Tdepression Presented like Never Before

So sorry you are feeling this way. I have struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life. I was on Zoloft for a long time and then it just stopped working. I tried Celexa for awhile and it worked for a bit but then stopped too. Now I am on Effexor which is a serotonin and norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor. I think I needed both so this one is working for me.

Good luck finding a great therapist quickly!!

Hang in there! {{{hugs}}}

D., I',m so sorry. The first thing you MUST do is get another person to help you. This woman evidently cannot help herself and should not be seeing patients anymore.

Find a doctor to help you with this medication. I have a feeling that you are on the wrong medicine. It is critical that you have a professional's help. Don't stop cold turkey - I have read bad things about people stopping their depression medicines without a doctor helping them wean off of them. After you get a doctor to help straighten out your meds, then another therapist can be helpful.

I wish you all the best here.

Dawn

Get rid of the therapist and see a psychiatrist. If you have a partner or family, have them advocate for you if you cannot muster the wherewithall to do it yourself.

If you haven't had a complete physical within the last year get one now. Our physical health plays a big role in our emotional health. I was having difficulty with depression this summer and none of the meds the nurse practitioner that I see prescribed were helping. I was also having diarrhea and was tired. I have IBS and so thought the diarrhea was the usual that I've learned how to manage over the years. After a couple of months I started having abdominal pain and went to the doctor. He, too, thought it was IBS but had me take in a stool sample. Turned out I had an infection. After 2 weeks of an anti-biotic the diarrhea was gone and within a month I was feeling good both physically and emotionally.

I've dealt with anxiety and depression all of my life. I'm taking Celexa now. It only started to help me after I was treated for the intestinal infection. Three months is too long to go on Zoloft without it helping you. My nurse practitioner changes my med after a month when it's not working.

You definitely need to find another therapist. In the meantime, ask your primary care doctor to prescribe something else.

I completely understand depression!

I am guessing that if u have been married for 23+ years, peri-menopause might be coming into play, too. Changes like brain fog, mood swings, etc. can very well take place during peri-menopause and can really make a woman's emotional state MORE challenging.

With depression, this could be a double-whammy.

Gerri is willing to talk w/ you.
That sounds like a wonderful idea!

Please keep us posted.

D.,
I was diagnosed bipolar 20 yrs ago & am very familiar w/depression. I'm not labeling you bipolar, just letting you know that I've experienced clinical depression and for a therapist to string you along & not refer you to someone else during their own illness/issues is rather unprofessional. Are you seeing a psychiatrist for your medications or are you going to a family dr? Is there the likelihood that you could go to some type of out-patient program at a hospital that would be able to get you on the correct medication & where you could go for therapy/group sessions & such. I was on zoloft a number of years ago & that worked almost immediately. I know what you mean by looking forward to sleeping or just getting away from everybody. You can PM any time you'd like if you need someone to vent to, I used to co-facilitate a Bipolar/Depression grou and am always here. You may even want to contact the Self Help Clearinghouse to see if there may be any groups available that you may be able to attend to find out other resources available in your area. I truly hope that things start to work out for you, but just know that there are many people who are willing to listen should you want to speak to them.

It sounds like you needed to up your dosage of the Welbutrin, not switch meds. Something similar happened to me, I also take Welbutrin. You really need to see someone, I know exactly where you are right now, and please just hang in there.
Have you tried cognitive therapy? If not, it's time to.

I'm going to throw in something else.

B12 deficiency.

The few symptoms you have mentioned are hallmarks for B12 deficiency, which is all too often mistaken for other problems. Some folks with B12 deficiency are certain that they have early Alzheimer's and depression!

Please head to the library and check out the book "Is It B12?" Talk to your primary care doctor about getting the proper tests, and increase your B12 intake ASAP.

Best of luck!

♥
C. Lee

I don't have personal experience with depression.

But reading your post, it would seem that your dosage needs to be tweaked or the drug changed. The therapist's ability & availability seems to be the issue here.

All I wanted to say was please call your PCP or heath care company for a reco for another doc. Help is out there for you. You don't need to suffer and watch life pass you by. All the best!

You are not alone and I promise you this shall pass. I have suffered panic attacks for years. I am on a low dose of paxil and its amazing how it keeps me at bay. I too have fallen into times where I am so anxious and depressed I can barely function. I feel like I am dying. Before I was diagnosed I would go to the er I was sure I was going to die. Then I would feel guilty for putting my husband through it. He is not understanding at all so thank god for my sister who suffers depression and is a nurse. I remember feeling just like you at one point it was so bad I needed someone to help me. I too never ever felt I wanted to die I just wanted it to stop. I even called 411 looking if their were some sort of support hot line. But all they had was suicidel hotlines. God knows I feel your pain and I wish I could reach through this computer and hold your hand. I want you to know this will get better. Talk with your dr. Research therapists and find a new one. Praying for a very very fast recovery. You are not alone. So many people suffer. No one would ever guess the struggle I have by meeting me. I hide it well. But depression is an awful awful feeling. Hugs to you. Message me if you just need an ear to listen.

It never clicked that I was depressed before. I had varying issues ranging from hiding in my room all day, to letting the clutter pile up. Everyone around me said I had no reason to be depressed, and to suck it up/grow up. I followed that advice for way too long. Way too long.

When I finally saw a therapist, she figured it out in one go, and had the doc prescribe for me Celexa(the very lowest dose you can take). I only take it when I feel depressed, which is mostly in the Summer, but also if I get any stressors hitting my trigger points, which in my case, can be as little as a bible thumper force-preaching to me when I try to make them leave. In my case, it's certain times and certain stressors that trigger lower than normal seratonin levels, and the Celexa helps balance it. I still have to get regular bloodwork done to check my overall health, even if I only take it one or two days a month. If they have not been monitoring your overall health on these medications, they should be.

That said, you need a new therapist. It's not going to be easy, but try and ask your Family Doc for referrals, and quick. See if he/she can help you stay on your medication until you can try their referrals firsthand.

Talk to someone, please. Even if it's random silly questions here, keep us posted, okay?

I went to my primary care doctor and laid it all out...this isn't working for me. I was dealing with severe depression due to chronic pain, but I do understand that deep dark pit you can't seem to escape.

I told him I needed help and I needed it now!! He looked at what I was taking and told me that it hadn't helped in the past (that type of anti-depressant) and we were going to go back to what had worked previously.

He got me on a plan build around his knowledge of my body and what works for me and what doesn't.

Go see your doctor and tell them, really tell them how bad it is and you need to get help and help now. I know it is hard to say how bad it really is, but once you unburden yourself they can take steps to really help you.

I am sending you a great big hug!! Do please keep us posted!! Get to your doctor!!

yes-please find a therapist that does EMDR-and best of luck.

Have you talked to your medical doctor?
You need your psychiatrist and your medical doctor on the same page.

D. -- I'm worried about you. Follow the ladies' advice, and please keep us posted, okay?

D.-
Sorry to hear about your situation. I was on antidepressants for a couple years. When I first went on them it was zoloft. I felt fine in the beginning and then it got to the point that all I wanted to do was sleep. I couldn't get up and do anything. The non focusing you are talking about and the no memory, etc are thngs I also experienced. I would ask to be on something different. Cymbalta worked for me. I would also suggest you find another councelor. I do not know if you go to church, but would recommend a Christian counselor.

Sorry I can't be of more help. Good luck and I will send prayers your way.
A.

I was having a lot of these symptoms and changed my depression meds several times til I found a combo of Wellbutrin and Cymbalta. I took Zoloft for years, but it didn't work well enough anymore, so I tried many others until we came up with this combo. You might need to try that.

I also had almost ALL of these symptoms when I stopped taking my Synthroid for my hypothyroid. I would ask your doctor to test your hormones and see if your thyroid is off.

Finally, I have heard of all of these symptoms with B12 deficiency as well.

I hope you get better soon, and yes you need a new counselor, but you also need to keep working with the doctor and meds too. Don't give up!!

Makes total sense...you need to call the hospital and get checked in.

Updated

Makes total sense...you need to call the hospital and get checked in.