29 replies to this topic

[NeddyBear]

Gato, on 21 January 2012 - 10:39 PM, said:

Must have been the placebo effect Neddybear, Xanax isnt for depression, its for anxiety and panic disorders. It just calms you down a bit, doesnt lift you up Im afraid.

Mind you, Im all in favour of taking the wrong drug - do it all the time myself.

Your right it isnt and I was on the heavy duty depression drugs but I couldnt function because it made me feel like a walking zombie.
The Xanax did lift me up and and after 6 months I was free to walk along again.

[schnookle]

I have suffered from depression in silence for years it was only late last year something inside me "broke" for lack of a better word and I sought professional help. I am trying to do it without going on medication and have been seeing a psychologist who has helped me ALOT. Sometimes talking about it is all you need. I found talking to someone who is a stranger in your life and can be objective was amazing. Once I get back into the right head space we are going to work on my emotional eating. I hope you start feeling better soon xxx

[*Elly*]

Up until 3 years ago, I had been seeing a psychiatrist for about 12 years due to clinical depression and anxiety. Therapy is hard work, but I would not be the person that I am now, had I not sought help.

Not all psychiatrists are the same. My Dr's approach was to talk things through with 55 minute sessions. There came a point where we both recognised that I needed some medication to help me, but that was not until we exhausted other ways of trying to help me. I am still on anti-depressants and don't feel as though it impedes my day at all.

Also, a lot of psychiatrists bulk bill through medicare which helps!

Good luck!

[kately]

I really think your GP blew it when they suggested you 'try and be happy'. Pervasive and enduring low mood should not be trivialised like that! I imagine it probably took a lot of guts and courage to bring it up with them in the first place, and they basically just told you to 'pull up your socks and get on with it'. I work in mental health policy, and while I do not have any medical qualifications, I know that medical professionals - just like the rest of us - often do not approach the issue of mental illness in the most appropriate or supportive way. I'm really sorry that you had that experience with your GP. It makes it that much hard to go back and try again, huh?

In relation to their comments about medications being 'drastic' - in my opinion, that is also a bit over the top. There are certainly some 'hard core' medications used to treat people with severe and enduring mental illness (incl. depression) that have some significant side effects. But for someone who doesn't have a long history of low mood, you would probably be prescribed one of the newer SSRI depressions, which tend to have minimal side effects. Research also suggests that the best treatment outcomes for depression often involve a combination of meds, therapy/counselling and 'lifestyle' changes.

From a personal perspective, I experienced severe depression and anxiety a few years ago (and have a family history of mental illness). I tried seeing a psychologist first, but that didn't really seem to help on its own. I was very reluctant to try medication, but after a few sessions with my GP I agreed to give it a go. It was the best thing I ever did. It stopped all the innane, negative chatter I had in my head that prevented me from getting on in the world. It stopped me from spiralling into a pit of misery and anxiety. It gave me some 'breathing space' per se. I finally had room in my head to concentrate on getting my life back on track, and putting the structures I needed to stay mentally healthy and happy back into my life. Y'know, exercise, spending time with friends, getting out of the house on the weekend etc. Before I started the meds, I could barely face any of it.

After two and half years, I was able to take myself off them. I still have bad days (weeks), but I now know what it takes to get me back on track again (and so do my friends and family).

You might be interested to know that there is heaps of support online - the Australian National University has a whole heap of online resources on depression/anxiety including an online CBT tool (Moodgym) which you can work through out your own pace. You can access all of their different resources here. beyondblue, of course, has tonnes of stuff on their website too. Oh, and the Mental Health Council of Australia has an information portal that can connect you to a whole range of reputable and trust-worthy information on treatment options for depression.

And now that I have done my work tirade for the day - I just thought I'd better say hi to y'all. This is my first post on the forum. I am investigating banding options at the moment. Hoping to get the ball rolling in the second half of the year once I have done the big interstate move to SA. I was so pleased to come across this site. When I first started researching the procedure, I had so many reservations. Now that I understand the 'human experience' of banding, I think it might be something that I can do.

[kazbo]

I'm pro drugs...I look at my meds the same way as I look at my asthma puffer. Depression is something that I have and I manage it with the help of my psychologist and my meds help to smooth the bumps.

CHanging meds does have an effect on me but I've been taking a very low dose for sometime now and I don't experience any side affects.

[Miss-t83]

It is very common to feel depressed after your operation. I'm very lucky that part of my surgery it included counseling, visits to the dietion , and a phyiso sessions.

I know myself that I have my up and down days and I have this thing in my head that whatever I eat I am going to lose weight..... SO WRONG.

The only person that can fix my problem is MYSELF.

[Stripey23]

I have seen a pscyh for a series of sessions and also take Zoloft daily for depression. A few months ago, after losing a lot of weight, exercising more and feeling in super shape I stopped taking the Zoloft for about 10 days. At the time I didnt think of it as a deliberate thing. I saw I was nearly out made a mental note to get some more and then forgot.to do so. I just somehow kept putting it off. I think maybe inside me somewhere I may have thought I was cured?

One morning 10 days later reading the paper - I am crying my eyes out about the news stories. Getting son ready for school I am thinking about how much I love him and then thinking of how sad I would be if he died or got attacked or hurt and then thinking of those scenes. In the school ground I greeted another mother (a palliative care nurse) after drop off and in a conversation had tears streaming down my face about something we said. She gently said something like "has anything changed recently or any issues with medication" I said about the Zoloft not being taken for 10 days and she said to go get it filled and resume taking it and not to suddenly stop - if trying to stop then do it gradually in conjunction with the doc. She said that people with controlled conditions sometimes feel so good they decide to go off meds but it is the meds keeping them OK. All of this is common sense. I mean dúh! I couldnt believe how much the medication had been helping me (and did again and still does) without me realising it.

This is just me of course. Other people will not be as nutty as me or have the same medical circs. I just thought I would share this!!

[Junior]

Stripey, just so you know, it is more than likely that your emotional state when you stopped taking Zoloft for 10 days was withdrawal rather than your original condition. Your friend was right when she said you should never come off a psychotropic drug cold turkey but the notion that someone has to be on these drugs for long periods of time (unless we are talking bipolar or schizophrenia) is just NOT true.

I've had five episodes of depression in my life and also suffered from Generalised Anxiety Disorder. After my last depressive episode I opted to stay on Aropax, thinking I 'needed' to be on medication permanently. It took 10 years but I got addicted. Doctors won't recognise it but I found a huge online community who are having the same issues. I am now weaning off it at the rate of just 1mg per month.

I am not saying any of this to scare you or to tell you what to do. I just want to inform you.
All the best
Junior

[Beth]

Stripey I had much the same thing after banding. I had heard so many people on here say "I'm off my anti-depressants now!" and I thought "Great! I'm going to be one of those people!!"

Fast forward 2 weeks with dangerous head spins and equally awful mood swings and I realized it wasn't fair on my family and partner, and least of all on myself to not be on my anti-anxiety medication. I felt a bit ashamed at first, but now I'm comfortable with it. For me it's the choice of suffering severe anxiety and having a lower quality of life, or living life as a balanced, happier person on anti-deps. I choose the latter. It took me a long time to stop feeling ashamed, like I was somehow failing at life because I needed anti-anxiety medication to feel in control of my emotions.

After going through what we've just been through with losing my brother to cancer, I couldn't be more grateful for both my psychologist and my anti-anxiety medication. I feel as though I've started to really rock the balance in my life.

[Stripey23]

Wow Beth. It's hard to be kind to ourselves isn't it? I sooo often have that inner critic telling me negative things again and again and trying to re-write those is tough. It's hard not to think "well most of the bloody world can get by ok, why can't I? and comparisons "I am this tired and emotional with one child and a part-time job - how pathetic, my pal does 5 days per week plus 4 kids" I try to remind my own self of achievements (mostly winning the struggle of Rheumatoid Arthritis, happy, healthy family and relationship, gained my Masters degree, run my own business successfully etc).

I am seeing the hypnotherapist on Sat - though sceptical - wouldnt it be great if this could assist me? I have lost two very very dear people to cancer (one my mum when I was young and she was around my age now) and a few other dramas too and I found counsellign a while back to be mostly reassuring " I am not actually mad, just struggling with things than any normal person would struggle with" was the message I got and I appreciated that!

BTW My weight in Sept 2011 was 107 kilos since then 1. new port inserted (6 weeks no saline fill at all, limited exercise), 2. November 2011 port restitch required 3. Dec 2011 gall bladder out. So 3 x 6 weeks of zero fill and limited exercise. So much hunger, hard to control (plus self-loathing as I realised what a piggy I am without the band) and a few days ago at last at last have got a measly 2 mls (in 14 ml band, last success was with 5.5) and I weighed 121 kilos. SO i have gone backwards by a year. 14 kilos in 14 weeks ON when usually I have been losing .75 kilos per week for over 18 months. Sigh!

hope to write soon with some good news...