Posted by Ant-Rock on May 3, 2002, at 17:00:41
In reply to Stupid from drugs or from depression? How can you , posted by Uppendown on May 3, 2002, at 11:10:12
> .. tell ?
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> Hi Ya'll,
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> ( It has been awhile... so please excuse..)
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> I'm VERY intersted in this topic/thread... I too have relied on my ability to write, and my intellect to accomplish much of what I have in my life, and when I started taking meds, I experienced much of what has been discussed in this thread.
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> I ended up quitting all meds, but that is another story.. I wanted to interject a thought into this discussion ( I hope it is okay!)..
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> I've been interested in these things for a long time now, and have done alot of informal research on it. I've lurked on numerous "mental health" message boards, as well as have participated in quite a few. The "side effects" of many of these meds are often discussed, and the experiences strikingly similar amoungst the users. I have very often read posts from individuals wishing they could be "like I used to be".. Cognition, socialiablity, work and other interpersonal relationships and abilty to "interact", weight gain, sexual dysfuntion, physical effects, etc are often listed, and complained about.
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> One thing that I "see" in many of these conversations is an absence of corrolating the extent to which the "side effects" of these meds, as listed above, contribute to the very symptoms the drugs are trying to relieve. Of course a once bright, witty, gregarious, attractive woman is going to be depressed when they gain a lot of weight, lose their "verve", can't think clearly, can't "feel" emotionally, and have been "indoctrinated" by a society and system that tells them they are "sick". ( This isn't meant to devalue the very real experiences we go through, independant of the "side effects" of these drugs, but is meant solely to try to get us to think about what it really is we're trying to "fix". NO offence intended!)
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> I tried a couple different meds, and could not stand the "dullness" and apathy they created in me. I tried others that I felt had very few "side effects". But I was so completely amazed when I finally quit cold turkey ( I know, not a "smart" thing to do, but I was desperate..), to find out the extent to which even THOSE meds had altered my ways of thinking and perception. While ON the drugs, and being "affected", it was impossible for me to see objectively what impacts they really were having. Even in self reporting or charting my moods, I was still hopelessly "subjective".
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> So.. part of what I'm responding to is exactly what the title of this thread is " Stupid from drugs or from depression" .. It might be re-written to say " Depressed from drugs making me stupid?"..
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> This isn't to say that drugs don't have value. They do. ( Although I have seen clinical, double blind research studies that show Zoloft, etc are no more effective than placebo..) But I think each of us needs to be VERY careful in first identifying what it is we are trying to "fix", before starting on a pharmocological treatment program. Are the sources of our depression, anxiety, panic, etc "situational".. as in caused by situations and circumstances in our life we may be reacting to in ways that therapy may help, or are there "other" issues involved. Even the idea of a "Chemical Imbalance" has yet to be proven. ( You'll note they use the phrases "might be", "is thought to be", etc..)..
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> So.. before you give your "life away" to these drugs, one approach might be to get some good professional help to specifically identify the sources of your "problems". No one pretends to "know".. everyone involved is just doing the best they can with the ever changing information, theories and concepts.
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> Best Wishes,
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> UppendownHello Uppendown,
Do you know if the older Tricyclic AD's cause these same problems(apathy,numbness,cog-probs)?I know everyone is different, but in general terms.
Thank you,Ant-Rock
poster:Ant-Rock
thread:13717
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020503/msgs/104959.html