|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 10:12 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:20 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 3:59 pm
|
|
|
|
Are you able to make another appointment to talk with your doctor? Even if he or she doesn't feel that you should try medication yet, if you are having trouble dealing with the symptoms, you should definitely ask for a referral to a mental health professional for further help.
I was initially diagnosed with bipolar disorder a little more than 10 years ago, and I spent more than half of that time bouncing from one doctor to another to another, on and off a half-dozen or more different meds, with zero follow-up or therapy. (The blame there mostly lies with both the healthcare system in my home province, and the isolated area in which I grew up; doctors came and went almost yearly, because no one wanted to practice there.)
Fortunately, within the past couple of years I've been living in a city, and I've been able to get consistent treatment, including several months in an in-patient program for youth with mental illness. After much trial and error, we've come to the conclusion that I do indeed require medication to manage my illness, but just being able to consistently follow up with the same doctors has easily been just as beneficial (if not more so) than the drugs I take.
It's true that not everyone requires medication to manage their mental illness. Many, many people experience periods of depression; some deal with it for the entire lives. Although these episodes can be very serious, painful episodes, they may find ways to cope without needing to take pills, especially if their illness isn't chronic or particularly persistent. The necessary treatment depends on the person, their symptoms (and the severity of their symptoms), and the frequency of their episodes.
Dealing with bipolar disorder, rather than depression, can be more complicated, since you can't just treat the symptoms of depression; you also have to consider the manic episodes. One of the problems I dealt with early on was that I was prescribed anti-depressants only. These did help take the edge off the severe depressive episodes, but they also increased the severity and frequency of my manic episodes.
I currently take both an anti-depressant and a mood stabilizer. (Zoloft and Lamictal, specifically.) I still experience some depression, but the manic states are very rare now, and thanks to my doctor, I've learned to better recognize my symptoms and deal with them more effectively. I've also found that I'm much more stable when I get plenty of sleep (and have a regular sleep schedule in general).
Shanna66 maybe he thinks you should work on your depression on your own without meds for right now. i know its hard but it can be done, not in all cases but in quite a few you can make your depression go away or at least make is easier to keep in check razz Do you know how often people say this (or something similar) to others who are dealing with depression or another mental illness? Those offering the advice mean well, and it's awesome that they want to help, but...
The problem with statements like that is the implication that the depressed person just needs to try harder to cheer up. Unsurprisingly, there's never any suggestion as to how one would magically achieve this. It's well-intentioned, but at best, this so-called advice is meaningless, and at worst, it both trivializes mental illness and perpetuates the idea that you shouldn't need to seek help to overcome depression, whether it be through therapy or medication.
It would be unwise and downright dangerous to tell someone with, say, type 1 diabetes to try and deal with their illness alone. It can be just as dangerous (and lethal) for someone with bipolar disorder to do the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 5:23 pm
|
|
|
|
Taeryyn Are you able to make another appointment to talk with your doctor? Even if he or she doesn't feel that you should try medication yet, if you are having trouble dealing with the symptoms, you should definitely ask for a referral to a mental health professional for further help. I was initially diagnosed with bipolar disorder a little more than 10 years ago, and I spent more than half of that time bouncing from one doctor to another to another, on and off a half-dozen or more different meds, with zero follow-up or therapy. (The blame there mostly lies with both the healthcare system in my home province, and the isolated area in which I grew up; doctors came and went almost yearly, because no one wanted to practice there.) Fortunately, within the past couple of years I've been living in a city, and I've been able to get consistent treatment, including several months in an in-patient program for youth with mental illness. After much trial and error, we've come to the conclusion that I do indeed require medication to manage my illness, but just being able to consistently follow up with the same doctors has easily been just as beneficial (if not more so) than the drugs I take. It's true that not everyone requires medication to manage their mental illness. Many, many people experience periods of depression; some deal with it for the entire lives. Although these episodes can be very serious, painful episodes, they may find ways to cope without needing to take pills, especially if their illness isn't chronic or particularly persistent. The necessary treatment depends on the person, their symptoms (and the severity of their symptoms), and the frequency of their episodes. Dealing with bipolar disorder, rather than depression, can be more complicated, since you can't just treat the symptoms of depression; you also have to consider the manic episodes. One of the problems I dealt with early on was that I was prescribed anti-depressants only. These did help take the edge off the severe depressive episodes, but they also increased the severity and frequency of my manic episodes. I currently take both an anti-depressant and a mood stabilizer. (Zoloft and Lamictal, specifically.) I still experience some depression, but the manic states are very rare now, and thanks to my doctor, I've learned to better recognize my symptoms and deal with them more effectively. I've also found that I'm much more stable when I get plenty of sleep (and have a regular sleep schedule in general). Shanna66 maybe he thinks you should work on your depression on your own without meds for right now. i know its hard but it can be done, not in all cases but in quite a few you can make your depression go away or at least make is easier to keep in check razz Do you know how often people say this (or something similar) to others who are dealing with depression or another mental illness? Those offering the advice mean well, and it's awesome that they want to help, but... The problem with statements like that is the implication that the depressed person just needs to try harder to cheer up. Unsurprisingly, there's never any suggestion as to how one would magically achieve this. It's well-intentioned, but at best, this so-called advice is meaningless, and at worst, it both trivializes mental illness and perpetuates the idea that you shouldn't need to seek help to overcome depression, whether it be through therapy or medication. It would be unwise and downright dangerous to tell someone with, say, type 1 diabetes to try and deal with their illness alone. It can be just as dangerous (and lethal) for someone with bipolar disorder to do the same.
i dont mean to be rude so please keep this in mind when reading my response smile
some people do just need to try harder to be happy. not everyone needs to be on meds. im not sure if i have actual depression or not since ive never talked to anyone about it, but i think i might because of the amount of times ive played around with the idea of just not living anymore. but what has helped me get through those low moments is to set up my day so i dont have time to think about all the bad stuff ive been through. i make a point at the end of every single day to think about all the good things that happened that day, even if its as small as making all the green lights on the way to work.
when i say "try harder" im not saying it just to be nice, im saying it because it has saved my life more than once
of course i do have those moments where i feel even worse about myself because no matter how hard i try i still just dont want to be here anymore, but other than those moments that only pop up when im at my lowest making a point to be happy has helped me alot
and i dont mean "oh just try to be happy and get over it", im sure talking to a doctor would be the best thing if someone really thinks they have depression, but as i said, ive never talked to anyone about it in real life so i can only say what has helped me survive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:48 pm
|
|
|
|
Shanna66 i dont mean to be rude so please keep this in mind when reading my response smile some people do just need to try harder to be happy. not everyone needs to be on meds. im not sure if i have actual depression or not since ive never talked to anyone about it, but i think i might because of the amount of times ive played around with the idea of just not living anymore. but what has helped me get through those low moments is to set up my day so i dont have time to think about all the bad stuff ive been through. i make a point at the end of every single day to think about all the good things that happened that day, even if its as small as making all the green lights on the way to work. when i say "try harder" im not saying it just to be nice, im saying it because it has saved my life more than once of course i do have those moments where i feel even worse about myself because no matter how hard i try i still just dont want to be here anymore, but other than those moments that only pop up when im at my lowest making a point to be happy has helped me alot and i dont mean "oh just try to be happy and get over it", im sure talking to a doctor would be the best thing if someone really thinks they have depression, but as i said, ive never talked to anyone about it in real life so i can only say what has helped me survive It doesn't come off as the least bit rude, so no worries. 3nodding
I appreciate you having taken the time to flesh out what you meant by your original post. As I said in my own post, we're both in agreement that not everyone requires medication. Having a positive attitude and appreciating the good things in one's life can certainly be helpful when managing an illness, whether it's physical or mental, so we're also in agreement there.
My point was more that it's extremely frustrating to essentially be told to "think positive" and "try harder to be happy" when you're already trying as hard as you can just to get through the day, especially since this sentiment is expressed so incredibly frequently. It's ... as if the person saying it just assumes that you're just being pessimistic and gloomy, when in fact you are ill and are already trying your best to manage the symptoms. sweatdrop I do understand now that you're speaking from your own experience, and that's good to know. I'm obviously doing the same, and that's precisely why I would advise anyone with any form of BPD to get help as soon as they think they might need it, rather than later.
Anyway, I am very happy to hear that "making a point to be happy" is effective for you. I wouldn't wish depression (or bipolar disorder) on anyone, so it's really cheering to hear of people who successfully deal with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:59 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:55 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:10 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:43 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:04 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:14 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:46 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|