Hello all, thanks for your replies to my maiden post, "Smorgasbord of Medications and Issues."

Saw my psychiatrist today and she affirmed exactly what I was thinking - the smorgasbord wasn’t working:

• I still feel awful and depressed all the time
• Don’t want to do anything / interact with anyone (not just friends and colleagues, but my own wife and kids)

The list goes on...the only saving grace has been that I won't be traveling for a little while, which will hopefully help address some of the issues I mentioned in my post about the link between consulting and depression. However, now I feel anxiety about the fact that I don't have my next project lined up, and am worried about losing my job if this goes on for too long.

So here are the next steps:

• Staying on the Lorazepam / Ativan
• Using Ritalin on an as needed basis
• Going off Fetzima and Abilify
• Starting Effexor

I really don’t care anymore, however; I remember I used to feel a ray of hope when my doctor prescribed a new medication - kind of like getting a shiny new toy / silver bullet that would solve all my problems. I really feel like I have a form of depression that is untreatable, and that the medication is not helping matters at all. For all I know it is exacerbating the problems I mentioned before:

• Focus, Basic Comprehension
• Lack of Energy
• Seeking Isolation

Anyway - would like to get a better sense of what I’m in for; anyone have anything (good or bad) to say about Effexor?