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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gibber on December 27, 2005, at 17:40:31
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy? » gibber, posted by yxibow on December 24, 2005, at 13:16:01
Thanks everybody for your responses. It seems that the concensus is that most of you are in talk therapy too and are gaining some relief from it. I recall someone mentioning that dysthymia is a less severe form of depression, however in hindsight I think I would have rather been extremely depressed for a few months than moderately depressed for a few years. My life has been on hold for many years. I should add that I would consider myself treatment resistant and have run the gamut of SSRIs and a few others and am now on Nardil. I apologize for using the term "pill popper", I realize it has negative connotations but that was not my intention. I think I'll probably see about some therapy. I have not officially done CTB, but I feel like what I did do was useful for anxiety, especially thought stopping and the like. Does it really work for depression?
Posted by Ilene on December 27, 2005, at 17:40:31
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by gibber on December 24, 2005, at 23:08:50
I think CBT might work for mild-to-moderate depression or dysthymia, but I don't think it's any good for serious, suicidal, or can't-get-out-of-bed depression. It makes certain assumptions, such as that there are activities you enjoy, or that you will feel better if you figure out that thoughts you have about yourself are false. You have to have the energy and concentration to do the exercises. I haven't found it very helpful, but I know many others have had positive experiences.
I.
Posted by blueberry on December 27, 2005, at 17:40:31
In reply to Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by gibber on December 24, 2005, at 1:31:46
I've been through psychotherapy twice, 6 months each time.
I found it very helpful for understanding what was going on, what the contributing factors were, and how to cope. Just talking deeply with a professional does help. But it did nothing to alleviate my symptoms.
I always felt pretty good as I left the therapist's office, like I had a ton of bricks lifted off of me and like I had been given a really good pep talk. But within 24 hours it was all lost. Happened over and over.
Posted by Phillipa on December 27, 2005, at 17:40:32
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy? » gibber, posted by Ilene on December 25, 2005, at 0:11:08
Wonder why the new pdoc didn't mention psychotherapy? Do you suppose he wants to wait until the psych testing is done? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Ilene on December 27, 2005, at 17:40:32
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by Phillipa on December 25, 2005, at 19:25:13
> Wonder why the new pdoc didn't mention psychotherapy? Do you suppose he wants to wait until the psych testing is done? Fondly, Phillipa
Au contraire, she did--in fact, she pushed me into it. Everybody wanted me to go back into partial hospitalization, too, but I refused ("everybody" being the pdoc, the T, and the hospital staff).
I.
PS: I'm researching new pdocs.
Posted by Sebastian on December 27, 2005, at 17:40:32
In reply to Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by gibber on December 24, 2005, at 1:31:46
I've found that talk therapy does not work for me. I've given up on it and just take the meds.
Posted by Poet on December 27, 2005, at 21:27:25
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by gibber on December 24, 2005, at 23:08:50
Hi gibber,
I guess I qualify as a pill popping dysthymic in psychotherapy.
My former regular MD who first prescribed Paxil for me asked at every appointment am I in therapy. Ex pdoc who over medicated me on Effexor XR and Dr. Clueless (current pdoc) both think that therapy is as important as meds.
I have thought of quitting therapy and did for a few weeks last year. For me I think I need my therapist to get me through times when I am more depressed than I need pdocs or meds for. Lately I have been questioning if I need meds anymore, I'm not questioning if I need therapy.
My therapist is ecclectic- traditional talk combined with elements of CBT and she does energy work. I will on some level always be depressed, but for me it's good to have someone I can talk to who understands that it's not all chemical, and that emotions and stress can trigger a down period.
Poet
Posted by alohashirt on December 28, 2005, at 23:14:56
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by gibber on December 24, 2005, at 23:08:50
There is an enormous amount of research tha considers the effectiveness of therapy and medication. Much of the research involves metastudies where long lists of studies are evaluated en masse. Research suggests that medication on its own or therapy on its own, is effective in approximately 1/3 of cases. There has been no consistent result indicating that therapy school #34 is better than #56When I flirted with pschology graduate study I saw therapists who were:
1. psychodynamic
2. CBT
3. Rogerian
4. hypnosis
5. integrative/gestalt
6. psychodynamic /gesalt1. was unhelpful
2. was seriously cute but unhelpful
3. was famous, a well known author, unhelpful
4. fixed painful insomnia even though I thought hypnosis was intrincially a field for quacks and charalatans
5. was OK
6. enormously helpful because of the person of the therapist and not their approach.5 out of 6 therapists were less effective than 2 hours at the Met, MOMA, the Tate Gallery or the Victoria and ALbert museum.
So if the first doesn't help don't give up and don't keep seeing someone who doesn't help.
> Thanks everybody for your responses. It seems that the concensus is that most of you are in talk therapy too and are gaining some relief from it. I recall someone mentioning that dysthymia is a less severe form of depression, however in hindsight I think I would have rather been extremely depressed for a few months than moderately depressed for a few years. My life has been on hold for many years. I should add that I would consider myself treatment resistant and have run the gamut of SSRIs and a few others and am now on Nardil. I apologize for using the term "pill popper", I realize it has negative connotations but that was not my intention. I think I'll probably see about some therapy. I have not officially done CTB, but I feel like what I did do was useful for anxiety, especially thought stopping and the like. Does it really work for depression?
Posted by flipsactown on January 1, 2006, at 10:15:11
In reply to Re: Attn. pill poppers: Who's in psychotherapy?, posted by gibber on December 24, 2005, at 23:08:50
> Thanks everybody for your responses. It seems that the concensus is that most of you are in talk therapy too and are gaining some relief from it. I recall someone mentioning that dysthymia is a less severe form of depression, however in hindsight I think I would have rather been extremely depressed for a few months than moderately depressed for a few years. My life has been on hold for many years. I should add that I would consider myself treatment resistant and have run the gamut of SSRIs and a few others and am now on Nardil. I apologize for using the term "pill popper", I realize it has negative connotations but that was not my intention. I think I'll probably see about some therapy. I have not officially done CTB, but I feel like what I did do was useful for anxiety, especially thought stopping and the like. Does it really work for depression?>>
I have been clinically depressed since 1991 and like you have tried SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs and Nardil. Currently, I am on Cymbalta, Wellbutrin and Trazodone for sleep.In my experience ADs and CBT together saved my life. Because of dibilitating chronic low back pain, as a result of being struck by a truck while riding a 10-speed bike in 1981, I became severely depressed. I have taken pain meds since the accident.
I attended CBT for 10 years with the same therapist and, this, along with ADs have allowed me to cope and manage my depression. I would still be attending monthly therapy, except for the fact that my therapist was no longer available and my health plan no longer covered long term therapy. However, the skills I have learned through CBT have been invaluable and will always stay with me.
FST
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