Old 04-28-2008, 09:39 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
shutterbug
A picture's worth a 1000 words
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: With any luck, I'm lost in a view finder
Posts: 2,954
Yes...there are often community-based counseling programs for free or really cheap. I know in my community there are also free group meetings for depression and bipolar. You'll probably just have to do some digging and asking around.

I know that with the anxiety....relaxation excersizes and self-hypnosis excersises really work for me. There are also a lot of natural based things you can do to help with the depression. I'm not sure why, but I remember that when I was in college and was going to the tanning salon regularly...it helped my depression. So that is something i plan to start doing again soon and see if it was just a fluke/coincidence or if it really has some benefits to it. I think it really has some benefits to it b/c of things I've read before about sunlight and all that being good for depression (and the tanning bulbs are a form of sunlight right?**

My suggestion is always to go see a psychologist and have a full mental-health evaluation done. I was bipolar, with major depression, and was well into my second major episode before I ever figured that out. And my aunt went her entire life without ever knowing she was bipolar (she died about 6 years ago from a prescription drug overdose....she'd been addicted for years). And what people don't know is that 80+ percent of bipolars are addicted to something. So walk into an AA meeting and I'd bet at least 1/2 the members at the meeting have a mental illness that they have NO clue about. Anyway...just my 2-educated-cents.

Welcome to SR and i wish you all the best in all your recovery efforts.

Hugs,
Jenna
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