Posted by emme on August 29, 2010, at 14:49:33
In reply to Remission from depression .. myth? reality?, posted by Maxime on August 28, 2010, at 19:56:38
> I was thinking about all the meds I have been on and all the different cocktails. There have been A LOT. I have had a few that worked for a while, but even when they were working I was still depressed only to a lesser degree. I have never felt a 100 percent. It angers me people think I have been cured when I am on an anti-depressant. My family does that a lot to me "but you are on so many pills!!".
Hello. Sorry you've been feeling so horrid lately.
> I wonder if I will ever achieve 100 percent remission. Does it even exist?
I think it does. I've seen something close to 100% happen with some people. What I think is more common with those with TRD is improvement with occasional breakthrough. The mood disorder is not gone, but tamed. I also think the pursuit and maintenance of wellness is an ongoing endeavor even for people without psych diagnoses.
> I think in my case, I will never achieve full remission until I spend about 2 years in psychotherapy. I think the meds can bring me to a certain point, but after that it is up to me.
>
> Do you think full remission is possible and what does it feel like? Do you think ADs can make everything better?Let's see...remission feels like...normal energy and motivation (i.e. ordinary daily activities don't feel like herculean tasks), my brain can focus and retain information, I enjoy my interests, I can keep a reasonable perspective on things and not get totally freaked out by upsetting events, I'm not crying over minor things, I don't feel like my soul has been sucked out of my toenails.
Can meds make everything better? I can honestly say that the correct medication has produced improvement in all of the above areas for me. As one of the other posters noted, it can't undo the debris engendered by prolonged depression (career stuff, etc). But it at least gives you a chance to reclaim a life. And it may not prevent you from having temporary relapses. But my relapses are relatively short-lived now. I call myself about 75-80% in remission a lot of the time. The remaining 15-20% are lost to some fatigue from meds. Compared to the hell I was living, I'll take it. I can work and enjoy my friends.
> I am in a bad place and I don't think I am expressing myself very well right now so this post may not make sense and I am sorry for that. It has been on my mind for a while now.
Actually, you're making a lot of sense. Hang in there. So sorry you're in a bad place. I like to believe that relief from illness is possible for us all. I have to believe it because I've seen people undergo some pretty amazing recoveries.
emme
poster:emme
thread:960366
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100829/msgs/960472.html