I have dealt with a multi-year depression and I also have dealt with meds that needed to be changed and with reactions to them that were sometimes good and sometimes bad. I cannot BELIEVE you had a medical professional treat you the way you did. It's totally uncalled for in my opinion and in my experience.
Are you entering perimenopause? I ask because I was your age when I started into it (the beginning of irregular periods, and extra moodiness, and some hot flashes and insomnia from time to time) and I believe that for many of us, when our hormones begin changing, a lot of other things in our bodies go awry. We don't connect them all (and often doctors treat just the symptoms we tell them about.) But depression is very common in perimenopause and I am wondering if the Zoloft stopped working for you partly because this is a possibility.
I know that you have been dealing with this for 14 years, so you know a lot about it. But please hear this again: This is not your fault. You didn't do anything to bring it on and you can't just wave a magic wand and "tough it out." Depression is emotional, biochemical and physical, and it affects each of us in different ways. You might try several medicines before you find the one that works for you. Perhaps the Pristiq will be what helps you (two weeks is probably not enough time to know for sure.)
My advice? Yes, go to the appointment on the 12th and see how it goes. Tell the psychiatrist that you are still not doing well in a variety of ways and that you're interested in finding out why. If she or he treats you poorly, do this: Make other appointments with him or her so that you can continue in his or her care until you find another doctor. At the same time, go back to your regular doctor and ask for another referral to a different psychiatrist. In other words, I don't want you to go without treatment while you wait to get in to see someone else.
Keep exercising -- I think it is AWESOME that you do it without fail, and i know it is helping even if it doesn't feel like it. Keep being grateful for those fabulous kids. When you're back in bed at 2:30, that's ok -- see if you can get yourself to move out to the couch by 4:30, maybe? Every little thing helps.
Hang in there, and let us know what happens next, OK? You have a lot of understanding and empathy here and we don't want you to feel like you're out there all alone.
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Francene,
I have dealt with a multi-year depression and I also have dealt with meds that needed to be changed and with reactions to them that were sometimes good and sometimes bad. I cannot BELIEVE you had a medical professional treat you the way you did. It's totally uncalled for in my opinion and in my experience.
Are you entering perimenopause? I ask because I was your age when I started into it (the beginning of irregular periods, and extra moodiness, and some hot flashes and insomnia from time to time) and I believe that for many of us, when our hormones begin changing, a lot of other things in our bodies go awry. We don't connect them all (and often doctors treat just the symptoms we tell them about.) But depression is very common in perimenopause and I am wondering if the Zoloft stopped working for you partly because this is a possibility.
I know that you have been dealing with this for 14 years, so you know a lot about it. But please hear this again: This is not your fault. You didn't do anything to bring it on and you can't just wave a magic wand and "tough it out." Depression is emotional, biochemical and physical, and it affects each of us in different ways. You might try several medicines before you find the one that works for you. Perhaps the Pristiq will be what helps you (two weeks is probably not enough time to know for sure.)
My advice? Yes, go to the appointment on the 12th and see how it goes. Tell the psychiatrist that you are still not doing well in a variety of ways and that you're interested in finding out why. If she or he treats you poorly, do this: Make other appointments with him or her so that you can continue in his or her care until you find another doctor. At the same time, go back to your regular doctor and ask for another referral to a different psychiatrist. In other words, I don't want you to go without treatment while you wait to get in to see someone else.
Keep exercising -- I think it is AWESOME that you do it without fail, and i know it is helping even if it doesn't feel like it. Keep being grateful for those fabulous kids. When you're back in bed at 2:30, that's ok -- see if you can get yourself to move out to the couch by 4:30, maybe? Every little thing helps.
Hang in there, and let us know what happens next, OK? You have a lot of understanding and empathy here and we don't want you to feel like you're out there all alone.
February 1, 2010 - 11:52amThis Comment
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