Posted by SLS on April 15, 2009, at 8:00:15
In reply to mad as a frog but never no answers, posted by manic666 on April 15, 2009, at 5:30:08
Hi.
What is the nature of your Zoloft "window", and how long does it last for?
Many reuptake inhibitors (TCA, SSRI, SNRI) give me 3 good days, usually after a week or two of starting the drug. I push during these short periods to get as much done as possible.
Are you convinced that part of your condition is biological? If so, why?
My condition is 100% biological. However, like a great many people, I have had psychological issues that I work on with a psychotherapist. If for nothing else, to clean up the mental mess that being severely depressed for decades has created, and to more quickly return to mainstream society without depression or anxiety.
My first reaction to your words is that you do have a biological disorder, and, along with it, psychological issues that might need to be worked on also. Drugs have a lot better chance of working if they are not constantly being challenged by psychological depression and anxiety. Your entire body suffers biologically when there is chronic stress - the brain included. Knowing these things early allowed me to get a head start on working on reducing my stress level. Not only will it help the drugs work better, but will help to prevent a relapse once I do respond to treatment.
I am usually a few steps ahead in planning treatment for my bipolar depression. I have a list of drugs and drug combinations that I feel are viable alternatives so that I can produce some structure to my future treatments. It is good to have a treatment plan so that you don't feel so lost and desperate. If you want, you can work with your doctor with this to produce a personalized treaatment algorithm for your condition. Without this, the doctor will only have a few minutes to think about what to do with you, as he doesn't think about your case all day long. In other words, once you have a treatment plan in place, the doctor won't have to rethink your entire case each within the few minutes that you have with him each visit.
Ask questions. The doctor is giving you drugs. Why would he do that unless he were treating a condition that he concluded these drugs were best suited for? Ask him just what exactly is he treating you for, and why does he select specific drugs.
Write down your agenda for each doctor's visit. Have your questions written down. Write down the issues you want covered. Waste not a single second with the doctor. Keep the doctor on track. If you go in with nothing, the conversation during visits might drift without ever helping you tackle the issues at hand.
Just a few thoughts.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:890832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090408/msgs/890850.html