Guest wrote:We are all in the same boat bc8. If you are feeling really depressed like that you should go to the doctor and get some anti depressants, it will give your brain a chance to normalise and your spirits WILL pick up again.
As far as I know emu oil is a carrier and nothing more, though someone may have more info on that.
Don't give up hope girl. I can't remember if you have a routine or not but if you don't then get yourself one asap.
I have them on my arms too, have never been overweight, but I can remember the depression that it caused when I woke up one day and found my arms covered in stretch marks. That was the turning point for me, though I was depressed for months (my partner of the time told me not to worry about them nice guy that he was) it was then that I decided to do something about them. It has taken awhile but I am much happier tackling them than I was ignoring them and though they do control aspects of my life, they do not control my thoughts in a negative way. I remain determined to win this battle and you should get that determination too. Whether it takes months or years, helping yourself is the only answer right now. Don't give up hope.
Take care
J
Guest wrote:We are all in the same boat bc8. If you are feeling really depressed like that you should go to the doctor and get some anti depressants, it will give your brain a chance to normalise and your spirits WILL pick up again.
As far as I know emu oil is a carrier and nothing more, though someone may have more info on that.
Don't give up hope girl. I can't remember if you have a routine or not but if you don't then get yourself one asap.
I have them on my arms too, have never been overweight, but I can remember the depression that it caused when I woke up one day and found my arms covered in stretch marks. That was the turning point for me, though I was depressed for months (my partner of the time told me not to worry about them nice guy that he was) it was then that I decided to do something about them. It has taken awhile but I am much happier tackling them than I was ignoring them and though they do control aspects of my life, they do not control my thoughts in a negative way. I remain determined to win this battle and you should get that determination too. Whether it takes months or years, helping yourself is the only answer right now. Don't give up hope.
Take care
J
Hi J
Thank you for your kind words and advice, it's much appreciated.
I don't mean to sound silly here, but what do you mean by emu oil is a carrier?
Unfortunately I have suffered with depression for 10 years. I first started on anti depressants when I was 15, a few years after I started to feel really down. My depression started due to something that happened in my life... back then I didn't even have stretch marks (wow). Once I turned 18 I was put on another anti depressant, you have to be over 18 to take it. At first I was put on 20mg a day... but it wasn't working so now I am on 60mg a day (Citalopram). So even though I am under my doctor for depression and anti depressants, there hasn't been much hope. I honestly wish I could feel differently and that the anti depressants would work, but right now it just isn't happening. No matter how hard I try to be positive or feel better, it just doesn't work, it's so frustrating. The only way I can explain my depression right now is... it's like a disease/cancer in my brain eating at me, just taking over, more and more each day. I have about 1 hour a day where my mood may go up slightly, and I mean very slightly. But it will ALWAYS go straight back down again when I think about, see or feel my stretch marks (arms). I also believe that if I wasn't a person who suffered with depression previously, these marks wouldn't upset me so damn much. I think because I am a person who has suffered/suffers with depression it's just gotten extremely out of hand. I also feel that I couldn't get any more low in my mood, it's that bad right now, I feel that there just isn't a place any lower than where I am right now.
Like I said in one of my posts before, it's not the fact that I have stretch marks, or that I have so many, it's more a fact of where they are on my body. I can cope with the ones on my tummy, thighs, hips, boobs etc... but I just cannot deal with the new ones on my arms. That's the last area on my body I could show off in the summer, to look "normal" and not be overdressed and sweating (which people pick up on). I had some on my arms before, from about 8 years ago... of course they had faded completely and weren't that noticable. The new ones are pink... it's as if I have developed new stretch marks on top of my old ones, or at least very close to my old ones. I have also noticed the older (faded) stretch marks have become really harsh looking and indented, which they weren't a year ago. Whether that's due to my arms being fatter (I've put on weight) and causing the older stretch marks to be under alot of stress/tention/stretching, I do not know. In a way I hope that is the reason, because then it would mean as I lose the weight they would look better... but knowing my luck I doubt it. I never remember the older ones looking this indented and harsh when I was slimmer...
I also don't think I can cope with waiting another 8 years for the new pink ones to get to where my other ones are (faded). Why on earth do they take so long to fade!?

I know I go on and on about my depression and my marks... I do apologise for annoying anyone. I am also not feeling sorry for myself. Feeling sorry for yourself and severe depression are two TOTALLY different things. I think that unless someone has actually suffered with depression themselves or have known someone close to them who suffers with it - they will never be able to understand what it is, or what it's like. And if pulling myself together and getting over it was that easy, I'm sure I would have done that by now! lol

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I just need to let it out sometimes, even if it is just typing on a forum, and again I am sorry to get on anyones nerves. I really have no one else to talk to like I have on here about my marks... of course I have my mum and dad, but I feel embarrassed about it. It's good to get it all out sometimes I think.
I totally understand what you mean about getting a routine and sticking to it and that it can help the way you feel about your marks. I so wanted to try TCA peels, but I kept seeing people comment about hyperpigmentation (sp)... now personally I know I wouldn't really want that on the top of my arms. It would draw even more attention to that area (which I really wouldn't want!). I also wouldn't be prepared to go through x amount of peels and get 0 results then have to have discoloured skin to deal with on top of dealing with the marks, that would suck. I think most of you using TCA are using it on areas that are normally covered by clothing? (like on your stomach, thighs/legs, bums etc). I would only do TCA on my arms, because my other stretch marks don't bother me much, even though I am covered.
I remember reading a few pages back about someone being sold a bleaching cream, it began with the letter "T". Then someone came along and gave a warning that it would make their stretch marks worse, because it had a steroid in it (the word they used began with "c"?). Now I am paranoid that some of the "normal" body moisturises I have been using on my marks could contain something like this? Or am I being silly. God, it's really taking over my life.
I wont even pull on the skin too much when washing or doing daily tasks, in fear that it could make them worse! how stupid is that huh?
I'm even considering paying for an arm lift to basically cut them out! I don't have the money, but I'm sure I could get into debt for it... But my mum said they probably wouldn't do it because an arm lift is for people who have excess saggy skin on the underside of their arms, which I don't have... yeah of course I have fat, but not saggy skin. I'd just use the operation to cut away the stretch marks.
Right now, it's 1:41am. I am mentally knackered through thinking all day and crying. I don't feel as bad right this minute, but that might be due to not looking at my marks in the mirror for a few hours. I will in a minute though, to put on my cream/moisturiser. I use the mirror to see I am putting it on where I need it... which will then make me see them damn stretch marks again. So I will be going to bed tonight feeling really sh*t again. It's a never ending circle
Thanks guys for being so supportive of each other. I suppose it's because we all suffer from the same thing and can relate. If only other people would too, then maybe we wouldn't be so obsessed about stretch marks.
Sorry for the 6 page essay. I will understand if you don't manage to read it all... or even don't want too lol.
If anything, it was good to get it all out and have a rant.
Night night all
PS: I apologise if I have missed anyone who has since posted a new post since J's. I have been writing and erasing my post for the past hour! If there are any new ones that I have missed I will get back to you! But right now, I really need to rest my head. Thanks guys.
bc8