Posted by TamaraJ on February 25, 2005, at 10:32:38
In reply to Re: Kara, my turn. How you are doing? » TamaraJ, posted by KaraS on February 25, 2005, at 1:29:10
> Hi,
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> My fingers are crossed in hopes that your combo works for you. You lucked out your first time by responding right away. Unfortunately it's not always that easy but like I said earlier, the fact that you've responded before is good reason to assume that you'll respond again.-- Thanks. The hardest thing to deal with is the apathy and the lack of motivation. It seems, for the first time in my life, I am content just to stay at home, listen to music, keep the house clean and the laundry done, take my dog for walks, talk to friends on the phone, But, to go out and really do stuff just leaves me feeling flat. I don't know how to explain it. I have never been like this before. It's unnerving. For a while, I thought it was fear, but it's not that, it's like a Blah feeling. Yuk! :-(
>
> In terms of Zoloft, I think it is a weak dopamine inhibitor. I was on it years ago and didn't notice any pro dopamine results. I still had the SSRI apathy. My guess is that it's the 5-HT antagonism that is causing the extra anxiety but I really don't know enough about these things to say for certain. I never had any problem with SSRIs before but I wasn't in this anxious a condition before either. I remember reading about others on the board having problems with the SSRIs and anxiety initially and I remember thinking how strange that was since I tolerated them so easily. Little did I know ...-- Well, don't forget, you have a thyroid condition to contend with now. I would think that would have some kind of effect on how we metabolize and respond to medications. I don't know, but I seem to recall reading that some thyroid medications increase the effects of ADs, which might explain the start-up side effects you are experiencing now that you didn't before.
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> Yeah, definitely. These accupressure/tapping methods are supposed to treat a lot of conditions - not only anxiety. They're also used to get over trauma, depression, phobias plus any other negative emotion you can think of. Also, they are used to reinforce positive thinking. If I have success with the anxiety, then I'll try to expand to other areas.-- That's what is so interesting and nice about those types of techniques - they can serve multiple purposes. Nice to know that you could well have a technique that you can use to deal with other problems as well. I saw the thread on the Alternative board about tapping. I didn't join in, but I did try it last summer. It was an interesting concept, but really didn't do a thing for me - and I did it daily for a week or two. Oh well, I like trying alternative things, so I don't regret having pursued it.
>
> I never was the kind of person who dressed minimally in the winter. In fact people have often made fun of me because I'd be so bundled up. When it's really cold I don't even care if things match or not. I've been known to go out in some pretty horrible outfits - but if those are the warmest things i have, then that's what I'll wear. -17 degrees sounds so cold. I don't know how you stand it.-- I, personally, don't care what I look like in the winter anymore (well, the hat-head I could do without), as long as I am warm! I am used to the cold now. But, that first walk in the morning with my dog on a cold day can be a drag and a bit hard to take sometimes. Once I am out there and moving I don't notice the cold as much.
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> You'd think that the frostbite on his face would have been enough of a deterent. You gotta admire his spunk!-- Not much stops him! He did his first (and only) triathalon when he was about 60. He even had to learn to swim in order to do it. He finished it, even though he was the last one out of the water! Actually, the big joke is that he wasn't the last one out the water because his swimming coach (a friend of his) swam with him and he actually got out of the water last!
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> Yes, it's definitely good to know that it's there to fall back on. Have you ever used the Xanax for more than a few days? If I use it to help me get on Zoloft, then I'll be using it for at least 2-3 weeks. For me, I will have developed tolerance already. I know this from past experience. Then it will be such a pain trying to get off of it. I'm so torn about this but I might not have much choice. If it were a medication that I had a lot of hope for I wouldn't mind it as much but I know I'll only have limited success (at the most) on Zoloft.-- I have used Xanax for extended periods of time. When I first started getting sick, it was extremely busy at work (it's always busy, but we were going through a really caotic time for months and months) and I wasn't on an AD at the time, so I used my Xanax every morning before I left for work for a number of weeks (taking a break on the weekends though). I was worried that I would develop a dependence, but I didn't have a problem stopping (and I am a recovering alcoholic). I think that not using it on Saturdays and Sundays may have helped.
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> I'm probably going to be moving in a couple of months so that's going to be very stressful. I really can't afford this apartment anymore and I don't like it much anyway. A friend of mine just bought a house and I'm going to move in with her. I'll have my own room and full bathroom and I'll cut my expenses down to less than half of what they are now. I'll probably have to sell most of my furniture. So much to think about and take care of. It's not the kind of thing you want to deal with when you're already experiencing an anxiety disorder, but I think I'll be better off in the long-run. At any rate, I'm sure I'll need the Xanax for this one!-- Moving is a huge stresser! And, you are right, it is not the type of thing you want to deal with when you're experiencing overwhelming anxiety already. It's nice though that you have a friend you feel comfortable enough to share a house with. It's nice, too, to have another person around. I don't know, but it can be somewhat comforting. It will probably turn out to be a good thing in the long run. My younger brother lived with me for a year while he was saving up a down payment for a house. It was nice having him here (well, most of time :-)). That's a shame about having to sell your furniture though. I know it's hard to part with our things. I am not a materialistic person, but our "things" became a part of us and our lives in a way. Since you already know you will be moving in a couple of months, you can take your time packing - a litte bit each day, so as not to put to much stress on yourself. When I moved a couple of years ago, I did a little bit each day. Took my time, decided what I could or was willing to part with (you know, those sentimental things that we hang to for years, but take up space) and found it less stressful than previous moves.
> Some people on the boards have said that Remeron is far less sedating and perhaps less likely to cause weight gain at the higher dosages. It's so strange when medications act differently at various dosages. Still, I'm a bit afraid of it. As it is, the little bit of doxepin is boosting my appetite. I'm really craving sweets now.-- I wonder if a some chromium in the morning and before bed might help combat the sugar cravings? It might be worth a shot. I have found my cravings for sweets have diminished since using chromium. This from a person who has considered peanut M & Ms and Orville's movie theatre microwave popcorn a balanced dinner!
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> That's not a bad idea. I've seen many over a period of years but none in the last 10 or 15 years other than a session or two. I had a great T when I was in college. She was so sharp and so likable. I really felt that she analyzed situations well, gave great advice and i had so much respect for her. Over the years I've seen others but they just couldn't compare to her. I would find myself being so dissapointed in them. If you can find a good one, then you can really benefit from it. I'm going to look into seeing if I can get one through the free clinics that I'll be going to. Sometimes a therapy group or a support group can help a lot too. Babble is great but it's nice to see people face-to-face sometimes.-- That's a good idea about seeing if you can find a therapist through the free clinic. Therapy is so expensive. If you do pursue it, I hope you can find a therapist who compares to the one you had in college. The connection and the bond I imagine is so important to the success of the therapy. I doubt I would be considering therapy if my insurance didn't cover 80% of the cost. I find, too, that babble has helped me quite a bit, even just by reading posts and the responses to the posts. But, I agree, finding an IRL support group would be nice.
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> I've found that books can be a great comfort. I've always been drawn to Buddhist philosophy so I'll have to add that book to my list. I picked up the two books I mentioned earlier. I'm a little disappointed in the Braverman book so far. I was expecting at least one chapter devoted to the treatment of depression but it only has the subject sprinkled in here in there. Also, I haven't seen anything new - but I've only skimmed the book so far. I haven't looked at the Tolle book at all yet.-- Yes, books can be a comfort. I love it when I find a good book and I just can't put it down. I'm like my mom - I'll lose myself in a book (even if it is just a silly or trashy novel to some) and I just spend an entire day reading and and reading and reading until I finish the book. That's a drag about the Braverman book. Hopefully the Tolle book will be better upon first glance.
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> That's so sad. Is she very old? Why does it always have to happen to the good ones?-- She was probably in her late 50s or even early 60s. She is a recovering alcoholic (she told me when I first started seeing her because I was in the early stages of recovery). But, she would have almost 30 years of sobriety (if I am remembering right), so I don't think she fell off the wagon. When I think back to my last appointment with her, I have to say now that she seemed quite distracted and not quite herself. She's a fighter, so I am sure she will be ok. It's just a shame that the medical community is losing one of the good ones.
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> Take care of yourself,Tamara
poster:TamaraJ
thread:456548
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050224/msgs/463128.html