Coping mechanisms

General discussions. Feel free to use this like a support group also.
BrokenDoll
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:35 am
Contact:

Coping mechanisms

Unread post by BrokenDoll »

Hi everyone,

I hope you all are doing well. I was just wondering what people's coping mechanisms are when they feel hopeless?

I'm 4.5 years with full blown PSSD and anhedonia and honestly I feel like giving up as I have yet to see a window. Even though I have been this way for a long time and it's my new normal, I'm finding it very hard to accept. Does anyone have any tips? I'm desperate so I'm going to start trying meds soon as I cant do this alone. In the past I have tried Maca Root, Inositol and Choline, and L-Tyrosine but to no avail/no windows. My loved ones are worried about me and some of them want me to go back on SSRIs, even though I have been off them since 2014.

I can cope with the asexuality, but the lack of zest/pleasure/joy/love etc for this long has got me beaten and run down. I dont see any way out of this and I feel so alone in this.
jjr81
Posts: 81
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:08 pm

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by jjr81 »

I am wondering the same thing. All I do is sit on the computer all day. Life is boring with no emotions or sexuality. I just started working with Dr. Goldstein in San Diego. I am taking Addyi and Cabergoline. I also just started taking Memantine. I don't plan on living this way forever either. My terrible OCD and anxiety was bad enough but now to be damaged like this. Of course my anxiety is dormant but what a price to pay. I'm sorry we are going through this nightmare. I agree that you should start trying stuff. No point waiting around anymore.
User avatar
anacleta
Posts: 695
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 5:47 am
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by anacleta »

Hi, I suggest you contact David Healy and see what he suggests .. https://davidhealy.org/contact/
chemistry
Posts: 195
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 7:38 pm
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by chemistry »

"I can cope with the asexuality, but the lack of zest/pleasure/joy/love etc for this long has got me beaten and run down. I dont see any way out of this and I feel so alone in this."

Yeah this reflects so much of what I've been thinking over the years. I've been getting into mindfulness meditation lately, that with exercise and diet has given me a bit of a sense of peace within all of this. Eventually I just got to the point that having a negative or anxious view about feeling nothing or getting pleasure from nothing wasn't helping it was just hurting me. I have a hope that one day there will be a drug or something that will help me "feel" again even if its just a little bit. Maybe there is a way you can hold on to that hope too. Until then, being proactive with researching, taking care of yourself as best as you can, and trying different supplements or drugs will keep you in the mindset of "im working on it" which is better than "idk what to do i think i might be fucked". Thats what's been helping me. Take care
Brief Symptoms:
PE - Anhedonia, less emotions - Test Atrophy - Numb body - Lowered libido = ED
24/7 tension, stress. Worse with lack of sleep, hungry, ill
"Pure-O"
Visual Snow Syndrome + DP/DR + Tinnitus
Insomnia, Fatigue
see intro for more
Kk88
Posts: 350
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 1:21 pm
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by Kk88 »

Hey BrokenDoll, Sorry you're having a hard time lately. Im with you on struggling more with the lac of joy/pleasure etc than sexual stuff at the moment. I'm not doing well in my career while everyone around me is excelling....I can't help wondering how 'old me' would be doing. I have hopes and dreams but no get up and go to chase them. I know I used to have it :(

My advice might be a bit controversial but I'd recommend not to try SJW. I tried and got a 100% recovery window for 24hours. Following this I had my biggest mood crash yet - I'd seen things like they used to be....sexuality returned, colours brighter, mood brighter, energy, motivation. It was impossibly hard to go back to my PSSD state having seen this. No-one (I don't think) has been permanently cured by SJW but lots of people have had windows and if you're already feeling low I'd avoid because the crash will hit you hard.

Otherwise, read some success stories on here. We are making progress - people are getting cured....we will get there! x
User avatar
dann888
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:35 am
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by dann888 »

My coping mechanism is control my anxiety. If I have no anxiety feelings I can live with PSSD without much of worry. When I hit with anxiety, I Think every bad thing about how alone I will be in future and how to live like that and so on. So if you can control your anxiety without using SSRI you can wait and experiment for a cure. Of course I know its easy to said than done.
User avatar
magnilo
Posts: 421
Joined: Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:37 am
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by magnilo »

if you feel you are depressed you should definitely try all the lifestyle "adjustments" of the case to try and get rid of depression
its the usual suspects: sports, nutrition, sunlight and being outside, eventually even around people if you're up to it, meditation - i think these are some great coping methods.
they add manuality and increase your connection with your body.
if it doesent work, try some other supplements! try to find one or two that cover more of your symptoms (maybe you have some type of gut issue, or dry mouth, or idk what)
my personal experience tells me that if you take care of other symptoms you have, depression gets better too
if you've done all of that, and it still is not enough, there are plenty of effective medications that SHOULD not mess with your sexuality and bring back that zest for life.
actually some of these might even turn out to be a pssd antidote! (usually some of the TCAs)

wish you well:)
Last edited by magnilo on Thu Jan 24, 2019 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Snake
Posts: 310
Joined: Thu May 03, 2018 1:45 pm
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by Snake »

dann888 wrote:My coping mechanism is control my anxiety. If I have no anxiety feelings I can live with PSSD without much of worry. When I hit with anxiety, I Think every bad thing about how alone I will be in future and how to live like that and so on. So if you can control your anxiety without using SSRI you can wait and experiment for a cure. Of course I know its easy to said than done.
It's the same in my case. Anxiety is definitely the worst symptom, I've experienced it for couple of months because of my experiment with buspirone. Now it seems to be gone to certain extend. If you succeed to beat anxiety then you can live with PSSD and wait for the future cure/treatments.
Finding a cure is only a matter of time! Never quit!
infinityzer00000
Posts: 99
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2015 10:28 am
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by infinityzer00000 »

Hi everyone,

I tend to come back and post once in awhile and I figured now would be another good time. I'm not sure how many people I've reached with my suggestions to look at this from a different angle as it has worked out quite well for me. No depression, anxiety, or OCD and my sexual function is improving pretty regularly along with my emotional range. I used to be in the same position as a lot of you and while I don't want to offer false hope for anyone I am a testament to the fact that this approach was effective. If you're going to try things you might as well ad this to the list especially if you decide you've had enough and want to check out. So here it goes...

Trauma. Trauma. Trauma. There's a reason you can't feel things or enjoy things (anhedonia) and why your sex drive is none existent and that's because I believe you're all severely traumatized. It took me about 9 years before I was about to kill myself with nembutal before some therapist gave me hope with the concept of complex trauma. I was at the end. I was exhausted with all the insomnia and depression and stress and just absolute hell I was living in day to day. When the idea of trauma was first suggested to me I actually smirked and thought it was a joke and I'm taking the nembutal I ordered from China. The therapy when it started proved there was some truth to this. It made me aware that there was an immense amount of pain buried so deep in my heart that my body just shut down and coming off the drugs allowed all the pain to resurface at once and take everything offline, my emotions, libido, confidence, sexuality, excitement etc.

I came from a bad home. I didn't think it was bad, but it was pretty damn bad and that young version of me was in agony and I forgot all about him just like my parents did. Since I started my path to healing about 2/2.5 years ago I have become a completely different person. While I still struggle with the stress some days everything in my life is an order of magnitude better. I sleep, I have my sex, I'm kicking ass at my job, I'm enjoying things again and my emotions are coming back to the surface. I am learning to love myself for the first time.

Now the current state of your mind might skip over this completely because that's what I myself would have done in your shoes. The OCD and all the other symptoms make it seem like there really is no hope in hell that this could work, but what have you got to lose? There's no drugs necessary, just your own willingness to persevere and heal. I have answered a few messages from a couple of people over the years and I have pointed them in the right direction.

The bottom line is that your body is trying to protect you from pain by shutting things down.

Good luck everyone. Imagine those people that committed suicide when it turns out there was a solution? Unlocking the pain deep within you and facing it head on. Give it a try that's all I ask.
User avatar
Ghost
Posts: 1750
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:16 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: Coping mechanisms

Unread post by Ghost »

For me: Ketamine.
- Medical Student & Friendly poltergeist - Lexapro Sept '14. [Hx] [PSSD Lab] [r/PSSD] [Treatment Plan] - Add "Ghost" in replies so I see it :)
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests