where to go from here. You can goggle them in your district.

If things get even worse, please don't hesitate to contact Lifeline or ring OOO. We are here also to support you whenever you need to talk. Sending a warm hug to you

In response to: Breakdown

CheerBearSenior Contributor15 May 2018, 8:24 pm AEST

Re: Breakdown

Hi @Tiredmumof4,

I'm so sorry to hear how hard things are at the moment, and that you don't have support. It can feel like a big blow to have to wait to get supports in place when you're not feeling OK. Sleep deprivation seems to makes the hard even harder I find. I think so much would be easier if sleep was more manageable. Do you have much chance to rest at all?

I can relate to that feeling of being overwhelmed. I'm a mum of three who's been feeling pretty tired and overwhelmed lately also. Depression is something I live with too and when it takes hold, it can be consuming and very difficult to work through. It feels to me just as you described - exhausting, in pieces, not knowing what to do.

As far as not knowing where to go from here, sometimes it has helped me to call around or ask someone like a GP, to check if there is anyone or anywhere else with shorter wait lists for services I am trying to access. It can be a long shot, and it takes perseverance (not easy with depression) but it has paid off for me in the past. As @Former-Member mentioned the forum can be a great source of support also. And there are helplines and services like lifeline to access too. Connecting somewhere in some way can help with feelings of being alone and on your own with things (that's a big part of depression for me).

In response to: Breakdown

Unknown userMember16 May 2018, 11:31 am AEST

Re: Breakdown

Hello @Tiredmumof4

Welcome to the forums, it is nice to meet you. It sounds like you are currently going through an awful lot with your mental health, on top of being a mother and having a partner who is not very understanding. There seems to be a huge lack of support, so I can see how you feel unsure as to what to do.

The obvious one is seeking support from a Psycholgoist, you can ask to be put on a cancellation list, this can help make the process quicker. Also, in the meantime, try reaching out to a helpline for some phone counselling, it can help you to process it all and feel heard and validated. There is:

PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia)
Helpline: 1300 726 306
Helpline Hours: 10am - 5pm (AEST), Monday to Friday
www.panda.org.au

Beyondblue
1300 22 4636 (24 hours a day)
Chat online 3pm to 12am (AEST) every day
Email (response time 24 hours)
Forums
www.beyondblue.org.au

You also could look at community counselling options such as;

Relationships Australia
1300 364 277
www.relationships.org.au
Relationships Australia provides relationship support services to enhance human and family relationships.

Keep reaching out here okay, you deserve to have support to get you through this. One step at a time.

Lunar

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