Posted by SLS on January 28, 2009, at 7:36:23
In reply to Risk of prolonged use of anti-depressives, posted by indigodaniel on January 27, 2009, at 9:24:11
It is possible that your lack of progress in psychotherapy has been due to the presence of an ungoing unresolved biological depression. While I'm sure you are learning some things, it is very difficult to process the whole Gestault. Learning is generally impaired by depression. Still, I doubt that any psychotherapy has been a complete waste of time. You probably just don't see a difference because you are looking to FEEL a difference. Depression still feels like depression. You are just not as far along as you would be without the depression. Depression can take an otherwise mentally healthy individual and make a psychological mess out of them. Keep fighting.
> I have taken SSRI-drugs for more than 10 years.
Have you had any success with this limited range of drugs? Which drugs have you tried? Which one helped most?
> Last fall I fell into one of my deepest depressions ever. I have been given a combination of SSRI-drug (Seroxat) and one named Mirtazapine.
Mirtazapine made me feel very much worse. It was a disgusting drug for ME. It is a miracle drug for others. Each individual has their own set of miracle drug and misery drugs determined by their unique biology. Knowing that a drug can make you feel worse is an important realization as you travel the road of antidepressant trials. Maybe SSRIs are not the right drugs for you. At this point, you might need a combination of drugs to hit the target.> The therapist that I am currently working with (specializes in EFT - Emotional Freedom Tecnique) have put forward a hypothesis that my long use of anti-depressive might in fact block any progress and being contra-productive.
I believe that exposure to drugs for such a long period of time can have persistent negative effects. However, there pale in comparison to the power the depression has over you. I disagree with your therapist that the kind of changes produced by antidepressants can actually prevent your personal growth. I am sure there are people who will disagree with my hypothesis, that it is the unresolved depression doing most of the damage and blockage.
I have been on antidepressant drugs for 25 years continually without having found a treatment that worked. Here I am, feeling great because of a combination of old drugs that I had tried for years plus newer drugs that took me awhile to find. I am now growing by leaps and bounds. By comparison, I was at a virtual stand-still in my personal growth.
Unfortunately, it sounds as if your medical management has been very primitive and limited. However, I really can't know that until you describe the drugs other than SSRIs that you have tried. You indicate that you have only tried SSRIs in the past?
I don't think there is any medical basis for your doctor's hypothesis. In the meantime, I don't think you can afford to place yourself in a position to believe it. In your position, I would continue to look for biological treatments that are successful. I think the odds are in your favor that finding such a treatment is possible.
One long term change that antidepressants can make is the production of treatment resistence to a drug that has worked but then discontinued. Therefore, once you find a treatment that works, try to maintain it indefinitely without discontinuation. It will increase your chances of remaining well.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:876522
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/876712.html