Posted by Minnie-Haha on February 24, 2005, at 14:11:05
In reply to Re: Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 24, 2005, at 12:34:31
No problem. Just remember to talk to someone right away during the 2-3 week startup period if your depression is more than you can manage. Tell someone what you're doing, so that they can help you to monitor yourself. Then, if you decide you need an AD after all, go slow and expect side effects from that, too. The hardest part for me has always been being patient when starting/stopping therapy, cause I've yet to try anything that helped really quickly (less than two weeks) for long-term problems. (Though benzos have helped with anxiety/sleep when necessary.)
I can't remember from your other posts: Are you getting psychotherapy? If not, I recommend that, too. People get a better response when they mix meds with talk therapy than with meds alone. (This board helps somewhat, but face-to-face is even better.) Sometimes that process takes time to get going too, as you find the right therapist and build a good relationship with her/him.
Finally, have you used the "Babbleometer" tool on this (Dr. Bob's) web site to monitor your moods? It really helps me to keep track of whether I'm feeling better, worse, or the same. (When you're deep-down in it, it's hard to tell, isn't it?) I use the CES-D and have a reminder sent monthly.
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/watch/
poster:Minnie-Haha
thread:462362
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050222/msgs/462755.html