Posted 10/26/2008 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
Hello to all. I am new to the HealingWell Site as well as this message board. I have been suffering from moderate to severe depression for most of my life, although it wasn't officially diagnosed until about 13 years ago. I am 39 now. I spent many years in my teens and twenties self medicating with drugs and alcohol. When I got clean, I sought treatment because I was sooooo depressed. I have completed many years of therapy both individual and group, and for the past 10 years have been taking a combo of Prozac 20 mg (morning) and Trazadone (evening). These medications were truly a life changing experience for me. I never knew how depressed I actually had been all of those years, until I started feeling better. Then when I looked back I couldn't believe that had been me. Up until lately, my depressive episodes have been few and far between and usually only for a short period of time (a few days or so). Over the last 6 months they have increased in frequency, and over the past 3 weeks I have been in a steady, very severe depressive state. My friends and family are all encouraging me to have my medication evaluated, but I feel exhausted at the thought of trying something new or even going to an appointment right now. I thought reading and posting here might help, and might also help me make up my mind. I hate to jump right into changing medication as a first resort. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Basically my symptoms are the classics: No interest in ANYTHING, extreme exhaustion, sadness, crying over nothing, no energy to bathe, clean, work, etc... It sort of feels like a grey cloudy material is fogging up my mind. Sorry this is so long. Thanks for reading.