All depression sufferers (past/present) please read

by WildHorses 46 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  WildHorses

  I went to my Dr. today because my blood pressure was really high. 156/106 and my meds weren't helping to lower it. I thought that might have been the reason for my being extremely tired for these past few months. After discussing the details with my Dr. he said that I am suffering depression.

  My mother and both of my sister take meds for this. My sisters take wellbatin (sp) and Mom takes Prosaic. I do not want to go on meds. Is this possible? Can you get over depression without meds? Have any of you overcome depression without taking them?
• 

  berylblue

  Hon, it really depends on whether the depression is situational or chemical. It's not easy to ascertain.

  However, some doctors (and I'm not saying this is the case with yours) will almost always blame troublesome symptoms on depression, and pop out the script pad.

  I am going to look for a quiz for you to take to see if you may be suffering from depression.

  And no, I have never been able to just snap out of my depression. God knows I've tried. Major endogenous depression, I believe that's what it is claimed I have, although I've been slapped with additional dxs of bipolar II (watch out, everyone, it's the current hip dx), dissociative disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder...

  Certainly our thinking has a great deal of impact on how we feel, but with clinical depression, no amount of adjustment in thinking (or even winning the lottery) is going to help.

  All but one person in my family of seven siblings has been on antidepressants. Clinical depression does seem to run in families.
• 

  berylblue

  http://www.auburn.edu/student_info/student_affairs/success/screenings/depression.html

  1. Do you feel sad, down, empty, "blue," etc.?
  2. Have you recently lost interest in pleasurable activities that you previously enjoyed?
  3. Do you notice a change in your appetite and/or accompanying weight loss or gain?
  4. Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night or waking up and getting out of bed in the morning?
  5. Do you feel restless, uneasy, or irritable?
  6. Have you recently noticed an increased avoidance or involvement with others?
  7. Do you feel worthless or guilty for no objective reason?
  8. Do you feel you are having difficulty concentrating or making decisions?
  9. Do you feel tired, fatigued, or lacking energy?
  10. Do you feel no matter what you do things will not improve?
  
  This does not necessarily, of course, indicate a "chemical" depression rather than situational one . I'll look for something better.
• 

  WildHorses

  However, some doctors (and I'm not saying this is the case with yours) will almost always blame troublesome symptoms on depression, and pop out the script pad.

  That's the good thing about my doctor. I told him I do not want to take meds if at all possible and he said it is my choice.

  I called my mom tonight and we both think it is all the work related stress that I am under these days. If that is the case, I know I can get through this. I just need to fire the lazy woman who works for me and hire someone else. I just wish I could do the work myself until I find that someone.
• 

  WildHorses

  If that quiz is correct, I just answered yes to ALL the questions. The only thing that I haven't considered is suicide.
• 

  SheilaM

  WH: You have a PM
• 

  badolputtytat

  I am CHRONIC deppression but scared of meds.....

  My wife asked the doctor (last year) for something to help her through those worst three or four days of the month, you know.... the dreaded up and down emotional thing... anyway, they put her on zoloft EVERY day. She became apathetic, lethargic, gained weight, our savings stopped going up (she was always a real stickler for the money, saved every dime) eventually anything I wanted was "fine with her"... six months later, I MADE her (never done that before) stop taking them... the weight came off, the bank account went back up, and she is back to normal.

  I am just scared of the pills, I see people get worse after. Hope this helps.
• 

  Scully

  Hi WildHorses

  Sorry to hear that your health is causing you concern.

  Speaking from personal experience, with regard to postpartum depression following the births of two of my three children, it is possible to recover from depression without medication or treatment. However, I noticed a distinct difference between the first episode (untreated) and the second episode (treated) in terms of how profound the depression became, and the length of time it took for me to get better. The meds - in my case - were a temporary thing during a stressful transitional phase of life. But they were like a life jacket that helped keep me afloat in stormy waters.

  That's not to say that your situation is anything like mine. What worked for me may not work for you, and vice versa. Half the battle, for the most part, is identifying the depression. Being able to put a name to something gives you a sense of mastery and ownership. A stray dog out in the neighbourhood is just a dog, but when you decide to take that dog into your home, you give him a name and start doing things like feeding him and giving him a name and grooming him. It's similar with an illness - it's identified: "Depression". You know what your options are in order to take care of it so that you control IT, and IT doesn't control YOU.

  Dr. Robert J. Hedaya wrote a book called The Anti-depressant Survival Program (Crown Publishers, NY, 2000) that is "grounded in the basic principle of restoring the body's natural healthfulness and balance that have been lost to antidepressants." The program is designed to help you avoid the unpleasant side effects of antidepressants (lethargy, weight gain, sexual dysfunction) and also reduce the patient's need for antidepressants. It's worth borrowing from the library if you're interested.

  Love, Scully
• 

  berylblue

  All of us experience occasional feelings of sadness or "the blues." These emotions are a normal part of life, however, when unhappy feelings become overwhelming and begin to interfere with our ability to function, depression needs to be considered. If you think that you or someone you love is depressed, please talk to your PCP

  Below are some common symptoms of depression. Please print and complete the self-survey by simply checking off the symptoms that best describe how you are feeling now.

  • Feelings of sadness that don't go away.
  • No interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy, such as hobbies.
  • Change in weight or appetite.
  • Sleep disturbance, such as trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, or oversleeping.

  • Unable to concentrate or think.

  • Tired or loss of energy everyday.

  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt.

  • Restlessness or slowed activity noticed by other people.

  • Thoughts about life not being worthwhile, or about suicide or death.

  If you have experienced any of these symptoms for a two-week period, HAP suggests you talk to your doctor who can give you support, suggestions, and information on effective treatment options

  Hmmm...not much better....but I hope it has been of some help.

  There are some herbal and OTC therapies which may help. They never have for me, but they may for you. I am sure some here can recommend them. Be careful, however, about taking any kind of supplements without thoroughly researching them and then asking your physician about them. S/he may pooh-pooh them; that's not the issue. Ask if they will be harmful. If not, they may well help.

  Any med comes with a litany of possible side effects. In addition, just because 90 percent of the persons who take Prozac lose weight (just an example) doesn't mean you will, many who take Effexor will have sexual side effects; you may not.

  While I certainly don't want you to continue to feel this way (and there's a chance you may if you don't take any medication), I would advise (from painful experience) to think carefully before taking any psychopharmaceuticals, ESP. BENZOS such as Valium, Xanax and, my nemesis and the drug which made me an "accidental addict", Klonopin (yes, recovering accidental addict, but it's been 15 months now of hell and it's not abating.)

  Be careful and informed, but do take care of yourself.

  Rosemarie
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  AlanF

  As far as I understand, depression can be caused by both stress and chemical imbalances in the body due to a defect. Often it's hard to figure out which in a particular case, because stress can bring on chemical imbalances that look like a real defect. Only a good doctor or therapist can tell, and even they often can't. My wife suffers from a true chemical imbalance and has to take depression medicine forever. Some years ago I was under extreme stress (a divorce where I was getting royally screwed) and had depression for some time, but a four-month dose of depression medicine kicked me out of it.

  AlanF