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Scared


12 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Thank you Greg. This is the kind of support I was hoping for in this program. I've never heard of Dysthymia but I will definately be asking my doctor about it in two weeks when I go back. I was taking Celexa but it didn't prove enough for me. Then I tried effexor and now am trying Pristiq. I personally don't ever want to be off medication. My lows are way too low and my anger is a problem when I'm not medicated. Thankfully I have not had any side effects to anything yet. Fingers Crossed. I hope you find what works well for you. Maybe you will only need to take medication on and off. I know some people who need a little help every now and then but not all the time. Good Luck.
Ashley, thank you for your support as well.  I'm a logical person by nature so I understood what was happening intellectually but I think yesterday was the first time it hit me emotionally. I realized that I am sick and that I have a mental illness. Seeing it written down means that it is actually true. It is not just me self diagnosing the problem. Also, as I thought about your questions last night I came to realize that maybe I was hoping things weren't as bad I thought. Maybe I was just depressed and didn't have MDD. Now there is no escaping it. I have MDD and I need to work really hard to get better. Yesterday the kids and I took a spontaneous road trip to my parents house. I needed to talk to my Mom and just be around her for the weekend. It was a great decision. I have my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law and aunt to help me with the children instead of being alone with them while my husband worked all weekend. It was a good decision and today I feel more in control.
12 years ago 0 71 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
That should say dysthymia.
12 years ago 0 71 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Rowsie,

I do not have Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), but I do have dysthemia. Dysthemia is (and I'm not a Doctor!) possibly less severe than MDD, but lasts for a long time. Treatment for dysthemia is the same as for MDD, and people with dysthemia are more prone to periods of MDD. If you have been feeling depressed for years, it may be worthwhile to ask your Doctor or psychiatrist if this may be the case.

In my case, it means my lows aren't as bad as with MDD, but they are fairly constant. I was on medication last year, then stopped. Now it looks like I'll have to go back on them, which doesn't scare me, but is disappointing. But either way, MDD or dysthemia, it is a medical condition that, like high blood pressure, can be treated.

I will be asking for a different medication this time (Celexa last time), as I had some side mild effects. This is not unusual either, as there are many medications out there, it's just a matter of finding what works best for each person.

I'm glad you're going to the gym, exercise will help, I'm trying to begin doing more myself.

Welcome, you are among friends.

Greg
12 years ago 0 11213 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Rowsie,
 
It sound like there is a lot of emotion going on. Know that we are here for you and will help through it.  The Depression program has been prove to help people with Depression.  With work things will improve.

What about this scares you specifically? Seeing it written down, what does that mean to you? How are things different?
 
You say you don't know how to handle this, how do you want to handle this?
 
Please take some time to consider these questions.
 



Ashley, Health Educator
12 years ago 0 3043 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
My doctor asked me yesterday, if I thought I had been depressed for a long time before I was diagnosed. I said yes. I think I have been like this my entore life. I ahev known this to be true for a very long time now. I went through a very rough patchin my early twenties and I knew I was at least clinically depressed. But people say they are depressed all the time when really they are just sad about something or feel down. I knew there was something different about the way I felt. 
So yesterday my doctor put in a referral to see a pychiatrist about  my mediciation. She wants to make sure that we get me on the right medication not only for now but for the long term. This is something else that I've known for about 2 years. I will never go back to life without medication.
 
Sounds good so far, right? Well, I read that referral letter and saw it written down, for the first time ever, that I have Major Depressive Disorder. In all these years, I have never seen it written down and to be honest no one has actually said it out loud except me. It is always refered to by my husband and my doctor as simply depression. So it actually hit me this morning that I am sick. That I have a mental illness. And that scares the hell out of me. It's like I've known it all along but now it's on paper and it's more real. I'm sick to my stomach, on the verge of tears and don't really know how to handle today.
 
I'm going out for breakfast with a good friend and then to the gym. I hope that helps. Can anyone help me come to terms with this? I feel horrible.

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