Feeling Amazing!

In September of 2016 I wrote a blog describing my slow journey to health. In that blog, I talked about all the physical symptoms I had after my abuse, like depression, anxiety, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), IC (interstitial cystitis) – which is constant pain in the bladder, migraines, and intense pain in my hips. I had spent years going from one doctor to another, looking for a cure for this constant pain. I was taking twenty, yes, TWENTY! prescription pills a day.

I decided I needed to make a change when I realized that I also had macular degeneration – a disease that people usually get when they are much older than me. That was the final straw. I began seeing a naturopathic doctor to get healthier. Along with seeing a new chiropractor and physical therapist she recommended, I began taking digestive enzymes and slowly coming off my meds.

Then, in October, I wrote about a bump in the road I experienced when I began coming off my anti-depression and anti-anxiety meds. I tried to come off my anti-anxiety med first, since I had been on it for a shorter period of time. When I was almost off it, I became super irritable. My psychiatrist recommended I taper off the anti-depressant first, since the one I was on often caused irritability. I told you I would keep you posted.

Well, a few months have gone by. I was able to come off both the anti-anxiety and anti-depressant completely, along with the six pills a day I was taking for IC. I have been feeling amazing! I am down to four pills a day instead of the twenty I once took. I waited to write this blog until February was over because for three years in a row, I experienced depression during the month of February.

I am so happy that I haven’t had a serious bout of depression since February 2015. Yes, there are still good and bad days, and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night worrying, and have a hard time returning to sleep. But I haven’t had a prolonged deep depression for over two years. My psychiatrist said I am in “remission.” 

Having experienced it, I have real empathy for those that battle with depression.

Fighting depression is very difficult and needs to be taken seriously. Tweet This

Even though it is hard to feel God’s love when we are in the pit of depression, He is always there for us. Psalm 34:17-18 says:

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Question: Have you experienced depression? What things have you done to help alleviate it?

I pray for all of you who are struggling with depression and anxiety to feel God’s love, and to have people around you who care about you and can help you.

Many blessings,

Caroline