Posted by linkadge on January 31, 2004, at 13:06:36
In reply to long term effects of effexor, posted by meds4life on January 31, 2004, at 10:45:21
I know where you are. The first time you get something that *works* you want to know that it will be available forever.
First of all, antidepressant only poop for some people. Heres what you need to do to avoid poop out, and what to do if it happens.
First of all, stay on the lowest effective dose.
Know what it is to feel normal, and learn to identify what below normal is. Don't raise your antidepressant for a bad hair day. (I assume you know that)Second of all, antidepressants are a tool. To be used wisely. Many people see them as the only tool and this is wrong. Use the tool to help you implement the other tools that will help you to stay feeling better. Get better enough so that you can begin exercising, and eating healthy, taking a multivitamin etc.
Use the drug to help you *learn* ways to do things easier. *Strive* to simplify your life.
Use the drugs to overcome the stressors in your life. Identify all the things that are causing your problems and address each and every one of them, no matter how difficult that may be.Use the drugs to help you develop meaningful social relationships, and create the social support you need.
You will find the most comfort in restraint, and minimalism. Pack light, keep only the things you need. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
Work hard to plan for the future. Don't sell out entirely for the present.
Strive to know yourself, and your environment better.
Learn what makes you happy again.
Basically you want to create the largest buffer around yourself as possible. By staying on the lowest effective dose, you have much more control over a possible poop out. Poop out is often fixed by dose increases and augmentation, lithium, buspar, trazedone, rememeron, T3/T4, Fish Oil, folic acid, pindolol etc. There certainly are others.
This may all sound a little bit crazy, but you need to respect what the drug does for you. If you really strive to normalize yourself, then you will find that you can most likely maintain it for a very long time.
Put your brain as #1.
Cause if you don't nothing else matters.
Best of LuckLinkadge
poster:linkadge
thread:307681
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040131/msgs/307731.html