Depression recurs while tapering

[LoveandLight]

What I mean though is has people recovered from depression occurring as a result of continuos re-in statement. As in treatment resistant. Can diet and the like work in cases like this?

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Would you like to participate in this? You'll see a lot of us can't because we know we won't ever take the drugs again. For me, I'll be taking life as it is handed to me from here on in, no chemicals. The depression that happens in WD was the worst I ever experienced but I came through it to the other side. If it ever comes again, I'll know what to do. Funny how I never knew that for most people, depression is time limited and usually resolves in 6 months or so. Diet, sleep, exercise, sunlight, distraction and for some, a hefty dose of CBT is all they need. Worked for me, the WD depression is gone.

[LoveandLight]

That's great I'm pleased for you

 

Will have a look at the study. I'm just wondering if treatment resistant means totally incurable does not even respond to the self care you listed above. I was well and truly hooked on the notion that I had a chemical imbalance so whenever withdrawal would hit I had no clue and of course the self care that would maybe work for natural depression just does not work..so back on meds..I would love to be med free and handle everything in the most natural way possible though..I would be devastated to go through all this to end up like that.

[Cdav]

Joannad, I have the same question as you. Since my med history is similar as yours. 

 

Right now I'm also having a very bad bout of depression. I'm feeling frustrated since the depression was getting better even though other WD symptoms were not so good. 

 

I want to know if depression is also a WD symptom and part of a wave? Or is it the original condition why they gave us those psychiatric meds. However, I don't remember being so horribly depressed before AD's, so this gives me a hint that it has to be WD or something related to the damage done by so many meds. I don't know. I just want to feel better. And more meds are not an option now. 

[Meimeiquest]

By Kelly Brogan MD, website www.kellybroganmd.com. http://www.madinamerica.com/2014/12/depression-serotonin/

[LoveandLight]

Sorry Cdav

 

I know, I just want to feel better also.

 

Hugs xx

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

By Kelly Brogan MD, website www.kellybroganmd.com. http://www.madinamerica.com/2014/12/depression-serotonin/

 

Excellent article, M. Reading it now. Did you post it in other threads, like "In The Media"?

[Cdav]

Very good article. Scary at the same time, but eye-opening. 

 

So what can be done about this dark depression that has come from WD? Just wait for it to go away? Does it go away?

 

I've tried every tool I have, but this is too much. 

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

To cdav:

 

It is a 'neuro-emotion' I wrote a post in my thread about it recently, look for the one that has the term "overshoot" in it.

 

There was nothing could do about it except cry and distract myself as best as I could. It was like nothing I ever experienced in my whole life.

 

Yes, it goes away. You can't wish it away. I have a post in my thread that explains what I did for the last year of my life which I believed helped me to get better. The info is all over this board.

 

Of course it is too much and the tools are there to help you cope, not make it go away. It went away when it went away is how it happened for me.

[Help777]

I'm feeling depressed. It seems to happen every few weeks for a few days at a time. Doesnt seem to matter where in the tapering i am. Is there another medication besides an ssri i can take for depression? I am worried i need something to help with this depression. What if it continues or worsens once i am completely withdrawn from the ssri? How else do others deal with depression?

[KarenB]

There are no medications which will 'cure' depression.  Depression is a withdrawal symptom. 

 

Depression also is a sign that all is not well in your life - and that is certainly the case when you are in w/d.  Was depression what you initially began SSRIs for?  I have had a long struggle with depression (ie for most of my life).  Here's my take on what helps us to manage depression (the long story is in my blog, see link in my signature).

 

The short story is that I've built up a combo of things that together have helped me manage depression.  I think of it as weaving a nest, weaving a held life. 

 

My 'feathers and twigs' include restorative yoga - which also helps you learn to listen to your body; eating whole foods; learning to meditate; finding time to be playful; regular counseling; writing; crying; developing deeper connections with a few close friends and asking for help; resting more; saying 'no' more; singing; dancing...

 

If you start to look, you will be able to build things into your life that uniquely support you.  It will be different to my list.  Eventually you'll be able to spot depressive waves as they approach, and you can be prepared for them.  That way they don't bowl you off your feet so much.   

 

There's no 'single' answer to depression; it requires changing one's life to a nurturing and supportive life.  It requires us to no longer try to push on through.  It requires us to listen to our body and soul, to create quiet places where our thoughts can come out to us, and where we can then acknowledge and respond to them.  

 

The more I've done this, the more the joy in my life has increased.  This is an immense change from where I once was.

 

If you start to build yourself a strong nest, then you needn't worry about what life post-SSRIs will be like because you'll have already have support in place around you.  A lasting, living support that brings goodness into your life, doesn't have side-effects and can't poop-out on you. 

[Help777]

Thank you for your insight. Those coping techniques resonate with me. But I don't understand what causes depression. Something physiologically makes me bottom out. It is real. It is not circumstances. In fact one circumstance feels completely different depending on whether i am content or depressed. I feel like it is mt fault but feel powerless to change whatever happens inside me. I feel like giving up some days and loving people the next. I can't understand it myself. Any advice?

[Trichotomous]

Yes, it is real. It is as real as the ground you stand on. You cannot reason it away. You can't just "get over it." Only the ill-informed think that way.

 

Fact is, no one knows exactly what causes this. It is suspected to be genetic in nature. There are often corresponding chemical imbalances affecting mood. But no one really knows what causes it. It remains one of the great mysteries of medical science.

 

Aside from antidepressants, there are a number of things that can lessen the severity of depression. Regular exercise is probably the best. Diet is important. Knowing if you're eating right requires help from medical experts who can analyze your blood eight ways to Sunday.

 

I'm on the depression roller coaster, myself. I miss the days when depression manifested as anger and aggression, because I wasn't sad the way I am now. Of course, I was making everyone else miserable. I probably still am.

 

Regular exercise is probably the best relief you can get.

[KarenB]

Hey Help,

 

Once we have taken SSRIs or other psych meds that change how our brains function, then depressions loses it's usual pattern as a response to something external.  It is known that psych meds can cause depression.  When we are tapering, or have ct'd or been bouncing round with doses, our brain is in even greater turmoil trying to get us 'right' again.  And you've had 16 years of brain-messing due to those drugs.

 

Have a read of Anatomy of an Epidemic.  So many studies are discussed in there.  Once a person's brain has been exposed to psych meds it becomes chemically imbalanced.  So now, in addition to regular old depression, the person must deal with the randomness of depression caused by the drug.  This won't correspond with any external factors because it's the result of a brain trying desperately to find some balance again. 

 

I am not a particularly scientific person, so this is really just what I have come to understand through my own experiences and then reading some books, and discussing with various people. 

 

What you are experiencing is not your fault.  Life throws hard stuff at us, and then we've ended up on these drugs which compound that.  I also used to be unable to see how I could ever get out of my depression.  I spent well over a decade feeling unfixable.  But in the end, perhaps with time, perhaps with enough life-supports woven around me, I have been able to do it.  Beginning to taper off SSRIs has certainly helped.  I can't explain any science behind it, but I feel very strongly that even when we can't see the way out, there still is a way out and we will eventually find our way onto that path.  

 

The path is the good things that we build into our life.  The change doesn't happen straight away.  And with the complication of w/d depression and neuro emotions etc, it can take longer.  But it can be done. 

 

I really feel for you, I know the pain of being in that place where you can't see a way out.  All I can do is share what I did - keep putting one foot in front of the other, and face yourself in the direction of healing.  Even if it feels bad for a while yet to come, you will eventually start to get there. 

[AprilShowers]

Hello Help, 

 

I think of depression as a symptom rather than an illness in and of itself. Like a physical symptom, say an ache, might have many possible causes and/or triggers I think depression does too so there isn't one fix all solution (despite big pharma's misguided attempts to convince us otherwise). 

 

That said, I've had some success with taking theraputic doses of omega 3 after reading a medical study that indicated it was as good as prozac at treating depression. I've taken them 18 months now. Vitamin C and inositol has helped me too but the omega 3 has been my core support against the depression spiralling out of control and I don't miss a day. 

 

Other supplements and dietary/livestyle changes may help too. 

[Petunia]

As Karen has written, many of the symptoms diagnosed as depression can be caused by withdrawal, we have topics on them see:  Severe Fatigue - Surviving Antidepressants    Anhedonia, apathy, demotivation, emotional numbness ...   Neuro-Emotions: Deep despair, dread, doom, horror ...    and  The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

If these are withdrawal induced symptoms, then they will pass in time as you recover.

 

But what is 'depression' anyway? As far as it being a diagnosis of an illness, its not a very scientific one because in reality its just an umbrella term for a bunch of symptoms which sometimes appear together, but it says nothing about what might be causing those symptoms.

 

Rather than immediately medicalize normal human emotions, thoughts and behaviors, and look for a pill to cure them, I think its more sensible to take the time to explore what's happening. Perhaps our body and mind has something important to tell us about ourselves and our life.

 

Are we feeling sad, tired, bored, unmotivated, guilty, angry, hopeless, angry, resentful, ashamed, apathetic, lonely, unappreciated, unloved, frightened, misunderstood..... what exactly is the sensation and what am I telling myself about it? What are my thoughts telling me, and is it the truth? If its true, can I do something about it? Maybe I need to look at my lifestyle, my diet, my relationships or my work.

 

Sometimes people get burned out for various reasons and end up exhausted, emotionally, physically and mentally, unable to even get out of bed in the morning, but perhaps this isn't an illness either, maybe its a perfectly reasonable response by an organism under threat, needing to do what's necessary for its survival.

 

If depression is something you struggled with before starting on medication, look a little deeper at what's going on, perhaps with the help of a good therapist, books and support groups. Finding out what's really causing us to be tired, unmotivated and unhappy is the first step towards finding a proper solution. Drugs don't cure anything, they just mask symptoms, cause harmful side effects and don't teach us anything about ourselves.

 

There are many theories about what causes people to become locked into the pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving, which gets called depression, but in reality, there's probably not one cause. Even though our brain chemistry may change according to the way we are feeling at a particular time, there's no evidence that any psychiatric illness is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

 

Please see:   Again, chemical imbalance is a myth. Stop the lies, please ...      

Causes of Depression - Research and Discussion - In the ...

Seeing Depression as a Call to Deep Rest

"Rebound depression" according to Joanna Moncrieff

Bipolar, Mania, Hypomania, Depression, or Drug Effects?

Edited February 8, 2016 by Petunia
added links

[Pepita]

the first thing I would try besides any medication is therapy:) 
It has always helped me the most. You just have to find someone good - I went to see a few people and if you are already a person that reflects a lot about him/herself you need somebody that can dig deeper:) 

[manymoretodays]

I don't do a lot of digging with my therapist.  I trained her as to what I need when I am depressed and she generally delivers.  Encouraging words.  New ideas for coping or shifting my mindset.

 

I rest.  Focus on eating.  Painfully sometimes I decrease my stressors.  Music.  Distractions.  Do the bare minimum.  Winter here so my fake sunlight, warm baths, and fireplaces.  I try and just stay comfy and cozy.

 

Happify.com was kind of fun today.

 

I am trying to squeak my way through that desire for an antidepressant myself.

[Bellisimo]

i know depression is hard. 
Try to get as much sunlight u can get , and exercise (if u can exercise) and try force yourself to stay active if you can. Depressionmode in wd was for me one of the hardest periods, but it went away. 

[Help777]

When did it go away for you?