![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 24 of 24. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
I didn't want to mess up Dinah's thread above which is about hypomania and sex. I'm not sure that my situation is the same, so I've started my own thread. But Dinah got me thinking...
Before SSRI's were invented and Tricyclics were my only resolve, and long before I was even clearly depressed and on meds (although beginning to get anxious), I remember having a need for constant sex! Then as I got on SSRI's/Effexor/ and also with Nardil I have found my sex drive is normal to subpar depending on what I take with it. But I used to be an absolute fiend for it! It was like crack! Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
Can anyone relate to this experience?
Scott
Posted by CtrlAlt n Del on January 30, 2002, at 23:14:19
In reply to Sex All the Time..., posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
>
>
> I didn't want to mess up Dinah's thread above which is about hypomania and sex. I'm not sure that my situation is the same, so I've started my own thread. But Dinah got me thinking...
>
> Before SSRI's were invented and Tricyclics were my only resolve, and long before I was even clearly depressed and on meds (although beginning to get anxious), I remember having a need for constant sex! Then as I got on SSRI's/Effexor/ and also with Nardil I have found my sex drive is normal to subpar depending on what I take with it. But I used to be an absolute fiend for it! It was like crack! Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
>
> Can anyone relate to this experience?
>
> ScottI'm hypersexed without SSRI's and on them....without effexor the need for sex is carried with anger (does this make sense?)
With effexor (other ssri's make me worse) no anger/irritation.
I've managed to abstain from sex..other methods are available : ) but it can be pleasantly frustrating also like Dinah...no satisfaction almost a 24 hour thing ......obsession.
What is normal libido I don't know , so unsure if it's hypomania..you have to have other symptoms
of hypomania.....personally I'm even not sure what hypomania is anymore.
Posted by spike4848 on January 30, 2002, at 23:18:38
In reply to Sex All the Time..., posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
>
> Can anyone relate to this experience?
>
> ScottYes, that happens to me ..... coming off antidepressants I get a rebound phenomenon. With nardil, I have low libdo, lots of energy, insomnia, weight gain. For about 2 to 3 after stopping nardil, I rebound to high libdo, excessive sleep with vivid dreams, lose weight, no energy. Then I stablize after that to middle ground.
I don't think it is sign of mania or hypomania. This withdrawal experience is common to unipolars and bipolars .... actually I bet even if a person without a mood disorder would have the same reaction.
Spike
Posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 0:43:56
In reply to Sex All the Time..., posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
Mr. Scott:
Are you saying that on Tricyclics that your sex drive was not reduced? I was always under the impression that they were even worse for sex than the SSRIs.
Bob
Posted by ST on January 31, 2002, at 2:40:45
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » Mr. Scott, posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 0:43:56
Mr. Scott,
With me, I always had an extremely healthy sexual appetite. I don't think it was a hypomanic thing but simply that I was very sexual. Even when I was depressed I wanted sex. With the SSRIs, which cause sexual side effects, I have a minimal sex drive. I think it is definitely the side effects of the drug. Perhaps you simply had a large libido - I think I remember you saying you were a teenager while on tricylics? OR sex was compensating for something lacking in your life...who knows. But those damn SSRIs really screw things up, so to speak, in the bedroom.
Sarah
> Mr. Scott:
>
> Are you saying that on Tricyclics that your sex drive was not reduced? I was always under the impression that they were even worse for sex than the SSRIs.
>
> Bob
Posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 4:50:36
In reply to Sex All the Time..., posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
I caught this particular thread, and while I am new to this board I feel compelled to at least mention a perspective that I feel is most appropriate for evaluating sex drive in relation to mood and "normalcy" which appears to be the issue (medication is noted for either contributing or detracting to the drive phenomenon). The perspective is simply this: your sex drive is normal for You whatever it is (this is assuming you are not on medication). When you alter the drive with medication you alter what is "normal" for you, but nobody is categorically "oversexed" no matter what any doctor might try to claim. Sex addiction, or being oversexed is (I believe, and because we're all about our own opinions here I feel it's valid to state this) a cop out by the medical community in acknowledging that some individuals (perhaps Many individuals) feel a need to engage in sexual activity more frequently than is considered socially acceptable by today's puritanical American standards. If you need to masturbate three times a day, then Masturbate Three Times A Day, and Enjoy it for heaven's sake! It need not interfere with other worldly obligations or responsiblilties if you acknowledge this is Normal For You. It is when people pretend that needing sex frequently is somehow ABnormal (or needing sex INfrequently is also ABnormal) that gross misconceptions arise about what is appropriate for any given individual. This becomes even more complicated when a person is engaged in a sexual relationship with a partner whose sex drive does not match his/her own. Suddenly it becomes a question about what is "Normal" (by ridiculous societical and even cultural standards) instead of what are a person's individual physiological needs. If we are discussing sex as an obsessive preoccupation (a mental issue) then it is something totally different. As phsyiological issues go, it is disheartening to me to note whenever someone assumes their sex drive is somehow out of balance because they either desire lots of sex in their lives or little (if any). Each person's needs are different; there is no "norm" when it comes to sexual needs and gratification (especially when a person's individual sexuality, tastes, fetishes (if any) and so forth are taken into consideration). I felt obligated to mention this as I think the whole "sex" issue is one which puritanical American culture and organized religion have attempted to force into molds which are decidedly INhuman and not at all realistic.
>
>
> I didn't want to mess up Dinah's thread above which is about hypomania and sex. I'm not sure that my situation is the same, so I've started my own thread. But Dinah got me thinking...
>
> Before SSRI's were invented and Tricyclics were my only resolve, and long before I was even clearly depressed and on meds (although beginning to get anxious), I remember having a need for constant sex! Then as I got on SSRI's/Effexor/ and also with Nardil I have found my sex drive is normal to subpar depending on what I take with it. But I used to be an absolute fiend for it! It was like crack! Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
>
> Can anyone relate to this experience?
>
> Scott
Posted by Simcha on January 31, 2002, at 9:05:34
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 4:50:36
>The perspective is simply this: your sex drive is normal for You whatever it is (this is assuming you are not on medication). When you alter the drive with medication you alter what is "normal" for you, but nobody is categorically "oversexed" no matter what any doctor might try to claim. Sex addiction, or being oversexed is (I believe, and because we're all about our own opinions here I feel it's valid to state this) a cop out by the medical community in acknowledging that some individuals (perhaps Many individuals) feel a need to engage in sexual activity more frequently than is considered socially acceptable by today's puritanical American standards.
Um, OK... Where to begin? Hmm...
I have sexual OCD. And let me tell you, it is not necessarily the frequency that counts or even the drive. The whole issue boils down to whether or not your life becomes unmanageable.
Without meds and without program I would have 10+ sexual encounters with 10+ different people on any given night. (Weekends were best but sometimes the overwhelming compulsion drove me out on weekdays to do this. Try working the next day when you have been out all night sexing!)
This means, and I've counted this up once, that I've had 1000+ sexual partners and more sexual escapades than that. Would you consider this healthy? What's worse is that choice is eliminated from the process of decision making around sexual activity for me when I was untreated. This openned me up for the possibility for contracting many diseases (some deadly), physical abuse, being robbed, and being brutally murdered. I'd have sex anywhere. On rooftops, in alleys, in parking lots, in parked cars on the Lakefront (Michigan-Chicago), under "L" tracks, in every room of a house, in pubic toilets, in outhouses, in parks, in forest preserves, in leather bars, in adult bookstores, and in bath houses. My case was particularly severe.
>This becomes even more complicated when a person is engaged in a sexual relationship with a partner whose sex drive does not match his/her own.Oh, yes, this is frustrating. My "normal" healthy sex drive is less than that of my current partner's sex drive. Yes I'm on meds. I do believe that my sex drive is finally about normal. I'm a little supressed but I'm adjusting more and more to my meds and I believe that the ginko helps. My partner and I discuss it openly and yes sometimes there is tension. I'm still learning what is healthy for me.
>Each person's needs are different; there is no "norm" when it comes to sexual needs and gratification (especially when a person's individual sexuality, tastes, fetishes (if any) and so forth are taken into consideration). I felt obligated to mention this as I think the whole "sex" issue is one which puritanical American culture and organized religion have attempted to force into molds which are decidedly INhuman and not at all realistic.
I agree with this completely. America is way to puritanical. My healthy sexual appetites are not considered "normal" or even socially acceptable at this time. (Homosexual) We are all different and our sexual differences make life all the more spicey and interesting. I enjoy the creativity of meaningful and healthy sexual encounters these days.
I'm hoping that I'm going to stay in complete remission....
Simcha.
Posted by christophrejmc on January 31, 2002, at 9:42:47
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... Addiction/Compulsion » ethan, posted by Simcha on January 31, 2002, at 9:05:34
Posted by Roo on January 31, 2002, at 11:27:30
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... Addiction/Compulsion » ethan, posted by Simcha on January 31, 2002, at 9:05:34
Pre-SSRI's I felt almost compulsive about sex. I
would masterbate sometimes 3 to 5 times a day. Like
someone else mentioned, it wasn't a pleasureable thing,
it was a compulsion. Of course the SSRI's killed all
that. I wondered if my depression contributed to
an overly high sex drive, b/c I felt so shitty that
sex was the only thing that made me feel good, the
only relief from the depression. Once I felt better
on the AD's, I was centered enough to find other
ways to fulfill myself. Interesting thread.
Posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 12:15:09
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 4:50:36
> I caught this particular thread, and while I am new to this board I feel compelled to at least mention a perspective that I feel is most appropriate for evaluating sex drive in relation to mood and "normalcy" which appears to be the issue (medication is noted for either contributing or detracting to the drive phenomenon). The perspective is simply this: your sex drive is normal for You whatever it is (this is assuming you are not on medication). When you alter the drive with medication you alter what is "normal" for you, but nobody is categorically "oversexed" no matter what any doctor might try to claim. Sex addiction, or being oversexed is (I believe, and because we're all about our own opinions here I feel it's valid to state this) a cop out by the medical community in acknowledging that some individuals (perhaps Many individuals) feel a need to engage in sexual activity more frequently than is considered socially acceptable by today's puritanical American standards. If you need to masturbate three times a day, then Masturbate Three Times A Day, and Enjoy it for heaven's sake! It need not interfere with other worldly obligations or responsiblilties if you acknowledge this is Normal For You. It is when people pretend that needing sex frequently is somehow ABnormal (or needing sex INfrequently is also ABnormal) that gross misconceptions arise about what is appropriate for any given individual. This becomes even more complicated when a person is engaged in a sexual relationship with a partner whose sex drive does not match his/her own. Suddenly it becomes a question about what is "Normal" (by ridiculous societical and even cultural standards) instead of what are a person's individual physiological needs. If we are discussing sex as an obsessive preoccupation (a mental issue) then it is something totally different. As phsyiological issues go, it is disheartening to me to note whenever someone assumes their sex drive is somehow out of balance because they either desire lots of sex in their lives or little (if any). Each person's needs are different; there is no "norm" when it comes to sexual needs and gratification (especially when a person's individual sexuality, tastes, fetishes (if any) and so forth are taken into consideration). I felt obligated to mention this as I think the whole "sex" issue is one which puritanical American culture and organized religion have attempted to force into molds which are decidedly INhuman and not at all realistic.
Wouldn't you say that if somebody masturbates 5 times a day, that by default, it would be detracting from putting their energy in to other activities that would be more socially rewarding? I have trouble seeing how doing something like that so frequently would not be associated with an obsessive preoccupation.
Posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 13:58:35
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » ethan, posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 12:15:09
> Wouldn't you say that if somebody masturbates 5 times a day, that by default, it would be detracting from putting their energy in to other activities that would be more socially rewarding?So masturbation is not valuable because it is not something that is "more socially rewarding", i.e., "selfish"??? A person's energy is his or her own to channel as s/he decides, not an automatic obligation to seek social rewards. I know someone who writes professionally, is very successful in his career, masturbates three times a day (regularly, as that is what is comfortable for him and he has the opportunity to do so), and has a happy wife and kid on the way. He has a solid social network, does not have any OCD problems, and is a Good Person to boot. ;-) Masturbation being a waste of time or energy? Bah humbug!
Naturally, masturbation is only worthwhile if you WANT to do it. If ANY activity is compulsive, whether it be compulsive cleaning, washing, eating, exercising, or masturbating/engaging in sex, there is a problem with Compulsive Behavior, not necessarily the behavior itself is to blame. Never blame the behavior for the -ism, though the challenge is conquering the behavior as a perpetual "threat" to wellness. In the case of sexual compulsion, this is most unfortunate because sex is an inherently pleasurable experience, culminated most often in climax (you don't get that "high" from eating, washing or cleaning -- just exhaustion); it's really a crime that sex is still seen through the eyes of Victorian culture as something inherently "less than"...a crime for those with their compulsions focused on sex that such truly wonderful experiences are tainted by the physicall and emotional degradation that OCD performs on any compulsive activity.
> >I have trouble seeing how doing something like that so frequently would not be associated with an obsessive preoccupation.
Certainly, because this would simply not be right For You. But it isn't an automatic Red Flag that something is wrong. Sex drives are as varied as people are; it's wrong to judge a sex drive (low or high) as being inappropriate so long as that person is content with the situation and is not made to feel by a partner that s/he is somehow "inadequate". With prejudgements about sex abounding in Western civilization it's no wonder Sex becomes the scapegoat of a lot of misdirected social criticism.
Posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 15:42:50
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 13:58:35
I guess what I'm really saying here, is that off of all medication, I have a addictive/compulsive problem. Since it's not easy to find a suitable partner that would indulge me in my behavior and fantasies, I put it into masturbation. However, it seems to start to get carried away, to where I want more and more... just like an addiction. That is not healthy. If I was eternally happy with the status quo, then it wouldn't be a problem.
Posted by Simcha on January 31, 2002, at 15:43:42
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 13:58:35
> In the case of sexual compulsion, this is most unfortunate because sex is an inherently pleasurable experience, culminated most often in climax (you don't get that "high" from eating, washing or cleaning -- just exhaustion); it's really a crime that sex is still seen through the eyes of Victorian culture as something inherently "less than"...a crime for those with their compulsions focused on sex that such truly wonderful experiences are tainted by the physicall and emotional degradation that OCD performs on any compulsive activity.
Aghem! (Clearing throat....wanting to be recognized)
Ethan,It sounds as if you do not understand what Sexual OCD really is, or for that manner what OCD is in general.
Try this site:
This will explain to you some of the pain, horror, and unmanageability of the disease. Granted, this site can be a bit preachy, but overall it gives a good representation of what Sexual Compulsion is like.
Again, frequency does not matter at all. It is not society that told me that what I was doing was "bad." It's that I never had any time to take care of myself. I was terrified of any type of intimacy besides the sexual act. Oh yeah, I was even afraid of the sex I was having but I "had" to do it. There was no choice involved. It severely limited my ability to make friends because, as a compulsive, I had to keep my sex-life separate from my social life.
I was exhausted all the time. I caught many a cold, flu, strep, due to supressed immunity due to being run down (and perhaps all the germs I exposed myself to.)
There is a definite "rush" that comes from compulsive sexual activity. Sex with my partner cannot even compare to the mind-obliterating experience of a compulsive sexual binge.
The price I would pay for that "rush" just became too high to pay. I would never have to feel any feeling because the "rush" would deaden all my senses. So powerful was the "rush" that nothing else mattered in my life. It never mattered how exhausted I was from the previous binge, if I had the slightest anxiety I would head for the nearest adult bookstore, bath house, public toilet, cruising spot, bar, etc.
This is not a moral issue. This is a disease that is treatable through medication, 12-step, and therapy. I am living proof that Celexa takes the compulsion away. I did not get really well until I started taking the Celexa. I can actually think about other things besides sex.
Do you know what it is like to have a strong sexual thought/image in your head, taking over completely, and being unable to let it go? Before medication all I could do was obsess over sex. No other thought could occupy my mind with as much intensity. Sex ruled all. I was whipped.
Do not poo-poo Sexual OCD as some Victorian leftover. It is a real Hell. It is a living Hell. Finally, I have found peace and I can have a wonderful, healthy, homosexual, sex-life.
Simcha
Posted by Mr.Scott on January 31, 2002, at 16:41:22
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » Mr. Scott, posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 0:43:56
Hey Bob-
Drive either unaffected or intesified...Performance down the tubes..
Scott
> Mr. Scott:
>
> Are you saying that on Tricyclics that your sex drive was not reduced? I was always under the impression that they were even worse for sex than the SSRIs.
>
> Bob
Posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 17:09:34
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » bob, posted by Mr.Scott on January 31, 2002, at 16:41:22
> Hey Bob-
>
> Drive either unaffected or intesified...Performance down the tubes..
>
> Scott
>
I was on Anafranil, which is heavily Serotonergic, so it did reduce drive. Now that you mention it, though, I think my desire was less affected than with the SSRIs, but the performance was truly obliterated.
Posted by Mr.Scott on January 31, 2002, at 18:52:44
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » Mr. Scott, posted by CtrlAlt n Del on January 30, 2002, at 23:14:19
> >
> >
> > I didn't want to mess up Dinah's thread above which is about hypomania and sex. I'm not sure that my situation is the same, so I've started my own thread. But Dinah got me thinking...
> >
> > Before SSRI's were invented and Tricyclics were my only resolve, and long before I was even clearly depressed and on meds (although beginning to get anxious), I remember having a need for constant sex! Then as I got on SSRI's/Effexor/ and also with Nardil I have found my sex drive is normal to subpar depending on what I take with it. But I used to be an absolute fiend for it! It was like crack! Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
> >
> > Can anyone relate to this experience?
> >
> > Scott
>
> I'm hypersexed without SSRI's and on them....without effexor the need for sex is carried with anger (does this make sense?)
> With effexor (other ssri's make me worse) no anger/irritation.
> I've managed to abstain from sex..other methods are available : ) but it can be pleasantly frustrating also like Dinah...no satisfaction almost a 24 hour thing ......obsession.
> What is normal libido I don't know , so unsure if it's hypomania..you have to have other symptoms
> of hypomania.....personally I'm even not sure what hypomania is anymore."personally I'm even not sure what hypomania is anymore"
Agreed. It's become a useless word in my vocabulary. Almost anyone could be considered hypomanic at at times from the ever broadening definition.
Scott
Posted by OldSchool on January 31, 2002, at 20:10:18
In reply to Sex All the Time..., posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
>
>
> I didn't want to mess up Dinah's thread above which is about hypomania and sex. I'm not sure that my situation is the same, so I've started my own thread. But Dinah got me thinking...
>
> Before SSRI's were invented and Tricyclics were my only resolve, and long before I was even clearly depressed and on meds (although beginning to get anxious), I remember having a need for constant sex! Then as I got on SSRI's/Effexor/ and also with Nardil I have found my sex drive is normal to subpar depending on what I take with it. But I used to be an absolute fiend for it! It was like crack! Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
>
> Can anyone relate to this experience?Nope. Not even a little bit. The normal experience for someone with unipolar major depression is to have less of a sex drive off antidepressants. The more severe the depression, the more severe the erosion of your sex drive tends to be. In severe melancholic type major depression, this can get to the point where sex drive totally dissolves and you cannot become aroused. And have major difficulties attaining an erection, orgasming, having "dry" ejaculations where no semen comes out, etc. Im sorry to be so graphic about it, just trying to explain what sometimes happens in REALLY severe clinical depression.
When I go off my antidepressants, what little tiny bit of a sex drive I have on ADs further evaporates. Leaving me more or less totally sexless and unmotivated in that department. I feel like a worn out, dried up, dirty dish rag off antidepressants. Having an increased sex drive OFF antidepressants makes me wonder. Either you dont have that severe of depression (dysthymia maybe?). Or something else is going on.
I have heard of many people with these mild dysthymia type depressions who complain about "sexual desire decreasing" when they take SSRIs and it returns when they discontinue the SSRI. Makes me wonder if these people REALLY do need an antidepressant?
But for folks like moi, who have it bad...the real deal melancholia subtype of major depression sex drive pretty much evaporates off meds...when you crash into severe depression.
When you are having problems of the opposite nature, having hypersexuality and that sort of thing that can point to bipolar disorder. Hypersexuality and sexual promiscuity is one of the symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Very few to none unipolar major depressives have a good sex drive. If you go off SSRIs and become a "sex fiend" off antidepressants, I find it VERY hard to believe you suffer from major depression.
Old School
Posted by Mr. Scott on January 31, 2002, at 20:49:22
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by OldSchool on January 31, 2002, at 20:10:18
> >
> >
> > I didn't want to mess up Dinah's thread above which is about hypomania and sex. I'm not sure that my situation is the same, so I've started my own thread. But Dinah got me thinking...
> >
> > Before SSRI's were invented and Tricyclics were my only resolve, and long before I was even clearly depressed and on meds (although beginning to get anxious), I remember having a need for constant sex! Then as I got on SSRI's/Effexor/ and also with Nardil I have found my sex drive is normal to subpar depending on what I take with it. But I used to be an absolute fiend for it! It was like crack! Everytime I go off my AD (which these days for me is always highly serotonergic) I begin to feel that way again. It doesn't really sound like hypomania does it?
> >
> > Can anyone relate to this experience?
>
> Nope. Not even a little bit. The normal experience for someone with unipolar major depression is to have less of a sex drive off antidepressants. The more severe the depression, the more severe the erosion of your sex drive tends to be. In severe melancholic type major depression, this can get to the point where sex drive totally dissolves and you cannot become aroused. And have major difficulties attaining an erection, orgasming, having "dry" ejaculations where no semen comes out, etc. Im sorry to be so graphic about it, just trying to explain what sometimes happens in REALLY severe clinical depression.
>
> When I go off my antidepressants, what little tiny bit of a sex drive I have on ADs further evaporates. Leaving me more or less totally sexless and unmotivated in that department. I feel like a worn out, dried up, dirty dish rag off antidepressants. Having an increased sex drive OFF antidepressants makes me wonder. Either you dont have that severe of depression (dysthymia maybe?). Or something else is going on.
>
> I have heard of many people with these mild dysthymia type depressions who complain about "sexual desire decreasing" when they take SSRIs and it returns when they discontinue the SSRI. Makes me wonder if these people REALLY do need an antidepressant?
>
> But for folks like moi, who have it bad...the real deal melancholia subtype of major depression sex drive pretty much evaporates off meds...when you crash into severe depression.
>
> When you are having problems of the opposite nature, having hypersexuality and that sort of thing that can point to bipolar disorder. Hypersexuality and sexual promiscuity is one of the symptoms of the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Very few to none unipolar major depressives have a good sex drive. If you go off SSRIs and become a "sex fiend" off antidepressants, I find it VERY hard to believe you suffer from major depression.
>
> Old SchoolI make no claims, and in fact look to the people here for answers I cannot yet provide.
Major Depression is another one of those words that describes populations well enough to get billion dollar drugs approved by the FDA. As for individuals it hardly describes the millions who suffer from it. Call it what you will, I am actually looking for a name, cause nothin they got so far is "sophisticated" enough to offer much in the ways of a diagnosis that will lead eventually to a treatment plan that works. I don't think dysthymics regularly contemplate suicide or attempt it, and while my depression may be secondary to living with something else, that something else is clearly neurologic in origin and exremely distracting from the life I'd like to lead and once lead. The only other reason I can think of that would possibly explain my motivation for being here and asking questions is that I always wanted to be a psychiatrist, but couldn't handle chemistry (or abstract math at all BTW). I wish I had what Lilly, Pfizer, and Wyeth and their professional pill peddler brigade refer to as major depression. My life would be easy. I could take any of virtually 20 plus chemicals and expect a 70% response rate (defined as a 50% reduction in symptoms)on the first trial. Fat Chance! And if I do get some help from meds, the price of paying for it with weight gain, sedation or impotence aren't chips I will bargain with. No I don't pretend to know what I have, but I can say that it sucks.
Scott
Posted by OldSchool on January 31, 2002, at 21:11:49
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » OldSchool, posted by Mr. Scott on January 31, 2002, at 20:49:22
> > >
> I make no claims, and in fact look to the people here for answers I cannot yet provide.
>
> Major Depression is another one of those words that describes populations well enough to get billion dollar drugs approved by the FDA. As for individuals it hardly describes the millions who suffer from it. Call it what you will, I am actually looking for a name, cause nothin they got so far is "sophisticated" enough to offer much in the ways of a diagnosis that will lead eventually to a treatment plan that works. I don't think dysthymics regularly contemplate suicide or attempt it, and while my depression may be secondary to living with something else, that something else is clearly neurologic in origin and exremely distracting from the life I'd like to lead and once lead. The only other reason I can think of that would possibly explain my motivation for being here and asking questions is that I always wanted to be a psychiatrist, but couldn't handle chemistry (or abstract math at all BTW). I wish I had what Lilly, Pfizer, and Wyeth and their professional pill peddler brigade refer to as major depression. My life would be easy. I could take any of virtually 20 plus chemicals and expect a 70% response rate (defined as a 50% reduction in symptoms)on the first trial. Fat Chance! And if I do get some help from meds, the price of paying for it with weight gain, sedation or impotence aren't chips I will bargain with. No I don't pretend to know what I have, but I can say that it sucks.
> Scott
Scott, I wasnt saying that you do not have a major mental illness. Ive noticed you throwing the bipolar word around some and have had some bipolar dx's in the past. Bipolar is a very serious dx, arguably more serious than major depression. Particularly Bipolar Type 1 or classic "manic depression." Thats a SEVERE psych disorder.I was just saying that for someone who has severe depression problems (unipolar) its unusual to go off antidepressants and have their sex drive increase a lot. I go off my meds and I crash. So do many other severe depressives, particularly if they go off their meds prior to the one year mark.
Im not saying you arent miserable...it does indeed sound as if you are. But when someone tells me they have had "hypersexuality" a lot before and then says their sex drive gets good and high whenever they go off SSRIs...that just doesnt sound like major depression to me.
Im not criticizing you, Im just pointing that out.
take care,
Old School
Posted by Mr. Scott on January 31, 2002, at 21:50:19
In reply to Sex All the Time..., posted by Mr. Scott on January 30, 2002, at 22:38:44
Just so I'm totally clear on this and not to be gross or graphic, but without the SSRI, it's like I'm constantly aware of my ?*&!%. And I feel like I can actually feel the nerve that connects from my brain stem to my ?*&!%, and it has an electrical current running through it. The slightest arousal (Like walking) is enough to make me want to have sex or the next best alternative. The only way to relieve the electricity is to complete the act. But then it comes back. Again, this is completely controlled by SSRI.
This probably is too weird for anyone to understand. Maybe I compressed a nerve, or this is actually part of that seizure disorder my doc is always trying to convince me I have. Maybe it is a cholinergic disorder?
Any other thoughts for a freakshow like me?
Scott
Posted by Mr. Scott on January 31, 2002, at 21:58:19
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by OldSchool on January 31, 2002, at 21:11:49
> > > >
> > I make no claims, and in fact look to the people here for answers I cannot yet provide.
> >
> > Major Depression is another one of those words that describes populations well enough to get billion dollar drugs approved by the FDA. As for individuals it hardly describes the millions who suffer from it. Call it what you will, I am actually looking for a name, cause nothin they got so far is "sophisticated" enough to offer much in the ways of a diagnosis that will lead eventually to a treatment plan that works. I don't think dysthymics regularly contemplate suicide or attempt it, and while my depression may be secondary to living with something else, that something else is clearly neurologic in origin and exremely distracting from the life I'd like to lead and once lead. The only other reason I can think of that would possibly explain my motivation for being here and asking questions is that I always wanted to be a psychiatrist, but couldn't handle chemistry (or abstract math at all BTW). I wish I had what Lilly, Pfizer, and Wyeth and their professional pill peddler brigade refer to as major depression. My life would be easy. I could take any of virtually 20 plus chemicals and expect a 70% response rate (defined as a 50% reduction in symptoms)on the first trial. Fat Chance! And if I do get some help from meds, the price of paying for it with weight gain, sedation or impotence aren't chips I will bargain with. No I don't pretend to know what I have, but I can say that it sucks.
> > Scott
>
>
> Scott, I wasnt saying that you do not have a major mental illness. Ive noticed you throwing the bipolar word around some and have had some bipolar dx's in the past. Bipolar is a very serious dx, arguably more serious than major depression. Particularly Bipolar Type 1 or classic "manic depression." Thats a SEVERE psych disorder.
>
> I was just saying that for someone who has severe depression problems (unipolar) its unusual to go off antidepressants and have their sex drive increase a lot. I go off my meds and I crash. So do many other severe depressives, particularly if they go off their meds prior to the one year mark.
>
> Im not saying you arent miserable...it does indeed sound as if you are. But when someone tells me they have had "hypersexuality" a lot before and then says their sex drive gets good and high whenever they go off SSRIs...that just doesnt sound like major depression to me.
>
> Im not criticizing you, Im just pointing that out.
>
> take care,
>
> Old SchoolOldSchool,
I'm sorry my friend...I was misinterpreting the post as you saying I was only minimally ill. What's funny is that I found that to be threatening!I see what you meant now that maybe bipolar IS a better dx than MajorD for my symptomology.
I'm Sorry I overreacted...I get defensive if anyone tells me I'm not crazy!!
Scott
Posted by bob on January 31, 2002, at 22:32:17
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time... » OldSchool, posted by Mr. Scott on January 31, 2002, at 21:58:19
When I come off meds, I crash with severe anxiety and depression, but my sex drive does rebound because it had been suppressed for so long. The longer I stay "crashed", however, the less I think about sex. At first, the ability to maybe masturbate and have an orgasm helps to bring some pleasure to the pain. Eventually, the pain takes over.
Posted by OldSchool on February 1, 2002, at 10:19:01
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time Part II, posted by Mr. Scott on January 31, 2002, at 21:50:19
>
>
> Just so I'm totally clear on this and not to be gross or graphic, but without the SSRI, it's like I'm constantly aware of my ?*&!%. And I feel like I can actually feel the nerve that connects from my brain stem to my ?*&!%, and it has an electrical current running through it. The slightest arousal (Like walking) is enough to make me want to have sex or the next best alternative. The only way to relieve the electricity is to complete the act. But then it comes back. Again, this is completely controlled by SSRI.
>
> This probably is too weird for anyone to understand. Maybe I compressed a nerve, or this is actually part of that seizure disorder my doc is always trying to convince me I have. Maybe it is a cholinergic disorder?Um...is your doctor telling you that you have a seizure disorder? If so, Id take their advice dude. Diagnosing seizure is more medical and reliable than diagnosing mental illness. Doctors actually have medical tests to dx seizures (EEG). If your doctor is telling you that you have a seizure disorder, Id take their advice and go with it. Dont fight it. BTW there is some relationship between seizures and mood disorders.
>
> Any other thoughts for a freakshow like me?
>You are not a freakshow.
Old School
Posted by TXRN1 on February 4, 2002, at 23:41:46
In reply to Re: Sex All the Time..., posted by ethan on January 31, 2002, at 4:50:36
I've been ADHD all my life and I just turned 40 although I look way younger. I tried drugs but I fell in love with alcohol at 15 and finally got sober at age 28. I have always been hypersexual. All my girlfriends, even the nymphos, told me I do it too much. I confess, masturbation is the only vice I have now. My IQ is somewhere above 120 but it took me 20 years to finally get a degree. But honestly, my sex drive has been a curse to me. I know some wives out there wish they had a husband with my libido but really, it isn't all its cracked up to be. Hypersexual overdrive is frustrating and its unfulfilling. Better to fill up with God. And maybe Adderal XR.
This is the end of the thread.
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