Think Like A Doctor - Depression

		• Sleeping and eating a lot • How hopeless is hopeless? • Depression is physical	Got a better way to beat the blues? Think Like A Doctor readers need your help! Click here to contribute!
					What's this?! Play the Diagnosis Game and test your clinical skill.
		• Counseling or drugs? • Why you should get help • All this and more below ...	TIPS: Talking to your doctor, the importance of relationships, when to get help, helping others, living a healthy life.

Sitting on the Side of the Road with No Hope Wins a Trip to the State Mental Hospital ____________ Why Living on an Isolated Farm with No Friends is a Bad Thing	I interviewed a patient in a state mental hospital once. The interview happened to be part of my final exam for the psychiatry course that I took in medical school. The guy told me how his mom had beaten him as a child, how his dad had burned him with a cigar, how he had eventually been kicked out of his house by his parents, how he couldn't get a job after he got fired from the cardboard factory, how he really didn't have the motivation to do anything except sit on the street and wish that he were someone else. Time passed for this homeless man. He was brought into the state mental hospital, indigent and nearly catatonic. He wouldn't talk much when I saw him. He told me that he didn't ever sleep much. He didn't really like to do anything. He had no hope. So it was clear to me that this man was depressed. He had all the classic warning signs: not sleeping, feeling blue and apathetic all the time, loss of hope. When I got done and the patient left the room, my preceptor asked for the diagnosis. This was one exam I almost failed. The reason was that I had missed the fact that our latest visitor at the state mental hospital was also an alcoholic, something that many depressed people are. Whether alcoholism was a cause or an effect of this patient's depression, I still don't know. In any case, I wish I could talk to him now. Now most depressed people are not homeless alcoholics sitting on the side of the street waiting to be picked up by a local sheriff en route to a state mental hospital. Thank goodness for that. But the more typical signs of depression are sometimes hard to pick up. Many people think that they are depressed if they find themselves sleeping and eating a lot. These symptoms, though, more likely mean that the person is sleep-deprived or hungry (or has an eating compulsion or weight control issue). True, there are rare cases of depression when patients sleep a lot, called atypical depression, but remember that those of us who are depressed don't really do much of anything, and that includes sleeping, eating or any other activity. Depressed people also feel hopeless. They see no possibility for things to get any better. And that reminds me of another story. I was a psychology major in college. There was one time when I had to take a psychology course to graduate and the only course offered, taught by the college president's wife, was psychometrics. Psychometrics is the study of testing, such as IQ testing. Each of the ten of us in the class had to pick a test and analyze the test for validity (does the test really measure what it is supposed to?) and reliability (does the test yield reproducible results?). For some reason, I was late to class on the day that everybody got to pick a test to analyze, and I wound up with the Beck Hopelessness Scale. What the heck is a hopelessness scale? It turned out to be sort of a one-page questionnaire that more or less sported such questions as, "Do you think that things will never get better?" or, "Are you completely worthless?" I couldn't believe that any human, however depressed, could answer "yes" to any of the above questions. But depressed humans do think that way. They feel hopeless. And it's important to note that the more hopeless people get, the more likely they are to injure themselves. Studies using the Beck Hopelessness Scale have proved that. So if you or someone else is depressed and feeling hopeless, the prudent thing to do is to get help - fast. It's difficult to convince the average member of the American population that depression or getting help for depression is not a bad thing. The key point of this chapter is that depression, like any other mental illness, is caused by something wrong in the brain. Likewise, a broken arm is caused by something wrong in the arm. And appendicitis is caused by something wrong in the appendix. Too many people think that depression is due to being crazy or weird or that depression is the patient's fault. Clearly, there's a stigma about psychiatric diseases. Not only is there a stigma about the disease, but there's also a negative connotation to undergoing psychiatric treatment, whether it be drugs or psychotherapy (counseling). Perhaps depressed people are thought to be weird because there are no obvious physical signs of the disease. Perhaps depressed people are criticized and ostracized because they act funny. Perhaps depression is viewed as being the patient's fault because, unlike other maladies, talking about your problems with a psychotherapist helps. Whatever the reason, the prevailing negative view of depression is wrong. Depression and other psychiatric diseases are due to imbalances of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. So it makes sense, then, to treat depression with drugs that modify the levels and activities of these chemicals. In many, many cases, psychiatric drugs help to alleviate the psychiatric condition. The same is true about allergies, where there is an imbalance of a natural chemical in our bodies called histamine. We take medicines, called antihistamines, to reduce the activity of these chemicals. Unlike with depression, people don't mind admitting that they have allergies and people don't mind admitting that they take medication for allergies. In fact, too many people admit that they need drugs for allergies, as I have described elsewhere. As with allergies, there are other things besides drugs that can help cure depression. In the case of depression, a non-drug alternative is psychotherapy. Psychotherapy involves talking about problems in your life so that you can deal with them more effectively. At the state mental hospital, psychotherapy was too expensive, given that the psychiatrist must be paid to talk with the patient. So, most of the therapy there consisted of drugs. But psychotherapy or counseling can be very effective. Talking with people makes us feel better: new perspectives on how to solve problems are discussed, we are convinced that the importance of problems is not as great as we thought, and we realize that we are not alone in our predicaments. For this reason, one way to deal with and perhaps avoid depression is to develop and sustain healthy friendships where support is frequent. Another way is psychotherapy. Unfortunately, seeing a "shrink" is not something that many people are willing to do because they are embarrassed or whatever. But if I ever suffer from psychiatric disease, you can bet I'm going to try to get rid of it - and that will likely include psychotherapy. Let me end with a real-life example of the devastating effects of depression. My grandmother has bipolar disease, which means that she alternates between states of mania (grandiose behavior, talking constantly, excited about everything) and depression. Most of her life, she lived without meaningful friendships on an isolated farm with her domineering husband. So two things were happening: she had a neurotransmitter imbalance of some sort and she lived in an environment that was not conducive to healthy mental function. To make matters worse, she, like many people, refused to see a psychiatrist. The reason? "I'm not crazy." How unfortunate that she suffered - and in the process caused her family to suffer - for 60 years. I'm happy to report that after the death of her husband she moved to a bright and clean retirement community where she has made lots of friends. Although she has never been happier, just think how happy she would have been if she had overcome the unfortunate societal stigma about psychiatric disease and treatment.

		DRUGS CAN BE GOOD Many people resist taking psychiatric medication. But such medication can dramatically improve and even completely alleviate psychiatric disease. Depression is commonly treated with drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which prevent degradation of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin. Increased levels of serotonin, in certain depressed people, diminish the symptoms of depression: hopelessness, lack of sleep and appetite, etc.


IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD There are always organic reasons for psychiatric diseases, such as depression. In other words, there is something physically irregular in the brain that leads to very unusual behavior. Most of the time, psychiatric disease can be explained by imbalances in signaling molecules called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitter imbalances may arise as a result of one's genetic profile or an unhealthy environment, such as one devoid of meaningful friendships. Chemical balances in the brain are often corrected by a combination of drugs and counseling.

Depression can be a devastating disease not only for the patient but also for those around the patient. For a variety of ill-founded reasons, there are unfortunate stigma against depression and psychiatric treatment. But one key to overcoming psychiatric disease is often a combination of drugs and psychotherapy. Another way to deter and treat depression is the development and maintenance of a nurturing environment that includes frequent personal interaction.

What You Say	What Your Doctor is Thinking
Doc, I respect what you're saying, but I really don't think that I need a psychiatrist.	This patient would be far healthier were she to overcome her resistance to see a psychiatrist.
Why do I have take this antidepressant? I'm way too embarrassed. What if someone sees my medical record? What will my friends think if they find out?	This patient doesn't even realize the problems he is causing his family and friends.
There's never been any crazies in my family, so I don't understand how I could be depressed.	Depression in this case is likely caused in part by environmental factors: unhealthy relationships, lack of supporting friends.
I haven't been able to sleep much recently. I'm worried a lot about whether my daughter will get into a good college and I just can't seem to enjoy my work anymore. I've lost 20 lbs. over the past three months.	A lot of things could be going on. Consider depression in the differential diagnosis (decreased sleep, significant worry and stress, decreased appetite).

1. Help yourself if you or your doctor thinks you're depressed. Despite societal impressions of psychiatric disease, discuss with an open mind the treatment alternatives with your doctor.

2. Work to sustain meaningful personal relationships.

3. Mention overwhelming life concerns to your doctor and how these concerns are affecting your physical and mental health.

4. Encourage others around you to seek help if they seem depressed. Openly discuss the idea of psychotherapy and medication.

5. Living a healthy life is one way to feel better about yourself, and your life. Eat nutritious, low-fat foods, exercise, don't smoke, don't drink to excess. Improving your physical health will often improve your mental health.

____________________

Has your doctor ever helped you or failed to help you with depression? Figured out a way to overcome the social stigma of depression? Any good ideas on how to feel better about yourself?

Think Like A Doctor
Readers Need Your Help!!

Click Here To Contribute

(Contributions are anonymous.)

Click Here To Search Think Like A Doctor

Click Here To Learn How to Learn More

I am lookinf for a spanish version of Beck Hopelessness Scale, can you help me??? Thanks a lot. P.S. English version would do it.

-- Francia Perez, April 28, 2001

tried almost all the seratonin drugs if anything i fell worse i have had hbp due to toxemia with both children and just feel draned and fatigued all hte time

-- michelle ulrich, November 5, 2001

I tried seratonin drugs, too, and they made me feel worse, as well. I finally decided to try something else and started a healthy eating and exercise plan, which did the trick.

It is amazing how much better your body will function without any caffeine or nicotine circulating through the system. Of course, talk to your doctor. However, even if the exercise and healthy food doesn't help the seratonin problem, it certainly can't hurt.

-- Joni , January 4, 2002

My SSRI medication was wonderful! It gave me the best years of my life. That was the only time in 50 years that I ever felt normal or enjoyed life. Why am I speaking in the past tense? Because my new HMO won't let me continue the drug.

-- Jocelyn, February 14, 2002

Keep in mind, as you read this site, that much of what is stated above is imply not true. It is drawn directly from misleading and medically questionable advertising materials put out by the pharmaceutical industry, remarkably similar to materials once used to sell the public on cocaine, heroin, Valium, Quaalude, methamphetamine and tobacco. Reread this site, and as you do so, think about the fact that medical science actually knows very little about the chemistry of the brain, even less about how this chemistry relates to emotions and thoughts, and next to nothing about the effects of SSRI drugs. (See the references below for a few of the many non- profit, corporate-free sources for information about psychiatric medication.) As anyone who deals with people in crisis or survivors of abuse can tell you, depression, far from being a brain disorder, is a natural human response to trauma and emotional overwhelm: very simply, we tend to withdraw from a world which is not friendly to us. It is not surprising, given workplace and family trends, the state of the world, and the level of disempowerment in the ordinary American's life, that so many of us are diagnosed with major depression. Depression is a normal, well-functioning person's natural response to the world we live in. Despite what the psychiatric- industrial complex would have us believe, most people can recover completely from depression without drugs, and emerge from their experience renewed, with a new outlook and a new lease on life. Support does exist for those who want to change their outlook and their lives without drug dependence. Think about the world you live in, and think about how you live your life -- your surroundings, your job or lack thereof, the goals and choices you feel are really within your reach, and ask yourself if you really think your feelings are really the result of a chemical imbalance. Finally, before taking drugs that may increase your risk of suicide, promote violent and erratic behavior, and ultimately exacerbate your psychological symptoms through drug dependency and long-term brain dysfunction, get a second opinion. For real, advertising-free information about Prozac, Zoloft, and the psychiatric-industrial complex, visit http://www.breggin.com/ and http://www. prozacspotlight. org/, and by all means read "The Lilly Suicides," available at http:// www. prozacspotlight. org/lilly/ lilly_suicides .pdf . It may save your life.

-- Nathan A. McQuillen, April 15, 2002

good article!!

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2002

I had a boyfriend who seems to be going through a depression. he sleeps all the time, eats alot worries alot does not ever want to go out cause he is always tires pushes me away very moody. and we recently broke up because he said he did not love me anymore.its weird because he talked about marriage all the time and that he loved me and i know he is not dating cause he is always at home.however when we talked he said he knows he needs help and needs to see someone maybe a counselor and did not want to break up with me but, then he did by telling me he did not love me anymore.i know he needs lots of help maybe u can help me with some advise thanks. laura G.

-- laura gonzalez, July 31, 2002

Laura,

What you are currently going through is most likely NOT your fault, and you shouldn't feel that way, (Trying not to imply that you do, but if so.) Your boyfriend, as you have said, has fallen into the seemingly inescapable depths of "depression". I'm sure he really does love you, however in depression people can only only give a very low, flatline, emotional response to anyone. I'm sure he is in much mental anguish, probably more so than you even imagine, but you being by his side could really be of significant value in his time of recovery. Depressed people "know" what they should be feeling and sort of remember what they used to feel like, but at the current time they just don't feel it anymore. It's not like he would feel strong emotion for any other woman. My advice to you is simple. Upon the next time you see or talk to him, let him know that you love him depressed or not depressed, and that you know that there isn't anything he thinks you could possibly do for him, but that you need him and maybe even having you for support would be a good idea. Regardless, the strong point being that you need to be in his life, you should present yourself to him in a more evasive manner and not try to cure him or let him presume you are. On the flip side, having an emotionally dull, or moreso than previous, boyfriend for a lengthy period of time could hurt you if you let things get to you. It is a double edged sword, but I think the person in need should get the extra attention, and not be thrown aside like most of the stigma of society suggests! Best of luck to you!

Jared

-- Jared, August 28, 2002

Amen to what Nathan had to say about the dangers of SSRI medications. These drugs are extremely powerful, and doctors have very little understanding of what they do to the human body. To compare Prozac for a depressive with insulin for a diabetic is the most specious of lies. Tell me what part of our brain manufactures Prozac, will you?Our bodies are complex systems and can not be healed with the intervention of manufactured chemicals. Please think twice about taking psychiatric drugs. I am a survivor of ten years of Prozac and Celexa. I was allowed to poison myself with these substances due to the ignorance of medical doctors and the hubris of psychiatrists. Psychiatrists dehumanize their victims. Not that depressive pain isn't real. Find yourself a therapist who can help you find the path you need to walk to heal yourself. Examine every thing you put into your mouth. Stop taking the drugs which are marketed as "food": sugar and aspartame. Stop taking painkillers and listen to and learn from your physical pain. Stop confusing yourself with alcohol and marijuana. Learn to close your eyes and think about nothing for a few minutes every day (i.e. meditation). And exercise regularly. These things aren't as easy as taking a pill, and they're not lucrative for pharmaceutical companies, but they are the road to health.Best wishes to all who suffer. This will pass. Life is a miracle. Hold on to these things.

-- Jennifer, September 21, 2002

I love this site. I wanted to respond also to nathan, while it is partly true that depression is a normal response to external problems or poor coping skills, we can't simply brush away the fact that there trully are psychiatric disorders that involve chemicals in the brain being imbalanced. To say that depression is nothing more than a persons inability to cope with their surroundings simply feeds the social stigma of psych disorders. Namely, that it is the person's fault, or that they are weak people etc.

We do know what SSRI's do, their function is in their name- Selective (thats means they are made to go after one thing) Seretonin (thats a neurotransmitter) Reuptake (that means to pick something back up or to reabsorb it) Inhibitor( that means to stop something or prolong it- this is the word that pulls the rest of the letters in SSRI together. it means that it actually keeps the seretonin in the Synaptic cleft- thats the space between the nerve ending and the part of the tissure that puts out the neurotransmitter- because for whatever reason, some peoples brains either may absorb it too fast or they need more to be balanced than other people.) So SSRI's are given. It might also be of use to know that SSRI's are not the only antidepressants out there. Wellbutrin for examplt is not an SSRI neither is it a tricyclic. There are tricyclic antidepressants that consitiute that older class of anti-depresants- they might be usefull for some people. to tell someone not to take medication for a medical disorder and then to do ahead and say that it is not a medical disorder is almost criminal I think. To also respond to a post indicating that comparing insulin for a diabetic to prozac for depression is silly- ok, it is true that prozac is not made in the brain, however, it is an SSRI, please see how SSRI's work in the beginning of my response. See for diabetics, Insulin is not the end point either- it is only something the pancreas makes in a specific part of it, and it goes to the cells in the blood and simply makes the cells open to absorb the sugar from the blood stream, thats all it does. An imbalance or lack of it can be fatal- ok, so now lets look at SSRI's, MAO's, Tricyclics and the rest of the anti-depressants- have you ever known depression to be fatal? If you say no, then you haven't been reading up on it very well to know that it is the leading cause of suicide especially amongst young people. Young people by the way are routinley told that the crappy way they feel is normal, trust me, if I were ever to be told that while in the midst of one of my deep depressions that this is anormal response to life, I promise you I'd check out too. The blues and depression are not the same. It is normal to feel frustrated and down from a lack of a supporting atmosphere. It is notnormal to lose the desire to eat, sleep, bath, socialize, and eventually live. It is also not normal to have to constantly think of excuses to live every day, or an excuse to showerm eat, etc. That is not normal. Whatever helps someone to feel better and live a happy fullfilled life after that is great, whether it be meds, psychotherapy, a combo of the two (that's what works for me) it doesn't matter.

I will close by saying that for me and many other people with depression, (I have major depression, I have a number of friends with bi-polar depression- which by the way is a form of depression and is treated with more than just an SSRI very succesfully usually) we already often think that the feelings of worthlesness and hoplessness and the black pit of despair that we fell day and night is our fault. Please do not add to that by saying things like depression is nothing more than a normal human response. You are talking about the blues, depression IS NOT the blues. It is highly treatable but sending out the message that this is what it's like for everyone so get over it is not the way to treat it, not to treat consumers who suffer depression!

Don't ever tell someone who is depressed that it is normal, or that it'll pass. it could well be the last thing they are ever told. You never know what someone is thinking, and for me suicide is a constant option, even on meds and psychotherapy.

Also I forgot to mention major depression with psychotic features- I guarantee you, SSRI's aren't the only thing in their drug cabinet either, that is assuming they are getting treated and not being told that what they feel, hear, see is normal. Ha! normal, right.

Please watch what you say when addresses someone who is already on the brink of disaster. Especially if what you mentioned about working with people in crisis siotuations is true- I hope sincerely that if you do work in crisis situations you are not telling you're patients that it's normal to be this way- how many are dead now. Stop and think about it!

-- Christina Oeming, October 22, 2002

After reading the information on this and other sites, i feel a bit of a sense of relief.But the question I have is how do I approach my doctor?

I finally after much persuasion,have come to the point where I can admit that i need help, but i don't know what to say. Will he think i am being silly, and just tell me to change my diet or lifestyle? I find it such a struggle to motivate myself to do daily chores,or get out of bed somedays so if i'm told to go to the gym more often or something similar I couldn't bare it.I have tried so hard to change things but just end up feeling worse in most cases.

So, again, what should i say and how shall I approach my doctor in the first instance? I can't just sit down and say "I have depression", because it's up to him to make the dianosis.I know something is wrong, but I'm worried in case the doctor is going to tell me there isn't.

I hope this all makes a bit of sense,apologies if my question isn't clear.

A

-- A-tomz, October 29, 2002

Dear A. Tomz,

Hi. I just read your post. I can only suggest that you simply tell your Doc you think something is wrong and then try to describe what you are experiencing as best you can. I went to my doctor, and told him, and it started with me not sure what to say and ended with him asking me some neutral questions and I filled in the blanks. For example, I started by telling him that I felt lost, and empty, I felt like even if there were a tommorrow it wouldn't matter anyway and nothing felt real. So, from there he started asking me other questions. How was I sleeping, had I ever like this before, did anyone in my family feel this way. He sent me for blood tests to rule out thyroid problems and other problems, and then we went and did some psych testing and it turned out I have major depression, which for me is recurrent and severe. I was placed on medication and started therapy and am feeling better, but I'm not "fixed", but am doing well. All I did was to try my best to describe what i was going through , but it is hard to do that for me when I am depressed, because I can't really express myself well, I can't really explain things well. Hope that made sense. Anyway, good luck, peace christina

-- Christina, November 5, 2002

Often people are ashmaed that they do things when depressed and they don"t want to admit to anyone how they really feel they are ashamed of themseleves & what they do during this period They dont want to be judged yet they need help in expressing how they really feel about things

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2002

The messages written by Nathan and Jennifer greatly upset me. In some cases depression comes about because of stress and trauma and someone's inability to cope with it, but it is an absolute fact that in other cases it occurs because of a chemical imbalance in the brain. There are people who lead healthy lives, have a loving family, good friends, a successful job, and yet they are still depressed. That can't be explained by saying it was brought about by trauma. In those cases it is obvious that a chemical imbalance is to blame.

SSRIs work to rebalance the chemical serotonin in the brain, which in many cases does control depression. I have a few friends on SSRIs that have experienced a great turn-around in their depression. They DO help.

I know that they don't work in all people, and I know that sometimes they can make matters worse. But for you to say that they are never a good idea and that they are never the answer is wrong. People who are depressed need to do something about their illness, and whether it's psychotherapy or medication, at least they are attempting to put things right.

In regards to what Jennifer said, about stopping taking painkillers so you can 'learn' from your physical pain... not all people can do that. Some people can't deal with the physical pain, and when they're depressed, pain could just give them another reason to consider suicide.

I agree with her in some aspects. Healthy living can help. What I don't agree with is her saying that it is the answer. In some people maybe healthy living is all it takes, but different things work for different people. That is the point I'm trying to make about SSRIs. They don't work for everyone, but they do work for some, so please don't dismiss them as a bad medication.

-- Kirjava, November 24, 2002

Having read most of the foregoing, I am more convinced than ever that I would seek a second opinion about starting on SSRIs or any other psych medication.

I think there's a lot of "let's try an SSRI and see what happens" attitude. Before I would accept medication I would exhaust every non-medicated means to resolve the situation - diet, exercise, doing whatever it takes to remove the stressors (change jobs, relationships, etc.), even psychotherapy.

Only after everything else fails would I "try" SSRIs.

One person's opinion.

-- Richard, December 10, 2002

seek the help you need even iif others don,t agree reach out and find the help you need even when depressed'

-- pat davis, February 25, 2003

My husband of 22 years decideded our marriage was over, moved out and after me obtaining some info on depression and giving it to him to read, finally went to a doctor and had tests for his thyroid... they show that his TSH levels are not right and they have now put him on antidepressant medication..

cipramil.. Looking back I can see that he has been depressed for a long time.

He has had many of the symtoms for at least two years.. negativity, tiredness, aches and pains, nightsweats,

dry skin to name a few.... we have had a really great marriage and have two grown sons so to hear this person I love say he no longers wants to be with me has been very devestating for me and our sons.. he has shut us out of his life along with other family members and friends... it has only been a few days since he started the medication for depression and We are all hoping that he feels better and doesnt make any big decisions about our life with him..All we can do is tell him that we love him , care for him and support him and hope that he will reach out to us once again....

So sad for the man we know and love

Angela

-- Angela, August 13, 2003

So many of these stories are familiar, and I want to thank you for sharing them. My boyfriend also announced out of the blue that he needed to break up to make himself healthier, and could I be patient, it was probably temporary, that he loved me. We didn't talk for nearly a week and it just killed me to let him have his autonomy while I was worried about him and missed the man that I loved to be with. Now we are thinking that we can scale the amount of time we spend together way back to create more solo time for him -- for awhile. He has been on meds for years and has upped his therapy and attention to the patterns that are necessary for his mental health, so I am hopeful that he has the tools to find what he's looking for.

Allowing him his space is often wrenching for me and when I allow myself some self-pity I feel lonely and bleak. But I love him and the us we have that I will stick around and support him however I can, even if what he wants and needs changes and shifts.

I find that pouring myself into creative projects and getting the hell out of the house are both extremely useful. I also have chosen (carefully) a handful of good friends who are good listeners to be my support team, and have made the decision, for now, not to share too much with many other people. This seems like a good combination of finding help without getting bombarded with other people's pity or constant questions on "how are things going?"

Has anybody here had the experience of a loved one finding their strength and re-committing themselves to their relationships with their former zest? I think that's probably the story we all want to read.

-- DoYouRealize Jan2004, January 13, 2004

I LOVE taking my Lexapro (I'm just a 3 weeks of taking it right now)

I feel like the old Alissa that I thought I had lost forever.

My only misfortune is that I USE to not want to make love to my partner BECAUSE of the depression- NOW I don't really feel the urge for sexual passion because of the medicine.

Can anyone give me a good idea for how to treat this? My doctor made me very angry and told me to simply put on black Victoria's Secret and turn up the candlelight... however, that is not realistically a plausable answer.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Herbs?

-- Alissa, January 29, 2004

I am also looking for a copy of the Beck Hopelessness Scale and the Beck Self-Concept Scale, can you point me where to find these 2? Thanks

-- Jenny, June 10, 2004

I recently was seeing a psychotherapist for medication management, as my counsellor diagnosed me as suffering severe depression with severe p.t.s.d. The psychotherapist initally put me on Prozac, and when I started suffering from severe side affects (listed under incidents not known at http://www.medlineplus.com) I was taken off of it and put on Lexapro (24 hours after being taken off the Prozac). Shortly thereafter I started suffering more side-affects from that, and was switched yet again (On the day of my medication management appt.) from Lexapro to Zoloft. Yet again the severe side-affects started occuring. I was taken off of that, and was told that chances are I was one of the few who could not be put on medication for my depression. Once I spoke to my counsellor in regards to how fast I was switched from one drug to another, she mentioned that the standard protocol for doing that is generally 2 weeks, and that I was right to be angry in regards to it. My condition was likewise upgraded to Severe Manic Depression with the PTSD due to the fact that I am now coming off of 3 different SSRI's simultaneously, instead of just dealing with the Zoloft leaving my system.

I was wondering if this has happened to anybody else, and likewise if there is anything I can do about it since I signed the waiver so I could be treated?

-- Jerel, March 24, 2005

have you heard of becalmed its for depression and its all natural? i was pescribed an antidepressent but i wuld rather take the more natural aproach.

-- cindy, February 17, 2006

I'm almost 21 years old and I have a hard time talking to my doctor about almost every thing Its like i'm affraid that she will judge me but i know that she is not the type and she has told me that severaol times can anyone help me please. thanks

-- Jennifer, August 3, 2006

Prescription drugs = PROFITS for physicians, but especially for pharmaceutical CEOs. They are the scumbags of the earth.

-- RM, September 18, 2006

I came to this website today for various reasons.. mostly because many are telling me that I am depressed - however, I know I am not. Please keep this in mind before telling me that I am in denial: I approached my doctor with fatigue - I am so tired I worry I could get fired from my job. I had a thyroid glad removed 9 years ago and wanted to be retested. She told me I was depressed and constipated. (odd combination, I know). So with an open mind, I decided to try it. Over a year later, and on Effexor, I am still so tired and unable to function on some days. And now my insurance is telling me that due to a survey, I am depressed. Of course, I'm getting there, because everyone keeps telling me I am and sure, it's depressing to feel like I can't function because I am so tired! grrrr.

However, with all of that being said, I am still trying to keep an open mind which is what brought me to your web site today. I think you have posted some informative views and information.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2006

Experiences, Comments, or Tips of your Own?

All Text and Images Copyright 2006