AHunter3, I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I am tired of you coming into these threads and spouting your anti-psychiatry agenda. There is a time and a place for it-this is NOT IT.
Don’t listen to him, Kytheria.
Actually, if you would care to join me here, perhaps we can end this hijack.
AHunter3 does not describe anything that I have experienced as a patient in modern psychiatric practice. What he describes is something that I did experience in 1966.
Things are quite different for people with depression now.
I have suffered repeated bouts of depression over the years.
First time-in college, with a student health “counsellor” who filed her nails while “listening” to me. No meds. Crappy counsellor.
Second time-early in my motherhood. Internist didn’t listen to me, just handed me an Rx for Amitryptilline–which made me “inappropriate” (like laughing at a funeral–think Mary Tyler Moore at Chuckie the Clown’s service). He later changed it (at my insistence) to Prozac–did ok.
Third time-no meds, just counselling. Worked slowly, but ok.
Fourth time-again counselling–with a woman whom I can say saved my life (I wasn’t suicidal, but I was in despair). She helped me immeasurably.
CBT and/or a therapeutic listener can make all the difference. It’s slower than meds, but IMO the effect lasts longer and you learn new coping skills and new communication skills etc.
Even with my experience with meds(which, all told, was mild)–I would recommend them as an adjunct to therapy. Together, they can work wonders. YMMV, as this condition can be a bugger.
I also would not suggest getting a pet. That may well be too much responsibility for you right now. I would suggest visiting someone else’s pet, if possible.
I wish you well. There is a lot of advice here–most of it conflicting! This just shows me how tricky this condition can be. Don’t give up, there is help available.
Kytheria, I’d like to apologize for hijacking your thread. My comments and advice in the first post were given with good intentions but I quickly slid into trying to win arguments with other participants in the thread with whom I disagree, at which point it had nothing to do with you and what you’re going through.
Thank you all, so so much, for everything. This really does mean a lot to me. 
AHunter3, no offense taken. I think if we could get a reasoned Great Debates thread on this going, it might be interesting to read.
I’ve scheduled an appointment to see my doctor for a referral, on Wednesday, and I’ll see how it goes, basically. For now, I’m just–hanging in there.
Again, thank you a billion million times to everyone and all. many hugs
Another member of the burgeoning Depressive Doper Contingent checking in!
About 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with “atypical depression,” which means that instead of having no appetite and insomnia, when I’m depressed all I want to do is eat and sleep (this is the source of my weight-problem, but that’s for another thread…)
Since it runs in my family (my dad and younger sister have both battled it) I didn’t hesitate to see my family doctor. He gave me meds and sent me to a psychologist. Between meds and therapy, I came out of it.
Unfortunately, a few years later it came back, with no clear “trigger” this time. I got on an SSRI which worked fairly well for about 5 years, then just sorta quit. I got put on another SSRI which worked okay for about another 5 years. When that one started to lose effectiveness, I finally (some 15 years too late!) got an appointment with a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist, instead of relying on my family doc.
This this time, I finally got diagnosed correctly - I’m actually Bipolar II (meaning that the primary symptom is depression, and the manic episodes are milder and much less frequent, so it’s harder to identify). He gave me a mood-stabilizer in addition to the antidepressants, and, for the first time in years, I feel like I’m actually in control of my own mind most of the time.
I’d have to say that my experience with the mental-health field is very different from AHunter’s. While I acknowledge that the science is really still in its infancy, and a lot of treatment is still trial-and-error, I don’t think it has sinister ulterior motives.
I said all that to say this: recognizing that you don’t just feel lousy and/or are a worthless POS and/or are too weak to “snap out of it,” and that you have a recognized condition with a name - depression - is the first step to conquering it. And it is treatable! Whether with meds or therapy, you can get back in control, but you need to be patient, because sometimes it takes awhile to find what works best for you.
Kytheria, I’m sending good thoughts and virtual hugs your way, and hoping you’ll keep us informed. We care!
Nancy
First of all – {{{Kyth}}}; hang in there!
I’m very glad to see you’ve already made an appointment to see a doctor.
Just remember, exactly like anyone who (Og forbid!) may have, say, cancer, it’s not your fault, and don’t think of it as a stigma. Maybe you will be diagnozed; hopefully not; but in any case, it’s something that happens to people, like the Flu, Parkinsons, Dyslexia and other learning disorders… the most inportant thing is to look square at the girl in the mirror and say to her “I will not be ashamed.”
As to care by a psychiatrist, if required – remember that Psychiatrists are not quacks, nor are they evil. Neither are the all angels, nor are they miracle workers. Like any other members of the medical profession, they can often help, but sometimes they fail. Think of one, if you need to see one, as just another doctor. And get a second opinion, either from another specialist in the same field, or from some other professional, if you feel unsatisfied with your caretaker’s diagnosis and prognosis – no matter what professional you end up seeing.
And last – well, just like the first. {{{Kyth}}}
That’s OK. I’ve seen you around the boards lately, and taken reassurance from that. Love and hugs to you, and Kyth, and everyone else who has come in and shared their stories.
The fact is that we don’t really know much about the brain and what causes mood swings, depression, and the like. We’re learning. Be patient, Kyth, and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself if you think your doctor has mis-diagnosed or isn’t doing good for you.
I’m fairly anti-medication myself but I would recommend if it helps, take it.
Good luck.
It took about a year from when I first seeked help until I was given any meds, and that was after a line going from school counselor -> psychologist -> psychiatrist. Of course, being 10 years old probably had something to do with it. :rolleyes:
It kind of amazes me how doctors seem to just hand out Ritalin willy-nilly in the States, after just a doctor’s appointment or two. I’ve only known one person in real life on ADHD meds here in Canada.
How do you know that? Perhaps more people are on meds and simply choose not to tell you?
Besides, Ritalin is not an anti-depressant, nor are anti-depressants ADHD meds.
With no intent to hyjack Kythereia’s thread, I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on how to find a good counsellor. I have been very, very depressed lately–I don’t know if it’s just a short-term funk, or actual depression, but I do know that my mom goes through apparently manic cycles, and may be bi-polar. I’ll never know for sure, because she’ll never go to a doctor.
Anyway, despite having nearly everything in life I could have wanted so far–a job I love, a fledgling business that would be a dream-come-true if it’s successful, a great, stable, caring PhD candidate husband, we own a house, two cars, the dog I’ve dreamed about, we’re talking about pregnancy in the next year or two, the list goes on–I still feel bleak and hopeless and generally think about how easy it would be to be dead.
I have had one experience with counselling, that was at my university’s student counselling department. I went in completely terrified but hoping I was making a good step, and told them I’d like to talk to someone about my eating disorder and depression. They assigned me to a late middle-aged Chinese guy* who stared at me the whole time and acted like I was an idiot and basically said to just snap out of it. Thanks, Hieu.
*not that there’s anything wrong with late middle-aged Chinese guys, you understand, just not this young, American, female college student struggling with obesity and bulemia and self-wounding’s first choice for someone to relate to.
MixieArmadillo, some advice and thoughts.
First, not every counsellor is for every patient. You have every right to seek another one, if this one doesn’t work for you. If you’re not comfortable talking to a counsellor it’s not going to be the kind of relationship that you need to get benefits from. Don’t feel that there’s something odd, or weird, for wanting to find a different one. Nor that you’re being unreasonably demanding, either. (Something I’d had to fight with, myself.)
My advice for finding a counsellor for you would be to begin by looking for a local bulimia/obesity support group. If you find one, ask them what counsellors they reccommend. If you can’t find one, check with local mental health advocacy groups, such as NAMI, to see who they have positive feedback on. Certainly the local NAMI office here in Rochester does a lot of simply hooking people up with programs and people that they wouldn’t have known to find otherwise.
Thanks for the helpful words. That’s not really my issue anymore, I kicked that particular one in the teeth myself. I started working out a hell of a lot: running, lifting weights, hapkido, and eating a strictly vegan diet. I’m more omnivorous and more sedentary now, and have put a bit back on, but still am feeling very good about myself in that regard.
I will start asking around, though.
Generally speaking, mutual support groups, aka user-run self-help, are generally very highly rated by those who have participated in them. (Even including folks who make use of pyschiatric pharmaceuticals, who consider themselves “consumers” of psychiatric services). And it’s pretty much the modality of choice among those who have bailed on the mainstream medical-model psych system. These range from the really formal and structured (12-step and others) to the opposite end. Some are advocacy-oriented (i.e., the talk may sometimes pertain to things like how to handle 1st interview with a new doctor or whether such-and-such constitutes workplace discrimination, not just the “your condition” stuff), and some are social (i.e., almost as general-purpose as this board except that all the participants have a condition in common). As with selecting a doctor, it’s useful to find out what’s out there in your area and find the group that fits you best.
Don’t knock internet-based groups, either. Think of a vBulletin-based message board where all the people on it have been through some variation on what you’re going through. If you are not in a big city it may be difficult to find support groups that meet conveniently nearby, and online boards can be an excellent alternative.
Sometimes what we “think” we want and what we actually need to become a happy, self-valued person, are radically different. You may want to pursue self-exploration and developing a hobby…something that may not necessarily be a money-making endeavor. It can go a long way in attaining satisfaction that can’t be attained via “The American Dream”. Just a thought…