Am I depressed? What should I do?

Question

I have been taking phentermine for my weight loss for the last year. I have lossed 70 pounds down from 262. Everything was alright until about a month ago, I injured my foot. I would work out everyday and eat my low carb diet and take my meds, but after I hurt myself I stopped exercising and then I ran out of my meds.It just seems like life has taken a dump on me.Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. I haven't been back to the doc b/c of money troubles, I feel like crying all the time, I don't enjoy things like I used to, I eat regular food(no diet) when I'm bored, I sleep alot, I've gained weight, I don't know how to get out of this slump. I'm constantly thinking about my weight, I never felt this way on my medication, I just lived my life. Am I depressed? What should I do. I need honest and real answers. I have no one I can talk to about this. Thanks

Answer 1

Hi Blondie,

I know you haven't been able to see your dr because of $$$ problem - but girl - you absolutely need to - and asap!

"Phentermine is habit forming. You can become physically and psychologically dependent on this medication, and withdrawal effects may occur if you stop taking it suddenly after several weeks of continuous use. Talk to your doctor about stopping this medication gradually."

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/drug/d00806a1

You may be depressed because of everything you listed OR it may be a side effect of suddenly stopping the medication. Either way - PLEASE - see a physician.

Here are links to some discussion forums where you should be able to get some support:

http://www.phenforum.com/
http://www.depressionforums.org/
http://depression.about.com/mpboards.htm
http://www.depressionchat.com/

Answer 2

It definitely sounds like depression. Injuries and sudden changes in one's schedules can have that effect. Add the fact that you were doing so well on your diet and you seem to be digressing would only make the guilt and depression worse. The best thing to do is call your local family service clinic. This may go by a different name depending on where you live. All states have State run mental health clinics and you can see a therapist there and a psychiatrist if need be. These clinics are on a sliding scale fee, so they will only charge you what you can afford to pay. But, I would set up an appointment and talk to a therapist. Even if it is not depression, I am sure you will find comfort in their guidance. Good luck.

Answer 3

Part of the trouble is the phentermine. When you quit taking it suddenly like that, it's a booger. It's terribly addictive, and it's VERY hard on your system. I had the same problem. What I did was get so @#!$ fat I could hardly walk, and then said ENOUGH. I am on a liquid plus diet, and have lost a fair amount of weight in 3 weeks, enough so my friends can tell, and my legs have stopped looking like water bags. I am handicapped because of major arthritis in my legs and ankles due to the weight mostly, although I have genetic problems as well ('double-jointed' in all joints). I started on Medifast and discovered it was way expensive and am now using slim-fast from the store. I have 2 or 3 slimfasts a day and one meal consisting of salad and meat. It's slow, but it's working and I enourage you to try something like that before you get to the point I was. I was so fat my scale wouldn't weigh me! It only goes to 330! If you need someone to talk to you can email me any time you want. I'm on the computer most days, most of the day, it seems, since I can't walk much. Please try hard to get back onto your diet, it's important for your health and for those who love you. You'll feel so much better, just for trying, maybe you won't want to sleep/eat so much, too. Please try! Good luck!

Answer 4

First thing I want to say to you is CONGRATULATIONS!

Losing 70 pounds is quite a feat.

Now you need to realize one thing and one thing only. YOU are in control of your life. You are not a victim. You don't need medication to lose weight and be fit, all you need is determination.

I've been going through the same thing recently - A while back I was 320 and went down as low as 240 and in the past year, I've let myself go and am now over 260 again. This afternoon, I made myself a sign which I have posted in several places for me to see (fridge, office, living room, etc). It simply says: "ONE OBJECTIVE". Only I know what that is. My ONE objective is 190 pounds. My mentality has to be ONLY to get to that objective. Whatever I do that does not bring me towards that (other than make my living) has to be questioned - "should I do this or not?". You must be true to yourself and yourself only. The only way you can "cheat" on a diet or a workout program is if you cheat on yourself - the unfortunate thing is you always know when you're cheating on yourself and THAT is what makes you feel depressed.

GET WITH IT! DO IT!

Remember: ONE OBJECTIVE. Set it and do what it takes.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Good job for wanting to change! That's the first step. Determination and believing you can do anything is the second. Get outside and take a daily walk. Not only is it excersize, but you can have fun, see the world, and meet new people on the way. Substitute/switch eating with fun activities instead. Go bowling, try out for a play, rollerblade, go to a theme park, make new friends... get out there and try new things! You'll eventually find a new hobby and you'll be addicted to it, instead of food.

I live by this quote... maybe it'll help you, "We're not handed tomorrow, so I'll live for today." - 3 Doors Down.

Good luck and I'll always be here to talk to you!

Answer 6

I'm so sorry you're in the dumps.
When I answer this question, you're going to think I'm a yoga nut. And that's because I am. Yoga is such a gentle yet vigorous exercise that you bring activity back in your life despite your injury (just be sure to tell your instructor about your injury. They'll modify the poses for you). Yoga will also help with the weight loss as well as to build nice lean muscles.
As far as mental health is concerned - I'm afraid yoga can help there too. I swear, I sound insane by prescribing yoga as the cure all - but it really is - in your case. I'm a yoga instructor and I've seen COUNTLESS people come out of lots of funks by just practising yoga. Yoga brings balance back into a person's life. You'll see a dramatic improvement.
When you're in the last state of meditation in yoga, let your mind chart your future. I want you to see yourself in a good place. Mentally draw the picture of who you want to be and where you want to be. This will make it a reality.
Wishing you happiness and health.

Answer 7

I can't advise you fully, because I'm not an expert. But from what I do know, I would say that you definitely need to get yourself to the doctor ASAP, and he will be able to diagnose the problem, and then, if necessary, prescribe the medication you need: such as anti-depressants. I'm assuming you're in America because that would explain why you need money to go to the doctor - no offence to your country, but that is totally insane! Make sure you have friends and family around you, and make sure that you have someone who you can talk to and trust, because keeping your feelings to yourself will probably make it worse as you will dwell on dark thoughts. If you need to communicate with someone you can email me, but as I said I'm not an expert on this subject so I could only be a friend. Take care, and no matter how black things may appear, remember that they don't always have to be that way.

Answer 8

There could be several reasons why you are experiencing these things. You mentioned that you are having money troubles so you were not able to go back to the doctor. Most cities have free clinics where you can get examined and get medication. Sometimes it is completely free and sometimes it is based on a sliding scale. Call your prior doctor and ask him/her to refer you to a program that will be able to assist someone in a difficult financial situation. You should not have to go without basic medical care because you pay for your health care out of pocket. And, honestly with as much as you are dealing with I can see how you might be depressed.

Good Luck!

Answer 9

you sound dependable on you meds. can you not do any form of exercise such as swimming fantastic as no stress on joints, i teach Martial arts and i have students train with broken arms all sorts of problems, i have taught classes whilst being on crutches. i think you need to think about self help and think about what a tablet can do for you, the only one that can change this is yourself. self belief is the most important thing any person can have there are plenty of ways to improve the situation and you have made the first step by admitting something is wrong, the next step is to plan a strategy to make things better.

I gave my self a pyramid scheme with the easiest thing at the bottom and the hardest most challenging at the top and worked my way through my problems you should try it.

Hope this helps and can inspire you to make the change

Answer 10

This is from phentermine's actual website:
Phentermine is habit forming. You can become physically and psychologically dependent on this medication, and withdrawal effects may occur if you stop taking it suddenly after several weeks of continuous use. Talk to your doctor about stopping this medication gradually.