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

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).