Unemployed

[Tyrsday]

Hello. I am 28, unemployed, have very low motivation and low self esteem. I am on a ‘sickness benefit’ for post concussion syndrome. I do have some goals but I can never persist with anything, I always end up sitting around feeling twisted and then escaping reality with DVD movies. I started attending therapy this year but am not going at the moment. The Welfare Department wanted to review the financial assistance for the therapy and I could not be bothered sorting it out so that stopped.
I read books and try different ways of thinking out so I might talk about things and books that I am working with on this forum if anything works out.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Maybe it would be worth trying to enlist the help of your former therapist to sort out that paperwork (assuming it was helping previously).

Another possibility would be seeing if there are any appropriate support groups in your area -- perhaps your fmily doctor can help you with that.

 

[HA]

Welcome Tyrsday,

It's a pleasure to have you with us! How did you aquire your concussion? I like escaping with movies at times.

 

[ThatLady]

Welcome, Tyrsday. I do hope you'll try to get back with your therapist, or in with a support group in your area. There's help for you there. In the meantime, we're here for you. )

 

[Tyrsday]

I got concussions from fighting. When I see my doctor I usually don’t feel like talking much. He put me on Fluox and they made me crave cigarets. I had lasted 18 months without a smoking but the medication made my weak... I took Fluox for about three months and then figured that the only effect it had was that it made me smoke allot. The remainder of the script went into the fire. Since I’ve gone of the medication I have cut back on smoking.

I have goals. I want to be fit and healthy. I want to enjoy working and would love to be a part time student. But I feel really tired and hopeless allot of the time. I have started keeping some journals that I fill in for a few days then forget about for a month and mabe come back to them.

This is my new exercise and health diary.


Monday 25-07-2005

2 separate 1 hour walks.

Tuesday 26-07-2005

2 separate 1 hour walks.

Wednesday 27-07-2005

2 separate 1 hour walks.

Thursday 28-07-2005

1 hour walking.

1 hour of light weights and press ups.

Friday 29-07-2005

1 hour walking

Saturday 31-07-2005

1 hour walking

Sunday - day off

Monday 02-08-2005

2 hour walk. Made a new route that avoids main road pollution.

Tyrsday to Saturnsday felt really tired and slow, slept and smoked allot spent time contemplating what this could mean. I feel that Thorsdays 1 hour of weights had been too heavy and have decided that I need to do real slow weights/breathing exercises with very light dumbbells (2 kg).

07-08-2005

While doing my new weight routine I felt inspired. My body liked using weights that it could lift with complete ease. The breathing and slow movements made my craving for cigarets go away and I felt that this new way of exercising could be the better way to release tension, than smoking, that I have been searching for.

2 1 hour walks.

08-08-2005

I really need to practice lead guitar, but have little inspiration. I practice for a while then have to use a coffee and a cigaret or two to refocus. I know about other methods for releasing tension but just feel to tired to use them.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Was that "fluox" fluoxetine (Proxac) or fluvoxamine (Luvox)?

Either way, the side-effect you describe (craving cigarettes) is quite unusual (indeed I've never heard of it with any of the SSRI medications) and it owuld have been (and still is) advisable for you to return to your doctor to let him/her know about the problems you were having -- had you switched to another SSRI instead of simply throwing what you had away you might be feeling quite a bit better by now.

The fact that you need stimulants like caffeine and nicotine to focus also makes me wonder if you aren't also suffering from ADD or something similar...