Posted by MrSkoot99 on October 14, 2004, at 16:27:03
In reply to Re: To Everyone (And those trading SSRI for Welbutrin) » L McLean, posted by Jimmy Neal on October 14, 2004, at 14:55:57
> I am about to try Welbutrin.
>
> I am almost 57 years old and have suffered from seasonal affective disorder for most of my life. About 7 years ago my wife of 16 years was informed that she had cancer. She lived for 4 more years with chemo-therapy. She died about 3 years ago.
>
> One year after she was diagnosed with cancer, I was diagnosed with clinical depression, which has only gotten worse. I've been through Zoloft, Celexa, and Paxil. What has helped the most is Seroquel. I take one at night and get a really good night's sleep. It only helps, so, I am about to start on Welbutrin and hope for the best.
>
> One of the answers to this post seemed to suggest that we should live with the depression and accept it. NO, NO, NO!!!! I tried that and ended up laying on the couch for about 4 months, not eating and loosing about 40 pounds in the last 2 months, waiting to die.
>
> Once I accepted the depression as normal all of the feelings that come with it were normal, including the desire to die. While I still couldn't actively kill myself, I could just lay there and waste away; until a friend had had enough and forced me to get up.
>
> I can't say why, but through all of this wasting away I was still taking my Paxil every day. After my friend had "bugged" me for some time, I got up one day and decided to start fresh. I quit taking every medication, including Paxil. Within a few days I felt much better and even had a few laughs. Two weeks later I was working again and feeling close to normal.
>
> Four months of work and no medication, I quit. I just couldn't get through the day, again. The depression had creeped back into my life. Now I just sit and try to get motivated. Ocassionally, I get up and get started on something, but in a little while I'm back in the chair. I just returned from seeing my psychiatrist who prescribed Welbutrin in response to my question "is there anything I can take to give me some motivation?" I use the VA for my healthcare and will not get the prescription for a week, but I am hoping for some relief.
>
> I also have a psychology degree and understand that being depressed ocassionally IS normal. Being depressed for some time after a traumatic experience IS normal. Being depressed for 7 years IS NOT normal! Being depressed for more than a few days for no aparant reason IS NOT normal. Depression to the point of ruining your life IS NOT normal.
>
> Accepting depression as normal and part of our cultural diversity can lead only to more and deeper depression. This IS NOT part of a normal life! Fight for your sanity! One thing I have noticed is: if I get angry about my state of mind, I feel better. Anger is not a great state of mind, but a damned site better than wanting to die.
>
> JimmyI am taking Effexor 300mg per day and was also taking 200mg of Wellbutrin to elevate my mood (according to ther psychiatrist) b ut it didn't work so he changed to Seroquel - I am in the ptrocessof working up to 200mg per day, but I'm not sure I can get there. I am at 100mg per day and all I want to do is sleep. Do you take the Seroquel alone or with anything else?
poster:MrSkoot99
thread:393562
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041012/msgs/403065.html