Posted by mist on July 17, 2002, at 15:26:10
In reply to Re: I disagree., posted by Geezer on July 17, 2002, at 14:16:29
Geezer,
Thanks for the nice civil post even though you disagree.
> When I am at my worst I can't get my head off the desk - but that can ONLY be changed with drug adjustments..
This is what I mean about the false dichotomy. :) Just because psychological and environmental factors are significant in causing a particular depression, doesn't mean meds won't relieve it. It's not either/or. Once it gets to the point where you are actually depressed, the depression is physical. Are meds the only relief in every case? I wouldn't go so far as to say that.
>For me its a matter of chemistry/physiology-genetics
And possibly in your depression that's exactly what it is. My point is that the causes can be different for different people.
> the question is how does one get out of that state. I have tried "talk therapy" on three different occasions, talking didn't reduce symptoms, prolong intervals of wellness or prevent recurrence.
I'm pretty fed up with talk therapy as it's practiced too. In theory I believe something like that could be helpful for some people, but too many therapists lack the ability to be creative or to diverge from the norm. And some of it is just luck. Sometimes it's interpersonal chemistry that makes one therapist better for a particular client than the next. But you can spend your life's income trying to find the right therapist.
How does one get out of that state? I'm less depressed now than I was last year. In a sense, I waited it out and it changed. But I don't recommend that, especially if someone is likely to commit suicide. Even though I have felt suicidal sometimes and have had an almost constant desire to die since I can remember, when I am very depressed I just don't have the energy or ability to plan (let alone carry out) suicide.
At the same time, since I've been depressed since childhood (to varying degrees), I might have a tendency to put up with too much in terms of depression symptoms. To just accept it, even when it's really bad.
I also took 5-HTP at the end of last year. It helped enough that while it didn't resolve all the symptoms, it made a dent in them.
>Any changes in mood, that may be construed a psychological, come as a result of chemistry changes NOT because of cognative therapy.
My belief is that sometimes changing your thinking and circumstances can cause physiological changes. It's a two-way street. It's like blood pressure (I have posted this before :)). Some people use meds to control high blood pressure, some are able to do it by meditating, biofeedback, and other stress reduction measures (as well as dietary changes). My point is that what applies for one person may not apply for the next.
poster:mist
thread:91928
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020709/msgs/112683.html