Posted by mist on June 24, 2002, at 22:38:20
In reply to pro-pro both as options... » mist, posted by krazy kat on June 24, 2002, at 15:45:34
kk,
>interesting - do you take medication during the mild depression, or does therapy "suffice" so to speak? (just curious). also, i've wondered about the use of substances such as St. John's Wort which was only shown to work in mild cases. Would that help? Or a dietary change?
No I don't take meds at all. Had a bad reaction to ADs so developed a fear of them (I am more sensitive to them than most people, I believe). But I think stimulants (Adderall, Provigil, etc.) might help so want to try those for depression and my ADD symptoms. St. John's Wort did help some but pooped out. Worked like an SSRI. Less emotional, no terrible lows, felt calmer and generally better, but also didn't get a lot done. Don't think serotonin is my main problem, or at least not the only one.
5-HTP helped like SJW but I was afraid to take it all the time and got a rash from it. Also like SJW, it didn't help with drive, motivation, or energy.
Re: dietary change – eating more protein, especially red meat, has helped.
Regarding therapy, I don't go on a regular basis. Even though I think it could theoretically help with the right therapist, I'm a little fed up with the entire therapy establishment right now. I think it needs to be revamped. Not enough therapists know how to think outside the box, so to speak. I especially get tired of those who just listen and don't say too much in response. That doesn't help me. I need something more practical. I actually think ADD coaching would help me a lot more and am considering that. Lately I have started to feel better after realizing I have most likely had undiagnosed ADD most of my life, which accounts for some of my problems. Just that realization made me feel 30% less depressed.
But therapy did help me see the basic problems in my family, which I think is a good start. And if we had had family therapy when I was a kid I believe I would have had a much better experience growing up and not gotten depressed the way I did. I will probably go back to therapy at some point anyway--as at least with the right therapist it can provide support.
>Also helps if they'll admit to and look for illness like Bipolar Disorder so they can perhaps catch that earlier with meds, too. We'll see if that makes sense, i guess in the future. autism is falling into this. seizures. fascinating.
Agree. Hope they look for atypical ADD in kids too and consider it not a disorder but just the brain functioning in a different way than what society has so far considered normal.
>But even before the night wore on and he was tipsy, I realized knew more about the disorder and treatment options than he did.
Not surprised. Most regular posters on this site probably know more about mental health conditions and treatments (at least about theirs) than many if not most shrinks of any stripe.
Re the direction of mental health professionals/treatment, I wish psychiatrists were more affordable (I don't have health insurance and even when I do don't like having my choices restricted by it), and would like to see therapists try new things and not use a one size fits all approach for every client.
poster:mist
thread:25602
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020616/msgs/25672.html