Hi and welcome!

It can be quite hard to deal with a serious illness and recovery like with blood clots (did you have PEs as well as DVTs?). For me, a lot of the recovery was more mental than physical. It can be hard to readjust to the "new" normal and figure out how you're going to move forward.

I've also had both depression and anxiety in the past, but the anxiety was the real beast during recovery from my PEs. I had to do some therapy, some meds, some meditation, to try to work past it and kind of regroup and move forward. You'll have to find what works best for you, but do make a plan to attack this, because spending time in the grey area isn't much fun.

Hang in there! It does get better! Read around on this site and also on the pulmonary embolism boards (if that applies to you) and you'll see you have plenty of company.

I, personally, am almost four years out from my last clotting event and I would say I'm doing pretty well at this point both emotionally and physically. Things really will improve for you! Keep us posted!

Welcome! You said you're making "slow but good recovery". That's how the DVT healing process is sometimes, it can take time. But there's no reason not to have a positive outlook on your future. Blood clots can mess with your head for a bit and some people find therapy useful. It sounds like you need to address the anxiety first and foremost, in whatever form that may be (like toss n turn mentioned). Once you have that conquered, you will feel a lot better.

After my dvts, I remember looking back on the previous week (or month) and taking note of the strides I had made on the road to healing and recovery. That made me realize that I was in fact making progress, albeit slower than I wanted. I was anxious too, but once I set my mind to do something out of my comfort zone, then accomplished it, I felt liberated.

Try to come up with positive mantras that lift you up everyday. And set daily goals for yourself, no matter how small or meaningless they may seem, and stick to them. If it's just taking a 5 minute walk and slowly building up, you will feel better having accomplished it. Try to set up a weekly date with a friend for lunch or trip to a bookstore, anything to get out and socialize a little bit at a time.

You will find the old "you" and things will get better. Really, all it takes is having a positive outlook and telling yourself, life is good - easier said than done, I know. You may have to seek out resources to aid you in that but you can and will do this and there is plenty of support here to help you in that process.

Hi Tamilla,

Six months is still very soon after an event like yours. It's good to hear that you're recovering, and that you're acknowledging the improvements! You will continue to get better, I hope and pray. I'm almost 7 years post-clots.

You will find the new "me" resides along with the old "me" at times. While my perspective on things changed as a result of the clots (I have more gratitude for my abilities, I am more medically knowledgable), I don't let the past interrupt the present. I'm still ME. It took a while to find the balance, but you'll find yours too.

My dh and I were just discussng something similar today. I am almost at a year since my dvt, and I feel like 2013 was a blur. The pain and immobility had me quite depressed for a good chunk of the year, and the anxiety was at times unbearable. I feel better now, but I am def changed in many ways, some good, some bad. It takes time. I will say that for me, physical improvement came before mental improvement. I still struggle with anxiety, more so now that things are going to be changing once more since I am scheduled to come off the meds in a month. Just give it time, do things that make you happy, and realize how blessed you really are.

Here is a short article we did over at Clot Connect that may be helpful. It discusses the psychological impact of having had a DVT/PE. Each person deals with their recovery differently:

http://professionalsblog.clotconnect.org/2012/02/28/psychological-impact-of-dvt-and-pe/

R/Tom

Thank-you all for your kind advice, I am so glad to have found you.

tamilla,
May I ask how old are you? Some very young people who get DVT's seem to take it a bit harder than someone who is older, like me.
Just curious.
I have had 2 DVT's (one in each leg) in the past 11 years. I am only 14 months out from the last one but I am doing really well, unlike the first DVT that was massive and painful five years out.

Hi Brooklin, I am female, 56years old.