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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by SLS on April 12, 2010, at 8:23:37
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » manic666, posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 4:43:51
How do you spend your free time?
In what ways does your current condition differ from dysthymia? Perhaps you have a bipolar disorder with comorbid dysthymia. I know of one person with this condition. Have you ever been screened for schizoaffective disorder?
I experience boredom only when my depression begins to remit. Otherwise, I am too vegetative to be bored. When I enter this less severe depressive state, I no longer want to do nothing, yet there is nothing that I want to do.
- Scott
Posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 13:37:55
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » Economist, posted by SLS on April 12, 2010, at 8:23:37
I spend my free time reading and re-reading archives from Psycho-babble and schizophrenia.com. I don't find it very enjoyable, but it holds my interest because there is some chance of discovering a medication that might help me be rid of the boredom/anhedonia. But I imagine that once I have tried every single useless medication and augmentation, and once I have finished reading all the archives, I will have to spend my free time lying down or sitting on a park bench enduring the boredom until evening comes, when I can just fall asleep and be at peace in unconsciousness for a brief 8 hours.
"I no longer want to do nothing, yet there is nothing that I want to do" -- yes, that describes my state very well. I imagine this is what purgatory must feel like. Extremely uncomfortable and joyless, half alive and half dead. I suppose this could be dysthymia. The diagnosis doesn't matter so much to me, only the treatment.
Posted by floatingbridge on April 12, 2010, at 13:42:34
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » SLS, posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 13:37:55
This hasn't been my experience of dysthymia, and though I was surprisingly diagnosed with concomitant anhedonia, I've always had (cr*ppy) feelings.
this brings my tally up to 4 cents
(depression, ptsd)
> "I no longer want to do nothing, yet there is nothing that I want to do" -- yes, that describes my state very well. I imagine this is what purgatory must feel like. Extremely uncomfortable and joyless, half alive and half dead. I suppose this could be dysthymia. The diagnosis doesn't matter so much to me, only the treatment.
Posted by manic666 on April 12, 2010, at 13:52:36
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » SLS, posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 13:37:55
could be your just a toally different person that you used to be//you no like ? im not really into this sh*t anymore, and are in limbo as you struggle to be this new person//i had a hard time comming to terms with a new life i had to take// drunk most the time , up for anything, women ,ect ect, // i still am not over it but suffer guilt from my old life //plus it would have killed me//i think you may well be board with the old you, but dont no the real one yet. does that make sence to you// if not im on the wrong track sorry, im a loony with imotions
Posted by SLS on April 12, 2010, at 14:55:33
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » SLS, posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 13:37:55
> The diagnosis doesn't matter so much to me, only the treatment.
I hope you find what you need to enjoy life again.
- Scott
Posted by floatingbridge on April 12, 2010, at 16:12:28
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » Economist, posted by SLS on April 12, 2010, at 14:55:33
Yes.
> > The diagnosis doesn't matter so much to me, only the treatment.
>
> I hope you find what you need to enjoy life again.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 16:27:26
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » SLS, posted by floatingbridge on April 12, 2010, at 16:12:28
Posted by conundrum on April 12, 2010, at 17:20:20
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » SLS, posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 13:37:55
That describes me as well. Have you considered ever trying a low dose of prozac. Like take a half of a 10 mg pill every other day. It kinda helps with motivation. It doesn't make you bounce of the walls or super excited, but it atleast you feel like doing things.
For me it increases motivation more than pleasure which it only slightly increases. Its sort of impossible to increase one without slightly increasing the other.
Just to be sure, this wasn't caused by SSRIs for you it came out of the blue?
This link describes how I feel, althought it didn't come on slowly. It started exactly 3-4 weeks after stopping prozac.http://www.psychotropical.com/Patient_information_Mental_anaemia.shtml
Posted by conundrum on April 12, 2010, at 17:30:00
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » conundrum, posted by Economist on April 11, 2010, at 22:37:58
Well don't they say psychosis and schizophrenia are caused by high dopamine? I never understood how that manifested in the negative symptoms. Perhaps the drugs you are trying that increase dopamine could be making things worse?
Have you tried APs on their own at a theraputic dose for schizophrenia?
Posted by SLS on April 12, 2010, at 17:35:49
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » Economist, posted by conundrum on April 12, 2010, at 17:20:20
> This link describes how I feel,
Me too.
> althought it didn't come on slowly. It started exactly 3-4 weeks after stopping prozac.
How had you felt prior to starting Prozac? What were you experiencing that Prozac was chosen to treat?
- Scott
Posted by conundrum on April 12, 2010, at 17:50:07
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » conundrum, posted by SLS on April 12, 2010, at 17:35:49
The main thing was anxiety and sadness. I just remember crying some nights and feeling very worried about my future(I was 16 at the time). Not caring if I had been born.
Posted by conundrum on April 12, 2010, at 18:29:15
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » floatingbridge, posted by Economist on April 12, 2010, at 1:52:27
If you get bored at home try playing video games, their addictive pull is impervious to anhedonia.
Posted by manic666 on April 13, 2010, at 4:23:09
In reply to Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by Economist on April 10, 2010, at 15:02:48
has anybody thought that Economist may be just pissed off,,life is not all down to medecation an therapy, mainly times worse than the problem///there are millions of pissed off people who just need a kick up the *rs* like we all do now an then.im not saying the poster does //put take a step back an think? is it medical or just real life plain pissed off
Posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 7:08:19
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by manic666 on April 13, 2010, at 4:23:09
Can't really think of a single thing that pisses me off these days.
Maybe you feel pissed off?
Posted by conundrum on April 13, 2010, at 7:42:31
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » manic666, posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 7:08:19
Oh, I smell a PBC coming. ;-)
I get the same reaction from people sometimes, Economist. Its like unless your balling your eyes out or have scars on your wrists no one thinks anythings wrong. That your just bored and to do something new and you will get over it. Even though anhedonia is the main symptom is might be easier to tell your friends you have schizophrenia. Its an accepted mental illness, that they can google and see that anhedonia is a main symptom of. I usually just tell people I'm depressed rather then explaining my experience with post SSRI anhedonia. Its just miles simpler.
Manic666, she did say she has schizophrenia and a psychotic break in previous posts in this thread. Anhedonia is a component of schizophrenia, and it only started happening to her after her first episode. I personally think she is not being properly treated and that some of the drugs she is taking could make things worse.
Economist, which antipsychotics have you tried other than amulsipride?
Posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 8:13:59
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by conundrum on April 13, 2010, at 7:42:31
Haha.
Yeah, exactly. For simplicity's sake I tell people I have schizophrenia, even though there's a little more explanation to that (the high-functioning part). "Anhedonia" confuses everyone and "chronic boredom" would just make everyone say, "Oh, so why don't you go out more or read a book or something." Sometimes people understand it better as "depression," too.
By the way, I was an avid gamer (Sim City, Civilization, Counter-Strike, various online games) up until my psychotic break. Doing those things now just feel really forced.
I don't take any antipsychotics on a long-term basis. I am technically supposed to, but since my psychosis isn't a chronic problem (it may not even happen again) I feel comfortable not taking any. I get put on risperdal whenever it does happen though. The amisulpride experiment was just to see if it might do anything for negative symptoms.
Posted by conundrum on April 13, 2010, at 8:40:16
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » conundrum, posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 8:13:59
Hmm that sucks about the games, I still enjoy playing FPS games, its one of the few things I still kind of enjoy. I get bored with it after awhile, but there is something about games and headshots and shock combos that tweaks something in me. I also like playing pinball as well.
An AP that blocks serotonergic receptors might help more than amulsipride which just blocks D2 receptors.
Almost all the atypicals other than sulpride drugs do this.
Blocking the 5 HT2 receptors can increase motivation. Its worth a shot if you haven't given't atypicals a long trial.
Posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 12:29:25
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » Economist, posted by conundrum on April 13, 2010, at 8:40:16
I thought antipsychotics blocked dopamine recptors. An overproduction of dopamine in some XYZ region is partly responsible for psychosis and hallucinations. (Hypo-dopamine in other areas is said to cause the negative symptoms.)
I've heard some things about clozaril doing something about negative symptoms. I might try to ask my p-doc for that some time.
Posted by manic666 on April 13, 2010, at 12:48:06
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » conundrum, posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 8:13:59
sure im pissed off,i live with this monster inside my head ,who wakes up an kick,s the sh*t out me at regular basis// i would sure settle for being board %100 then.// no i dont no what to say to you ///,i was trying a little alternative theropy ,seem,s my p doc skills are flawed
Posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 12:59:26
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by manic666 on April 13, 2010, at 12:48:06
I guess persistent anger is also pretty bad. I'm not sure which I would rather have. I guess the grass is always greener. Anger just seems more interesting and energetic to me than boredom.
Posted by manic666 on April 13, 2010, at 13:57:41
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » manic666, posted by Economist on April 13, 2010, at 12:59:26
there you are//your comeing back at me// my p docs skills are ace ,i got you out the downer for a few minutes to have a bit back/// your mind is working cool so its sure not mental// stay safe
Posted by evenintherain on April 14, 2010, at 21:18:14
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by manic666 on April 13, 2010, at 13:57:41
Economist, I hope you keep us updated in your search. This thread is really interesting. I was especially intrigued to hear how many of the non-cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia I could also relate to (tense, irritable, emotionless, isolated and withdrawn), though I know they can overlap w/depression.
Does anyone find anti-psychotics reduce anhedonia? I have only tried Remeron -- short trial, no positive results.
Posted by conundrum on April 14, 2010, at 22:02:30
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by evenintherain on April 14, 2010, at 21:18:14
If you are saying that remeron is an antipsychotic, it is not. It is just an antidepressant, or maybe you are saying thats the only drug you've tried?
Posted by Economist on April 14, 2010, at 22:21:19
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people?, posted by evenintherain on April 14, 2010, at 21:18:14
Hi evenintherain,
I'll be lurking around. If I don't post anything it means nothing worked. The moment I start to feel the fluttering of some emotion I will so definitely post something. And shout with joy out my window, for that matter.
Antipsychotics don't really help with negative symptoms as an isolated problem. They do away with the positive symptoms, which can then allow the person to function better socially, etc.
Posted by evenintherain on April 14, 2010, at 23:12:48
In reply to Re: Any med that made you gain interest in people? » evenintherain, posted by conundrum on April 14, 2010, at 22:02:30
no, my bad. for some reason i thought my pdoc said remeron was an anti-psychotic (in addition to it's a/d properties). but i don't remember much from that time period, so i am probably mistaken.
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