Hi all
This is just a quick message to introduce myself. I am a 45 year old male and I have been on long term antidepressants for over 10 years. I am currently on venlafaxine 150 mg and have found this the most effective medication I have been on. Recently however I have been feeling more "low" than normal and this is why I have just started the Depression Program. I don't know if it will help or how much but think it's worth a try. I hope I manage to get this posting right as I am not familiar with the software.
Good luck to evryone else on the Program
Many thanks for the 2 replies I have received already. They are much appreciated. This is a very quick message as it is early morning where I live. I would love to hear the experiences and views of others as I am so new to this. Hopefully we may be able to help one another which would be really good.
All the best.
Hi Kendy
I was very sorry to hear that you're feeling so low. I wouldn't exactly wasnt to say that the advice to "keep fighting it" etc is wrong, but sometimes when we feel as low as you do I think we can reach a point when we CAN'T in fact keep fighting anymore and the effort and feelings of hopelessness in trying to do so makes us feel far worse. Also of course "trying" and "fighting" don't of themselves always help anyway. Suppose for example you are trying to undo a bolt. You can put tremendous effort and energy into it but if you try to unscrew it THE WRONG WAY then not only will you not undo it but you will in fact make it tighter!
Perhaps for a time you should "give yourself permission" to give up the struggle, to STOP fighting, until you get yourself more help - the right kind of help so that you will be in a much better position to take some small steps for yourself. I think doing this program will help as may considering whether you need some more medication or a different kind of medication.
I hope that the above may be of use and that you will post again to let us all know how you are getting on. Most of us "have been there, done that and got the T - shirt" to use an expression common in my country. We're still here - just about - which proves that it is possible to come through these experiences although if you pardon the language they're bloody horrible at the time.
Kind regards
MRB
I have chosen 3 treatment goals. These are 1) to tidy up my home. This will include getting rid of unwanted items as I am a bit of a hoarder, 2) to overcome "residual" OCD symptoms. Many years ago I had OCD and although I don't really have it now I still have some minor symptoms and I think it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of these 3) to develop a regular practise of self hypnosis. I have had some formal training in hypnotherapy and self hypnosis. Since starting the DC Program I have purchased a brilliant self confidence hypnosis CD and while listening to it I experience little or no feelings of depression. I have drawn up preliminary treatment plans for these 3 goals but these will require some further work.
I hope this is of interest or use to others doing the program.
Best wishes
MRB
Hi Kendy
Was very sorry to hear of your continuing problems. I have not had electo-shock therapy myself but my mother has, many years ago. It did help her, although I can't help feeling that in her case the doctors should have tried medications for longer. She was in a psychiatric unit but did not appear suicidal or in a hazardous physical state eg not eating. She however acquiesced with this treatment and my brother was also in favour so I went along with it. It was quite a long time ago but I remember the main details. As I understand it it is not in any way painful although afterwards the person might have a headache for a time or temporary confusion. I don't think my mother had any pain or really bad side effects. The doctors are aware of the immediate after-effects this treatment may have and build in a recovery period after the treatmentt before the patient goes back to the ward or goes home if they are an outpatient. I believe it is sometimes given to outpatients in my country, but am not sure of the position where you live. It is ultimately your decision and you should consider it in the light of your level of distress and lack of response to meds. It can be very effective in the case of severe depression but as with all things there are no guarantees and successful treatment will not necessarily prevent you from becoming depressed again in future. Also the docs will probably want you to continue with some medication as well. Hope this is of use and good luck.
Regards
MRB
Hi Twilight Tender and welcome to the Support Group. I am not a new member but still relatively new and have completed the first 2 sessions of the program. I am pleased that you have a positive approach to this. Unlike yourself I am not currently attending any therapy groups etc, but I have done in the past, and agree with you that there is something about the "anonymity" of this particular approach that can in fact be quite helpful.
In keeping with this positive approach of yours, which all of us depression sufferers doing the program are trying to keep or develop, I was interested in your comment "...I go to sessions...and I act so much better than I am..." I can certainly understamd that situation, but what is a bad thing in one way ie "I cannot tell these people how bad I really feel" does have a positive element to it as you have said "I act so much better than I am." This is really very positive because it means that you ARE able to act in this way on occassion at least, whereas whem we at at our worst we can't even PRETEND that we're OK because we feel so bad. I certainly couldn't when I felt that bad but when I began to get a little better I also found that I could "act" better than I was.
I'm probably not explaining this very well but I think this is a helpful sign for you that you can continue to build on so that one day you will act so much better because you ARE so much better. That is certainly my hope for you and of course for myself and all of us doing this program and/or using this Support Group.
I hope you will let us all know how things are going as you continue to use this program.
Best wishes
MRB
:)
Hi Paul and welcome. I too like gabbi can't help wondering whether it is the meds that you are on that are causing some of your unpleasant experiences. I don't want to sound flippant, but I think that if I was on so many meds that I wouldn't be able to feel anyhting at all, good or bad! It is a tribute to you that you are able to pursue academic study against that background. Since from what you write, even with these meds, you are still experiencing a lot of unpleasant feelings, even if they aren't caused by the meds, I wonder if it might be a good idea to ask your doctor to rationalise them so that you might for example be able to take 3 different meds rather than 5.
Also, and again not wanting to sound flippant, it does seem that you have also "collected" a large number of diagnoses over the years. I can't help wondering of what use are all these particular diagnoses? This of course is in no way your fault. Like the rest of us posting here you have had lots of problems over the years, but what we all need is HELP not labels. The "labels" can themselves sometimes help of course, but often they don't as in your case. I think there is a large degree of medicalisation and mystification with all these diagnoses. After all we are all people with problems and unhappiness. We want to overcome them and move forward, whereas it seems that diagnoses in some ways "justifies" them and "locks" them in. I've been diagnosed as suffering from x. I'm an x person and it's partly genetic. But I am NOT an x person and neither are you. We really need treatments, not diagnoses; perhaps we should "treat" ourselves better and ask the medical profession to do the same.
You are still young, and even the passage of time itself can be a great healer. After all once you felt better than you do now and I am sure you will again one day. It's just preety horrible inbetween.
Sorry my approach is irreverent. I do take your situation seriously and mine as well. But not too seriously - after all that hasn't got us very far to date has it?
Best wishes
MRB
Hi gr8fl
I was interested in your post because I am also on 150mg of Efexor (venlafaxine) a day. I am taking a modified release version which I undestand can cut down on side effects. I take it first thing in the morning rather than last thing at night. I don't think that I have ever missed a dose so don't really know what effect this would have on me (I have been on Efexor for about 2 years). I do know that other people on this medication can have the sort of effects you describe if they miss a dose, so what you are experiencing sounds a preety normal response. I have also read that some people can have a severe reaction if they miss a dose but I should think this is unusual. With my Efexor is a patient information leaflet that explains that if a dose is missed it can be taken up to 12 hours after you would normally have taken it, so it might be worth your while asking your doctor or pharmacist if you could do this. Presumably you didn't get a leaflet with your medication. I live in the UK, and we normally get these leaflets with medications of any kind.
Speaking more generally, I have found this antidepressant the most helpful of any I have ever taken, and bearing in mind what others in this discussion have said I did have some initial side effects but most of them disappeared over time, and the remaining ones are quite minor.
You don't say how long you have been on Efexor, or whether it is helping you. If you are new to it you will probably find it takes a few weeks before you start to feel really better. If it doesn't help you, as I am sure you know, there are several dozen alternatives that can be tried and it is highly likely that something will help.
I hope the above is helpful and perhaps you will let us know how you are getting along.
Best wishes
MRB
Hi chaptertwelve
To answer your question in the topic title, yes, that is Efexor (venlafaxine) is often taken in the morning. This is because for many people it can have an "alerting" or mild "stimulant" effect so that if it was taken too late in the day it could interfere with the person getting off to sleep. I myself am on 150mg modified release Efexor (spelt with one f in my country) which I take in the morning as advised by my doctor. Previously when I was taking Efexor more than once a day I was asked to take the last dose of the day late afternoon. Again this is because of the alerting affect. Some people, however, respond differently from most, and a medication that normally has the alerting affect mentioned can in fact make them feel very sleepy! In this case their doctor may advise them to take it last thing at night. I think it would be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor to see if taking it at a different time would be better for you. If taking it last thing at night actually helped you to sleep then this would be very good as you might be able to cut down or even cut out your sleeping meds.
Hope this is of some use.
Best wishes
MRB
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