What is your medical diagnosis, Gator Girl? It's difficult to tell from the array of medications whether you are major depressive disorder victim or bipolar II or something else.
Have you written to us about
this earlier? I need some information to be able to offer some suggestions, but I can tell you this:
1. With PROPER medication, you should have the brain chemistry stabilized.
2. That will give you an opportunity to have your feeling tone improve enough that you are willing to make some changes in your lifestyle that will lead you to feel that you are being more effective.
3. Keep talking to your psychiatrist and talking and talking. The right medications are in his schedule of meds for whatever the illness is, and it may be that you need to be on something such as Lamictal (one of the newer medications which acts as a mood stabilizer, particularly for the depressive phase of bipolar illness.) Ask him questions. Keep learning. Be "pro-active", as Tortoise says.
4. Change your diet where you need to. Stop any alcohol use; please stop any use of caffeine, whether in coffee, tea, chocolate or anything else containing it. Many people attempt to medicate themselves with the use of alcohol or caffeine, but the end results are worse than not using either at all.
5. Take one day at a time. Do one thing during one day if that's all you feel like doing.
6. Keep a journal of your moods. Take it with you when you see your psychiatrist.
Honestly, if we knew more about
what the diagnosis is, we might be able to give you better information. The truth is, however, that you can be stabilized and live a reasonably healthy and content life. You just need the right medications and the right dosage.
If you've been on the current ones for 4 to 6 weeks, you should begin to feel the positive effects of them by this time. If not within 8 weeks, tell your doctor that you think these are not the ones for you. If he's really a good psychiatrist, he will listen to you.
I'm going to open an avenue for you now that you may have been hesitant to talk about. How are things with your in-laws? Do you
have to pretend to like them or do you have a clean, honest relationship with most, if not all, of them? Something in your life
may be triggering these bouts of depression. Often, it's found right in the home or in-law relationships. Take heart! It can be resolved, whatever it is.
Take care, and I hope some others will be along to assist you.
Good wishes,
It's Genetic
Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 4/16/2012 10:17:41 PM (GMT-6)