May I babble for a moment?

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

I realize too that I have to take the initiative to solve the problem, and I havent done that yet. So in a way, I'm responsible for the mess I'm in. I'm so thaknful for all the encouraging responses I guess sometimes it helps to open a vein huh?

Yes, it helps to talk. You know there is evidence that just talking makes people better, it doesn't even matter what happens on the other end? These therapists have quite a racket going on. JK Please make a call to get some help today. I nearly lost my brother to suicidal depression earlier this year but by divine intervention someone called him before he could carry out his plan. Thank God. Really.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Yes, it helps to talk. You know there is evidence that just talking makes people better, it doesn't even matter what happens on the other end? These therapists have quite a racket going on. JK Please make a call to get some help today. I nearly lost my brother to suicidal depression earlier this year but by divine intervention someone called him before he could carry out his plan. Thank God. Really.

Divine intervention was what saved me last year too. I had taken like 100 sleeping pills, and my friend happened to come over to my houseand he called the cops. I was almost unconcious when they took me to the hosppital, I remember them telling me that I could have a heart attack or seizure at any moment. I had to take Charcoal at the hospital too. The doctor told me the next say that in about another hour it wouldve been curtanis for yours truly. There but for the grace of god go I It was weird too because right in the middle of all the great fleetwood mac stuff going on, here I wanted to kill myself. Depression is a terrible thing, I wouldnt wish it on anyone.

[Brad]

Just thought I'd pop in with a little info about what classifies officially as major depressive disorder. I think the criteria are:

Depressed mood or loss of interest, plus at least 4 out of 8 of the following must be present; symptoms are on a more or less daily basis for at least 2 months:

SIG E CAPS

S- changes in sleep; usually difficulty sleeping, but in atypical depression, people can oversleep
I - loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy
G - feelings of guilt or worthlessness
E - decreased energy
C - problems concentrating or focusing or doing work
A - changes in appetite; usually decreased but in atypical depression can be increased
P - psychomotor depression - kind of hard for me to explain in words...just like someone who kind of mopes around and doesn't have much facial expression...if that makes any sense at all!
S - suicidal thoughts or attempts

You can also have depressive episodes with just a few of the symptoms or for a shorter time -- still depression, but not considered major depression like the above criteria.

I'm a big proponent of meds for people who are depressed. There's absolutely no shame in asking for help. Depression is an actual disease, a chemical imbalance, and not just "in your head." I like Suze's analogy from earlier...it's like telling a diabetic that they don't need insulin, to just think their high blood sugar away. Unfortunately a lot of people don't understand that and are embarassed to ask for help. They often feel they're weak or weird. But depression affects all types of people -- smart and dumb, rich and poor, black and white, good childhoods and bad childhoods. Do I think meds are overprescribed? Yeah, probably...and if you're on them, you should be seen by your doctor every 1-2 months especially in the beginning. But for people who truly need them, it amazes me how well they actually work...you see them when they're depressed and they're a completely different person in a couple of months.

That's all...I'll go back into lurking now...I've got my licensing exam in a few weeks so I've been studying all this stuff lately, and since it's fresh in my head I thought I'd share it in case anyone was interested.

Brad

[lbelle1214]

Brad, I'm glad you posted that. As a health care professional also, I have more than one opinion on the subject...as a nurse...and also, as a patient. Good point about continuation of therapy q3 mos. I've seen mine every three months since 2000. And when I did go off my meds in Jan, I had his total support. I've been fine...although I still have problems sleeping. Thank God for Ambien. I think that's the best thing ever! (Remind me of this when they decide 20 years from now all the long-term effects it has!)

[Brad]

Originally Posted by lbelle1214

Brad, I'm glad you posted that. As a health care professional also, I have more than one opinion on the subject...as a nurse...and also, as a patient. Good point about continuation of therapy q3 mos. I've seen mine every three months since 2000. And when I did go off my meds in Jan, I had his total support. I've been fine...although I still have problems sleeping. Thank God for Ambien. I think that's the best thing ever! (Remind me of this when they decide 20 years from now all the long-term effects it has!)

My sister was on Prozac years ago and it made her a completely different person...and in a good way. Her mood was so much better, a lot less bitchy. She's been off for several years now, and I don't think she needs them because she's not depressed...but sometimes I'd still like to slip her one to lighten her mood!

And yeah, Ambien is awesome! I end up sleeping all day on post-call days and then can't fall asleep at night and run the risk of jacking up my sleep pattern. So I take an Ambien that night and sleep through the night and am good to go...until the next call day!

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by Brad

....

I'm a big proponent of meds for people who are depressed. There's absolutely no shame in asking for help. Depression is an actual disease, a chemical imbalance, and not just "in your head." I like Suze's analogy from earlier...it's like telling a diabetic that they don't need insulin, to just think their high blood sugar away. Unfortunately a lot of people don't understand that and are embarassed to ask for help. They often feel they're weak or weird. But depression affects all types of people -- smart and dumb, rich and poor, black and white, good childhoods and bad childhoods. Do I think meds are overprescribed? Yeah, probably...and if you're on them, you should be seen by your doctor every 1-2 months especially in the beginning. But for people who truly need them, it amazes me how well they actually work...you see them when they're depressed and they're a completely different person in a couple of months.

That's all...I'll go back into lurking now...I've got my licensing exam in a few weeks so I've been studying all this stuff lately, and since it's fresh in my head I thought I'd share it in case anyone was interested.

Brad

Thanks for your thoughts. After 4 weeks on meds my brother was a different person. It was amazing.

On Edit: Jinx about the "different person" thing Brad. But that is how it is! Actually when I was depressed I met a friend's boyfriend. A couple of years later I saw him again after treatment. He was like, "That was you? You're like a different person."

[Brad]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

Thanks for your thoughts. After 4 weeks on meds my brother was a different person. It was amazing.

On Edit: Jinx about the "different person" thing Brad. But that is how it is! Actually when I was depressed I met a friend's boyfriend. A couple of years later I saw him again after treatment. He was like, "That was you? You're like a different person."

You owe me a Coke! How retarded was that game?

Glad to hear things worked well for you and your brother. That's really great.

And IMO, again just my opinion, there is no reason why someone should have to suffer with depression. There are so many different meds out there with different mechanisms of action that if the first one or two don't work, there will almost always be one that does...and shock therapy (no, it's nothing like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ) works very well for people who fail to respond to meds. And of course there are side effects...there are side effects to taking Advil. That's why it's important to followup with your doctor every couple of months or so. Don't let the likes of Jim Adler (or insert the name of another lawyer commercial) convince you that these are evil. I hate when I tell a patient that they should probaby be on some drug and they're like "I've heard about that on TV...they're supposed to be bad for you" and then refuse to take it. I mean, you're going to trust a lawyer on TV who's out to get your money above your own doctor's opinion who is looking out for your best interest? That amazes me and pisses me off to no end. It's like "well, it's on TV, it must be true." Sorry, me on my soapbox for a second there.

And I failed to mention earlier, but having support is key too. People often feel like crap at the beginning of treatment, and having people who support them (e.g. family, friends, counselor or psychiatrist, THE LEDGE) helps keep them motivated. A lot of the newer drugs take like a month or so to actually kick in, so a lot of times people stop taking them because they don't feel like they're working or they may in fact be feeling worse. Imagine already feeling down on yourself and having people around you that make fun of you for being on meds or telling you to "cheer up." Luckily, I think a lot of the stigma of being on antidepressants is fading whether it's because of education about the subject or that it's more socially acceptable...I don't know. I'm just glad more people are willing to reach out for help before something tragic like suicide occurs.

Brad

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Brad

And I failed to mention earlier, but having support is key too. People often feel like crap at the beginning of treatment, and having people who support them (e.g. family, friends, counselor or psychiatrist, THE LEDGE) helps keep them motivated. A lot of the newer drugs take like a month or so to actually kick in, so a lot of times people stop taking them because they don't feel like they're working or they may in fact be feeling worse. Imagine already feeling down on yourself and having people around you that make fun of you for being on meds or telling you to "cheer up." Luckily, I think a lot of the stigma of being on antidepressants is fading whether it's because of education about the subject or that it's more socially acceptable...I don't know. I'm just glad more people are willing to reach out for help before something tragic like suicide occurs.

Brad

Please come join us more often. Thank you for your eloquent posts.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Please come join us more often. Thank you for your eloquent posts.

Ah, thanks for that.

My posting frequency has definitely increased by about ten-fold over the past couple of weeks now that I have an easier schedule. I'm sure I'll be bumping into everyone a lot more often!

Brad

[amber]

Does anyone remember the episode of Simpsons where BART supposedly had ADD, and they put him on FOCUSIN?
Yeah, that's kind of how I feel.....