Feeling alone

[Kpow]

Hey group, this is my first post thought I'd give this a shot.
I'd been thinking I have depression for a while, doctor agrees and I've been referred to a psychiatrist for official diagnosing. Doing ok overall, things in my life seem to be getting better but hit a wall today. Haven't been sleeping great with this heat and that's all it takes for me to crash, then add work stress, migraines and some stomach issues.
Anyway had to cancel a date I was really looking forward to tonight because I'm just so down, thought I'd reach out to see if anyone struggles to keep up social plans, I'm just feeling shitty about it but I know I'm not alone in the experience even if my brain tells me I am.

[AJ]

Hi Kpow and welcome to the forums.

I'm glad you got the referral. I hope the wait isn't too long. If you need to, consider following up with your family doctor in the meantime.

The heat makes having a restful sleep difficult. Having other health issues along with being depressed, is a lot to have to deal with. Sometimes it's the little self care things we do that can shift our mood to be more manageable.

When I'm struggling I most often go to social events (before Covid anyway), but I give myself permission to leave or end the evening early. Most people will be open to doing an activity another time, especially if it's possible to set it up in the near future.

[Quito]

Hi Kpow - sorry you've hit a bad spot. I've cancelled loads of social events due to depression. Recently I've forced myself to go out even though I've felt bad. Mostly it makes me feel better but not always. Be tender and understanding with yourself. Talk back to the negative thoughts. And make sure to tell your doctor about both insomnia and depression. I take 30mg amitriptyline for sleep and if I don't drink caffeine past noon, it works. Good luck to you and keep posting.

[Mocha231]

Quinto thank you for sharing these tips. It is so important to try to get out even if you are feeling low. If you don't go out you may regret missing different social events and end up feeling more depressed. It's like a vicious cycle.

Mocha231

[uni]

Hello Kpow; welcome to the forum, and thank you for posting.

I can relate to the effects of heat and lack of sleep on mood. Also to the difficulty in keeping up social plans, especially if you were looking forward to going. I'm sorry to hear you had to cancel, but I understand why. I don't want to count how many times I've ended up not attending something. Depression has a way of pulling the rug out from under a person, so you really aren't alone in that regard. And feeling bad about feeling bad, and even guilty for essentially looking after oneself. It's a tough call sometimes, but it sounds like you made the best one for you under the circumstances.