Posted by KarenB on June 13, 2000, at 13:49:28
In reply to Re: Carol Ann, Dopamine and others..., posted by claire 7 on June 13, 2000, at 9:51:18
Dear claire,
Thank you for your post and for the clarification. I had a feeling that you were not as offended by my suggestion as you were trying to make a point for tolerance of non-medicinal approaches.
In my opinion, we ARE a minority here already. Not only are most of us labeled "mentally ill," we are in the "treatment resistant" subcategory thereof.
I am not against alternative treatment - I'll try it all, if there's a chance it will work. I've literally suffered all my life and want, desperately, to get well. However, I think it wise to do it systematically and with knowledge behind my med trials. That is why I come here and I'm still glad that I do. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a doc who is as knowledgable as he/she should be and caring enough to truly help me. So, I pay the outrageous fees and I do much of the research. They hold the pen and the pad. Otherwise, I would most likely be on the SSRI du jour, going more insane by the day.
I am a mother of two small children and do not want to miss a single minute of their childhood - that is why, despite financial strain, I stay home with them. Nor do I want them to have a Mommy who is not truly alive and all she really IS. I have a lot to give and teach them when I am well and functional. I don't need to be 100% to do that - I'm not 100% NOW but it sure beats what I am WITHOUT the meds. Without them, my mind goes straight to suicidal ideology without passing "Go."
If cognitive therapy worked for me, I'd be doing it. I've tried herbs, meditation, etc., etc. In my teens I self medicated with illicit street drugs. That did not work very well but it was actually better than the SSRIs:) With God's help (and ONLY because of His help)I got off alcohol and illegal drugs 18 years ago and didn't even take aspirin for the first 10 years. Unfortunately, the depressions got deeper and longer in duration, to the extent that meds were my only option for relief and some semblance of normalcy. And, for you friends of Bill, I was fully sober, worked all 12 steps and was not on a "dry drunk," as they say.
We are all at different levels of treating our "conditions," so I agree that we should be a little more tolerant of one another's current regimin or point of view, whatever they may be. However, the delivery of those opinions must be respectful, if they are to be received. I think that is what is meant by "please be civil." There's a big difference between being offended by someone's position and being personally hurt. I'm talking to myself here too, claire.
BTW, I'm completely understanding of CarolAnn's post. The moral of that story is: never... EVER, EVER ask someone who has not suffered real depression to give you advice on feeling better. Don't even tell them anything that may be misinterpreted as a solicitation. Unless... you want to be told to "pick yourself up by your own bootstraps, walk on the sunny side of the street, make lists of things for which you're grateful, get your nails done and take a bubble bath..." That all sounds great, when I'm not depressed. When I am, I couldn't care enough to do any of those things if I tried.
Wishing you wellness.
Karen
poster:KarenB
thread:36828
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/37171.html