Posted by SLS on June 27, 2005, at 21:32:36
In reply to Re: Am I taking the right amount of Celexa?, posted by Deneb on June 27, 2005, at 20:52:17
> > I think you might need to evaluate what it is you really want to have happen with your mental health.
> >
> > Do you want to be a manic-depressive?
> Huh? I'm not sure I understand.You seem to be attracted to instability.
> It's not like I'm going to become bipolar if I stop taking SSRIs right? I know there are similarities between borderline personality and bipolar II,
OK, that explains a lot. You didn't mention that you were BPD. Well, I think my original question is still a valid one. If you are BPD, and you want to make some changes in the degree to which it manifests and influences your life, it may be that you need to try other modalities of treatment. I don't think Celexa monotherapy is going to do the trick. I believe people with BPD do better taking a drug like Trileptal and combine it with a drug like Zyprexa. Also, a specialized form of psychotherapy known as DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) is often successful. My guess is that you already know these things.
> but from what I understand, a bipolar illness occurs pretty much independently of life circumstances, whereas the instability from BPD is very much influenced by life circumstances.
That sounds about right to me. However, I think both illnesses have biological and psychological components, although their relative contributions may be different. I have seen some pretty remarkable turn-arounds in young women with BPD. Each of them recognized that they had BPD and honestly believed that they would be better off if it were treated properly. Many BPDers say that they enjoy their mood lability. These successful women say that they much prefer the mood stability that their treatments have afforded them. The transition was not always an easy one. For some, it took a leap of faith in the judgment of the professionals who treated them. For others, they went kicking and screaming.
You have to want. You also need to be treated by people who specialize in BPD (if that is indeed the condition for which you have sought treatment).
Good luck.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:520124
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050627/msgs/520228.html