Posted by Krysti on November 26, 2002, at 7:59:31
In reply to Is depression damaging my brain?, posted by catmint on November 26, 2002, at 0:54:02
Hi Amy,
As a fellow bipolar person, I totally understand how frustrating it is. Especially when in the depressed state, it seems there is no way out and is hard to understand why we can't just pull ourselves out of it.
For me, I truly look at this as a chemical imbalance that I have to find the right meds to treat. As we all know, different meds affect different people differently. You need to find what works for you. If you are depressed on the Depakote and have already tried adding anti-depressants with no success, maybe it's time to try another stabilizer. There are a lot more out there than just Lamictal. The one I found that seems to be working for me so far is Trileptal. I haven't had any anxiety or depression, I have my personality back and am able to concentrate and focus again.
It sounds like you are beating yourself up for being depressed - it's not your fault. Talk to anyone with depression, it's not something you can control or just snap out of. I know it feels that way when you are going through it, like it's a weakness or something, but it is not. Just like you couldn't control being manic, you cannot control being depressed.
Keep working with your pdoc and try to find the medication or combo of medication that works for you. It is so worth it. Once you are feeling better, you will be able to look back and see how you are feeling right now - was not your fault.
Krysti
poster:Krysti
thread:129341
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021122/msgs/129371.html