I received a heart-wrenching email just now from a CFS & FM sufferer. She is going through such a difficult and lonely time because she has depression, and does not seem to be receiving the support she needs from her doctor.

This was my reply:

Hi [name removed]

A big cyber hug for you!

I myself had depression in the first few years of having PVFS/CFS, so I can emphathise. Depression is a very soul-destroying and lonely illness. Combined with CFS and FMS, it seems to feed off them and make our condition even worse.

Thankfully, there ARE things you can do, with or without your doctor. However if you feel that your doctor is not helping you, then perhaps you should look for another doctor?

Although anti-depressants can be great for relieving depression in the short-term, they are sometimes not the answer when it comes to fighting your depression in the long term.

However, if you're finding that 5HTP is not helping, how about St Johns Wort? Maybe you could talk to your doctor about that?
There's a section about it here!

I am of the belief that for anyone suffering from a chronic condition (such as CFS or FMS), it's practically impossible to recover if you have depression too. This is also the belief of ME/CFS specialists such as Dr Shepherd:


http://www.sleepydust.net/FACTS-DEPRESSION.html

So it's important to tackle that first. But what can you do?

Well I am a firm believer in psychotherapy, simply because it worked so well for me. I was a complete mess - cried everyday, could not see a way out. I'd forgotten who I was. A desperately lonely and heart-wrenching time in my life.

Although it was difficult, my psychotherapy sessions showed me positive ways of coping and thinking. And I not only found the sessions interesting (albeit very emotionally painful sometimes), but I have become a much stronger and wiser person because of it. Those days are gone. They will never come back.


I wrote about psychotherapy here...

In fact,
there's a whole section on depression here...

In particular, I think that writing a gratitude journal helped me immensely. It's easy to do, it's free, and it takes about 2 minutes every day. But the effect can be dramatic, even within 2 weeks. It basically retrains your mind to think more positively. It's not a cure: I think therapy is a good idea too, but it's definitely a good starting place.


Click here for more about gratitude journals...

I also think that support is EXTREMELY important, so why don't you come join us at the Sleepydust Forum? It's free to register and you'll find a group of people there (including myself) who all know what you're going through because they are either going through it, or have been through it themselves. Friendship and support, I have found, makes living with condition so much more bearable.

To register (free), visit:

http://www.sleepydust.net/forum-register

And to visit the forum itself click here!

I think it would be really helpful for you. Give it a go. They are really lovely people.

Claire
Editor of sleepydust.net