Posted by Mark H. on November 21, 2001, at 20:33:36
In reply to Re: Anyone have a 'good, trusted' Doctor(s)-Mark H, posted by Cecilia on November 16, 2001, at 4:14:21
Cecilia writes:
"Personally, I would tend to be a little suspicious of a doctor who 'guaranteed' sucesss. But it`s great that you found a combo that works. What is it"
It's difficult to quantify the value of my doctor's optimism, but it certainly helped save my life.
Extremely depressed people are in some ways like children, in that it becomes the responsibility of others to carry certain information and even feelings for them. Just as a good parent doesn't share the details of the Holocaust with a five-year old child, so a good psychiatrist doesn't tell a severely, refractively depressed patient about his failures.
I am optimistic with others on this board, because what they need now is someone to optimistic for them. I also believe that optimism is closer to the truth than pessimism, that healing comes from attending to what is positive.
For many, the first step in healing is to care about someone else. Almost every severely ill or dying person I've known has discovered this on their own. The joy in life is forgetting one's "self" and finding the peace and happiness that comes from helping others. This isn't just theory; you can easily test it empirically.
The combo that works for me is 150mg of Effexor, once a day after breakfast; 25mcg of Cytomel; 2.5 mg of Pindolol, morning and evening; and 20 mg to 40 mg of methylphenidate to stay awake during the day. I also take .25mg of clonazepam at night to help me sleep without thrashing about (I have so-called periodic limb movement disorder, which is more disturbing to my wife than to me).
A good doctor makes a huge difference.
Best wishes,
Mark H.
poster:Mark H.
thread:84262
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011113/msgs/84878.html