Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 320823

Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

The search is the cure

Posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

Anyone ever considered that their neverending search for the right medicine might indeed be the
continual wray of hope that keeps their brain sane ?

Linkadge

 

Re: The search is the cure

Posted by alathea on March 5, 2004, at 21:39:29

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

> Anyone ever considered that their neverending search for the right medicine might indeed be the
> continual wray of hope that keeps their brain sane ?
>
> Linkadge

I spent so long (8 years) denying my BP diagnosis, and trying to go off my meds, or imagining the day that I would, that when I finally really lost it and was unable to deny that I'm BP anymore...I mean--

I think you might be right. It's like the placebo effect, but it has something to do with the fact that when you accept your diagnosis and start working to help yourself, both the acceptance and the effect of actively working on your sanity have a positive effect on your state of mind. Works that way for me anyway. I just wish I could get restabilized now--feel like Tegretol isn't doing it alone, Lamictal gave me a rash, everything else makes me sick or spacey or something.....SSRI's increase my agitation (uh, raging fury and anxiety, actually).....
Grrr!

 

Isn't that Hope? (nm)

Posted by NotAddicted on March 5, 2004, at 22:51:14

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

 

Re: The search is the cure » linkadge

Posted by jerrympls on March 6, 2004, at 1:17:41

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

> Anyone ever considered that their neverending search for the right medicine might indeed be the
> continual wray of hope that keeps their brain sane ?
>
> Linkadge

Yes. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

Re: The search is the cure

Posted by SLS on March 6, 2004, at 7:51:59

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

> Anyone ever considered that their neverending search for the right medicine might indeed be the
> continual wray of hope that keeps their brain sane ?

Of course!


- Scott

 

Re: The search is the cure

Posted by glenn on March 6, 2004, at 18:42:03

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

Absolutely right! After 21 meds, months of exercise, meditation, tons of herbs , supplements and visits to acupuncturists faith healers etc etc
it was the only thing keeping me going, until xanax !!

Glenn

 

Re: The search is the cure

Posted by sailor on March 6, 2004, at 21:26:59

In reply to Re: The search is the cure, posted by glenn on March 6, 2004, at 18:42:03

I worked for many years at a county m.h. center as a crisis intervention specialist. I have seen what happens to people who lose hope, who stop searching for "answers", who are overwhelmed by their illness. That's when my beeper went off and I would be called in to evaluate a suicidal patient, or someone in a rage or a silent end-of-the-road depression. Many of us, including the vast majority of PB posters, are still "well" enough to be searcing and putting up with seemingly endless med trials. I truly believe time is on our side. I've been struggling 30 years with major depression, initially having a miraculous response to Elavil (amitryptilene), but since have had ups and downs and tried nearly all the first and second line therapies. I just quit a trial of Parnate after sustaining an 80mg/day dose for about 3 weeks. No positive response. I'm not sure what to do next, but I'm focused on selegilene, amisulpride, or stimulants as a next step. I've had ECT sugested many times, but I'm so adverse to that it would feel almost like "giving up." When it comes to the possibilities of combination and augmentation, it's obvious that there's enough to try to keep me at it for the rest of my life. I guess that's what keeps me hopeful. Those appointment cards and prescriptions we get from the docs are sort of like lottery tickets--the more you collect, the better your chance of hitting it big! Thanks to all of you for sharing. Finding PB has been a big boost to my morale these past few months. Patience, persistence. Regards, Sailor

 

Absolutely. Great point. (nm)

Posted by Questionmark on March 7, 2004, at 7:07:14

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

 

Re: The search is the cure

Posted by noa on March 7, 2004, at 12:13:37

In reply to The search is the cure, posted by linkadge on March 5, 2004, at 18:32:27

I agree to an extent, but for me the search was not the cure. It was helpful because it helped me have hope and be more in control of my destiny in a way.

Babble helped me with the search for information about the right treatment. Both directly and indirectly---Directly: getting info and advice here or links to more info and advice, and Indirectly: developing a mindset of feeling capable of taking more charge of the treatment and gathering info and working with the pdoc on the search.

And Babble helped with lots of support and understanding from other people in similar straits. In a way, I feel that finding Babble when I did was one of several factors that saved my life.

All this provided tons of hope where there had been none, it's true. But I would not go so far as to say that the search *is* the cure (and I use "cure" not to mean cure but to mean a 'good enough' treatment).

For me, it helped lead to the combo of meds that works for me. As I've said before, not perfectly, due to SEs, etc., but absolutely good enough so that my major depression is in remission. It is finding the proper treatment that I consider the "cure".

I still keep the process of searching going, although obviously less intensely. I guess I should say that I try to keep my finger on the pulse, because I believe treatment has to be seen as an evolving process. As I said, my combo is working, but I am convinced newer treatment options will come along that will be more efficient and hopefully eliminate some of the SEs.

I say all of this by way of letting you know that you should not give up the search. I used to believe that I would never find proper treatment, but I did find good treatment, and I did get better, and I believe you can, too.

In the meantime, it's great to see that you get all you can out of the process. Stay determined.

 

Re: The search is the cure

Posted by Cecilia on March 8, 2004, at 4:20:48

In reply to Re: The search is the cure, posted by noa on March 7, 2004, at 12:13:37

I guess the search does help distract from the pain but on the other hand it makes it so much worse when each new thing fails. You don`t want to let yourself hope but you still do. My most recent trial was rTMS-I told myself don`t get your hopes up, it probably won`t work, nothing ever has, but of course, I WAS hoping, or I wouldn`t have spent all that money. Plus the treatments were extremely painful and it just made me feel like I must just deserve to be depressed. I know that`s part of depression, yet I find it so hard to imagine what my life would be like if the miracle cure came along. It feels like depression IS my life and if a cure came I would drop dead the next day. Depression is so painful, yet looking around at other people who either aren`t depressed or are good at hiding it (I just find it so hard to believe there really ARE people who genuinely aren`t depressed)-their lives look like so much work. Cecilia


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