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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lovelyone on April 11, 2004, at 13:09:36
Hi everyone. I started lexapro 11 days ago after a trip to my doctor where he told me I was depressed. I'm not sure that I am as depressed as lots of you seem and I feel kind of silly. My "depression" seems to come and go and looks more like lots of worry and "meltdowns". I finally went to the doctor when I just didn't feel I could get through my day. I do feel like whatever it is has affected my life, my family and my home--no energy. Does this sound like depression to you? I feel kind of silly taking this if I don't need it. This probably sounds ridiculous to you guys, but I have worried about whether we jumped the gun. I think my state of crying and my family history are what the doctor based this decision on. Any thoughts?
Posted by lucy stone on April 11, 2004, at 14:34:02
In reply to newly diagnosed and unsure, posted by lovelyone on April 11, 2004, at 13:09:36
If you have trouble getting through the day and if you fell like this "thing" has afftected your life, you have a real problem. If you were bothered enough that you went to the doctor you were asking for help with a real problem. I think many MDs treat this kind of thing with medication and you might need that, but research shows that the best results come with a combination of medication and talk therapy. A therapist could help determine if your problem is depression, anxiety, or something else. He or she could also help you decide if you need and want medication. I would ask your physician for a recommendation to a therapist and go talk to someone.
Posted by platinumbride on April 12, 2004, at 14:22:07
In reply to newly diagnosed and unsure, posted by lovelyone on April 11, 2004, at 13:09:36
I second Lucystone. Depression has many disguises. There are a lot of "tests" to diagnose depression. I believe that the first one created is called the Beck Depression Scale or something like that.
If I were you, I would do a search on depression tests, take the test, and see how you "score".
Then, even if depression isn't like HUGE or MAJOR DEPRESSION, you would do well, as Lucy said, to do some talking with a therapist. It doens't have to be a long-term thing...maybe you just need a few sessions with someone who leans toward cognitive behavioral therapy. Maybe you just need a bit of help identifying some "thing/s" and creating strategies for dealing with them.
Maybe you read posts here and are seeing people with "pnemonia" and you just have a "sinus infection". Either way, it is a good idea to try and treat it.
Good luck and keep us posted :-)
Diane
Posted by Penny on April 12, 2004, at 15:20:31
In reply to newly diagnosed and unsure, posted by lovelyone on April 11, 2004, at 13:09:36
I do have a question, though - the doctor you saw - was it a family medicine doctor or internist (otherwise known as a general practitioner) or was it a psychiatrist? I ask this b/c IMHO meds (which can be EXTREMELY helpful, don't get me wrong!!!) are being overprescribed by GPs. My first antidepressant was prescribed by my internist, and she never asked me key questions that are used in diagnosing depression...
That said - I'm sure there are some wonderful GPs who do ask the right questions before prescribing, and I KNOW there are some psychiatrists out there (I've seen them) who have no business prescribing anything at all...but, in my experience, seeing a psychiatrist for psych meds is a much safer route, as these things aren't candy, nor are they a miracle cure. The brain is very complex.
Are you depressed? I don't know - it certainly sounds from your post that you aren't "happy", but that doesn't mean you are clinically depressed. It doesn't mean you aren't. If your doc asked you the questions that are typically used to diagnose depression and your 'score' was high enough, then perhaps an antidepressant will help you. Or perhaps this is situational (in which case, maybe a med will help you anyway). Or perhaps you would benefit more from psychotherapy. Or perhaps you would benefit from both, as many of us on babble, myself included, do.
What I can tell you about depression in general, though, is that just because your depression seems to "come and go" as you put it, doesn't mean you don't have clinical depression. I was hospitalized last summer for depression, but even then I wasn't 100% down. My depression is atypical and I've always had ups and downs (though my ups are never manic, like with bipolar disorder). What lets me know I'm not 'doing well', which is what I say when I suspect my meds aren't working properly, is when the 'downs' are further down than I am comfortable with.
I guess one thing to think about, and what stands out to me in your post, is the "meltdowns". For me, those "meltdowns" could cause me to do something that I may later regret - hence my hospital stay. If you're having frequent or even occasional "meltdowns" then it's probably a good idea you were evaluated for depression, and especially if you have a family history of depression. And there are other signals - fatigue, lack of motivation, loss or increase of appetite, etc., that are signs of depression, EVEN if your mood isn't consistently low.
Here's a link for you to take a look at, if you have a chance.
http://www.depression-screening.org/One more thing - don't EVER feel bad for getting help. You said in your post that you aren't sure you're as depressed as lots of us seem and you feel kind of silly - don't. There's not some standard of "You have to feel *this* bad in order to deserve to feel better." This isn't a competition - I think many of us here feel guilt over asking for help when others are clearly in a 'worse' place...but that doesn't mean that where you are right now isn't bad *for you*.
Anyway, I hope this all makes sense, and is at least somewhat helpful. Welcome.
Penny
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