Depression sucks.

[unixronin]

And there's not a lot more than that to say.

My parents know a psychologist who does disability evaluations in Spokane, Washington.  When the subject of my foot trouble and the continuous pain came up in connection with applying for disability, he said, "Of course he's depressed.  Everyone who's in constant pain is depressed."

I hate that it's so hard to find joy in anything any more, or find sufficient motivation to do things.

Comments

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

(forgive me unixronin for I am in a foul mood and will smite the unwary)

dakiwiboid, unixronin does indeed think that he shouldn't take anything for his pain unless it is so excruiating that he can't think, move, eat, or sleep.

dakiwiboid, jilara was there when unixronin tried to treat his symptoms of SSRI usage with a katana. I AGREE with her that under no circumstances what SO EVER should he ever attmept to take another SSRI. They were in no way exaggerating when they said that SSRIs are hellish on him.

Then I reiterate my suggestion of sunshine

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

Although it can be damned near impossible to get oneself to do it, exposure to sunshine can help to a marked degree, as can forcing oneself to eat a reasonable diet. I know that it sounds old-fashioned, but there's new science to support it. My older sister's been prescribed light treatment, but sunshine is free.

However, if you re-read jilara's post calmly, you will see that it does imply that SSRIs simply treat EVERYONE's symptoms rather than providing substantive help. It WAS quite condescending.

Re: Then I reiterate my suggestion of sunshine

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

jilara said "Sure there are people who really do have biochemical conditions they help. But anything that says "Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor" with Alaric is like saying "Here, take this cynaide..." The problem is that antidepressants are usually issued treat symptoms rather than actual causes. The cause here is chronic pain. Different from seratonin reactions."

Let's go over that statement, shall we? people who really do have biochemical conditions they help does not imply EVERYONE to me. Then there is her use of the words usually and issued. Interesting word choices don't you think? Not that it is taken to treat the symptoms but that it is issued to treat them. One could take from that statement that jilara has little confidence in psychatrists.

Sunshine is indeed free. If it isn't raining. If it isn't snowing. If it isn't so cold that you can't go out. If you don't live in the middle of a row of townhouses that back against a wooded hillside (this is my pet peeve.)

Diet is the one thing that I think we haven't tackled yet that we really should as he often doesn't eat. Which is the vicious cycle. Don't eat so you feel bad so you don't feel like eating so you feel bad...

Re: Then I reiterate my suggestion of sunshine

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

Yeah, diet could be a good thing to consider.

Is the weather already crappy up in New Hampshire, then?

I wouldn't call it crappy...

[cymrullewes.livejournal.com]

But it is always dark in the house. It's in the middle of the row and the backyard is a wooded hill.

It was actually beautiful and sunny the last few days but promising clouds and rain and snow by the weekend.

I like that sort of weather but I know that I'm abnormal in that regard.

There isn't much of a front yard for him to sit in and we haven't any loung chairs and he wouldn't be able to carry them about any how.

Soon as he's allowed his shoe again he could put the trailer on to his bike and carry the smalls about in the early afternoon before Goose gets home.

This time change is for the birds. I'd much prefer to go to work in the dark and come home to sunshine.

Re: I wouldn't call it crappy...

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this place is very dark. In addition to the above factors, it's deep and narrow with windows only on the ends, most of them small.

When you folks get decent enough health insurance

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

Some doctors will prescribe light boxes. My sister's doctor did. You can also find the plans around to build one fairly cheaply.

Re: Then I reiterate my suggestion of sunshine

[jilara.livejournal.com]

Make of me whatever. I've learned that people will read into any statement whatever they want.

I know people who, after proper evaluation, are issued antidepressants and have very good luck with them, and it normalizes their life. Because they are properly evaluated and properly monitored. And situations can change. A friend who had good luck with Zoloft in the past and went off it for a few years recently went back on it because of depression in dealing with his mom's failing health. He got side effects so severe he literally couldn't walk, and they tested him for things like MS, etc. The doctor finally said "Let's try discontinuing the Zoloft." He made a full recovery after stopping the SSRI.

On the other hand, some doctors simply regard it as a panacea for the stressed or depressed. My best friend went to her doctor with various "stress" symptoms and was given prescription for antidepressants. They didn't seem to help, but her doctor told her to keep taking them. It turns out that some of the symptoms she was describing were those now known within the range of female *heart disease* --which killed her with a fatal heart attack a couple years later. (For those who haven't heard, anxiety, feelings of dread, etc. are now recognised symptoms of women's heart disease.) I've often wondered if her widower ever called the doctor and said "boy, did you ever screw up on my wife's diagnosis." I know I sure wanted to.

There are all sorts of bad doctors, not just psychiatrists

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

My migraines were dismissed as "allergy headaches" by my allergist for years. I have been mishandled by chiropractors and more appropriately and holistically helped by physical therapists.

One psychiatrist I know is now working on with a radical therapy which is totally inappropriate for unixronin. However, periodically, I say a prayer for him and the progress of his research, because he's working to end the practice of electroconvulsive therapy for intractible depression through the use of magnetic treatments. It sounds absolutely crazy when described that simply, but the science is sound. I worked for a university's chemistry department for 20 years and a med school psychiatry department for three and can puzzle through a NMR/MRI abstract and most psychiatry papers. The research in this area looks like it's going somewhere. I hope it works.

Re: There are all sorts of bad doctors, not just psychiatrists

[jilara.livejournal.com]

I can hope medical research continues to look into different solutions, since we too often fall into one-size-fits-all treatments. I have more than a little interest in that my grandfather, grandmother, and father's brother were all in medicine (and I almost went into pharmacy, myself).

Er..... Take <s>2</s> <b>3, DAMMIT</b>

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

dakiwiboid, unixronin does indeed think that he shouldn't take anything for his pain unless it is so excruiating that he can't think, move, eat, or sleep.

This is a bit of an oversimplification. The problem is that most of the regular over-the-counter painkillers seem to have become ineffective on me -- or maybe it's just that they aren't strong enough to do the job -- while prescription painkillers that are strong enough to do the job leave me woozy and non-functional, and in some cases (Percocet, for example) have a tendency to make me nauseous. So I avoid taking them unless the pain's bad enough that I'm non-functional due to the pain anyway, because if I'm going to be non-functional, I may as well at least be non-functional and not hurting; but if I'm going to be in pain anyway, I may as well be in pain and still functional.

Re: Er..... Take <s>2</s> <b>3, DAMMIT</b>

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

And WTF, we can't use even BOLD tags in comment titles now?!?

What's next, all-flat-ASCII LiveJournal?!? This is getting bloody ridiculous. Snap the hell out of it, Livejournal!!!!!