The mind IS the body, as well. And vice-versa. And we know theres only one way to have one and not the other.
I've been on them on and off over the years with varied success rates. fluoxetine (prozac) sort of worked but I was having dreams so vivid I couldn't tell if I had been awake or asleep some times which really tires you out. next I tried Citalopram which worked allot better at first, then I was getting really bad night sweats so tried a different class of antidepressant, mirtazapine this worked very well and very fast only drawback with that one was that it takes a bit of time getting used to taking them because they knock you out and make you feel very groggy the next morning. one other thing though, I noticed someone said about taking st johns wort. if you take that you should always leave 2 weeks before taking any antidepressant and like wise before taking st johns wort. hope this helps in some way.
Nothing will free me from it......ever!!! I have to live with it and the meds. help me do just that. Is it better that I spend the rest of my life struggling to cope rather than swallow a pill? Is it better that someone who is severely depressed commits suicide rather than swallow a pill? There is still a 'taboo' where antidepressants are concerned which is so wrong, making the person who has decided to take them feel 'weak' and subsequently secretive about his/her illness. I 'happened' across this book which I am going to buy, am posting a link in case anyone else is interested. Oh incidentally, I did see a counsellor once but like fat controller found it no help at all, I simply felt she didn't understand and how could she??? http://www.authorhouse.co.uk/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000565190 Val
Different methods are better for different people. No one's problems/issues are ever the same as someone else's.
I admire your attitude Val, you have defined yourself as a person who is suffering with grief and you have accepted the help offered to you, don't let anyone make you feel weak for doing that, we are all trying to find a path in life. When I spoke out about my medication at work, I was shocked but not surprised about the number of other staff members who were struggling. Final point - Mental health issues will effect 1 in 4 people during their lives, that's more common than Asthma. Hugs to you Val x
That sums it up - you have to live with it, not live it. As I know only too well that is easy to say but hard to do. My only advice is make it your aim, not a priority. I too am in the counselling is a load of ballcocks camp, but if you find someone to talk to who understands go for it (remember, they understand and will not hold it against you). If you need the pills so be it. Just take the view that every decision that you take on this issue should be a step forward, not sideways. I'm not too sure about that. There are too many who see it as the latest life accessory - these people fuel a certain cynicism amongst the wider populace. There's nothing weak about it. Moo poo. Psychological problems can certainly be treated, sometimes by a change of mindset in the sufferer, maybe it will need the help of others, and other times using medication will be the way forward. But as you yourself said, the mind is a total mystery and certainly is not consistent in the way that it works from one person to the next.
500BC Chinese used Opium, Greeks used Borage, Mothers ruin (Gin) was used to quell the depression of the poor, Queen Victoria used Laudanum(Opium) for her Melancholia. So there is historic evidence that treatment for depression (melancholia) has been used for generations Indigenous Australians believe that our emotions are controlled by our stomachs and we need to be at one with mind and stomach to balance our bodies, so this may add weight to the self heal argument. Truth be told we are just another generation that does not fully understand our bodies fully, as much as we think we have progressed. Therefore in my humble opinion, we have to balance what is on offer at this moment in time and adopt what works for us as an individual. No right, no wrong, just do our best.
Perhaps pain was the wrong term to use. I can't imagine how you feel as this is something I have not gone through myself. I think if you want to use a pill to be the backbone of your recovery then that's fine. There is no taboo about taking antidepressants imo, but I personally think many people see it as a quick fix however, but then again I suppose that depends on how bad you really are. I know a few people who want to come off them but feel too scared to as they have gotten use to them being a prop and are therefore not confronting their problems. I think not much positive has been said about counseling which I think is quite unfair. Counseling is like antidepressants, each one is different and may be more effective than others. Going in and thinking one treatment/counselor will help is just the same as assuming one pill would help. Some are better than others and like the pills a few need to be tried before you find the right one for you. I too had a lot of pain in my life too. I was sexually abused by two family members one of them when I was quite young and the other when I was 16 years old. After the second round of abuse I went into a deep depression, not because of the abuse itself, that happened and I couldn't change that, but more about how my parents reacted to it and did nothing about it. The abuser's spouse knows nothing about it still and I still have to pretend that it never happened, even though my parents know how I feel about this family member and go on about it a lot. I went into counseling after trying to commit suicide in 2011 and spent 2 years doing weekly visits. My counselor successfully "reframed" my mindset on this family member enough for me to be able to visit them and even give them a hug. I let go of all that negativity and moved on with my life. Like most survivors of abuse, it will always be with you but it doesn't depress me anymore. It happened, I can't change that, so I have to move on from it. I now have a difficult relationship with my parents however, but there are other factors involved with this. I had a lot of other problems such as eating disorders and social problems and these were all tackled and made more manageable by counseling. I got myself a voluntary job and now have lots of friends and a support network, which has helped me immensely. My mistake however was to leave too soon and it quickly dawned on me how much I needed the treatment still as there are still a lot of issues I never dealt with and my hope is to go back to it in the near future.
Counselling helped me a lot more than pills when I was at my worst. I realised after a traumatic 24 hours that pills were never going to help; talking did. What helps me now, on the very rare occasions I'm feeling low, is to hit the yoga mat. I started yoga after I had my first counselling session (unrelated, I wasn't advised to take up yoga), found that I could focus on myself, from the inside out and balance myself. I've been practising for years and the 'me' time I've found is very previous to me
I've suffered from depression on and off for most of my life. I remember the first time I tried to commit suicide I was 13. I realise now that it's linked to my Aspergers (and Dyspraxia) which was only relatively recently diagnosed. That's not something I can ever cure. I don't want to go into too much detail but the Aspergers has dictated my life. Much as I try not to let it define me, I can't get away from it and there are certain aspects about it which lead to depression. I've had bouts of depression at various stages in my life and then years in between when I've been okay. The most recent bout I had lasted four years until it got to the stage where it was either do or die so went to the doctor, who referred me to a mental health clinic, where I was assigned to a very lovely psychiatrist. She was absolutely brilliant. I have a hypersensitivity to a lot of drugs so can't take conventional antidepressants. She tried me on Limotrigine, which is commonly used to treat epilepsy, but one of the side effects is improved mood. They worked a treat and after just a week I started to feel better. Been on them for a couple of years now and provided they keep working then I'll be on them indefinitely. They don't make me feel spaced out at all, they just make me feel normal (well as normal as I can ever be). She also fought for the funds to send me to a specialist Aspergers team so I could get diagnosed. I still get bad days/weeks (like now) which are reactive to certain situations/events usually brought about directly by the Aspergers, but it isn't as bad as it was before and doesn't usually last more than a few days. Most of the time it's linked to my menstrual cycle. I take chasteberry (agnus castus) which really helps with those times. I tried CBT but didn't find it very useful. Sorry to go on Val - I hope you (and everyone else who suffers from depression) can find whatever method works for you.
How did you get your Aspergers diagnosed? Was it through a doctor or someone else? I ask as I found out recently that my Dad has it and want to get myself check out as I have similar traits. I am the same with my anxiety. The hardest part is to just accept that it will always be there in some form or another. My goal in life now is not to rid myself of it but to be able to live with it and still have a happier life than I currently have. I am currently being given counselling through the NHS and am really not enjoying it. I've been told I only have 8 weeks and that my new counsellor thinks things will improve in this short amount of time. I'm now on my 6th session and he keeps changing his mind on what type of therapy I require, which I'm finding very frustrating and confusing. Am considering jacking it in altogether and looking elsewhere as it's really depressing me.
@Jungle Jane - I did the Aspie Quiz online, printed off a copy of my results and took them to my doctor. I thought I was dyspraxic a couple of years previously but my doctor was very unhelpful. This time she referred me but only because of the depression. The psychiatrist I saw referred me to the Sheffield Asperger Syndrome Service but had to obtain funding to do so. You need to be referred by a mental health professional. It's very clear to me that my father has it (as did my sister), but he would never admit it. I had counselling several years ago and only had four sessions before they signed me off - not very helpful either. Feeling better today as a certain situation at work has resolved itself. Maybe we should have some sort of support thread - not just for those who suffer from depression but for anybody who needs support (we all do at some stage).
I just took that test and am quite alarmed by the results. I have a friend who is a psychotherapist and am hoping to speak to her about the results before I go to my GP. I think that's a lovely idea. You should create the thread too
