[northforkmom]

Hi all. I am 45 years old today & have treatment resistant depression. I have been on every drug under the sun during the past 5 years. None have worked. I feel nothing when I take these drugs 75% of the time. 25% of the time I have really bad side effects & have to stop. I live near NYC, where some of the best doctors & hospitals are. Has anyone had any success with a pyschopharmacologist? Or at a hospital in NYC? I am so depressed today. I feel like my life is a big fat nothing. Today is my birthday & my life has been worthless. I go back & forth from wanting to give up on finding treatment & still wanting to try. I don't know what to do anymore. Please share your story if this has happened to you.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tre...6/METHOD=print

[venusss]

Did you try some alternative approaches?

[AvidReader]

Hello northforkmom, and happy birthday to you!

I'm in my mid-40s, too, and struggling with treatment-resistant depression, have been for more than 10 years. I've tried many medications, none of which have worked, been hospitalized twice, neither of which times helped, and been to several therapists. So, I feel your pain.

I've never tried a psychopharmacologist, and I'm not near NYC, so I don't have any help to offer in that regard.

I hope you are able to find the help you need. NYC must be chock-full of resources.

Good luck to you, and I hope you feel better soon!

[spunkygirl]

Originally Posted by northforkmom

Hi all. I am 45 years old today & have treatment resistant depression. I have been on every drug under the sun during the past 5 years. None have worked. I feel nothing when I take these drugs 75% of the time. 25% of the time I have really bad side effects & have to stop. I live near NYC, where some of the best doctors & hospitals are. Has anyone had any success with a pyschopharmacologist? Or at a hospital in NYC? I am so depressed today. I feel like my life is a big fat nothing. Today is my birthday & my life has been worthless. I go back & forth from wanting to give up on finding treatment & still wanting to try. I don't know what to do anymore. Please share your story if this has happened to you.

Hello Northforkmom. Happy Birthday !
About 15 years ago I was in such a deep depression that my meds weren't really helping. I had ECT treatments. Has that been suggested? I don't think I would be here without it. I've since maintain with meds. It's not to be taken lightly but it does work for some people.

[egoalien]

I can really relate to your story - well other than the fact that I would say it's 75% terrible side effects vs 25% in my case for antidepressants. Would you care to share what kind of treatments you have tried, traditional and alternative? Maybe someone here has still something different that has given some relief.

I feel tired even listing what I have tried but in my case for my 'resistant' issues the best drugs have been stimulants. I know that does not work well for people whose depression is very agitated but mine is most of the time the dead-variety. I've seem to get most help from the weirdest meds (like old MAOI:s), and have been to neuropsychiatrists who have been knowledgeable about eg folic acid that most regular docs would not even have heard of.

[Elana05]

Hi northforkmom,

Sending you birthday wishes today.

Have you looked into TMS? A friend of mine who has treatment resistant depression has found help with it. Because it is a new proceedure, the insurance companies are the biggest hurdle. But somehow she has been able to implement it. She uses the treatment weekly (along with meds).

[garden gal]

Hi, northforkmom

I have also had treatment resistant depression for about 9 years... I can relate to what you said about "trying every drug under the sun." Yup, been there! It can be a frustrating process.

I recently saw a holistic psychiatrist who offered some new ideas about the connection between managing depression and things like diet, exercise, mindfulness practice, etc... He also put me on some supplements that seem to be helping a little (high EPA fish oil, vitamin B, rhodiola, etc....) I think the most helpful thing might have been that he didn't think I was a lost cause, and seemed to see some real hope in my case that wasn't completely rooted in finding the right medication. I'm still on meds, but I've come to believe that there's more to it than that. There's a book called "The Chemistry of Joy" that is a good resource for this big picture approach for managing depression.

This holistic approach helped me to get through a time in January where I was approaching a hospitalization-level depression. The challenge is, finding the energy to be diligent about eating well, meditating, exercising, etc, when you feel like crap. I've been doing well with the exercise, but struggling more with the other stuff.

Best wishes to you in finding treatment that works for you. Thanks for posting. And, don't give up!

Garden Gal