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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zowie_27 on January 7, 2005, at 1:16:07
Is this the life I will live forever? Monitoring every second of every day on how I'm feeling, thinking, acting? I can't take it I just want to be normal for one whole week! I'm tired of fighting this fight, I lie awake at night wondering what will I go to sleep soon, should I get up, am I manic? I am so angry and so depressed, I need help and my dr is a good dr, maybe one day she will actually help people but not me. She is an intern straight out of a mentle ward and has no experience, she walks slow she talks slow classic textbook behavior. I have no choice I'm stuck. I'm only on 3 meds and I have known all along I'm not medicated enough but No One hears me. All they can say is "have you taken your pills today"? Are you PMSing? I'm drowning in a abyss of depair....
Hopeless in Cali
K.
Posted by borderliner on January 7, 2005, at 5:21:42
In reply to Oh my God!, posted by zowie_27 on January 7, 2005, at 1:16:07
Hey sorry to hear your pain. but u must realise that your not the only one and that things take time. Impatience will only spark anxiety. Perhaps your on the wrong meds all together. mayeb ur like me and the normal "frontline" treatment dont do shizat. Please dont pass me off as another who doesnt understand because i have borderline personality disorder and suffer massive mood swings coupled with my own instablity and poor self concept. ive also got less motivation than a carpet rug and socialise like a carpet rug.
What medications are u on at the moment?
Im on a mood stabilizer, possibly the only reason im still here after a major downhall. The stability effects defenetely payed off and it has kept me sane between the changeing of other meds. just cant seem to find the right Antidepressant.
post ya later. borderliner
Posted by dondon on January 7, 2005, at 11:38:48
In reply to Re: Oh my God!, posted by borderliner on January 7, 2005, at 5:21:42
did you steal my old name
borderliner21
Posted by Pops_1 on January 7, 2005, at 11:57:40
In reply to Oh my God!, posted by zowie_27 on January 7, 2005, at 1:16:07
I hear you, and my answer would be a resounding "NO! It's WON'T be like this forever."
When I first went through a major depressive episode several years ago, I became obsessed with understanding and coping with the affliction, grappling with research and theories and doctors about which medicines might help me, what in my diet/lifestyle/etc. I should try to change, etc.
It lasted a long time, months, but once I found some meds that worked, the illness gradually lost its mindshare, and ultimately became background noise, occasionally resurfacing when meds stopped working well or I came across something new to try. The only thing I can counsel is:
- Don't give up on your MD too quickly. I worked with some docs that liked to take things slow and cautiously, but realized that they are so used to meds taking awhile to work that they seem to discount pleas of "this med isn't working, try something new" until they feel the patient has given the med a fair shot. Sometimes they're right, too, that it just takes awhile.
- Also, the more willing you appear to be to try their recommendations for awhile , the more they'll accept your input on trying something new when you do say "I don't think this is working, lets try something else." I found that a month was usually long enough for the doctor to gain respect for my patience and judgment about whether a med works for me. Once that trust is established, they can be more open to feedback based on shorter trial periods.
- I usually tried to discuss "next steps" at every appointment - if they say let's try this SSRI for a few weeks, I'd say Okay, and if I don't see improvement in 2-3 weeks, what's the next step? Increase the dose, try something different? Will you need me to come in for an appointment, or can you call in the Rx to my pharmacy, etc.?
- Once I've shown a willingness to try their way, I've had good luck suggesting alternative approaches, based on studies or the Internet. (Some docs are very dismissive of Internet info, though, so you must be careful. I've found a good doc who is open to anecdotal evidence of certain combinations helping.) I usually do this in a somewhat questioning or suggestive tone -"I've seen some people with similar profile to me say they've been helped by combo x - have you had experience with that, or would you be willing to try that?" Seems to work for me.
Almost EVERYONE who has felt like you do now found a treatement that works well enough to give them their life back. I've seen very few posts from people saying they've tried everything and nothing works. And while it may seem like you are losing a period of your life, the worst will pass and become a (unpleasant, but distant) memory.
Hang in there!
This is the end of the thread.
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