Any help would be appreciated
 

I’m looking to see if anyone may be able to help shed some light in regards to some debilitating mental/physical issues I’ve been dealing with. A bit of a background on myself….I have dealt with depression and some anxiety for a long time. I was on anti-depressants for about 13 years. I also self-medicated with alcohol during that time period (not sure if it was due to the effects of medication or if it was with the depression/anxiety) The past 2 years I have been off medication and don’t drink. It’s been a bit of a trade off …. I feel more like myself but it hasn’t been easy. In addition, I saw a neurologist who said I have may have some pinched nerves from a bulging disc (I’m not sure this has anything to do with anything that I have been experiencing). I’ve been experiencing all the symptoms listed below. I’ve been trying to go the natural route and feel like I have tried everything out there with minimal success (yoga, meditation, exercise, acupuncture, medical tests, supplements, probiotics, talk therapy, light therapy, tms, physical therapy, other treatments). There is nothing going on in my life that would give me a reason to be depressed or anxious. I feel like I’m always in this disconnected state of uneasiness and chronic pain. I’ve been debating on going back on medication as my everyday life and job has been suffering. I guess I’m hoping to see if I can get some other people’s feedback to see if anyone has experienced the same thing and if there are any suggestions. I don’t know if it is a combination of things or what. My neurologist and general physician both just say it is a chemical imbalance in my brain which I don’t fully agree with. Any input would be appreciated.

Symptoms

Cognitive dysfunction – hard to focus and complete simple tasks – usually occurs shortly after I wake up to early evening when I become a bit more clearheaded. When I wake up in the morning it feels like my brain is swollen

Depression/Anxiety – (nothing to attribute it to aside of the seasonal component)

Chronic joint pain – hips & knees

Neuropathy – pain and numbness –vibrations from upper to lower back and back of thighs, occasional muscle spasms

Fatigue

Hi WALSH21

Welcome to NeuroTalk :).

In some ways my experience is similar to yours; I am in remission from Major Depressive Disorder and used to abuse alcohol. I can't say much about your physical problems but here are a couple of questions for you to consider.

Did you discontinue anti-depressants abruptly or did you do it slowly under medical supervision? This can be important.

Have you considered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy? In the hands of a skilled clinical psychologist this can make a difference.

Best wishes.

Thank you for your response. I actually got off anti-depressants about a 2 years ago and did so under doctor supervision. I have tried cognitive behavioral therapy. It helped when I had issues to deal with but what I consistently go through daily is more the physical aspect and cognitive dysfunction. I'm not sure if there is some sort of autoimmune issue or a nutritional deficiency. It's been very debilitating