What's new
Troll Kingdom

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

A discussion about depression

I was on Prosac for a long time, but recently switched to Cymbaltra to try and help with pain.
 
Hambil said:
I was on Prosac for a long time, but recently switched to Cymbaltra to try and help with pain.
Click to expand...

Cymbalta is good, but watch out for the withdrawals if you miss a dose. It affects Norepinephrine so you can have some unpleasant side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. It is really good for helping manage pain though. It's too bad it didn't agree with my system. Have they considered a mood stabilizer along with it? Right now I'm taking Lamictal and Prozac. Lamicatl is a pretty good mood stabilizer, and you don't have to have blood panels done every 3 months like you do with Depakote or other mood stabilizers.
 
I was depressed for years. I did all the right things, but couldn't get myself out of the funk. I eventually realized it was a brain chemistry thing, combined with some ingrained negative thought pathways.

After I was diagnosed with cancer, my doc put me on a low dose of Zoloft, and Ativan (which is an anti anxiety drug).

The Zoloft served to correct my brain chemistry, and helped me think clear enough to try and change my negative way of viewing the world. After awhile, the Zoloft stopped working. I had a choice--try to increase my dose, or stop cold turkey and do it on my own.

I did the cold turkey thing. The at-home cognitive therapy I had been practicing took, and I was able to think thru any depression that might have started. I was still taking the Ativan for anxiety, tho.

Then I discovered working out, and eating right. I had never been one to do either, so I didn't know how it would effect my body. Thankfully, the daily dose of endorphins and the healthy food help keep my body and mind functioning as they should. Oh, I still get depressed, mostly situational, but I am managing to overcome these little bouts.

So no more meds. Just clean living.

And it's definitely exercising that's keeping me sane. I miss a few days, and I feel myself falling back into the hole.

I'm not saying this would work for everyone, but it did for me.
 
Oh, and Hambil, if you recently switched meds, that could cause you to feel unbalanced also, until your blood levels get to where they need to be. It could take upwards of a month or so...
 
Friday said:
Oh, and Hambil, if you recently switched meds, that could cause you to feel unbalanced also, until your blood levels get to where they need to be. It could take upwards of a month or so...
Click to expand...

Exactly. Give that a little time, but in the meantime try some of the things others here have mentioned. Exercise, diet, etc. Sunlight helps a lot too, believe it or not.
 
Seriously though, when I have funky moments, I immerse myself in music, books, movies, and TV boxsets. I have no problem with disconnecting myself from reality whilst involved with any of these, and also no problem in confusing the two.

I've never had a true swallowing bout of depression. I have had suicidal moments back at Uni (we're talking about 13 years ago now), but to be honest I think many people have felt like that, but would never admit it.

For me, it's always been a trip excursion to fantasy land. I do my best thinking there before popping back into reality and dealing with various issues.
 
If I'm having a bad day, I usually get in my car, put some Portishead on, and drive around the backroads out where I live. But I also have some other mild personality disorders, so that doesn't always work for me.

My go to cure is to just pop a pill (preferably some hydro), put in some MST3K, and have a couple of shots of tequilla. Always makes me feel better. Oh, and sex. Lots and lots of sex.
 
When I'm depressed I usually wallow in self pity in my room, refusing to go outside or speak to anyone. That always helps. (Not)
 
I'm finding I can do some completely mindless stuff, like clean - in small doses. Or post on TK :p

It's odd, because I think I'm extremely bored. But since nothing interests me I can't relieve the boredom. Weeeeeee fun.
 
Some good advice here actually.

I echo the fact that you need to keep active. Exercise is mandatory. It doesn't have to be over the top but enough to break a sweat. Endorphins feel good, man.

Cleaning is definitely good because clutter is just going to stop you ever getting out of feeling depressed.

Try and find a good book to read then search for a place around town to read it. A coffee shop, cafe, ect. Sometimes it's hard to force yourself to get outside and around other people but it can help as long as it's regulated (I generally hate people)

Diet is also important as was already noted and if all of that doesn't work then go back to your doctor and switch your meds until you find something that does work.

Try and consciously defeat procrastinating on these things and write detailed lists out mapping your day from start to finish and try and stick to it.

If all that fails go on a shooting rampage.
 
I'm just now getting around to having a clean house. Not so much just dirty shit all around, but I'm a clutterer. Stems from my ADHD. Whereas my sister sees a mess, she figures out where to begin, and starts cleaning up. When I see it, I'm like holy shit, where the fuck do I even begin, and just shove things aside or toss them in a closet.

My mom says a cluttered house leads to a cluttered mind. Or something like that.
 
I broke down and took prosac last night, already feeling better. You know, they told me SSRIs would take 2-4 weeks years ago when I first started taking them, and I felt the effects within like 10 minutes. Nobody believes that lol. But it's true. They also told me the SNRI would work just like the SSRI and I wouldn't need to tapper from one the other. Yet, 12 hours ago I was ready to smash my head into a wall just to feel something, anything, and this morning I feel better (not great, but better). Doctors - we're all just a big medical experiment *sigh*
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top