Posted by mattdds on August 25, 2003, at 15:03:56
In reply to Re: rTMS sucess, posted by Psychquackery on August 25, 2003, at 14:11:33
>>Matt, I find it VERY skeptical that you had "severe" depression
I'm confused here. Do you mean to imply that I'm lying or somehow "imagined" the whole thing? Why would I want to feign these symptoms?
>>That doesnt jibe with the kinds of people who have real depression.
Oh, I must have had the "fake" kind then? Again, my HAM-D and BDI scores were off the charts! I don't know how else to measure depression than by the same methods that are used to study depression in clinical research (yes, even the highly esteemed ECT). Do you? You should publish it and win the Nobel Prize! If you have some special knowledge, please share it with the rest of us here, because we could all benefit from this great diagnostic tool. Perhaps we are *all* just "faking it", since the majority of us didn't receive ECT?
>>Severe depression is the kind of depression that causes severe insomnia, severe weight loss without trying, severe cognition decline and oftentimes is accompanied by high blood cortisol levels. It causes chronic disability.
I'm quite familiar with the definition of severe depression. I experienced ALL the things you mentioned. Weight loss? How about going from 175 to 139 in less than 6 months (I'm not a small guy, at 139 I looked like a skeleton). And no, this wasn't the Atkins diet, I just couldn't get myself to eat. I had severe insomnia, and the times that I did sleep I was dreaming about being in bloody wars and other creepy things. And yes, I had hypercortisolemia too, and failed to suppress with the dexamethasone test. At one point I was referred to an endocrinologist to be evaluated for Cushing's syndrome, and pheochromocytoma. I had an intense, constant malaise, and was convinced I was dying of some strange illness (delusions?). Furthermore, my sister has experienced the same symptoms, suggesting a genetic or familial disposition.
Tell me, Igor. Why would I waste my time making these things up?
>>Severe depression fixed by CBT and klonopin? LOL HAH! You gotta be joking here old boy.
First of all, it seems unbelievably cruel and insensitive that you would laugh at me and belittle my suffering as you did, and accuse me of lying. And I'm not joking. There is good science that has been done that CBT works well for severe depression. Clonazepam was for Panic Disorder, which was comorbid with depression. I may be wrong, but I'm not aware that ECT does much for panic. So what's so odd about clonazepam working for panic disorder?
I find 2 things very disturbing. First, that you continuously minimize other people's suffering if they required anything less than ECT, rather than showing compassion. Second, the narcissistic tone of all your posts. It's as if you think you're the only one suffering here, and that since only ECT worked for you, that is how it is for everyone else.
Matt
poster:mattdds
thread:253579
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030823/msgs/253936.html