Quote:
Originally Posted by Kittycat123whatever
I quit Cymbalta three weeks ago. Since then I have been in Hell mentally and physically. The physical symptoms are getting better but my emotional state is a nightmare. I have to explain and defend my ****** sad attitude to everyone I talk to, I just can't resist. I'm in a constant state of rage, self pity, sadness and frustration. I have no energy and just want to wade into the water and sink out of sight. I'm a burden and a downer. I have become ridiculous and self absorbed and have little or no hope of it ever getting any better. Whatever makes sertonin in other people must just make vitreous and bile in my own brain. I'm talking to a counselor, drinking lots of water, taking supplements, St. John's wort, trying to meditate and reading Ekhart Tolle, etc...my existence has become meaningless, my pain immense and overwhelming.
|
Hi Kittycat.
They don't always tell you this, but when you go off psych medications, you should do it gradually and with your MD because withdrawal symptoms can be severe.
Congratulations on getting over the physical stuff at least! You may still be feeling bad right now, but I personally think your prospects for getting better are great, just because you are actively trying new things.
For supplements, I like the book called "The Ultramind Solution" by Mark Hyman. Don't be put off by the rather hype-y title. It's the best source that I know of for this (I also like Andrew Weil's books and web sites).
I've noticed at least a handful of people reporting that meditation is a HUGE help, not just a small help, but they all got success only after trying consistently for quite some time, like 1-2 weeks. I haven't seen a single person say that they tried meditation seriously for weeks and it didn't help, so I suspect that this has a high chance of really working if you stick to it.
I also recommend "SNAP CLUB" as described in this thread
http://forums.psychcentral.com/depre...n-escaped.html
It is very easy to try and seems to be a really big help in quite a few cases so far. See also #45 in that thread for purely medical things to check from Mark Hyman.
The other things that I find help me that's not in your story above is exercise and yoga. My impression is that exercise almost always helps but will rarely completely resolve a depression. You can find other ideas in the "depression success stories" section of the site.
Also, by the way, the whole "low serotonin causes depression" thing is apparently wrong
Low Serotonin Levels Don?t Cause Depression | World of Psychology
Go get em! This is a friendly site. Let us know how it goes and what works for you. As Steven Colbert says
I'LL SEE YOU IN HEALTH!!
- vital