Just need to vent

#2, Absolutely.

I understand it totally. Prayers to you

here are some books that helped me.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression by Kindel and Segal

Overcoming Depression using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy by Paul Gilbert

Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Start Where You Are by Pema Chodron

There are other's in my Library but I found these the most helpful (if difficult to remember when you are depressed/anxious)

I have been on anti-depressents for what seemes like years. What i found really helped was a meditation course run by my local Buddhist centre - it's OK you dont have to shave your head or wear orange!!

The Tibetan Art of Positive Thinking by Christopher Hansard was a good book to help me foucus on where I was experienceing problems.

Also another tip - don't beat yourself up about feeling crap, or crying, or any of the other 'downers', accept thats how you feel and then work from there; Pema Chodron's book Start where you are is good for that.

I'm not a counsellor - just a woman who has been there and am now just climbing out the other side.

Anyway good Luck and hang in there!!

These are old but Norman vincent peale's books always cheered me up

perodicticus - thinking of you, not a pleasant situation at all and not surprised it is having a bad effect on you. TsilahThebes is right - don't beat yourself up!

And thanks for reminding me of the escapism of Sherlock Holmes - I was trying to think of some of my favourite comfort/distraction reads and could only come up with Cranford! I want to have a little pile of them by my bed for bad days/nights.

Take care

At a bad time of my life, I bought every single Agatha Christie for calming reading late at night, when I couldn't sleep. I started at 11 and read till 3, which usually finished one. By then I was tired enough to get some sleep.

I kept them for a long time, reasoning that it would be extremely boring to have to buy them all again. Somehow just having them there was enough, and I never reread them seriously, just the odd one or two.

Finally I gave them to the Oxfam shop, when I decided they were not what I needed any more.

What about Ear Plugs or noise reducing headphones?

I look for books that can take me into another world. Among these are Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael mideavil mysteries.The violence is usually mild, but interesting enough so that you wonder what the outcome must be. Also she does descriptions that transport you instantly away from wherever you are. When she describes the deep, untouched forests of 12th century Britain or the barely rippling flow of the river Severn, I am there. The problem is, how to return to normal life.

I'm sorry you are struggling, I am affected by noise too.

If you are interested in yoga/meditation I really loved, loved, loved Happy Yoga I have had to buy a couple copies because I gave them to family members that also struggle.