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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
Dear All,
Id like to tell you a little about what psychiatry has done for me over the last decade. Paxil was my first antidepressant. I owe my dissertation to it. Id been terribly anxious and far more depressed than I even realized. After a few days on Paxil, my anxiety was much improved. After a few weeks, the depression was improved to the point where I could make real progress on my writing. When I defended a few months later, I understood for the first time in my life what a normal level of anxiety felt like (as opposed to excessive). My personal opinion is that I might not have finished my degree without treatment.
Like many other folks, the Paxil pooped out on me. I dont blame the doctor or the manufacturer. Im grateful I got some help from it. I do know people for whom Paxil or other SSRIs do not lose efficacy.
Ive tried many drugs and drug combinations. Ive tried drugs that helped but were not tolerable due to side effects, and drugs that made me worse. Thanks to a medicine combination that was not available when I first started treatment (Lamictal + Abilify), I have been doing relatively well for a couple of years now. Its not perfect, but I have been able to move to a new state, start a new and challenging job, and take recreational classes. There are bumps in the road and sometimes we tweak things to try to minimize side effects; those bumps can be painful and scary. But overall its been a vast improvement, and I have a shot at reclaiming a life that had been horribly impaired by my depression.
I owe a lot of this to a kind, caring, and knowledgeable psychopharmacologist. She made sure we checked for other causes (thyroid, lupus, Lyme, etc.), did her best to think creatively about how to treat me, listened to my concerns, and did not give up. She kept in contact with my therapist to make sure she had an accurate understanding of how I was doing. I was quite lucky to find her.
I dont know for sure that my meds wont stop working. Who knows how long Ill remain in remission? And I dont mean to invalidate the negative experiences people have had with psychiatrists. All I know is that I have a chronic illness (treatment resistant depression) that has been made manageable by caring doctors doing their best with whats available to them. It is my hope that this message will encourage people who are feeling discouraged.
May we all find peace.
emme
Posted by 10derHeart on February 10, 2009, at 6:39:05
In reply to What psychiatry has done for me, posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
Posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 9:01:40
In reply to What psychiatry has done for me, posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
I cut and pasted the above post from Word, and the apostrophes in the contractions didn't make it! Looks very silly.
Posted by bulldog2 on February 10, 2009, at 10:13:05
In reply to What psychiatry has done for me, posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
> Dear All,
>
> Id like to tell you a little about what psychiatry has done for me over the last decade. Paxil was my first antidepressant. I owe my dissertation to it. Id been terribly anxious and far more depressed than I even realized. After a few days on Paxil, my anxiety was much improved. After a few weeks, the depression was improved to the point where I could make real progress on my writing. When I defended a few months later, I understood for the first time in my life what a normal level of anxiety felt like (as opposed to excessive). My personal opinion is that I might not have finished my degree without treatment.
>
> Like many other folks, the Paxil pooped out on me. I dont blame the doctor or the manufacturer. Im grateful I got some help from it. I do know people for whom Paxil or other SSRIs do not lose efficacy.
>
> Ive tried many drugs and drug combinations. Ive tried drugs that helped but were not tolerable due to side effects, and drugs that made me worse. Thanks to a medicine combination that was not available when I first started treatment (Lamictal + Abilify), I have been doing relatively well for a couple of years now. Its not perfect, but I have been able to move to a new state, start a new and challenging job, and take recreational classes. There are bumps in the road and sometimes we tweak things to try to minimize side effects; those bumps can be painful and scary. But overall its been a vast improvement, and I have a shot at reclaiming a life that had been horribly impaired by my depression.
>
> I owe a lot of this to a kind, caring, and knowledgeable psychopharmacologist. She made sure we checked for other causes (thyroid, lupus, Lyme, etc.), did her best to think creatively about how to treat me, listened to my concerns, and did not give up. She kept in contact with my therapist to make sure she had an accurate understanding of how I was doing. I was quite lucky to find her.
>
> I dont know for sure that my meds wont stop working. Who knows how long Ill remain in remission? And I dont mean to invalidate the negative experiences people have had with psychiatrists. All I know is that I have a chronic illness (treatment resistant depression) that has been made manageable by caring doctors doing their best with whats available to them. It is my hope that this message will encourage people who are feeling discouraged.
>
> May we all find peace.
>
> emme
>Wonderful and touching post!
Posted by Phillipa on February 10, 2009, at 10:56:53
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by bulldog2 on February 10, 2009, at 10:13:05
Hey great Emme!!!! Wonderful to hear good new. Phillipa
Posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 12:48:56
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by bulldog2 on February 10, 2009, at 10:13:05
Posted by seldomseen on February 10, 2009, at 17:39:14
In reply to What psychiatry has done for me, posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
Wonderful post.
One I totally empathize and agree with. Prozac enabled me to finish my degree, but I will also point out that both of us were/are in psychotherapy. Medications + therapy, a multi-pronged apporach, IMO is the best way to treat this chronic condition.
Seldom
Posted by bleauberry on February 10, 2009, at 17:55:33
In reply to What psychiatry has done for me, posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
That is a wonderful story. I like it. I wish there were more of them.
Not wanting to spoil the party, I wanted to point out what psychiatry has done for me. It delayed the proper diagnosis for 12 years. I've had Lyme disease the whole time. Nobody ever thought to ask about, though it should have been at the top of an MDs list before going any further with a prescription pad. All psych drugs brought some relief in a sort of artificial way, but never complete, and as years went by they worked less and less, doses I could previously handle became powerful as nuclear bombs, side effects that used to be mild became intense, and things just got more and more bizarre. That is the course of Lyme...immune dysfunction and nervous system dysfunction are at the heart of it all. The proper med to have given me 12 years ago would have been an antibiotic, not Prozac.
But I admit, Paxil was somewhat decent for a half a year, and Prozac+Zyprexa was half decent for almost 8 years. The problem was the disease was covered up and allowed to progress.
So what psychiatry has done for me is a mixed bag of good and bad. What it didn't do for me was a complete diagnosis before scribbling on the prescription pad, and I suspect that happens a lot more than not.
Posted by garnet71 on February 10, 2009, at 20:29:02
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by bleauberry on February 10, 2009, at 17:55:33
Beauberry,
Do you think you're cured of Lyme? How many years did it take for the accurate diagnosis?
Posted by bulldog2 on February 11, 2009, at 15:15:35
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by bleauberry on February 10, 2009, at 17:55:33
> That is a wonderful story. I like it. I wish there were more of them.
>
> Not wanting to spoil the party, I wanted to point out what psychiatry has done for me. It delayed the proper diagnosis for 12 years. I've had Lyme disease the whole time. Nobody ever thought to ask about, though it should have been at the top of an MDs list before going any further with a prescription pad. All psych drugs brought some relief in a sort of artificial way, but never complete, and as years went by they worked less and less, doses I could previously handle became powerful as nuclear bombs, side effects that used to be mild became intense, and things just got more and more bizarre. That is the course of Lyme...immune dysfunction and nervous system dysfunction are at the heart of it all. The proper med to have given me 12 years ago would have been an antibiotic, not Prozac.
>
> But I admit, Paxil was somewhat decent for a half a year, and Prozac+Zyprexa was half decent for almost 8 years. The problem was the disease was covered up and allowed to progress.
>
> So what psychiatry has done for me is a mixed bag of good and bad. What it didn't do for me was a complete diagnosis before scribbling on the prescription pad, and I suspect that happens a lot more than not.You were never depressed before Lyme's?
Posted by Phillipa on February 11, 2009, at 20:32:33
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by bulldog2 on February 11, 2009, at 15:15:35
Me either. Phillipa
Posted by polarbear206 on February 14, 2009, at 13:07:30
In reply to What psychiatry has done for me, posted by emme on February 10, 2009, at 6:19:30
emme,
I think your going to be fine. Just stay positive.
Posted by bleauberry on February 14, 2009, at 18:20:37
In reply to Beauberry » bleauberry, posted by garnet71 on February 10, 2009, at 20:29:02
> Beauberry,
>
> Do you think you're cured of Lyme? How many years did it take for the accurate diagnosis?Cured of Lyme? Not. It was just diagnosed 4 weeks ago. It takes usually a year of antibiotics to get it under control.
The accurate diagnosis took about 15 years, though my first tick bite was actually 30 years ago. Symptoms first appeared 15 years ago.
I can't blame MDs for not getting it right. Lyme is a great imitator and deceiver. Blood tests are routinely wrong. Clinical diagnosis is more accurate, which includes a close look at:
History of tick exposure.
Symptoms.
Symptom patterns and clusters.
Ruling other possible alternative causes out.
Trial of Tetracycline to see what happens.Unfortuneatly most doctors are not well schooled on Lyme. They have adopted the blood test as definitive, when even the Fed's Center For Disease Control says it is not intended for that purpose.
Posted by Phillipa on February 14, 2009, at 21:14:58
In reply to Re: Beauberry » garnet71, posted by bleauberry on February 14, 2009, at 18:20:37
BB see same here as no idea when occurred. What about the Western Blot doesn't it always test positive as the docs here said cause of the antibodies. Treated in hospital and outpt with biaxin xl for two years three months at a time? Love Phillipa
Posted by emme on February 16, 2009, at 6:25:48
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me » emme, posted by seldomseen on February 10, 2009, at 17:39:14
> Wonderful post.
>
> One I totally empathize and agree with. Prozac enabled me to finish my degree, but I will also point out that both of us were/are in psychotherapy. Medications + therapy, a multi-pronged apporach, IMO is the best way to treat this chronic condition.
>
> SeldomHi Seldom,
Yes, psychotherapy has been very helpful for me in surviving the severe depression and for other issues. Depression leaves a lot of debris in its wake and a good therapist can help you put the pieces back together.
Until I had adequate medication in place, the therapy was to a large degree "life support". Once the depression eased up a bit, I could gain other benefits from it as well.
Unfortunately, the fact still remains that if I am not on the right medication, I become terribly depressed and anxious again. Quickly. But when in remission, I can then use some of the wisdom my therapists have helped me gain.
emme
Posted by emme on February 16, 2009, at 6:32:24
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by bleauberry on February 10, 2009, at 17:55:33
> That is a wonderful story. I like it. I wish there were more of them.
>
> Not wanting to spoil the party, I wanted to point out what psychiatry has done for me. It delayed the proper diagnosis for 12 years. I've had Lyme disease the whole time. Nobody ever thought to ask about, though it should have been at the top of an MDs list before going any further with a prescription pad. All psych drugs brought some relief in a sort of artificial way, but never complete, and as years went by they worked less and less, doses I could previously handle became powerful as nuclear bombs, side effects that used to be mild became intense, and things just got more and more bizarre. That is the course of Lyme...immune dysfunction and nervous system dysfunction are at the heart of it all. The proper med to have given me 12 years ago would have been an antibiotic, not Prozac.
>
> But I admit, Paxil was somewhat decent for a half a year, and Prozac+Zyprexa was half decent for almost 8 years. The problem was the disease was covered up and allowed to progress.
>
> So what psychiatry has done for me is a mixed bag of good and bad. What it didn't do for me was a complete diagnosis before scribbling on the prescription pad, and I suspect that happens a lot more than not.Hi. I'm sorry you suffered for so long before getting a proper diagnosis. It seems that Lyme fools doctors in a number of specialties. I have been watching friends who have chronic Lyme disease suffer badly. They both went a long time with it undiagnosed and untreated. They have also both tested positive for tick-borne co-infections. It is scary.
For both of them, psych drugs help with psychiatric symptoms while they continue with their antibiotic treatment.
Has antibiotic treatment brought you relief?
emme
Posted by emme on February 16, 2009, at 6:33:24
In reply to Re: What psychiatry has done for me, posted by polarbear206 on February 14, 2009, at 13:07:30
> emme,
>
> I think your going to be fine. Just stay positive.Thanks Polarbear.
emme
This is the end of the thread.
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