I am also struggling with the depression and weight, I have started weight loss diet and exercise. Its help me for weight loss and depression also.
Taking therapy with proper medication is much helpful for depression issues.

Easyspirit - I'm going to do a charity "dechox" through march (no chocolste for the whole month) to help me and the OH cut out chocolate. I'm not going to seek sponsorship, but I'll donate the money I would have spent on chocolate to the charity instead (with a fine for any slip-ups). Could this be something thst would help you?

Ibelieveinme2 - my dad dropped out of his degree because of similar issues. He later went on to do his masters part time, and does well these days. It's a tough decision, but he'll get there in the end. I hope he find the right medication sorted soon.

I am struggling with my weight too, EasySpirit. I am the heaviest I have ever been. I know it is the pop I am drinking. I don't know how to cut down on it. I am really addicted to it.

I do need to start exercising. I've to to come up with one that I enjoy so I am going to start with a DVD that I can do at home. Wish me luck.

Thank you!

Hi Lisa! Glad you're feeling better

These are AWESOME for meal prep (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...ilpage_o04_s00). They can go in the freezer/microwave, so in the morning, just take out which meals you want and put them in the fridge to "thaw". My dad bought these and makes lemon chicken, stuffed peppers, lasagna, meatloaf, and pasta bake. I think those come out to about 400cal a meal, but obviously, you can make your own and fix it to your calorie needs

I'm glad he's coming home though. Sometimes just being home helps a lot. He can always do online classes as well. Health comes first before school I hope he feels better ASAP


This is the 3rd time that I've sat down to reply to everyone LOL. I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! The weather is beautiful here. I think I'll go for a walk with the coconut head I call a dog LOL

Apologies for the fact that I haven't been posting. I've been depressed, in an off-and-on sort of way, for about four weeks. Right now it's hittin' me hard. I don't understand why I'm depressed, unless it's some kind of delayed reaction to the sloooooow progress of my recovery. But even during this depression I've been able to do things I couldn't do before, like climb stairs standing up and negotiate the bathroom entirely without hand holds. You'd think these achievements would cheer me up. They do briefly, but then I'm back in the dumps again. Oh well.

Do you think the weather has anything to do with it? Sometimes the cloudiness and cold/snow will bring me down quick. If the sun is out where you're at, open the front door (or sit near a window) and just sit there and enjoy the sunshine. That usually helps me

Sleep is important too. Make sure you get enough sleep (or feel free to take a nap or two during the day if possible )

I haven't been posting regularly in a long time, so I'm sure there are at least several of you who don't know my situation. The short version of it is that multiple antidepressants plus an antipsychotic that muck around with your serotonin metabolism caused me to get serotonin toxicity, a severe (life-threatening!) condition which causes nearly continuous spasms of all the muscles of one's arms & legs. That was last year, January through the end of March. Then, as I withdrew from all those medications, I was not only more depressed than I've ever been in nearly 30 years of being bipolar, but found myself essentially bedridden and confined to a wheelchair, unable to stand up, walk, climb stairs, or drive. Anyway, I pulled out of the worst of the depression in September of last year, and went to work on my rehab with the assistance of my Qi ("chee") Gong instructor and healer. It's Chinese medicine, not a Western physical therapy approach, but I went for it, whole hog.

All right, cut to the chase: on Sunday, after some months of sloooow progress, I found myself walking all around the downstairs of my house! My husband Bob was taking a shower when I wanted to go downstairs, so instead of waiting at the bottom of the stairs for him to bring my wheelchair, I just walked to the futon in the living room and dumped the stuff I'd carried down. Then I went to the bathroom. Then I went all the way down the hallway and into the kitchen, and got myself something to eat. Then I returned to the futon. All of that walking, not holding onto anything, for a total of a longer distance than I had originally hoped to do that day.

Damn—I think I can now walk to anywhere I want, in the whole house! And if I can do that, I can walk out to the car and go for a drive! Whoopee! Freedom at long last! And it didn't even hurt very much (at first). Just a little bit in my shins—no big deal.

But after that, I found this new walking thing to be both intoxicating and very challenging and even hilarious. After Sunday's feats of extraordinary athleticism =laugh= my thighs were so sore it wasn't even funny. But I was so happy, I just lay on the futon going "Oh boy! I'm so excited! OUCH! This is terrific! OOoooo OUCH!" (expletives deleted) and so on, for at least a couple of hours. Bob was really thrilled for me, but he couldn't help laughing at the stream of joyful exclamations and curse words over the pain pouring out of my mouth. Thank god for the cats: they were all over me, purring up a storm. And then when it came time to walk to the stairway, climb the stairs, and then walk into our bedroom to the bed, oh man, was that painful... !!!

The next day, today that is, is my 61st birthday.

And I have been undeterred by the pain: this morning I woke up at 5 AM with a great idea for a collage, so I got up (owww!!) and walked down the long upstairs hallway (owwww! oh-eeee!) to my studio and got some stuff I needed to carry downstairs to where the scanner-printer is. I didn't make it very far on the way back, though: at the door of my studio my knees began to shriek at me and I had to plop ungracefully down on the floor and holler for help. Poor Bob was already awake by then because of all the noise I'd been making, and he came and got the books & papers I'd retrieved and took them down for me, while I clambered on hands & knees back into the bedroom, and climbed back into bed—hurtin' to beat the band, but punchy from endorphins. I was laughing and moaning all at once, and Bob came back and sang me his family's traditional birthday song, the lyrics of which are:

It's not the pickles or the pears
It's not the beavers or the bears
It's not next week or yesterday
Today today is your birthday!
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you (repeat ad lib)

Oscar and Nénu (my cats) were bouncing all over the bed, tussling with us... well, you get the picture: this walking thing is a trip, but I gotta pace myself or my legs are gonna totally QUIT on me! =laugh=

And oooo yummy, Bob brought me a big Texas-style omelet stuffed with Monterey Jack, nopalitos (little pieces of cactus) and jalapeño peppers.

At any rate, it's been one heck of a birthday, because this walking is the best present I think I've ever gotten in my whole life. It's as if I've been in JAIL, trapped in a wheelchair, and all of a sudden, I'm free!

I can't wait to be off into more walking adventures.... and maybe (cross my fingers) going for a DRIVE tomorrow! Woo-hoo! I have been craving getting behind the steering wheel for so many months now.... it's ridiculous!!

As for tonight, I've been having a great party, with champagne and dark chocolate and rock-n-roll on the commercial-free satellite radio.... thanks for reading this far, those of you who have done so... =big wide grin=

Fiona, so pleased to hear of the progress you've been making! I can only imagine how horrible it must have been to lose the ability to walk places, such a small thing we take for granted. I'm so glad you're having a great birthday, complete with the gift of walking! Have a lovely day, and enjoy your drive

Fi: I am SO incredibly happy to hear that you are up and walking again!!! Hip hip hooray!!! That is such wonderful news! I hope you were able to get out for a drive, or if not, that you get out to drive soon! Please keep us posted and let us know how the FREEDOM feels! Your post made my evening!

Lisa: I sure do hope that you are hanging in there! I am worried about you and I miss your daily posts. No pressure intended though. Just do what you can. Just hoping and praying that depression isn't creeping up on you again. Please take good care and keep in touch! Any news on the job search? Keeping you in my prayers and sending a big hug your way!

Holly: How are you? I recently read that you didn't feel up to posting and that is so unlike you. Are you okay?!? I sure hope so!!! Now I'm worried about you, too! Sending a big hug your way, too!

P.S. ~ Did I mention that I'm a "worry wart?"

Hey friends!

Kathleen - I am so sorry to hear that your son needs to take a break from school because of depression..I do know you told us previously that he was having problems but that it has reached this level is so sad, for a young person..and stressful for Mom!! thank goodness he reached out to you though, right?? and is open to therapy and meds. I hope/hope/hope he responds well and SOON!!

Fi - belated Happy Birthday to you! and how wonderful for you to be MOBILE!!!
glad you got to enjoy dark chocolate and rock n roll!

Lisa - and HI to you!! I hope you're feeling a little more 'up'. I'm afraid I am behind on what your work situation is now..are the hours OK? clients OK? and sorry the OT girl was rough on you!! did it help your elbow??

ap14 - congrats on the honors given to you!! you smart chick you

Coop - Hi and I hope you are OK

Easy Spirit, it is always good to hear from you i don't have any good advice, except maybe to repeat when Kathleen tells us 'progress, not perfection'.

JenniferD, welcome!

Friends, I am sorry I have been selfish to not visit lately, in my heart I know I have NOTHING to complain or be sad about, I am just so self-conscious about my appearance, now my VERY tiny co-worker is on a strict diet because she 'feels fat'..we all know how that makes one feel, when it is a tiny person saying that. One second I'm feeling fine for 55, then I think of how fit I was just 10 years ago. I know I can tackle it, I know what a marvelous thing regular exercise is, and I just need to make myself do it regularly again. And I am missing warm weather, sun, my motorcycle, and my summer job so much

Lisa, I really like this lady, http://www.force-fitness.com/shopping.html her name is Anni and I started with her Life Force dvd, it is simple movements, she and 2 other exercisers demonstrate, and a very fit young man demonstrates the easiest moves, while Anni does the intermediate and a woman in background the advanced. And it seems to be geared for middle-aged people like us

Had to pop back after reading what I wrote. I've been on Wellbutrin for 6 years or so now, and my feelings (especially during winter) have run the gamut; vague depression; spending my days off in bed; "I don't really care if tomorrow comes or not". In my body there is something that is not quite right, if all aspects for a happy life are here for me but I can't enjoy them. It kinda sounded like I was just complaining about not being happy with how I look, which seems kinda shallow. Guess I wanted to reinforce that there's more wrong with me than just that