Posted by Pfinstegg on October 31, 2002, at 0:01:39
In reply to Divorce and Mental Illness, posted by Cheryl Barnacle on October 30, 2002, at 10:20:19
Hi...what a hard situation to be in. Because your husband has a psychotic major depression, has he been considered for ECT or rTMS? Actually,I think the treatment I would consider first for him would be the clinical trial of mefipristone which is being done now for psychotic unipolar depression at Stanford University Medical School. They have had excellent results with very ill patients like your husband; it is a short-term treatment, but brings about complete remission within seven days for 60% of the patients with psychosis. Patients are then able to co-operate in working out a long-term treatment involving medication. The mefipristone works by lowering serum cortisol, which is extremely high in psychotic depression. If this is a possibility, you can look up the criteria for admission to the study on the web. If you have any difficulty finding the information you want, I'd be very glad to help you.
Being the object of paranoia by a loved one who is psychotic must be the hardest thing in the world to endure. If every possible treatment has been tried and exhausted, it would seem reasonable to end the marriage, both to protect your own safety, and because you can't continue the loving relationship which you had before he became ill; however, one of the three things I mentioned might just work. I wouldn't give up just yet, and do wish you luck. Please keep in contact with us, and let us know what happens.
Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:31806
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20021022/msgs/31840.html