Hi,
I was diagnosed with major clinical depression a few years ago. I was on Zoloft for about a year and a half, got better, and took myself off cold-turkey due to weight gain (this is all besides the point--just giving a bit of background info :) ). Anyways, I was wondering if having a VERY low stress tolerance is part of having depression? For example, I was just talking to my fiancee on the phone, and he got a little bit impatient with me (nothing to worry or stress about, with most people--I think), and now I'm extremely upset about it and I feel like crying. I'd say that I probably feel this way about 85% of the time something like this happens. Sometimes it doesn't bother me more than it should, but sometimes I just feel like crap. I guess I'm just overly sensitive about things...??

Another example of not being able to handle stress is the fact that I find I cannot work. I am currently only doing a job that is a one night a week thing, and volunteering once a week (if I can handle it), just to say to people that I AM doing something, and not just being lazy 100% of the time. The thing is, that even with these things (mostly the volunteering, which I'll be quitting at the end of June, due to my not being able to handle it--and the one night a week job ends at the beginning of June), I completely DREAD going at times. I don't know what it is about it that makes me not want to do it but sometimes it just about takes all of my mental ability to get myself ready and out the door. I have to get a job in August, because I'm moving out of my parent's place next year and need to save up some money, but I just don't know if I'll be able to handle it every day. I've had jobs before, and this is how it felt, so I don't think it's the job that I'm doing. However, I felt more capable of handling it when I was on the Zoloft, but I'm very reluctant to go back onto AD's due to weight that I'm still trying to lose from it. Is this inability to handle stress (and work) part of depression also? Or is it just me, and I should try to suck it up and deal with it? The thing is that I am TOTALLY miserable when I have something to do day-to-day. And although I know that's the way of the world--everybody has to work at some point (except for the lucky few), I feel totally unable to do so...

Any replies will be greatly appreciated--thanks for taking the time to read this. :(

You may have general anxiety disorder along with depression. I do & also people with depression have low self esteem & little drive or ambition for working. It's all part of this rotten disease. I could never hold down a full time job. I tend to want to be at home, guess I feel safer here.

It definetly sounds like part of an anxiety/depression combo. I have both going on right now too. Maybe you should try new meds?

I definitely get this when I get bouts of depression, even the smallest things can make me boil inside and at my worst times I get stressed about choosing what bread I want in the supermarket!! (Thankfully I can laugh about that now). It seemed to be really similar to PMS (except all the time) so I went on the pill (actually the contraceptive patch which I like a lot more) and that helped a lot. I know there are a lot of reports of weight gain on ADs but I am on Effexor XR and also on a diet (Weight Watchers) which I started before and I am still managing to loose weight. I also didn't put on anything on Prozac so you might want to try one of those instead.

Yes same here with me. I know when i get overstressed with depression and anxiety.. i will snap at the small things. That is usually not me! Then I know I need to go talk to someone, take a breather, or get my medication checked.