Hey Jen, I have been really down lately, I have battled depression for a couple of years, but lately I have been lying awake beside my amazing husband thinking he would be better without me. I can't work up the courage to get help. Some days I feel normal and tell myself I'm fine. Others are bad....
First of all, thank you for contacting me. It must have been so difficult to write those words down. Suicidal thoughts can be louder than any other thoughts running around your brain, so to sit and put them down in concrete form takes a supreme amount of energy. Well done for reaching out!
Second of all, don't despair. You will be okay. You're still here, so you have options. If you think people would be better off without you, I can tell you now quite categorically that you're wrong. Apart from your immediate family and loved ones who will be devastated and forever changed by such an event in ways you won't be able to imagine, you have no idea how many other people you have influenced indirectly or connected with who will be affected by you deciding to end your life. So promise yourself that you'll stick around, and in time you will be very glad you did.
It's also vitally important to recognise that depression is an illness, and suicidal thoughts are a symptom of that illness, so thoughts are not coming from a place of logic. They're coming from a brain that is battling with its chemistry & wiring levels, so when you get these feelings of despair and depression, don't take them into your heart. Tell yourself it's your brain chemistry, and it will pass. I've been there more times than I can count, so trust me on this one. It will pass. It may pop up again, but it will go again. The trick is to be self-aware. And that starts with talking to a professional.
Get the ball rolling with a visit to your GP, but also check out www.aware.ie for some fantastic support ideas. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Talk to your husband, and I can assure you, you will be glad you did, and so will he. You don't have to do this alone. You would want to help him if the situation was reversed. What's also fantastic is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, it helps you to train your mind and learn how to cope when you do have bouts of depression. There's more info here: http://ie.reachout.com/getting-help/face-to-face-help/types-of-therapy/cognitive-behavioural-therapy/
Pieta House http://www.pieta.ie/?gclid=CKe6lZ_N6cQCFSRf2wodjEUAZw are fantastic as well. Reaching out and saying that you're not feeling good and you're having those thoughts is a big step to take, so you should be very proud of yourself. Don't be afraid to keep taking those steps. You're going to be okay. You ARE okay. You can always keep coming back here as well with any questions or support you need! Best of luck!
<3
Second of all, don't despair. You will be okay. You're still here, so you have options. If you think people would be better off without you, I can tell you now quite categorically that you're wrong. Apart from your immediate family and loved ones who will be devastated and forever changed by such an event in ways you won't be able to imagine, you have no idea how many other people you have influenced indirectly or connected with who will be affected by you deciding to end your life. So promise yourself that you'll stick around, and in time you will be very glad you did.
It's also vitally important to recognise that depression is an illness, and suicidal thoughts are a symptom of that illness, so thoughts are not coming from a place of logic. They're coming from a brain that is battling with its chemistry & wiring levels, so when you get these feelings of despair and depression, don't take them into your heart. Tell yourself it's your brain chemistry, and it will pass. I've been there more times than I can count, so trust me on this one. It will pass. It may pop up again, but it will go again. The trick is to be self-aware. And that starts with talking to a professional.
Get the ball rolling with a visit to your GP, but also check out www.aware.ie for some fantastic support ideas. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Talk to your husband, and I can assure you, you will be glad you did, and so will he. You don't have to do this alone. You would want to help him if the situation was reversed. What's also fantastic is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, it helps you to train your mind and learn how to cope when you do have bouts of depression. There's more info here: http://ie.reachout.com/getting-help/face-to-face-help/types-of-therapy/cognitive-behavioural-therapy/
Pieta House http://www.pieta.ie/?gclid=CKe6lZ_N6cQCFSRf2wodjEUAZw are fantastic as well. Reaching out and saying that you're not feeling good and you're having those thoughts is a big step to take, so you should be very proud of yourself. Don't be afraid to keep taking those steps. You're going to be okay. You ARE okay. You can always keep coming back here as well with any questions or support you need! Best of luck!
<3