Posted by bleauberry on September 3, 2009, at 18:33:41
In reply to Withdrawing ... rough times, posted by maxime on September 2, 2009, at 16:20:42
Yeah, that is tough. Real tough. Damn, I wish you didn't have to go through that. It's bad enough having bad side effects, or being depressed while on a med that is supposed to uplift instead. But to be even more depressed coming off of them is a cruel irony of psychiatric.
I was moderately depressed before Cymbalta. I was made even more depressed while on it. Then when I weaned off it, it made me yet even more depressed. God I was so far from my baseline I thought I'ld never get back.
But I did. It does get better.
We're all different. The best thing I could do, and the best thing I think anyone can do, is to stay busy in order to distract and pass time. The worst thing to do is watch the clock. Staying busy could be anything...window shopping a mall, walking somewhere, working, house chores, water the lawn, pull weeds, buy some oil colors or acrylic colors and paint landscapes on cardboard or wood or canvas even if you don't paint, put headphones on and dance till you drop....movement is good, creativity is good. Keep moving. Keep the mind occupied.
None of it will be desirable thinking of doing it. All of it will be an extreme effort to get started. Much of it will not be enjoyable. I mean, come on, how can someone enjoy a walk when they feel deathly depressed? Can't. Impossible. But, and a big but, it passes time, it fills the senses, it offers momentarily distractions, and it helps the day fly by faster. That's what we want. Days to fly by fast. Staying busy and moving does that. Here and there, there will actually be some momentary decent moments you would not have experienced otherwise. They are worth the effort. Stepping stones.
Heavy exertion, I mean like really moving, will also stimulate the noradrenergic pathways and give a slight natural lift to help you through.
Hard when you are so tired and depressed, believe me, I know. But it is SOOO important to just do it. I don't know of any other helpful things to make the clock go faster than that.
In my own limited experience with the two meds in question, Parnate blows Cymbalta absolutely in the weeds, so you have that to look forward to. Now get out and get moving doing something.
poster:bleauberry
thread:915438
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090902/msgs/915646.html