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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JGm on July 19, 2002, at 18:25:49
Help!
My brain is completely imprisoned in the past stories: all mistakes I've done comes up and fill my head.
I can't think about a future cause i see it just like my past was.
I can't forget and pass all my time and my energy thinking about those dammned bad stories. I can't sweep them out of my mind, and that is all that i have.
No future only recriminations about that i've done and that shouldn't be done!
What should i do to relieve this torture?
I was on all kind of AD (ssri, snri, tca.....) but nothing help me at all.
Parhaps neuroleptics (zyprexa?) could help me?
Thanks for your share!!!
Heeeeeeeeelp!!!!! This is the Hell!!!
Posted by janejj on July 19, 2002, at 18:41:41
In reply to I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by JGm on July 19, 2002, at 18:25:49
Hi,
Sorry to hear that you are feeling this way....its a nasty place to be in ! Sounds like rather than just meds you need therapy as well. By therapy I think you need to try cognitive behavioural therapy, I think thats what its called ! Basically it trys to change the way you think, so that you aren't constatnly thinking about the past etc.
I read a really good book called 'feeling good; the new mood therapy' by David. M Burns. Its a good start if you want to help yourself and start getting rid of those bad thoughts.
Good luck to you !!
Janejj
Posted by joy on July 19, 2002, at 19:38:28
In reply to Re: I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by janejj on July 19, 2002, at 18:41:41
"Feeling Good" is an excellent book. For some reason cognitive therapy works easier for men. It's retraining the brain, but most of us need medication together with brain training. I always tell myself how lucky I am when I'm feeling a little blue, and I believe it so it snaps me out of it!
Joy
Posted by rodm on July 21, 2002, at 2:07:41
In reply to I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by JGm on July 19, 2002, at 18:25:49
> Help!
> My brain is completely imprisoned in the pastExactly what kind of help are you receptive to? I don't desire to give unwanted advice, do you mean medical, or spiritual, or something else, you can reply to this e-mail address if you want confidentiality. mvr1256@yahoo.com
Posted by JGm on July 21, 2002, at 7:11:33
In reply to Re: I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by rodm on July 21, 2002, at 2:07:41
Thanks to everybody for your reply!
Janejj and Joy: I've read a lot of book without any help or relief.
However, i will try to find out the title you gave me!
Rodm: i think actually i need a chemical help: some drug that kick out of my mind those intolerable reminds and mistakes i've done and always torture my head: i would like to "ctrl-alt-del" my head and begin again with empty brain.
I think that only a drug could help me to do this in small time.
I was on all kind of AD but they do not help me at all.....so i was thinking about neurolepthics (Zyprexa?), but i do not know them at all and their efficency.
Thanks for you help!
Posted by katekite on July 21, 2002, at 20:34:33
In reply to Re: I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by JGm on July 21, 2002, at 7:11:33
Hi JGm,
If antidepressants haven't really helped at all then its logical to move on to another class of medication.
What you describe reminds me of post-traumatic-stress + either anxiety or obsessing. Post-traumatic stress is where people practically re-live bad previous events. It doesn't have to be vietnam to be considered post-traumatic. It could be many small traumas. Like you go to buy a car and for the weeks beforehand you re-live every vehicle accident you had including little fender-bumps, or every poor purchase you ever made, because the current event seems similar, or that it could be similar. (Most people remember past traumas but without the depth of feeling.) If you hate this vivid remembering or obsess about it all, it gets very awful very fast and interferes with thinking constructively about the present, let alone the future.
Take the PTSD idea with a grain of salt as I'm sure anxiety, obsessing or depression itself could do this to someone too.
But since I'm already on the PTSD idea, I'll keep going. There are several drug classes used. Mainly the ssris, neuroleptics and the anti-epileptics. You've done the ssris I'm thinking since you said you've taken antidepressants.
Neuroleptics: Xyprexa is a good possibility. Risperdal is very similar and you would choose between them based on what particular side effects are more common with each. Be aware that they are strong drugs, you will feel drugged until you get used to it (a week or so to find the right dose). In a study of ptsd xyprexa decreased symptoms by something like 70% though, so it may be worth a try. Usually in the studies they try to get people with very classic ptsd (like soldiers just off the boat or whatever), so its hard to know how the statistics might apply to people who have a different type of it.
The anti-epileptic I've heard of in PTSD is Topomax. But probably if that works then other anti-epileptics would work too. Lamictal is another one that supposed to have slight anti-depressant properties too.
Have you ever tried the anti-anxiety drugs like Klonopin, Ativan or Buspar? What did they do?
Kate
Posted by judy1 on July 22, 2002, at 16:50:37
In reply to I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by JGm on July 19, 2002, at 18:25:49
Before you go to the major tranquilizers (like zyprexa et al) why don't you try the minor tranquilizers like xanax et al. I agree with katekite that it sounds like ptsd- and the benzos and THERAPY work extremely well for that. The reason I'm so against taking the APs like zyprexa is because I developed TD on them- why take that risk? Even when I get psychotic, I take it for the minimum time I can. Take care, judy
Posted by McPac on July 22, 2002, at 17:12:18
In reply to I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by JGm on July 19, 2002, at 18:25:49
JGm
Although you didn't provide the necessary specifics, you may be describing OCD's obsessive thoughts. Could you be more specific in your problem?
This is the end of the thread.
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