Depressed

I hope you feel better Derwood. Does this happen often? If it keeps up, you may need a medication tweak. Keep your doc posted on how you are feeling too. You might need some changes.

I think we all have ups and downs though. But maybe not so extreme. I spend kind of a lot of time in bed myself. I take a lot of naps during the day lately. But I am not in bed entirely. Just taking naps. I am waiting for the weather to clear up so I can get outside. It is almost there, just been raining the last three days and cloudy. Tomorrow is suppose to be nicer.

I hope you feel better real soon. Keep in mind you might need a medication tweak.

Hugs, Karen...

Thank Karen and Tim Tam.

I don't think I am bipolar....I'll seen numberous psychiatrists and psychologists over the years, as well as a 3 months stay in our local
mental health facility, and none have suddested biplor. Of course that doesn't mean than these doctors can't be wrong, but if I am
bipolar then a lot of doctors have misdiagnosed.

Over the last ~ 5 years my depression has been getting worse.
This may be a bit of why I was absent for several months....
that nasty part of depression that ( for me ) has me thinking nothing will help. Starangely , since I wrote this post, and replied to
anouther, I am feeling a bit better.

Maybe I'm finding a bit of what I need ( for my depression) is to
be more active again in Healing Well? Could the kinship ( can I use
that term ? ) of getting and offering help be my mental cane?

Some of you may remember that my family ( with the exception)
of one of my 2 brothers ) has become foreign to me. At times that I
wish I could ask for hope ( from my Father and 2 brothers ) and help from my family, I just get sad. Sad because all except Steve,
my understanding brother offer no help. We used to be a very tight
family at one time yesra ago, but now I only feel hurt ( except for
Steve ) .

I am able to get out on a limited basis, but with each passing day
I loose a bit more of my abilities. I like to read, but in times of
depression I can't stay focused enough. So I get by with magazines.

Perhaps I could ask you Tim Tam , and anyone with ideas, how do
you cope as a single person? Don't you find it difficult to not have a partner to share how your days went? I find that dey-to-day dialog
very difficult to deal with.

Regarding sacrifices that people have made...; I am quite well versed. I have many family members including my late Grandfather
and two late uncles. I have read a lot about the wars we humans fight. My biggest hope is that someday it ends. But I don't expect that to happen when the world is so very over populated. I worry
about what we are doing to our planet. Micro-plastics filling our
oceans. Farm land being lost to mistakes made by us humans, such
as the great-dust boal of the thirties, etc.

I'm rambling on a bit now. Sorry. Time for a break.

Thanks for the wonderful ideas and thoughts,
Derwood and Lupin.

A couple of questions I was going to ask you in the first post and I forgot.

1. Do you have any relatives who have emotional problems?

The reason I ask, is because that’s how I learned I had bipolar. I was talking to a lay counselor on the phone. And I got to talking about my problems, and he said, “I knew your uncle, and he was manic-depressive, and I think you are, too.”

You said, "All 3 or 4 of my psychiatrists for over 20 years thought I was a depressive, and none of them ever asked anything about mania."

So, I’m just saying, doesn’t sound like you might be bipolar, but just curious as to where the depression came from.

Did your mother or father have it? It can also skip a generation. My mother’s mother had bipolar, but my mother didn’t have it. But I got it, from my grandmother.

2. Are you taking an anti-depressant? Is it not working very well? How many have you tried?

When did your depression start? At what age? What was going on? You were working, you were in school, you were out of a job? Did any siblings have that?

You say, “Over the last ~ 5 years my depression has been getting worse”

Have you held jobs, and whatnot? What caused the depression to start, and get worse over the last 5 years? Were there any events like losing a job?

When you were working, did you not feel depressed?

You say, “I am able to get out on a limited basis, but with each passing day I loose a bit more of my abilities. I like to read, but in times of depression I can't stay focused enough. So I get by with magazines.”

One of the things that helped me immensely when I was depressed years ago, was my my mom suggested I go to a mental health workshop, where you do simple tasks to get you back into the mainstream.

Once you're out of your depression from that, you're better able to get job, although I still lost jobs from time to time.

But that was a big help getting me out of the house.

That's one reason I recommend volunteer work, it's the same thing. Getting up and going to a dog kennel and walking dogs, is the same thing as putting stickers on Tide boxes, like I was doing.

It doesn't take looking on the net for therapy workshops, or getting officials' approval, or finding a psych. who will.... It doesn't take anything, you just go over there. Or just give the dog kennel a call.

Or call a hospital's volunteer services department. Or senior citizen home.

Can you do volunteer work? If you can get out of the house occasionally, as you said, then maybe you can do that. There will be interpersonal contact, there will be helping others.

As I’ve mentioned before, years ago I was having a huge problem and went back to a health problem helpline, ready to pour my guts out. I got on there, and I started reading about this problem this woman was having, and my psychic energy reversed.

I started trying to help her with her problem, and I don’t know if I helped her or not, but I sure helped myself. And I’ve been doing that ever since. I can’t talk about my problems for seeing other people’s problems.

It’s like when a child falls down, the mother's problems disappear.

So, by volunteering, like in a hospital in a children’s unit or something, I can just about guarantee you won’t have any problems as long as you’re there.

And you elevate in that. Your psychic increases.

Story in the newspaper said, “Countless studies have found that generosity, both volunteering and charitable donations, benefits young and old both physically and psychologically.”

It adds, “The benefits of giving are significant…lower blood pressure, less anxiety and depression.”

I’ve also read that you get more benefits from giving than receiving. So, I’m getting more out of this than you are.

Also, it helps to be positive. Or, “One problem at a time, and be positive about that problem.” Is your attitude generally positive or negative?

You say, “how do you cope as a single person? Don't you find it difficult to not have a partner to share how your days went? I find that dey-to-day dialog very difficult to deal with.”

Well, one thing probably has to do with my age. When I was say 25-30, the idea of being alone for most of my adult life was unbearable. I felt going it alone for ever would be very difficult.

Now, as a senior citizen, I don’t see 50 years of empty space trying to make it alone. It’s not the same situation.

So, how do I make it? Well, one thing, there is not a lot of choice. Second, I have physical problems that I wouldn’t want to put onto somebody else, and I also, having lived with someone, don’t want anyone else putting their problems onto me.

I’m married to what I want to do in my life, to what I want to do today. As for lack of companionship, my anti-depressant and Lithium keep me functioning.

Being alone has its drawbacks. My neighbors attack me all the time, so in a way, there’s no improvement between those two lives.

Being, alone, I’m more susceptible to attack, from the outside. Married, I was more susceptible to attack from inside my house. So, there’s no difference.

As to how I get by with no one to converse with: this helpline, my dog, walking my dog to get out. TV. My meals.

I know what it’s like to have depression and you can’t be talked out of it. But I also remember what it was like to be depressed, he gave me an anti-depressant, and I wasn’t depressed any more, from the first pill. (Sinaquan (sp?) now considered to be out of date.)

I see a woman sometime when I’m walking my dog, hers is a lab. Can you get a dog that you can walk?

Today when I walked, I picked up trash, as I always do, so getting out brings up other things. I saw some children, and they asked me which direction the ice cream truck went, and I told them.

As they came back by, I said, “I think y’all are great kids.” They said, “Thank you.”

Tell me how much that was worth? You can’t.

Oh, it was sunny. Outside and in.

--------------

Mayo clinic:

Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression).

When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.

Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year.
While most people will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any.

Both a manic and a hypomanic episode include three or more of these symptoms:

• Abnormally upbeat, jumpy or wired
• Increased activity, energy or agitation
• Exaggerated sense of well-being and self-confidence (euphoria)

• Decreased need for sleep
• Unusual talkativeness
• Racing thoughts

• Distractibility
• Poor decision-making — for example, going on buying sprees, taking sexual risks or making foolish investments

Is Lupin a cat or dog?

Sounds like you are doing a good job. So glad you are doing better.

Peace
Trina

Hi all.

Lupin is a female cat. She's been my buddy for about 12 or 13 years.

Four days ago I did anouther Effexor taper. I am now at 200mg instead of 300 mg. I saw my doc today ( long session ) and told him
that I haven't been feeling well for about 4 days.

Now maybe my mood is down because I have a touch of the flu ( yuk)
but maybe it's because of the Effexor taper?

I could REALLY use some feedback on this. Should I get back on the
Effexor and forget about trying a different one ( Zoloft ) , or do I keep
going at the tapering? I just don't know what to do. As far as withdrawals, im not getting brains zaps ( that the heavens ) but I feel
really depressed.

I hope I get some feedback on this, especially from those who have
gotten off of Effexor. I a bit like we are a family. Silly, I know, but please
try to answer for me what to do about the Effexor. I'm going to bed
( early ) cause of this flue, but I will be checking in tomorrow.

Best wishes for all,
Derwood ( worried ).

Hey Derwood,

I Hope that the brain zaps settle. When did he say you could start the Zoloft. Weren't you going to ask about Pristiq? It just went generic, so I have to find out if it is the same. I start taking the generic in a few days. With my luck it wont be as good and I am at the highest dose.

I hope you feel better soon. Hang in there and keep your doc knowing what is going on. Brain zaps are irritating.

Hugs, Karen...

Hi everyone. Thanks for the feedback

Karen, I haven't had any trouble with brain zaps, although I have
experienced them in the past, and have been expecting them to
occur ( dreading that they might occur . My trouble is that I'm
up and down ( kind of like bipolar I think ) emotion-wise, and I
also can't seem to get enough sleep most days. I've been sleeping
around 16 hrs a day at most times.

As far as the pristiq goes Karen, I did ask my doctor about it, and he said that it was really quite similar to Effexor ; kind of like they are in the same group of drugs. So he figures we should stick to the
original plan and try Zoloft, once I'm off of the Effexor.

1013 , I'm not surprised that my thread may be hard to follow,
because mental state has been all over the place lately
The reason I'm coming off of Effexor to try the Zoloft is that it's an
attempt to ease my depression. Zoloft is one type of anti- depressant that I have never tried. So to try Zoloft I first have to
be off of Effexor.

So to my doctors appointment of last Thursday ; It went well ,
with my doctor encouraging me to try and " stay-the-course". He
understood my concerns about the " what ifs " that I asked him
about , and moved my next appointment from one month away to
two weeks away. And if I feel really worried or some bad side-effects
hit me, he and his receptionist will see me on short notice. This
was/is very helpful to me as it lessons my fears and assures me that
my doctor is taking good care of my health situation.

I am now at 150 mg of Effexor ...and not experiencing anything
too negative. I guess the only exception is the amount of sleep I
seem to need, but it will all be worthwhile if the Zoloft has a positive
effect on me ( oh , how I hope it does ). I will be staying at 150 mg
at least until I see my doctor in 1 1/2 weeks time.

When I asked my doctor, he reminded me that there are no guarantees that the Zoloft will be effective. Sobering , but it's important to know where to keep my expectations. Still , I plan to
keep to this change in hopes of feeling less depression. For me, and
at this time, it is worth trying.

i want to share something my doctor said to me. He said that unless I feel really poor , then I am better off keeping the reductions
of Effexor happening at a reasonable rate ( ie reduction of about
37.5 mg every two weeks ) because the sooner I am off of the Effexor, the sooner I may benefit from being on the Zoloft. Makes
good sense to me when I look at it that way.

So a brief recap: I am in the process of getting off of the Effexor
in order to try Zoloft. I have yet to try an anti- depressant that has
had a noticeably positive effect on me....this effort is essentially
an experiment to try and find an A/D that has a noticeably positive
effect on my mood. I am at about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way to being off
the Effexor. I will be updating this thread as I move along this path.

In closing for today, I want to thank everyone who has and is helping me along with this. I honestly doubt that I could do this without the support that I get here at H/W. I invite anyone to pop
into this thread and offer any insight, experience, hope etc that may
be offered.

Nothing ventured ; nothing gained

All the best my friends; I hope everyone has a good day.

Derwood.

Derwood- I am glad you are sticking with the plan to wean off and try something new. Be proud of that! I am glad that your bro is so helpful for you. That is so awesome. I have a household full of depression patience and so we try to support one another. I am the only one here who has anxiety so getting support in that area is hard. I have 2 cats and they remind me that no matter how bad off I am they need me too. I hope that you get off Effxor and Zoloft is your key!


Stay strong

You are welcome Derwood. One day at a time is all we can and should do.

I hope you have a wonderful day!!!

Hugs, Karen...

Derwood- If we can not be proud of our good days then why have them? I am always so proud when I pull myself up by my "boot straps" and move along. I am so glad that you are nearly anxiety free! That is awesome! From someone that still struggles with it, CONGRATULATIONS that's something else to be proud of! You beat anxiety and now you can conquer Depression and be happy again.

Keep in mind you have some Effexor in your system. It is working with the Elavil (amitryptyline). So once you are off of the Effexor you may need more of the other one. Just thinking ahead.

I am glad you found something that works. That is awesome.

I hope that it continues for you. Have a good day! Hi to Lupine!

Hugs, Karen...

I am glad that you are feeling good at this level. I am glad it is working for you.

Keep up the good work, and it is work.

HUgs, Karen...

Cloudy here but not real cold.