Ugh the last two weeks have been CRAP!!! But, some good has come of it. I'll share some good, bad, and ugly.
This week, I have learned:
1. Lexapro is a hell of a drug.
2. My body will crash my brain after 7 days of insomnia, and I will hallucinate by day 10.
3. My spouse has the patience of a saint.
4. The kickback of a gun is nowhere near as forceful as it looks.
5. I'm good at shooting!
6. I may or may not have a job right now.
7. I never expected to feel so indifferent regarding my employment status. It feels revealing to me to realize how unattached I feel to it. Maybe my dislike for it has really grown that much.
8. I feel like the Boy Child has suddenly grown more mature and its freaking me out a little. I know he's in the pre-teen zone, but I'm not ready for this. I find myself checking in on him often and smothering him with mama love just to make sure my boy is still my boy. *sigh* This poor child is stuck with me.
9. If you tell them to stop building....
They will.
(I find this hilarious to an inappropriate degree.)
10. The A-Hole Dog only likes the dog park if she's on her leash. She also acts like she feels incredibly violated when another dog sniffs her butt.
11. Go to the following thread. Go to top comments, find on page, type "Robb Stark". Only do this if you are caught up on GOT. Also, only do this if you are not offended by politics, and if you do not plan in any way to come back here and blast me for sharing a comment that compares Trump to Joffrey and Balon Greyjoy.
12. I like my ellipses with 4 dots, just like I like my lights (THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!!!!). Farawyn, we can take this outside if you want....
13. The spouse and I owe so much money in taxes that I can't even. We changed exemptions when we got blasted by state last year. Didn't matter. We owe thousands to federal and the state we live in. As in, we owe thousands to federal and thousands more to state. Can't wait to see how much the state I work in swindled. I swear to the Bearded Commander Riker that we had more money on one crappy income than we have now, with me working, too. Maybe I need to not work during grad school. :\
14. I am so excited for grad school!!!
I know I'm forgetting stuff. Boo! I'll remember right after the edit window closes, I'm sure!
I do, but I'm actually looking out-of-state. So my networking abilities is extremely limited. I do have several friends who have offered to recommend me at the local hospitals, but I'm set on leaving the area.
I was going to ask before, but didn't. What is leading you guys to want a change of scenery?
Are the side effects worth taking the meds? I'm serious. Because everything you all are saying sounds so awful that I wonder if you regret taking them in the first place?
I had PPD, so I get being in a really dark, terrifying place. I'm assuming you only went on the meds because things were. that. bad. But I'd like to know - are you glad you started taking SSRIs? Or do you wish that you had never started them in the first place?
Thanks in advance for your answers
When you need medication, and you find the right one, it's amazing. You get your life back in your own hands. When you find the wrong one, it's hell. And, yeah, the side effects can be horrible. But, if you need medication for something, and you're willing to allow some time for finding the right one, there are absolutely no regrets. Remember, at this point, you need medication.
I hope your journey through medications is a gentle and easy one. And, of course, stay in close contact with the prescriber to ensure early intervention if there are side effects.
I'm very sensitive to atypical antipsychotics-the worst was falling out of bed or in the shower or having atypical convulsions or posturing while sleeping. I found one with a low dose that they had less side effects except for increased hunger and weight gain-I gained about 30 lbs, but they are the only remedy to my PTSD; my exacerbations are less and I have effectively tapered off them and loss the weight.
I say all this to say my hands thank me for not shoving them down my garbage disposal as a means to "stop the hurting". I can at least thank Zyprexa for that.
Earlier in this conversation, you were all talking about the negatives of SSRIs. I'm not on any. I occasionally have some issues with anxiety, which journaling/exercise and occ visits to a pyschologist help to handle.
Years ago, before I figured out how to "treat" my anxiety, I briefly tried zoloft. Even at half doses taken at night, I was SO tired. The fatigue was worse than the anxiety and I quickly quit taking it. (I'm super sensitive to many meds). My dtr has some "issues" and I forsee that she may need SSRIs in her future, but my experience with them makes me very hesitant to ever consider them.
Are the side effects worth taking the meds? I'm serious. Because everything you all are saying sounds so awful that I wonder if you regret taking them in the first place?
I had PPD, so I get being in a really dark, terrifying place. I'm assuming you only went on the meds because things were. that. bad. But I'd like to know - are you glad you started taking SSRIs? Or do you wish that you had never started them in the first place?
Thanks in advance for your answers
I have absolutely no regrets about having started antidepressants. I was first tried on tricyclics but couldn't tolerate those. My blood pressure dropped every time I got a dose. That was in the late 1970's. Fast forward a few years & the psychiatrist I was seeing decided an MAOI would be good for me. It was fine until the day I had a hypertensive crisis. That was the end of that med.
I've been on SSRI's or SSNRI's for quite a few years now. I consider myself very lucky that I've never had any side effects from them nor have I had withdrawal symptoms when I've needed to stop one to start another.
Even if I had side effects, I would not stop taking the meds. Before my current doctor found the right combination of meds for me I was suicidal every single day of my life & always had a viable plan & the means to carry it out. That is a special kind of H*ll to live in & I would never wish that on anyone.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Have you tried psychotherapy? CBT is as effective as medication for mild to moderate depression, and can be done for 12-20 sessions and then stopped (unlike a medication). The standard of care these days is combined psychotherapy and medication, especially for more significant depression. So, seeing a specialist (such as a counselor) may give you a better idea which direction to go.
The nice thing about SSRIs is there are a lot of them. Your daughter may share your sensitivity to sertraline, she may not. A qualified professional can help you make that decision.
For what it's worth, I work in a psychiatric practice and see a ton of people on SSRIs. They're not one of the most prescribed classes of medications for nothing: lots of people take them without significant side effects. Millions of people. You just have to be willing to try more than one before you get it right.
Excellent point about psychotherapy. I think meds PLUS therapy are so important. I spent years in therapy working on issues from childhood abuse so horrible, much of it was blocked from my memory until I talked it out and talked to my sister, who remembered things I did not.
Therapy is very hard work, but the work I did will last a lifetime. Finding out what was bothering me so, and finding out my strengths was invaluable. Even without the meds, I will always benefit from the years of work I did while in therapy. I am thinking it may be time to go back for "refresher" therapy, as I have some issues I would like to work out, but nothing that paralyzes me like they used to.
I strongly believe medication therapy should always be offered in conjunction with psychotherapy. They compliment each other. Plus, the meds will never address the psychological issues that cause severe depression, only chemistry.
I was going to ask before, but didn't. What is leading you guys to want a change of scenery?
I was going to let it slide. It's Dogen, after all.
I've lived in the same spot for almost 25 years and, while I am comfortable here, I think that I would thrive elsewhere. If it comes down to it, where the best job opportunity is here, then I'll stay, but I would really like to spread my wings, so to speak. I'm pretty sure that was a run-on sentence, but the commas are in the right places.
Have you tried psychotherapy? CBT is as effective as medication for mild to moderate depression, and can be done for 12-20 sessions and then stopped (unlike a medication). The standard of care these days is combined psychotherapy and medication, especially for more significant depression. So, seeing a specialist (such as a counselor) may give you a better idea which direction to go.
The nice thing about SSRIs is there are a lot of them. Your daughter may share your sensitivity to sertraline, she may not. A qualified professional can help you make that decision.
For what it's worth, I work in a psychiatric practice and see a ton of people on SSRIs. They're not one of the most prescribed classes of medications for nothing: lots of people take them without significant side effects. Millions of people. You just have to be willing to try more than one before you get it right.
Yes, I'm currently in it - for my anxiety. I've had pyschotherapy for years intermittently, and credit it as the # 1 thing that has kept me sane & emotionally healthy. I dont understand why people give therapy a bad rap; I think it's one of the best things you can do for yourself!!!
I recently left a soul-sucking job with horrible insurance & had to go back to nights, sigh, but now I have fantastic insurance....and am able to have my dtr also see this same psychologist when needed. She has seen her only a few times before, because we couldnt continue due to our crappy insurance.
So even though night shift is killing me in some ways, I feel very grateful to be developing a relationship with a Dr who is fantastic & who my dtr & I both see and trust.
My Lexapro decided to stop working. Pristiq was the one I had a hard time quitting. Had brain fuzziness and ringing ears for weeks. Hope you feel better soon
I was going to let it slide. It's Dogen, after all.
I've lived in the same spot for almost 25 years and, while I am comfortable here, I think that I would thrive elsewhere. If it comes down to it, where the best job opportunity is here, then I'll stay, but I would really like to spread my wings, so to speak. I'm pretty sure that was a run-on sentence, but the commas are in the right places.
I wish my hubs were as brave. I'd love to journey away from here.
My Lexapro decided to stop working. Pristiq was the one I had a hard time quitting. Had brain fuzziness and ringing ears for weeks. Hope you feel better soon
ixchel
4,547 Posts
I was going to ask before, but didn't. What is leading you guys to want a change of scenery?