[comicgeek007]

I've been mildly depressed the past few days and it's just getting worse. Looked up lethal doses of my current and old meds, turns out I don't have enough. Don't have a plan and not enough motivation to research anything else.

This isn't the first time this has happened while on these or any other meds. I still get weeks where I get super depressed. Usually for no real reason. Why? I don't want to live this way. I see no huge change between me constantly medicated and sporadically medicated. And only possibly a difference between that and no meds at all!

[A Red Panda]

I haven't been on meds long enough to really be able to answer any of that for you...

How long this time have you been taking the meds regularly? I haven't been on this forum for very long, but I think you've only recently started taking your meds again after not taking them for quite a few days?

I'd suggest taking them as prescribed until you are able to get in to see your doc, and then when you're there discuss the fact that they aren't doing much for you. Maybe something different that you haven't tried yet?

Anyway... I hope that things start to look better for you, you seem to be having a pretty rough time with things lately! *hugs*

meds are not a substitute for learning coping skills and strategies when feeling depressed or hypo. I wish they were, but the whole point of meds is to provide enough relief of the symptoms to where you can manage them.

I've been on meds for a long time now... it's all about relief.

You will always feel the depression and the hypo... that's just a given.
we are manic depressive! there is no changing that.
the depression and the hypo are part of who we are.

but it does not have to be debilitating. not like it was, not like it used to be.

meds are only supposed to make it manageable, not make the symptoms totally disappear.

it's up to you now, to learn the coping skills and the survival strategies that you will use for the rest of your life.

okay, with that out of the way, it is entirely possible that you need a med change or a dosage change. I completely understand that too.

I wish you the best in this fight against this monster of a disorder.

just keep talking, explaining and searching. I'm sure that there is a lot to learn on a site like this.

someone told me that there are a lot of unmedicated people on here so I'm sure that if you ask, they will help you with techniques that can assist you in your struggles.

all the best,

Jeff

[comicgeek007]

Originally Posted by CheshireCatGrin

I haven't been on meds long enough to really be able to answer any of that for you...

How long this time have you been taking the meds regularly? I haven't been on this forum for very long, but I think you've only recently started taking your meds again after not taking them for quite a few days?

I'd suggest taking them as prescribed until you are able to get in to see your doc, and then when you're there discuss the fact that they aren't doing much for you. Maybe something different that you haven't tried yet?

Anyway... I hope that things start to look better for you, you seem to be having a pretty rough time with things lately! *hugs*

Been back on them for a few days, but this problem still cropped up while I was taking them regularly.

I don't really.know what I want to do right now since I probably won't get to see a pdoc for a month. I don't think I can hold out that long the way I am.

[comicgeek007]

not just blue. Deep depression now. not letting up. Have T appt tonight.

[almostthere]

There is a book on the market entitled, "The Depression Cure", author, Stephen S. Ilardi, PhD.

It is a very informative book with issue of dealing with dpression without the use of antipressants. It advocates a six step program to free yourself from meds.

In reading this book u will learn that the recovery rate of people taking meds is only twenty eight percent. That's a very small percentage when u consider how many millions of Americans are taking meds.

You may consider an alternate means of dealing with your depression. don't talk to your T about it because they are in bed with the pharmaceutical companies in pushing meds on the entire population.

I suggest that if u have access to a computer that u spend time doing your own research on the topic.

I've been off meds for about two years now. I exercise, go for long walks, pray, and meditate. You can do the same.

Good lock and i hope u find this info useful.

Originally Posted by comicgeek007

I've been mildly depressed the past few days and it's just getting worse. Looked up lethal doses of my current and old meds, turns out I don't have enough. Don't have a plan and not enough motivation to research anything else.

This isn't the first time this has happened while on these or any other meds. I still get weeks where I get super depressed. Usually for no real reason. Why? I don't want to live this way. I see no huge change between me constantly medicated and sporadically medicated. And only possibly a difference between that and no meds at all!

[BlackPup]

I had to go on stronger ads than Zoloft while on abilify. See if you can get your pdoc to change that. It's a long process cos you have to try each one along the way for at least a month or two, sometimes at different doses until you find the one that works for you. I'm on a tricyclic called Tofranil. But I tried a fair few before that one.
Agree with Jeff, you do also need to develop coping mechanisms. So keep up the T appointments.
Hope you feel better soon.

[BlackPup]

Originally Posted by almostthere

There is a book on the market entitled, "The Depression Cure", author, Stephen S. Ilardi, PhD.

It is a very informative book with issue of dealing with dpression without the use of antipressants. It advocates a six step program to free yourself from meds.

In reading this book u will learn that the recovery rate of people taking meds is only twenty eight percent. That's a very small percentage when u consider how many millions of Americans are taking meds.

You may consider an alternate means of dealing with your depression. don't talk to your T about it because they are in bed with the pharmaceutical companies in pushing meds on the entire population.

I suggest that if u have access to a computer that u spend time doing your own research on the topic.

I've been off meds for about two years now. I exercise, go for long walks, pray, and meditate. You can do the same.

Good lock and i hope u find this info useful.

This is very interesting as I think most of us wish that we were med free. I think there are a lot of people out there who do well off meds but some of us do well on meds and respond to them. Not all of us can live med free. I've found that out the hard way.

[comicgeek007]

I already know I can't take trazedone. I'm worried because My cycles started getting much quicker and more likely to be manic.after starting ad's.

[BlackPup]

Maybe you need to increase your abilify. You need to get your cycling and manias sorted before you tackle the depression. Cos manias often cause a depression to follow them. I'm on 15 mg abilify but might change to safaris cos I've been getting a bit manic. We've had to decrease my ad.

[~Christina]

OK you are not going like what I have to say, But maybe it will help you .

Okay so your Temp Pdoc appt did not work out ,

What I have seen you dealing with is, terrible stuff with via your posts here

1. You have been off and on your meds , way to many times.
2. you are on top of the world at 10 am - 4 pm your are depressed out of your mind talking and doing self harm ("purging and cutting) .
3. you need to stop over obsessing every mood, micro managing Your mood only increases your anxiety, that is going to make you feel worse,
4 Honestly you need to stop being concern if your father things if you are ok or not.
5. Times like this you really need to pull out ever coping skill you can
6. And the last thing is ,,, Maybe you do need to go inpatient for a few days and get your meds in order . Yes you had a horrible time in the psych ward in the past .. But the are not all the same .. Where I have gone is was helpful and its a safe pace to get on the correct meds .

You need to do what you can to help yourself .

Good luck on what ever decide.

[comicgeek007]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

OK you are not going like what I have to say, But maybe it will help you .

Okay so your Temp Pdoc appt did not work out ,

What I have seen you dealing with is, terrible stuff with via your posts here

1. You have been off and on your meds , way to many times.
2. you are on top of the world at 10 am - 4 pm your are depressed out of your mind talking and doing self harm ("purging and cutting) .
3. you need to stop over obsessing every mood, micro managing Your mood only increases your anxiety, that is going to make you feel worse,
4 Honestly you need to stop being concern if your father things if you are ok or not.
5. Times like this you really need to pull out ever coping skill you can
6. And the last thing is ,,, Maybe you do need to go inpatient for a few days and get your meds in order . Yes you had a horrible time in the psych ward in the past .. But the are not all the same .. Where I have gone is was helpful and its a safe pace to get on the correct meds .

You need to do what you can to help yourself .

Good luck on what ever decide.

First, I just want to say that I read your post in the middle of the night, went back to sleep, and then had a dream about it.

I actually had a wonderful appointment with a temp t yesterday. He made it so I could actually get an appointment with a pdoc very soon. He agreed my meds aren't working out for me. I'm still depressed for no good reason, but doing a lot better. I was actually starting to consider inpatient and I'll still go if I get really bad again, but for now I'm gonna try to take it one day at a time and make it to my new pdoc appointment.

Thanks

In addition to medications, it's my view that we have to take an inventory of our diets (as part of the effort to help ourselves) and make corrections as needed to help alleviate depression.
It's a pro-active stance we must take to help in our recovery.

If we are sensitive to coffee, it can be very harmful to the brain. (I think it's the caffeine in it that makes it so bad for those of us sensitive to it.) That means no coffee, no tea, no chocolate. They can all be loaded with it.

Alcohol is a depressant and should be eliminated from the diet in people who have depression.

It helps for many to cut back on the amount of red meat in the diet, eating more fish, fresh salads, and green vegetables. Adding an Omega 3 fatty acids to the diet is extremely helpful and has been proved through testing to benefit brain function.

Adding a high quality vitamin B series is very helpful for the nerves.

Both wheat, barley, and rye contain gluten which is a big problem for some people who are sensitive to gluten. (It can cause wide mood swings.) Better to have brown rice in the diet.

Drink purified water, not tap water. (It has too many chemicals added for the sensitive system).

Someone suggested that the antidepressants are an effort to treat symptoms and I agree with that. When you consider that 95 % of serotonin neurotransmitters are in the digestive system rather than the brain, anything we can do to make the digestive system content and happy will inevitably have a positive effect on the neurotransmitters there and in the brain.

Orthomolecular science, in my view, has the edge on treatment of mental conditions in many ways. Their work consists of doing extensive blood work to determine deficiencies and excesses and then to treat with foods (to correct a faulty diet) and vitamins and minerals to maintain stability. I like their work and try to help myself in that way. It does help--just as I talk about the lemon thing for detoxifying tissues and fluids--that is, it does help some of us. We aren't always successful with it, but it really can be beneficial at times of serious distress.

Take care of yourself and feel better soon.

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by comicgeek007

First, I just want to say that I read your post in the middle of the night, went back to sleep, and then had a dream about it.

I actually had a wonderful appointment with a temp t yesterday. He made it so I could actually get an appointment with a pdoc very soon. He agreed my meds aren't working out for me. I'm still depressed for no good reason, but doing a lot better. I was actually starting to consider inpatient and I'll still go if I get really bad again, but for now I'm gonna try to take it one day at a time and make it to my new pdoc appointment.

Thanks

As someone mentioned, it's not all about meds. You seem to feel that your moods are entirely based on either taking or not taking a given med, at a given moment, on a given day, and since you're so frequently on or off of them you're pretty much *making* this be more of an issue than it has to be. In any case, meds are not the only factor, by a long shot. You yourself need to start doing things to help you cope. One thing, as Christina mentioned, is not obsessing about every mood change. We all have different moods, bipolar or not, and fixating on them will make them worse.

I hope your T is helping you with coping strategies. Good luck.

[BlueInanna]

Abilify made me suicidal ... I seem to be that aberration (it seems to wonderfully help others) but will share it with you to caution. When I told pdoc she took me off it immediately I tried lithium which pulled me out of it.

And yes you're at a time to stop concerning with what your parent thinks, unless it's supportive. It's a hard time in life to separate (emotionally, mentally) but inevitable. Time to do what's healthiest for your self, life and mental stability.

Sometimes people say, "if it were up to me yadda yadda...!" And you get to say, "it's not up to you!" Your opinion matters very much, this is your life and mental health.