When I took Seroquel I suddenly woke to my tongue so swollen I couldn't swallow and I had trouble breathing.
I had a serious allergic reaction to that drug. (it was scary)

I had to take 5 or 6 different medications before I finally figured out which one was the right one for me.
I think that's the battle won there.

Unfortunately all the other med's made me sick as well.

Finally, a daily dose of aripiprazole keeps the depression and the post tramatic stress in check.
The scary thing is that aripiprazole can make the red blood cell count unhealthy and there is a risk that you can slip into a coma during sleep.

I'm not sure why but anti-depressants cause weight gain but I have that licked with regular exercise.

Most of the depression lifted after throwing the X out:- (seriously)

Your right; these kinds of med's should never be abruptly stopped.
In some cases it can cause a heart attack.

Another thing that might help is get some good old fashion sunshine every day if you can.
Vitamin K is good for depression.

Not getting your proper rest is one of the worst things; I feel for you and I know what that's like.

Your in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you the best.
Don't quit and don't give up. Keep on keeping on.

Take life potion every second or milli, micro, nano, armstrong, pico, femto, atto.

I work with vulnerable adults (16+). Most of my clients are offenders, homeless, problems with substance abuse but generally they all tend to suffer with depression - most claim to be suicidal or have thoughts of committing suicide/being better off dead. I use these exact words when they make mention of suicide a lot. My boss was worried when I started it until she saw the impact it had but it's toeing the line and you have to be sure the client doesn't actually want to. The difference is those who want to will; those who have thoughts of being better off dead don't. It's usually said as a last resort to make the person rethink exactly why they're having these thoughts and if there's any substance to it. I'll give you an example.

My client, a young male in his early 20s. Unemployed, on 12 month probation for something he will always feel guilty about for the rest of his life. He has problems with alcohol and almost had to intervene with external outreach workers for worries of increased likelihood of drug overdose. I said this to him and he came back to me for a weekly session and told me he had been thinking of what I said about not being able to do anything about it. He said his feelings were more calmed and he accepted that he didn't actually want to. A problem with depression is you can't accept the truth sometimes because you shield yourself from it subconsciously believing that it will either be painful or a struggle. From that moment on he accepted and worked hard with various counsellors and treatments until he left the scheme and is now living independently in a new social circle and was close to securing employment.


A general rule of thumb when it comes to psychological hardship treatments is if the professional said something that made you think about it it was for a very good reason and, usually, deliberate.


But I'm seeing a pattern in your posts. It seems you spend time researching these things. Exposing yourself to these things can be the root cause of it all. I've seen many clients who do this to themselves. Try not to expose yourself so much because it accepts what you see as an inevitability when, in fact, it may end up hindering your success with your DBT sessions.

Good luck on your treatment though. Hopefully it'll all go well.

Those are good points. I don't wish to raise anyone's temper either with my limited amateur observations. I'm the exact opposite of a counselor. I only deal with person's if it's a life situation which comes up and I'm involved somehow. Meaning a family member, or friend and I'm knowledgeable about things because of that. Not saying I avoid it or have a lack of compassion. Saying instead that I'm not in any profession where I'd be a counselor, nor regularly encounter persons with social or mental problems where they'd be openly identified. But obviously being a member of life, you do encounter people who need help. What those thoughts make me think about though are (1) I am in agreement that the sentiment of calling someone's bluff is applicable (2) I've found, for lack of better term, drama persons who just take that to a higher notch. They'd lambaste you for suggesting that, storm away from you, or change direction and raise 100 other points, and in short you'd make zero progress. They throw out a drama based declaration, you did call their bluff, but they don't get the point. They just get madder, or whatever, and 2, 3, or 6 months later it's the same conversation all over again. After about iteration number 3 you start pointing that out and pointing out that they really ought to seek some solutions other than threats. Sometimes that works at that point, sometimes it just changes the whole threat-venue to something else. Unfortunately for me, when I encounter situation #2 in repetition, there's really little I'm equipped to do to handle that or help them. Not being trained, yes I realize that listening helps, but you end up hearing the same excuses or complaints and I'd guess that in anyone's eyes who has dealt with a problem of any type, that person likely sits there listening and thinking, "The solution here is just so easy! Or can be.", and so the whole issue is communicating effectively that to the first person. And honestly, emotions do get involved in these types of cases, because likely it is a family member, there's history, they may be attacking you, or other family members, or you've seen this behavior many times before. Same thing if they're a close friend. It's sometimes a tough judgment call where you have to say to someone that they need to seek professional counseling.

Only if listening doesn't hurt you because that can be really draining.

I deal with clinical depression, but it's less severe than what's been mentioned in this thread. I'm genetically disposed to it. I've never had suicidal thoughts or anything, but I have gone through some very low, apathetic, miserable stretches. I started taking meds and it cleared up over the next couple months. I'd thought during my depressive periods that I was getting stupid or something, and it was just the depression. I stopped feeling tired all the time, and I slept better and had more energy. I stopped getting headaches.

Prozac (fluoxetine) works well for me, if I can remember to take it; I have to take it in the morning because it keeps me from sleeping otherwise, and I'm not the clearest in the morning. But it's stopped me from feeling miserable. I don't need a ton of it, but a consistent low dose stops me from being miserable and sleepy.

So, meds aren't always bad. They don't work for everyone, but don't be discouraged from trying them by this thread.

My problem with the meds is that it would make me very drowsy in the morning, so it was suggested to take them at night along with the remeron (sleep-aid), and I sleep better and feel less sluggish in the morning.

That's good news.

Do you feel better than last you made a post?

I'm not sure if that was the case at the time, but my new therapist often asks questions that really make me think, and he's made it clear there's a purpose for it.

I have spent some time researching, yes, but mainly to keep informed and read different points of views, and to help others understand the risks are often higher than indicated by doctors, Pharma, etc, and to encourage people to get more information than what's offered inside a 15-minute appt. But I do tend to overdo it sometimes. I've been taking a break from it, focusing on other things lately, and am continuing with the weekly indie and group sessions. Thanks for your feedback and insight.

Some related info about DBT:

It's always great to hear somebody's stories, especially more so when it sounds like they're making progress. It sounds as though you've been doing just that so I cross my fingers for you.

Mental health is a very stigmatised and overlooked range of conditions still which is a shame. But awareness is thankfully increasing.

It all depends on the person and the problem in the end, doesn't it. Historical issues, such as those from childhood, as the root cause of the problems usually need counseling whereas things such as fears or anxiety can be dealt with on a more hands on approach such as Exposure and Response Prevention therapy. From what I've seen, though, personal help can help just as much as professional providing the person in question can open up.

Thank you.

'Tis the season to be jolly. Even it must be forced upon you .

Merry Christmas everyone. Happy? New Year.

The winter holidays are notorious for being a high stress time of year since any possible highs are concomitantly reflected in the possible lows. Being aware that this is a package deal can help, especially if one doesn't fall prey to The High School Permanent Record Illusion where so many assume life will always be essentially just like it is Now.

Here's a very simple fact about Life. If for no other reason than having options and inevitable change, it is preferable to the one and only alternative. I think this is a Prison cliche but it may well be borrowed from combat military but regardless of who created it, it is a realization that works as a means of "getting through a tough time".

It states
This is intrinsically true because Life is dynamic, does not exist without options and change which implies something can be done or simply happen to make it better, even if that takes many days to accomplish. By contrast, Death is static and unchanging and for much, much, much longer. Face it. We are all going to die anyway and our time alive in the scope of things is unimaginably brief (but feels quite long) so there is simply exceedingly few valid arguments for hastening that ultimate end that is ultimately in store for all of us.

I suppose this below is cliche too but then cliches got to be cliches for good reasons generally. They are more often than not correct.

If you find yourself slipping, Fight! Get whatever assistance you can find and don't stop looking, even when it does get better.

You know your having a BAD day when the suicide hotline puts You on
HOLD
worst of all is while your on hold they keep playing those Nike ads
JUST DO IT

Thanks for the bump, enorbet. 2019 has got off to an... interesting start for me.