Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Dr. Bob used to have a ponytail....

Which makes him not only more human... also more cool. I don't know if he still has it but look for it when you go see him. In addition --think very hard about if that thousand bucks is worth going off your meds even for one day. --Because if you go off, it could get REAL nasty. I know this from going off my meds when i was only on prozac.... and I went full blown psychotic and threw food out the window and was on suicide watch. So think REAL hard and speak with all your mental health providers before you make this decision for yourself.
EL

2 comments:

Ellie said...

IS one thousand dollars worth your sanity???? What can one thousand dollars buy? Any ONE of the following....
--200 meals at Taco Bell?
--a decent computer?
--a beater car... you're on your own for insurance, gas, maintenence though...?
--two months rent?
--10 days in a decent hotel?
--a nice watch?

Are these THINGS worth your sanity, folks? In my opinion, it is irresponsible to even suggest to a mentally ill person to go off their medicine for even one day... without 24 hour medical supervision. It is crazy talk.
One thousand dollars may seem like A TON of money... But it really isn't anything compared to sanity. Please think about this folks.
EL

Anonymous said...

It is true that going off meds can be a dangerous proposition. It should be done very cautiously and slowly, and monitoring by medical professionals is key.

However, if one is not on meds, or on meds that aren't making a dent, and one is in severe depressive pain, then one might investigate this study, or any others. For the treatment resistant study, see NIMH's link, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/ketamine.cfm

Also, as some people pointed out, ketamine or ketamine derivatives can of course have untoward effects. It is prudent and, in my opinion, crucial, to proceed very cautiously with as much information as possible in studies like these; even if considering switching meds.

The bottom line: there is no easy fix. Information is power. Look into every avenue for support and help.

By the way, for treatment resistant depression, and for other issues too, exercise is a much under-utilized tool for wellness. Had I been exercising regularly years ago when I was clinically & morbidly depressed, it is possible that the symptoms would have abated to some degree. When you're well, this is a tool that is even easier to use (exercise when staying in bed and thinking of death is a much harder proposition). So, know there is hope, know that you can get better, it just may take some work and trials and errors.