Posted by DeanG on May 21, 2003, at 14:38:05
In reply to Brain Shivers, posted by dde on May 20, 2003, at 21:30:19
Hi DDE,
I am so glad that things are looking up for your daughter. And thank you kindly for the encouragement and advice. As far as what my next move will be, I've still not decided. The doctor said he'd phone and set up a referral with a psychiatrist but still no call and after all the horror stories I've read I'm no longer so sure I want to pursue this. It might just be easier to go on living with my problems as I have all these years rather than have some shrink place a label on me and get me hooked on his drug of choice.
Thanks again for your concern.
Dean
My daughter had better luck by going into a psychiatric facility, being treated one on one on a daily basis for 9 days than she did going to a psychiatrist outside. The doc at the hospital said that it is a fallacy that these meds will take weeks to get enough into your system to start doing some good. He said you will know in a matter of 2 days if your system is going to handle and adjust. He also said she would be on this med (lexapro) for a year, then taper off; and if she goes back into depression she will have to go back on and stay on for life, as the chances of future episode would increase from 50/50 to 95%! She is doing terrific now. The reality is this: mental illness doesn't just "go away" after a while like a virus or bacterial infection. The body stops making or doesn't make enough of certain chemicals, and nothing we do can start it back up again. All that can be done is adding to make up for the lack. Effexor is not good stuff. If you have brain zaps in the first days of taking it, get off of it. Only my best regards, dde
poster:DeanG
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030520/msgs/228106.html