Q: What are the symptoms of Manic Depression?
If you think you had it would you consider going to the doctors?

A: Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world. Depression isn’t a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply “snap out of.” Depression, formally called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn’t worth living anymore.
Most health professionals today consider depression a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although some people experience only one episode of depression, most have repeated episodes of depression symptoms throughout their life.
Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to the daily activities they previously enjoyed.
Symptoms
Symptoms of depression include:
Loss of interest in normal daily activities
Feeling sad or down
Feeling hopeless
Crying spells for no apparent reason
Problems sleeping
Trouble focusing or concentrating

Q: When do people typically start to show symptoms of Manic Depression?
Teenage years? 20-somethings? Childhood? Just wondering.

A: Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm#intro

My parents said they started to notice the signs and symptoms in me since I was a teenager, but I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 21.

Q: is one of the symptoms of manic depression being easily amused by things?
along with other things, obviously.
I slept about 3 hours last night and I’m in a tremendously good mood.
could the fact that things are making me laugh be a related symptom of an early manic phase?
thanks, I am bi-polar. But I also have a low sense of humor, I just wondered if the two were related lol.

A: Wow we are all mental, aren’t we?
OCD
ADD
THC
OPP… no, wait. Not that.
Won’t go get checked for bi-poar or anxiety. Already know the answer, don’t want the pills. (Former abused substance.) Now what?

Q: Are these manic depression symptoms?PLS HELP?
Racing thoughts, lack of sleep, feeling full of energy?
I suffer from clinical depression and have been on fluoxetine for over 5 months now, About a week or so ago i was experiencing really racing thoughts and i couldn’t slow my mind down which was making it very difficult to concentrate on things. Also i was only getting about 1-2 hours of sleep and not really missing it. I didn’t feel tired. Just energised. I went to my GP in Glasgow about this as my friend who used to be a mental health nurse said that it sounded like Bipolar, so i told my GP about the racing thoughts, lack of sleep, energised and so on and my GP just upped my Prozac to 40mg and told me to come back in 3 weeks.Are these symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?Or maybe some other condition?
And what is the duration of manic episodes. Can they last weeks and weeks?

A: You really need to tell dr. this. Antidepressants can push a bipolar person over the edge into mania. The racing thoughts, lack of sleeping and feeling energized are symptoms of the mania of bipolar. I would go to another dr., one who specializes in mental health issues. The fact that yours ignored your mania symptoms and upped the antidep. is scary.

Yes, the mania can last for a couple weeks. Are you talking on the phone or texting friends lots more than usual? Shopping more? more mania symptoms.

Q: is it possible for prozac to cause symptoms of manic depression?
also do you have any personal experiences of bi polar and what you feel?
thank you

A: yes. If someone suffers from bi-polar disorder and they take antidepressants alone without a mood stabiliser or anti psychotic then it can cause the person to suffer from a manic episode. Sorry i don’t have personal experience of this.

Q: what are some symptoms of manic depression?
and what can you do for manic depression

A: Lifestyle changes can help… diet, exercise, meditation… but the only thing that really controls Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder) is medication.

Everyone has all the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder……. because everyone has mood swings, momentary loss of judgment, likes to go shopping, likes sex, feels down sometimes, gets angry now and then and is hyper on occasion. The difference is that all of these symptoms in Bipolar are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function. Think of a pole (biPOLEr) with 0 at the center (0 being normal) and 10 at one end (manic) and -10 at the other (deep depression). Most people have swings but stay within 3 to -3. I have fairly severe Bipolar 1 but since my psychosis is mild I go from -9 to 9…. Also depression that comes and goes is not bipolar but just recurring depression, you have to have mania for it to be Bipolar….. you have to go to both ends of the pole.

Rapidly changing moods or becoming angry or sad easily is not Bipolar. That is just having emotions. People with Bipolar Disorder do not change emotions quickly, they go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long periods meaning weeks or months or years. Mood effects everything about you…. your energy level, self esteem, sleep patterns, appetite, sexuality, emotional response, etc…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself. It makes you feel small and worthless and completely insignificant. It makes you think about how big the world is and how meaningless you are in it….. and it refuses to let you have any good thoughts or see any good things…. when you look in the mirror all you see is pain, you don’t even see yourself, you don’t taste your favorite foods anymore, see that flowers are blooming, whether or not the sun is out, you become so inward that you hardly even notice your surroundings….. You don’t even feel love for people anymore…. positive thoughts are just not possible…… it is a deep dark hole with no way out and no light for hope…. and most of all it makes you feel sooooo alone. And even if there were someone who cared about you they would be better off if you killed yourself……. because all you will ever be is a burden……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. down load porn and spend tons of money on sex toys. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Decided that I could replace the furnace in my home by myself… I mean how hard can it be….. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. In the end I was unemployed, $30,000 in debt, and had almost lost my home, which needed a new furnace because I had removed the old one.. or parts of it anyway. This can last for months.

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ), and I also have psychotic episodes where I hallucinate. This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

When I am on meds I am a normal 45 year old single mom of 3 and no one would even guess that

Q: My friend has symptoms of bi-polar/manic depression or hyperthyroidism, but doesnt. What could it be?
He was given drugs for manic depression about a year ago but they didnt do anything. I dont think he has either of these diseases, but im sure hes got something. Can anyone help? Thanks xx

A: apparently you are unaware that often their tests fail to find problems which are, in fact, present. see an hio method chiropractor to check for nerve interference.

Q: Can symptoms of manic depression get worse over time?

A: Yes, get to a dr and they will be able to get you medicine to get you better.

Q: Any differences and similarities in symptoms of Manic Depression and Epilpsy?

A: The treatment for both conditions is very similar, in some ways nearly identical. In both conditions people are primarily treated with anti-seizure medications (“anticonvulsants”). They are standard medications for the treatment of bipolar disorder such as Depakote, Tegretol, lamotrigine and Neurontin. In many cases they act like Lithium, the old standard for bipolar disorder.

In addition, medications that make seizure disorders worse (though only slightly in most cases) can make bipolar disorder worse also (more than slightly in many cases). These include antidepressant medications and antipsychotic medications, because they “lower seizure threshold”; that is, they make it slightly easier for an underlying seizure condition to express itself. And the antidepressants at least are widely recognized to have the potential to make bipolar disorder worse…but not always.

In fact temporal lobe epilepsy and bipolar disorder are indeed very much alike. There is so much overlap between the two conditions, it sure seems like there must be some direct relationship there…e.g. severe TLE, coming from just the right spot in the temporal lobe, could considered by some researchers to effectively “be” bipolar disorder; that is if the experts knew more about exactly how bipolar disorder works, which they don’t.

This is a good article about a study to determine whether the manic episode of patients with epilepsy has different characteristics from manic episode of patients with bipolar disorder. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11554891&dopt=Abstract

This is also some info I found from ADAM (American Accreditation Healthcare Commission)
Bipolar Disorder and Epilepsy.
Neurotransmitters called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine have been implicated in mania.

GABA helps prevent nerve cells from over-firing.
Norepinephrine is a hormone that involves stress.
Some research has associated similar biologic mechanisms in patients with epilepsy and bipolar disorder. As in epilepsy, the more episodes a bipolar disorder patient experiences early in the course of the disease, the more frequent and severe later episodes will be. Antiseizure agents, in fact, can play an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Of course the big difference is in how they are classified, since bipolar is considered a psychological disorder and epilepsy a neurological disorder.

Q: What are some symptoms to Manic Depression?

A: Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)

Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, which was formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression. This condition shows a particular pattern of inheritance. Not nearly as common as the other types of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder involves cycles of depression and mania, or elation. Bipolar disorder is often a chronic, recurring condition. Sometimes, the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual.

When in the depressed cycle, the person can experience any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle, any or all of the symptoms listed under mania may be experienced. Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, unwise business or financial decisions may be made when an individual is in a manic phase.

A significant variant of bipolar disorder is designated as bipolar II. (The usual form of bipolar disorder is referred to as bipolar I.) Bipolar II is a syndrome in which the affected person has repeated depressive episodes punctuated by what is called hypomania (mini-highs). These euphoric states in bipolar II do not fully meet the criteria for the complete manic episodes that occur in bipolar I.

Depression Symptoms of Manic Depression

Persistently sad, anxious, or “empty” mood.
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism.
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness.
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex.
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping.
Decreased appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain.
Fatigue, decreased energy, being “slowed down.”
Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts.
Restlessness, irritability.
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions.
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.
Mania Symptoms of Manic Depression

Inappropriate elation.
Inappropriate irritability.
Severe insomnia.
Grandiose notions.
Increased talking speed and/or volume.
Disconnected and racing thoughts.
Increased sexual desire.
Markedly increased energy.
Poor judgment.
Inappropriate social behavior.

Q: What are symptoms of manic depression?
PLZ HELP ME IF U CAN

A: I have Bipolar. It is a tough nut to crack. There are times that you are seriously depressed, some times to the point of being suicidal. Then you are flying high. In the high times you are doing things that are risky, like driving to fast. You are also driven in the area of sexuality. Combine that with the risk taking thing and you have problems. Allot of people use drugs and alcohol to control their symptoms but this only compounds the problems. There is also a thing called Bipolar II which is a milder for of bipolar. Well only in the manic part. The depression can often be worse.

Q: can someone with unipolar depression have any manic symptoms?

A: Yes.

Q: What are symptoms of depression? Are they similar to manic-depression?

A: I’m a professional counselor and I can tell you that – IN SOME CASES, depression CAN look like bi-polar (manic-depression)…but ONLY when the bi-polar is a type that is mostly depressive. You cannot have a diagnosis of bi-polar without a manic stage at some point. Here are some symptoms of depression (in adults – if you want to know about kids, e-mail me): feeling sad and down most of the day more days than not over at least a 2 week period. Sleep interruptions or sleeping too much. Irritability. Anxiety increases. Not interested in things you used to love to do. Fatigue and low energy. Eating too much or not enough. Some people report headaches.

Now, to contrast that with bi-polar…the depressive episodes can look like what I described above…however, there MUST be some time when the person has manic phase and that can look like TONS of energy…not sleeping at all or very little. Sometimes there are “thoughts of grandeur” (I can fly or I’m going to be president tomorrow). Compulsive shopping and obsessive “cleaning” is common. Feeling of high anxiety and irritability. Flight of thoughts (thoughts going so fast you can’t hold on to them…might stop mid-sentence and go on to another subject).

I have seen people with bi-polar stay up all night…buy until they max all their cards…walk naked down the road at midnight…and do other things that show poor judgment. Hope this helps. No matter what – if half of this sounds familiar – go see a doc!

Q: Symptoms of Manic Depression?

A: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder

Q: symptoms and manic depression?
1.talk loudly to myself at night or whenever possible in the day about random thoughts.
2. Constant nagging pain.
3. highly irritable..feels like shouting at people
4. emotional pain….like there was a weakness in my personality and people had insulted me for this…now it is fixed..their insults torment me like hell…I want to take revenge from then since now my weakness has been fixed by myself.
5. Sometimes I cant get words out of my mouth to a question..it seems like a sentence but with no words in it
6. At some point in the past racing thoughts appeared…like one reason after anothing is coming fast like a train for my problem/weakness in my personality…like why i have this weakness or problem in my personality
7. feel lonely, hopeless, helpless, dont know the purpose of my life…my mind is trapped between thoughts and there is no getting away. My mind is undecided about life matters.
8. weight gain, fatigue, dont feel like shaving, household chores, body aches
9. I smile myself when some funny jokes i threw in at some point in the past …when i think abt them.
10. cant concentrate well , forgetful because of this non stopmental chatter.

I have felt all of these symptoms for the past three years or four years ….mostly depressive symptoms but for the last two years or so …i felt racing thoughts, nagging pain, forgetfulness, memory problems, loud talking…etc

A: I deff know how it is with racing thoughts and memory loss. Maybe you have borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder. they are both almost the same one have more roller coaster emotions the other has the rollercoaster emotions but they last longer. bipolar disorder has what you listed most of it. and the cant concentrate well is in it too because theres symptoms off add in bipolar.

Q: Male Depression….?
Is the man in your life not talking…?

A: I am a man….I’m “not talking’ until I take care of my personal business!!! Be patient and I will get back to you with total concentration on you…LOL

Q: What are the symptoms of male depression?
What can be done to help the depressed?
Thanks, appreciate your help.

A: keeping quite and create his own island. good way to help is to leave him alone. when things are fine they will come back to you and you welcome him

Q: Is it normal for adult male depression sufferers to sometimes feel like weeping in despair?

A: Well, as somebody that is a male, and also dealing with depression, I can tell you that letting your emotions show is perfectly normal. I know personally, I am sometimes brought to tears by the smallest little thing. I have always been a rather emotional person, but the depression has made me “ultra-emotional!”

Depression is a tough thing to deal with, it is different for everybody that has it….. I really do wish there was a “perfect answer” I could give you to deal with your depression, but sadly, there is none. The best we can do is take each day one at a time, and learn what is causing our depression, then work to make things better.

I do know that talking things out sometimes helps a lot. If you ever feel the need to vent, or just want to chat with somebody that knows what you are going through, feel free to email me at jam961@yahoo.com perhaps we can help each other beat this thing.

Take care,

john

Q: What are the signs of male depression?
I have lived with my best friend and father of our kids for about 26 yrs. and he is an individual.Nickname-Lunatic,good guy but is seemingly depressed,or not on the same page.Can any one who has been or is there –Help me out? Not a big deal–But Thank’s

A: The symptoms of male depression:

Male in depression feels that the world set them up to fail.
Men report feelings loss of concentration and loss of interest in work and social activities, rather than the emotional feelings of profound sadness, guilt and worthlessness that women acknowledge.
Men in depression are frightened by failures.
Men tend to exhibit more anger and agitated mood states.
Male in depression faces sleeping disorders.
They feel ashamed for who they are.
Male in depression are frustrated if not praised enough and they tend to externalize depression.
They never talk about weaknesses and doubts.
A male in depression may blame his marriage instead of looking at depression as the primary problem.
Uses alcohol, TV, sports, and sex to self medicate.
They may complain more of physical aches and pains.

Q: Talking to a male suffering depression, how can you help?
My BF is suffering depression, how can I help him through this? He’s a manly bloke, but sometimes just can’t see that there’s anything to live for.
Has anyone ever helped someone though this?

A: Yes, I have actually. My ex-boyfriend had SEVERE depression.

I’m sure both of you are going through a really tough time. It’s hard for me to give you concrete advice, because everyone’s situation is a little different, but something I can say is, DON’T DO THIS ALONE. My ex treated me more like a therapist than a girlfriend and it was very emotionally draining on me. I know you love him and want to help as much as you can, but you cannot solve all of his problems and magically make him better! I’d say just be there for him when he’s feeling upset, try to talk him through as much as you can, but maybe suggest that he talks to his doctor and/or parents and looks into finding a psychologist/psychiatrist. Also, if he ever talks about hurting/killing himself, like, actually wanting to do it, again, do not try to take on the situation by yourself! He may need immediate professional help.

I hope that helped, darling! Best of luck to both of you!

Q: Male depression: where can I find good info?
How commonly do men have thyroid or testosterone problems?
My bf is still young … 28.
What antidepressants won’t cause ED in men?

A: If your boyfriend has been diagnosed with both problems he may have something going on with his pituitary gland. Testosterone and thyroid functions can be replaced with meds. If he is depressed that is another symptom of pituitary issue. Has he had his hormone levels checked?

Q: I am a married male , suffering chronic depression, now i have decided to become?
I am a married male , suffering chronic depression, now i have decided to become a father. Could my child be affected by depression too, as genetic. If yes so what shall i do that my child don’t get depression. Please give me your kind answers thank you.

A: Who can say whether or not your child will go through bouts of depression as you are. We are born with different levels of serotonin (happy juice). There a lot of things that can throw you off kilter. You have to remember that children pick up everything their parents do so if they see you acting depressed and having an outlook on life less than pleasurable they will tend to feel the same way. Negativity will beget negativity in a way. Try to always have an upbeat outlook and perhaps don’t let your depression manifest itself around your child. Perhaps having a new life to nurture will help you let go of your depression. Having a child and helping him/her to grow and learn about the world around them can be a wonderful experience. Create a positive environment around the child and they will have less of a chance of falling into the depressed state.

Q: How many women out there believe in Male Post Natal depression?
I know for a fact it does happen. I stood by my partner who had it after our second was born.
Most people say leave the man. No wonder the divorce rate is massive.
A newborn entering our lives is just as huge for the man as it is for the woman.

A: I completely agree that men go through a lot of emotional changes with the birth of a child, it’s a big change! If my man didn’t I would honestly be concerned. The most important thing is to get help in dealing with these feelings if they have made it difficult to function normally. Unfortunately there isn’t a lot of support out there for men in these situations but getting some support is key, even if it just just chillin with a friend and talking about it.

As long as my partner was seeking help with the depression I’d never leave him. It’s not his fault that he’s unwell. If he chooses to stay that way it may be a different situation but if he’s trying, so am I.

Q: Can depression be cured, male hormone replacement work, chronic pain chronic insomnia managed? 20 min, naps?
Disabled Vet for decades suffers from all of the above and can only sleep on one side barely, 20 minute intervals taking up to hours to fall back asleep for another 20 minute interval. Not looking for pity just tips and hints and opinions. Tried most everything been at this most of my life,,, Willing to listen! Tollorant of all and I mean all opiates. Thats what brought down my testosterone levels . Been on hormone therapy for only a week, have not seen change yet? take topically once a day. Doc says for taking pain meds for so long that my testosterone is way down. and antidepressants won’t have an effect if any at all. Which by the way have tried about 15-17 different kinds over the years. I am immune to any and all narcotics now a days no matter the strength and I have done everything,,, I can’t sleep ever , have no social life and don’t care much about it at times ,,,no friends,,,no interest in anything anymore,,,only leave to go to the doctor and not even that sometimes.

A: Have you seen a pain management specialist? They are generally more willing to prescribe the most potent narcotics like Diludid and Fentanyl when there is a need for them, and it sounds like there is a definite need in your case. I felt extremely hopeless about my pain as well until I started seeing a pain doctor. Now my life has turned around completely. This website: www.aapainmanage.org is the American Academy of Pain Management. It has awhole lot of information about pain and pain management, as well as a search page that helps you find an acreditted pain management program and/or doctor in your area. You might also look into clinical trials of pain medication that you may qualify for. These medications may help more than what you are taking now. Overall, I would tell you that yes, chronic pain CAN be managed, it’s all a matter of finding a doctor who is willing to prescribe the medication that you need in a dose that is effective. Some chronic apin patients need doses of medication tha would kill people who don’t have our types of problems. Pain doctors will work to titrate your dosage until you find a maintenance dose that allows you to function but still kills most of the pain. HOwever, you can’t expect to be 100% pain-free. It’s called pain MANAGEMENT and not “pain gone” for a reason, but if you find the right doctor, they will continue top titrate the dose of medication upward until most of your pain is relieved. They can also give you other medication for breakthrough pain, and can use non-pharmocological methods to help your pain. I know that some days I personally feel like I take so many pills I rattle, but it has really been worth it to experience the changes in my life that being pain free (I’m down to a level 1 or 2 pain on a BAD day) has brought about.

If you ever want to talk to someone who has been there, or just need someone to listen, you can e-mail me or IM me and I will be glad to let you bend my ear. I wish you much luck.

Q: Is it dangerous for a 15 year old male to take anti-depression pills?
Yeah I know it sounds stupid but life sucks……what are some disadvantages of anti-depression pills?

A: Yes…………… don’t start that….. he will affect your life forever…… Talk to God and get acquainted with Him……………. He has a plan for your life and can and will give you peace and direct you.

Q: How to recognize male depression?

A: Theres no such things as male depression all depression is the same.Depression and Anxiety are the same things you cant have one without the other.If your always thinking Negative things and you get Anxious Even About going out somewhere then you have depression

Q: male midlife, depression, help?
please help me understand male depression and midlife

A: the guy will buy a sports car or something of the type,try to get a girl half his age, ruin his family life then pretend he is something that he is not,when he hits 60 or so he will realize he wasted his life on dumb stuff and regret missing out on his kids and wife.but then its to late, so he will drink himself to death,so goes the male code.

Q: What is the best way for the male partner to deal with her postpartum depression?
How should the guy prepare for the possibility? And what does he do if she has a bad case?

A: Not all women get post partum depression. Almost every woman goes through the “baby blues” basically that is her hormones trying to get back in sync from the last 9 months or craziness. All i would suggest you do is help her where you can. Be a shoulder or an ear if she needs it. She will be very weepy and upset. Try when you get home from work taking the baby for an hour while she goes for a bubble bath or does something for herself. If she gets PPD, which can appear anywhere from a week to a year after the baby comes, suggest that she seek councelling or see a doctor, especially if she has told you she has thoughts of hurting herself or the baby. Google the symptoms of PPD and just watch for them because they differ from old fashioned baby blues. Good luck and i hope this helps!

Q: Has anyone taking propecia for male pattern baldness experienced sadness or depression as a result of the drug
My son began to take propecia a month ago. He is also using Rogaine. I am sensing a serious emotional reaction – he is sadder, seems depressed, cries easily. These are not his usual personality traits. I am wondering if anyone has experienced this as a result of taking propecia.

A: Propeciasideeffects.com was formed to spread the word about the undocumented potentially irreversible side effects caused by using Propecia (finasteride) 1mg each day. A number of males have suffered erectile dysfunction, impotence, low libido and gynecomestica after using Propecia. The shattering truth for these males is that the side effects did not disappear after ceasing finasteride. The shattering truth is that years later these individuals are still suffering in silence with a seriously reduced quality of life due to erectile dysfunction and impotence. It is not know exactly what causes these changes and how to screen individuals before treatment.

http://www.propeciasideeffects.com/

Q: Male depression symptoms and treatment …HELP ME OUT MEN!?
Can you tell me some of the symptoms of male depression …from a PERSONAL experience? Please do not cut and paste. I have read many articles on this already.I know most men dont want to admit their problem could be depression for fear some might find it a “weakness” but to those of you that have suffered from it …what were your symptoms and how did you treat it? Are their any herbal or natural remedies? vitamins? I am sure my friend is depressed and I know he is so MACHO he wont go see a doc so are their any measures he can take w/o being prescribed meds? And can premature ejaculation be caused by this as well? I know that not being able to maintain an erection is a symptom of depression but i havent heard of premature …being one?
THANKS FOR THE AZZHOLE ANSWERS SOME OF YOU! BUT THE AGENDA ONE SPOKEN OF BY ONE MAN IS TRUE..MY AGENDA IS CALLED CONCERN FOR THE MAN I LOVE!DUH…!AND I MEANT SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION IN MEN. AND HECK YES SYMPTOMS ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN MEN. TRY LOOKING INFO UP FROM THE MAYO CLINIC.(ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED PLACES IN THE COUNTRY! MAYBE I SHOULD SIMPLIFY MY QUESTION.
IF YOU HAVE EVER SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION AS A MALE,CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS WERE AND HOW DID YOU CURE IT! THANKS!

A: There is more than one kind of “depression” – there is conditional depression, like when one loses a job or a mate, and then there is clinical depression – which requires medical intervention – sometimes drugs, possibly psychotherapy.

I’ve been depressed at times, but it was never “clinical”, only I didn’t realize that until recently. My “depression” was always situational – I was really low on money, or deep in debt, or I had lost a girlfriend – things like that.

As to the premature ejaculation being related I don’t know, but I would guess that this is a different problem based simply on being “overly” sexually excited. There are ways to deal with this – the “lesson” I was taught was “just keep going” or “keep it up”. Truly serious clinical situations will probably require some kind of therapy, but giving medical advice is not only not a good idea but it might even be illegal if (yours truly, etc.) you don’t have an M.D. license. If your friend truly has this problem they should seek assistance. I had to get counseling (for vocational counseling and relationship counseling) once, and although it was the toughest decision I ever had to make, it turned out to be one of the BEST decisions I ever made because my life got a LOT better afterwards.

Q: Advice for living with depression on a daily basis?
I am really depressed & all the advice I’ve gotten for recovery sucks. I can let the idea of recovery go… Is there any good advice for just living with depression?

A: think that there is always tomorrow?

try going outside, skipping and runnings.

and twirling around! makes you feel so goood

i swear. i do it all the time i’m about to crack

Q: How are people living with depression have their lives impacted by it?
and could the consequences be if depression is left untreated?

A: ruins it,,quickly .extremly, dangerous,,that effect is complicated by the supposed embarresment of dealing with it.,,lost a very good friend friday week ago,, wasnt apparent how bad it was, to us,,fired house took his life,impact// he avoided friends,,quit his 20 year job,,re mortagued,home and 18 wheeler,,started gambling,, serious,money,, lost it..lost 200,thou,tractor (truck) over twenty,thou. same on home,,why reason unknown,,perfectly healthy,,popular,,stable life,, talking of voting today said had red eyes from flu,,2 hours later??? answer..result from not dealing with it,,I will always blame my self,,for not realizing it.. hope this helps,, starting point 6mo. earlier,, his 10 year lady friend ,,same thing,,after being laid off in downsize,

Q: Can a person develop some form of depression living with a clinically depressed person?

A: I remember wondering that myself as I continued living my husband’s severe depression issues day in and day out. I felt it was really affecting me and how I went about my daily life. I researched around and came across something known as “Depression Fallout”.

The term is for those who live with and are very much affected by their loved one’s depression or bipolar disorders. You might check it out and see if it fits what you are looking for.

http://depressionfallout.com/

Our happy ending is that we’ve both gotten therapy/counseling. He is still going through his counseling, but he is much better than he was a year ago. It does help to seek counseling for yourself as well, just to get all your frustrations and feelings of helplessness out. It’s truly sad when our loved ones are in a dark place and we are unable to pull them out of it by ourselves.

Q: What are some good ways in means of living with depression?
Do you just try to ignore it or what?

A: No. You have to deal with it. I tried to ignore it, but it catches up with you. You need to get a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist and start counseling. From there they can prescribe medication relative to your needs. I did and it has been amazing. I was very skeptical, especially due to the controversy tied with medication, and I therefore put it off for a few years, which I regret. In the meantime, talk to some good friends and/or IM/email; friends can be great resources if they’re open-minded and true to you! I wish you all the best.

Q: Depression, I am looking for a good Web Site that talks about living with Depression.?
I need to find a good web site that deals with living with depression, particularly male depression. I know men do not like to talk about their depression but someone must have seen or heard of a good site that gives me an insight as to what it is like for a man to live with depression and what can be done to push through the darkness. What self energising and rewarding things can be done to put value back into life after a man has developed depression, not just being depressed but actually encountering the true illness of depression and the effects of anxiety and panic and impotence. How do we fight back to regain a valuable life?

A: Gigi is right to recommend Dr Burns’ The Feeling Good Handbook. This book basically teaches Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – a technique that is highly effective in cases of anxiety and depression.

In the past couple of years, however, a new option has emerged: computerized cognitive behavioural therapy. It is (slowly) being rolled out acorss the NHS in the UK. NHS Scotland has funded a completely open programme available free online to all.
http://www.livinglifetothefull.com/elearning/
It is still in its early stages, but has had great results so far. A ‘prettier’ version of this type of programme can be bought at www.thewellnessshop.co.uk.

I would really recommend you try CBT. It seems so simple and unlikely to work, but it really does if you stick with it. The best of luck to you.

Q: How you deal with the misery of living on Depression?
my misery is getting bigger and bigger..so i might take some ideas from you guys…

A: Please don’t wait any longer. Get professional help. You can feel better. I have had depression for many years but I’m doing better. Therapy and taking medication have helped. Please reach out for help.

Q: Is living with depression a lifestyle choice?
or is it an excuse for laziness?

A: Of course not.. ask anyone with the illness depression ask them hey do you like being depressed? and I think you will get no one to say yes.. I have depression its difficult dealing with it on a day to day basics..uncontrollable thoughts.. can’t concertate.. having people don’t understand if can’t relate.. having conseling.. having to try 6 medications all failed.. trying to find a way out of depression isn’t easy when you have the illness.. yes you can be depressed for couple weeks because something bad happened or whatever.. and get over it.. then having the illness depression every day for 2 1/2 years going on 3 soon.. and haven’t found a answer.. oh yeah dealing with something you don’t understand.. I don’t know why I have depression

Q: Why do some people living with depression feel numb and in pain at the same time?

A: they don’t really feel pain, it’s a feeling of hopelessness and the numbness comes from giving up all hope. The pain part is when you are feeling anxiety which usually precedes the depression.
It’s like running a painful race then being completely depressed and exhausted after losing the race then having no desire to race again.

Q: Whats better, living with depression or being an illegal citizen?
where you know you won’t be depressed
No i know id be depression free in this other place

A: It’s comparing apples to oranges……. One is a choice the other a condition.

Unless you are thinking that moving to another country (where you would be an illegal alien) would make your depression go away. That is very unlikely. There may be stress where you are but there will also be stress as an illegal…….

Q: when living with depression is there always a reason for having it?

A: Probably, but I don’t think you have to find out the specific reason necessarily before you can get better. There are chemical reasons and spiritual reasons and relational reasons and physical reasons and situational reasons and crap adding up reasons.

Q: How do you handle severe depression and living with someone who is critical of you and causes you even more…
pain? I see a psychiatrist and counselor, but this person is causing me so much grief.
It’s my mother-in-law.

A: Your problem is actually with your husband. If he allows this behavior from his mother, he is not your friend. In your vulnerable state, you must have a true friend, that will defend your interests and protect you through your low period. Let me define a friend for you:

If you call an aquaintance, and sob, “I’ve just shot my husband” they will call the cops and try to find you an attorney. A true friend will show up at your door with a body-bag and a shovel.

Get it? They may understand that you are a flawed human, but still love you and see your point of view. None of us can make it without such a person in our life. And you certainly don’t have anyone around you now that qualifies.

I do wish you well.

Q: Any advice on living with depression?
It’s hard for me as I’m still living with my parents until I go to uni next year. It does affect my life and no matter how hard I try to explain they never appreciate it is mental illness and assume it’s just adolesecent emotions, often coldly dismissing me when I’m really low or suicidal.

What to do?

A: change your life style. maybe you worry too much and try to look at things from a diff point of view. depression is not permanent it is something you can get over with time and you have to try your hardest to do that. dont ever give up. you will only fail your self.

Q: living with depression without taking medication?
my boyfriend is currently on three medications, prozac, wellbutrin, and seroquel, the only problem is that he doesnt feel any better being on those medications, he says they make him pretty lazy, unmotivated and have caused him to gain a lot of weight, my questions is is there a way he could live with his depression without these medications and how he would go about it
thank you very much

A: You may like to try cognitive behavioural therapy , a type of counseling service, for your boyfriend. Bring him to a trained therapist and perhaps he can correct his negative thinking with the therapist.

Or he can buy natural medicines such as Valerian root, St John’s Wort, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin B and C, Omega 3 pills, passionflower in a pharmacy. 5-HTP, ribose and GABA may help. Ribose is to provide energy for chronic fatigue.

Pls encourage him to exercise. It is good to do some light exercise in the morning or evening. It can release serotonin, a brain chemical, into his brain and makes him feel better.
Ask him to confide in you or his friends/relatives. Bring him out for a meal, go to a beach or nature park for a walk, swim, listen to soothing music, and read motivational phrases and books over the internet.

He can buy anti-depression books over the internet or bookstore. Most importantly, he needs your encouragement and the support of his family members.

Life can be great. If he hangs on for this period, he can see the light at the end of the tunnel. He can get better.

Maybe you can bring him to a United Pentecostal Church. (www.upci.org) There are healing services there and he can get to know some nice friends there.

Prayer helps. Religion helps. Confide in Jesus, who cares for you and him. Jesus loves you and him.

God bless you.

Q: Resources for depression & living with someone who doesn’t understand?
After 2 yrs of job stress that led to depression I quit a job & I now work PT. I was starting to improve (got on a med & felt more confident to look for another FT job) when my boyfriend of 7 years told me that my depression was affecting him, but he wasn’t pleasant about it. I thought I was doing well!! He’s got his own issues right now and I think he blames me for how he feels…so not only do I now feel unmotivated, hopeless about finding a FT “real” job (he thinks I don’t have to work hard enough where I am now), physically unwell and insecure, BUT I also feel like he pretty much can’t stand me, except of course when it’s time to do certain things. He has to pay all the bills right now so that also upsets him, but I do as much as I can to help & I do all the cleaning, cooking…It’s not enough & he’s scared that I’m not independent enough. I can understand that, but I feel like he’s disgusted with me & I’m sick of feeling hopeless. What can I do? I have a history of depression

A: Oh boy if I can relate to you and your situation!
Please stop blaming yourself, and stop putting yourself down.
I know you hear otherwise; but here is the thing: there is nothing wrong with you.
Don’t hate depression or yourself for feeling depressed. Don’t run away from
your pains but try to embrace it. Your pain is your best friend, is calling
your attention, don’t just look for easy and fast way to get rid of it; work with it.
Go deep inside and listen to it. When you do that what do you see? Do you
see perhaps some feelings that have been there with you your whole life?
Do you remember perhaps the first time you felt this way? Do you remember the
circumstances, maybe reoccurring, that made you feel this way? And then ask
yourself a simple question; what are the conclusions that you came up with,
most likely as a little child? That you are not good enough, that you are not
lovable, not capable of taking care of yourself? Then remind yourself; that
all those beliefs were there to protect you when you were little, and that they
were never true in the first place. Now, you are living your adult life based on
some very old, expired believes. Can you see how this can create some conflict?
Everything in your life is simply the reflection of what is going on inside of you.
If you keep trying to manipulate and try to change the outside world; you will
always come back to the same problems, over and over again. As a result you
will end up feeling even more depressed. Ignore the outside world for a while;
look inside instead. Change what’s inside and I promise you that the whole
outside world will change for you by itself; effortlessly! 
And when you’ll do all that, you will find yourself capable of helping
others who are struggling with the same problems. Then you will find the
real joy! 
Congratulate yourself for making it up to here, but don’t stop here; there are lots
of works that needs to be done and working on “inside” is one of the hardest things
that you will ever have to do. The results make it all so worthy though!

Q: Depression! Living & Dating With Herpes, Help!?
I was diagnosed with herpes in ‘2006. I’ve only had 3-4 outbreaks, but still herpes has become an important factor in my life.After being diagnosed with herpes, I fell into a depression. I kept school and work as my main priorities, became anti-social and cut off dating.

It’s the hardest thing when approached, and each time it happens I reject the offering of conversation or number exchange.Only so to avoid the “Hey, I have herpes” line.

Through a friend, I met a guy, who I am falling for. He accepts the fact I have herpes and treats me with respect and kindness. We’ve been dating for 8 months, but lately I’ve been feeling guilty, and concerned for his health. I don’t want him to get infected, so I’ve seemed to avoid sex, stray away from the relationship and now things are on the rocks.

I don’t know if I will get over it, soon enough to enjoy life again, but as for now it sucks.

Any ideas, comments or concerns, herpes positive or not. Will be really appreciated.

Thank you.

A: I’ve had genital herpes since 1997, and I feel your pain. Herpes does suck.

I decided at some point that I would do my best to protect my partner, and then I’d let THEM make the decision about whether or not I was worth the risk. The only way to be 100% sure that I would never pass my herpes on would be to never have sex again – and that just wasn’t an option.

So I took suppressive antivirals – Famvir – not because I needed to prevent outbreaks, but so that I would reduce the chances that I would spread my herpes to my partner. I was also very very attentive to my symptoms and made sure that we never had sex during (or right around) an outbreak. Also, I made sure that my partner had as much information as they wanted (probably more) about herpes – so that they made an informed decision.

So far, I’ve not infected anyone (that I know of). But its always a risk.

Once you’ve done everything that you can, you need to let your partner be the independent adult that they are and make whatever choice they’re going to make. My guess is that you are totally worth a small risk of herpes. I would hope that your future partner(s) think that you’re worth the risk. It’s a pity that you can’t feel the same way.

You might want to discuss this with your partner. It’s obviously bothering you – and he should be in a positoin to reassure you. Or at least know that you aren’t pulling away because of him – but because you are struggling with your herpes.

Good luck.

Q: What is the best treatment for depression in elderly females with severe osteoporosis?
concern is about side effects and overall appropriateness of zoloft which has been prescribed for her.

A: You can enter all her meds into this and it will check for possible drug interactions. http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html If her doctor is aware of all the meds she is taking, he should know if there are any interactions expected. A pharmacist can also give this information. As for the question on what the best treatment for depression is, everyone is different and reacts differently to different meds. The only way to know is to try. I responded well to Paxil, but my daughter did not. One poster on here responded well to Prozac, but my sister-in-law developed dangerous thought patterns with it. Everyone is different.

Q: How to increase chances of getting into the UK police, at 18?
I help out at cubs, and i have tried to apply for police cadets, see if i am allowed to apply soon.

I also have an expired live saving certificate(will renew soon)
I also have an expired first aid, from st johns, and will renew that soon too.

I have had alot of family issues, not affecting me, but i know about depression, elderly problems…etc etc.

I have decent, not brilliant, but decent GCSE’s

I regulary attend the gym, and my fitness is average, and improving!
I am quite strong person aswell.

I will be learning to drive at 17.

What else is there i can do to increase my chances of getting in?

A: Hi there-

from what you have said so far you are doing all the right things to build up you CV and help you stand out from the other candidates. For example, attending clubs and keeping yourself fit will go a long way to supporting your application.

The biggest thing you can do to increase you chance of success is to learn the core competencies of a police officer. If you do not demonstrate these core competencies at every stage of the recruitment process then you are likely to fail. Currently 65,000 people apply to be police officers in the UK every year and only 6,000 are successful.

The core competencies are the key characterstics of a police officer and you need to show the recruitmet team that have these qualities are are as follows:

1.Community and Customer Focus
2. Effective communication
3. Personal Responsibility
4. Problem Solving
5. Resilience
6. Respect for Race and Diversity – this one is key – get a D grade for this an any point during the whole application process and its an automatic fail – and wait for 6 months before you can appy again
7. Teamworking

You need to demonstrate these during:

- the application form stage
- the role plays
- the written tests
- the final interview

for help with preparing for the recruitment process check out www.police-recruitment.co.uk – it helped me when i applied to join a couple of years ago and has some great insider tips

Q: Depression in the elderly?
I have noticed recently that my 88 year old grandmother is more silent – - – - maybe getting depressed. She lives with my aunt and other than being homebound much of the week, she has a good life with family that comes to see her often. She’s treated like a queen so I don’t know exactly why she seems depressed, but I do sense it. My mom told me today that grandma had a dream last night of a special hymn that is sometimes sung at funerals. My grandma indicated that maybe it was God’s way of telling her it was time to go soon. Well, this just tears me to pieces. Do you think she really had a vision that might come true, or do you think it is just coincidence and related to the depression. And can depression lead to the elderly dying in their sleep?

A: My friend’s mom is 96-years-old, and until she broke her hip was living the same life she always had. When she needed to go into the hospital, and then a nursing home, she became depressed–she wanted to be home!

She, too, had friends and family both at home and in the hospital and nursing home. She thought that she read her own obituary in a large-print book that one of her daughter’s bought her. The next day, no one could find an obit. of any kind in that book. That was 2 years ago, and she’s still going strong.

Q: How to treat depression in my elderly cat?
Last October my baby boy kitty passed away at age 13 from cancer in his lymph nodes. Our nearly 15-year-old cat was very close to him and I fear she’s entered into a depression. She barely does anything but lay in her bed rather unresponsively and her usual begging for food at mealtimes. She used to be a pretty vocal cat but doesn’t meow to greet us anymore. She’s lost weight and her spine has become more protruding. We took her to the vet a month ago to treat a urinary tract infection and they said her liver function was fine and such (we had some blood work done), so since she’s relatively healthy physically all I can think is that she’s depressed because of Sandy’s passing.
I tried looking up answers on google, but they all were for depression relating to boredom and such, saying that I should play with my cat more and make sure things are stable around her. Well Muffin is elderly and doesn’t really play anymore and I can’t bring Sandy back…so I don’t know what to do. Ever since Sandy pass she doesn’t purr nearly as much or as easily.
Homeopathic solutions would be preferred to having to take her to the vet for an anti-depressant.
Thanks for the help,
`Amanda
We have one other cat in our house that is about the same age as Sandy was. Her and Muffin used to be sort of enemies but due to Sandy’s death they’ve become pretty close. We did get a new male cat and he’ll sleep next to Muffin. In fact when we first brought him home poor Muffin thought he actually was Sandy and immediately started licking him, then stopped abruptly and hissed. She’s gotten closer to our new cat, but he’s rather fidgety while Sandy was lazy so it’s not quite the same.

A: My siamese acted the same way when his best buddy passed on due to cancer.

Brush her. Physical contact is one of the best things to help bring them around. Be gentle, whisper to her, they pay more attention to whispers. Do extra contact daily, offer small bits of food. The brushing and talking are the best. It’ll still take at lest a week to get them over it (my Siamese took over a month) but it can be done. They have to know you care and will go out of your way to be near them.

Q: PLEASE HELP! What are some arguments i could make with the elderly?
I have to do a presentation on the increase of isolation and depression within the elderly and i chose to branch it off into The healthcare system, the education they recieved at the time, and the income and pension plans. What arguements could i make in each of those categories? PLEASEEE HELP!

A: The health care system is responsible for a great number of elderly who have depression. The medication is given for a specific purpose; then the patient goes back to the doctor because now they have a new symptom. What happens next? The doctor gives them another prescription. The average elderly person with ANY health issues is probably taking a minimum of 8 medications (excluding any OTC used for self medication such as aspirin, antacid, cold meds., etc.). I know you’re wondering what that has to do with depression. Just think about it. Have you ever been sick for a week? The first few days everyone is rallying around you. After a few days their life takes back over and maybe you’ll get a card or phone call. By the end of the week nothing. That’s how isolation starts. The longer anyone is ill the fewer people they have contact with. Another factor is losing the ability to do simple things for themselves. Let’s say the person was sick for a month. They might get the rare phone call; maybe someone has started coming over to offer assistance like driving them to the doctor. Right away you can see what that person has lost. The ability to drive themselves to an appointment. Due to illness/depression a lot of activities have to be given up. Some temporary and some forever.

OK let’s talk about the education they received at the time. The doctor sees the patient for the first time and is very helpful (time permitting) giving the patient whatever information they asked for. (1) The patient/elderly person may or may not know what kind of questions to ask. (2) The doctor may give them tons of information and the patient is only going to remember about 1/3 of what they heard in the office. (3) The patient puts all their trust in the doctor. They may not realize they have a say in their treatment so they do whatever the doctor recommends. My point is this – they follow the doctor’s recommendations without taking responsibility for themselves. The elderly have been indoctrinated to believe that whatever a doctor says is the law and just mindlessly obey. (4) OK lets say this is a chronic problem. The doctor is now numb to the patient. All they want to do is hand out prescriptions and “fix” whatever symptom is presented. Once that patient leaves the doctor’s office the doctor is no longer overly concerned with that visit because he/she has done what he/she was taught to do in med school.

The elderly’s income comes into play when they can’t afford to go to a reputable/good doctor. Instead they go to the doctor they’ve gone to for generations because they are loyal to that doctor whether the doctor is the right one for them for their current issues.

I can’t speak on pension plans because I have no experience with anyone using their pension for healthcare. Having a pension certainly allows some breathing room if someone has a fatal disease that money ensures better treatment.

In 1983 my brother-in-law was burned 80% of his body with 3rd degree burns. He was in and out of the hospital for 10 years before cancer took his life at the age of 43. His insurance was through the Educational System and covered each and every surgery. I mentioned this because he was still working and had good insurance coverage. Once a person retires their insurance cost is out of this world. Often times the cost of insurance is for a high deductible too. And this brings me back to the initial train of thought. Doctors are dictated to by the insurance company as to the type of treatment the elderly or any patient can receive. Maybe the patient needs a certain med but the insurance company will only approve a generic drug.

Getting old is not for sissies, but when you add in chronic aches and pains, then take away skills the elderly can no longer perform you have a good chance of finding depression. Depression brings isolation for two reasons. (1) the person no longer wants people around because of the way they feel’ and (2) people don’t want to hang around a depressed person. No matter how much you love a person, if they are depressed, it’s hard to be around them for any length of time.

Another area you didn’t mention is how the elderly may feel as if they’ve lost their voice. The average person doesn’t want to sit and listen to an elderly person go on and on about their youth. Progress can be overwhelming to a lot of people. How many elderly people fought push button phones, TV’s, VCR’s, then computers? To this day my mother-in-law won’t fly because she dosen’t trust the pilot (she has upgraded to a push button phone and color TV though – smile).

Good luck with your presentation.

Q: Is it Safe to Assume Obama Won’t Put a Carbon Tax on the Poor & Elderly & Workers in a Depression?

A: Wrong. Obama will tax you any way he can. That is his history

Q: Do you have ideas for classes to teach my nursing home residents?
I am a CNA and wellness teacher in a local nursing home and need help coming up with class ideas. We already do chair exercises, relaxation, meditation and things like that. NO ARTS AND CRAFTS! We have an activities department for that. The classes must be informative such as “Depression in the Elderly Population” and “Financial Tips for the Elderly Population” and must cover mental/physical/spiritual health. Thanks so much for any help you may be able to give.

A: Proper diet and nutrition
Wii exercise
How to have a tea party
Singing lessons
How to play different instruments (ie: drums)
Teach a simple dance
Discuss volunteering (and do some volunteering)

I don’t know if these are along the line of what you were looking for, but they were some of the first that came to mind. Hopefully it helps.

Q: How To Deal With The Depression Of Putting An Elderly Person In A Nursing Home?
My grandmother recently fell in her apt. below us and had to be taken to the hospital. She has dementia and we had 24hr. care for her. She doesn’t remember anything; forgets the time, forgets what you told her seconds ago, forgets that she ate. After long family discussions the week she was in the hospital my family made the decision to send her to a nursing home since she was already out of the house and so that the hospital could handle her transport right there.

This is really taking a toll on my father; her son. He is constantly irrirated, doesn’t like it at all when you have to bring up the nursing home to talk about what is happening now, and just doesn’t seem like himself. Have any of you gone through this? What could we do to make this easier for him and for all of us?

Thanks
I will not give a best answer because all the answers were equally helpful. I’m leaving that up to the voters. Thanks everyone

A: We put my mother in a nursing home due to alzheimers disease and it’s been the hardest thing ever. My whole family has gone into some kind of stress related depression or trauma mode. The guilt is horrendous for your father. He feels as if he has abandoned her as he might abandon an unwanted puppy at the dog pound. Only she’s his mother, and that makes it so horrifying. I can only tell you that it does get better with time. Keep loving your father and be patient with him. Visit your grandmother often and give him the happy reports when you can.

Q: what video chat programs/virtual community does anyone aged over 65 like to use?
This is part of my MSc in medical informatics – I am hoping that that I will be able to improve depression in isolated elderly patients by hooking them up to video chat with their relatives and friends and integrating them into virtual communities – they will be based in the UK some however, will be of indian/bangladeshi origin and some pakistani or afrocarribean origin. Answers please all you silver surfers!

A: well my father is 74 and he uses yahoo chat mind u drove me nuts the first while asking the same questions
over and over but now he talk with family and Friends on the voice and vid chat regularly and has even show me a few things i wasn’t aware of

Q: what; psycology please help!?
16. Which of the following is the correct order of the stages of adjusting to dying and death as defined by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross?

A.
anger, denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance

B.
bargaining, anger, denial, acceptance, depression

C.
denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance

D.
denial, bargaining, anger, depression, acceptance

17. Alberto believes that his function in life is to help younger generations by passing on his acquired business wisdom. Erik Erikson would say that Alberto is exhibiting

A.
despair.

B.
stagnation.

C.
generativity.

D.
ego integrity.

18. Elderly people have difficulty retrieving information from memory due to

A.
senile dementia.

B.
a decline in the nervous system.

C.
a loss of fluid intelligence.

D.
a loss of crystallized intelligence.

19. Eleanor is struggling through the second stage of dying. This can best be described as a stage of

A.
anger.

B.
denial.

C.
acceptance.

D.
bargaining.

20. According to Erik Erikson, a successful midlife transition for men fosters a sense of

A.
integrity.

B.
stagnation.

C.
generativity.

D.
resolution.

21. Daniel Levinson’s theory focused on

A.
adolescent males.

B.
adult males.

C.
elderly females.

D.
middle-aged females.

22. The four most prevalent chronic diseases of the elderly are

A.
heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis.

B.
stroke, hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis.

C.
cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

D.
cancer, hypertension, stroke, and arthritis.

23. Eduardo is in that stage of adulthood where he faces the conflict between the need to explore and the need to establish a stable lifestyle. He is most likely ____ years of age.

A.
22–28

B.
28–35

C.
35–40

D.
40–45

24. Thanatology is the

A.
acceptance of death.

B.
study of midlife transitions.

C.
study of dying and death.

D.
study of depression in the elderly.

25. Joan uses the Golden Rule as her guide in making moral judgments. She is considered to be in ____ of Lawrence Kohlberg’s framework.

A.
Stage 6

B.
Stage 5

C.
Stage 4

D.
Stage 3

26. All of the following statements about adolescence are true EXCEPT

A.
the number of teen suicides has increased.

B.
troubled adolescents usually outgrow their problems.

C.
adolescents behave unpredictably.

D.
belonging to a clique is important.

27. Which of the following is NOT characteristic of girls who mature early?

A.
They are more quarrelsome.

B.
They are more popular in late teens.

C.
They have a favorable self-image in late teens.

D.
They are proud of height and figure at first.

28. A person’s gender role is defined by

A.
one’s genetic makeup.

B.
cultural influences.

C.
traditionally masculine or feminine behavior.

D.
all of the above.

29. The concept of adolescent identity categories is associated with

A.
Jean Piaget.

B.
Lawrence Kohlberg.

C.
James Marcia.

D.
Sandra Bem.

30. Simone, a typical adolescent, will most likely turn to her peers for advice on

A.
marriage.

B.
religion.

C.
fashion.

D.
educational plans.

31. Which of the following does NOT characterize adolescent thought and behavior?

A.
decisiveness

B.
abstraction

C.
hypothetical propositions

D.
rationalization

32. An androgynous role is one that

A.
reflects traditionally feminine characteristics.

B.
combines traditional male and female characteristics.

C.
reflects traditionally male characteristics.

D.
combines various gender stereotypes.

33. Which of the following events does NOT occur at approximately the same time as the others?

A.
puberty

B.
menarche

C.
adolescence

D.
menopause

34. Depressed teenagers generally appear to be

A.
sad.

B.
withdrawn.

C.
angry.

D.
nervous.

35. Wrinkle

A: The answer to the first question is C.

Your questions are too long and unorganized for me to go through them all, sorry.

Q: I need links to websites that have statistical data and graphs/tables on geriatric depression.?
I am writing a research paper on geriatric depression. My hypothesis is that if geriatric depression is not caught on early onset then it may lead to geriatric derpression. In my researh methodology I have to have an experiement. From this experiment I have to answer the following:
The final paper will be a content analysis and will use social artifacts for data collection.
Student will examine media, (print, television, or cinema) depiction of Depression and Suicide in the Elderly.

The final paper will include each of the following sections:
A. Introduction: Problem Identification and Question
•Briefly describe the topic you have selected
•Narrow the broader topic to a specific research question
•Identify and initial hypothesis (I do not think I have done this yet.)
B. Literature Review
•Review the literature on your specific question.
a.Look at it historically.
b.Review the general issue, then review the narrower issue that relates to your specific question.
•Summarize the literature.
a.Include a general overview
b.Include all sides of this issue
c.Include any specific theories or studies that relate to your specific question.
•References:
a.Must have a minimum of 6 references.
b.At least ½ of all references must come from professional works (peer reviewed journals, or books).
c.May include references from alternative sources, i.e.:
•Popular, current media
•Organizational websites/documents
•Government documents

C. Study Design (METHODOLOGY)
a.Describe your study design
•What type of study is this?
•What factors went into your decision on type of study?
•What is your instrument? (attach)
•What is your sample?
•How/where will you obtain your sample?
•What is the timeframe for the data collection?
•What threats to internal and external validity might you expect?
b.Discuss any barriers you might expect to encounter in your data collection.

D.
Data Analysis and Results
•Provide analysis of data and results
•What statistical tests did you run? Why? (If none why not?)
•Include tables, graphic representations of results
•Interpret results (but do not draw conclusions)

Conclusion
•What were the strengths of this study? Weaknesses?
•What barriers did you encounter in this research?
•What do your results tell you?
•What generalizations can you make from this study? Why? (If none then why not?)
•What are implications for social work practice?
•What are implications for further research?

A: Check out any of these links. They seem very information!
Good luck on your paper!

http://www.aagpgpa.org/p_c/depression.asp
http://www.gmhfonline.org/gmhf/consumer/factsheets/depression_factsheet.html
http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/15816788
http://www.postgradmed.com/issues/2004/06_04/raj.htm
www.annalsoflongtermcare.com/altc/attachments/1068066189-Hall.pdf
http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/depression.html

http://www.hmpcommunications.com/cg/displayArticle.cfm?articleID=cgac1857

Q: How do families who hunt deal with issues of depression, or onset of dementia in the elderly?
People who hunt obviously have access to firearms which are frequently used to commit suicide. As people get older, or just sometimes for reasons no one understands, one of the family members may not be trustworthy with firearms anymore. How do these families deal with this problem?

I ask because one of my grandfathers had a stroke, he later found my uncles shotgun and more or less went hunting… in the driveway. Fortunately no one got hurt.

On a more somber note, my other grandfather committed suicide with a pistol that he bought despite our family already having removed all his firearms.

I am now suffering from depression, and I don’t want to sell my guns, but I also don’t want to make a rash decision some night. What can I do? I keep them locked up in a nice safe so no one else can get them, but the problem is that I know the combination to the safe (and it can’t be changed).
I ask this question in hunting rather than the mental health category because I think the audience who sees these questions may be better suited to answer this question.

A: If you feel that you cannot safely handle firearms, put them in the safe hands of a trustworthy family member, seek counseling/medication, and then get your firearms back and you are fine. It sounds harsh, but if you decide to kill yourself, you will kill yourself in some way that might not involve a firearm. I went through a period of depression six years ago that did the same thing to me, I had my Ruger Redhawk under my chin and was ready to take the top of my head off (along with a portion of the ceiling). My now fiance stopped me. But then again, I had real world problems: I was broke, I thought my girlfriend (now fiance) didn’t love me, I had no friends. Guess what? I survived, and broke free from my little spell of depression. Seek counseling. Depression sucks (and blows), but it shouldn’t stop your life. You CAN solve it. It doesn’t mean that you are going to kill yourself. Sorry to hear about your depression, but do what everyone else would do… build a goddamn bridge and get over it! Family history effects everything, but you need to jump on the depression.

This really belonged in the mental health section by the way…

Q: in scots law, what would be the sentence for an otherwise upstanding citizen found selling a class A drug?
Pleading guilty. Small amount to fund own habit. Full time carer for elderly relative. Suffers from depression. No criminal record.

A: There will be a few things that will be looked at:
What was being sold,to whom,and for how long? It won’t look good if they were dealing from the house of the elderly relative.
Did the person admit their guilt at the earliest opportunity?
Have they co-operated fully with the police?
Are they making a real and genuine attempt to get off of drugs?
Are they willing to go on a DTTO-drug treatment and training order?

I’m only guessing but i’d imagine they’d be looking at a fine,probation and perhaps community service.Althought jail is an option,as it’s the persons first ever conviction,then the judge may be more willing to use a community punishment rather than a custodial sentence.Then again,they might want to send out a strong message to others and jail the person.

Q: biology in the news?
ok well i had to do a report but im not sure if this leans more toward health or biology. could i use this for my biology report?………..

Lack of Vitamin D Boosts Death Risk
Many people aren’t getting enough of the sunlight-sourced nutrient, researchers say
Printer-friendly version Printer-friendly version

HealthDay

Monday, August 11, 2008

HealthDay news image MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) — Inadequate vitamin D could increase your risk of death by 26 percent, a new study concludes.

Yet many people are not getting enough vitamin D, which the skin makes naturally when exposed to sunlight. A nationwide survey found that 41 percent of men and 53 percent of women in the United States were not getting enough of this vital nutrient.

“The importance of vitamin D may be underappreciated,” said lead author Dr. Michal Melamed, a clinical fellow at Johns Hopkins University. “There are studies that link low vitamin D levels to the development of heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, hypertension and different cancers,” she said.

The report was published in the Aug. 11 online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For the study, Melamed’s team collected data on more than 13,000 men and women who took part in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Levels of vitamin D were collected in 1988 and 1994, and the participants were followed through 2000.

During more than eight and a half years of follow-up, 1,806 people died. Among these, 777 died from cardiovascular disease. Four hundred of these people were found to be deficient in their vitamin D levels.

“Those who had the lowest levels of vitamin D had a 26 percent higher risk of death from all causes compared to those with the highest vitamin D levels,” Melamed noted.

The findings in this study confirm a trend seen in other studies linking vitamin D deficiency to increased risk for breast cancer and depression in the elderly, the researchers noted. Melamed’s group had previously shown that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of peripheral artery disease (circulatory problems in the legs) by 80 percent.

Among other things, vitamin D is essential for maintaining levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body. “Vitamin D may be very important for overall health,” Melamed said.

According to the U.S. Institute of Medicine, people should get between 200 and 400 international units of vitamin D a day. The best way to get vitamin D, naturally, is by being out in the sun.

As little as 10 to 15 minutes of sun a day can give you all a vitamin D you need. Vitamin D is also available in small quantities in foods such as fish and milk.

Whether vitamin D supplements are effective isn’t yet known, Melamed said. “That’s the million-dollar question,” she said.

“I think people should optimize their diet and sun exposure to get an adequate level of vitamin D without taking supplements,” Melamed said. “It may be a good idea for people who are at risk for vitamin D deficiency, including African Americans and people who don’t spend a lot of time in the sun, to get their vitamin D levels checked by their doctor.”

Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center, advocates high levels of vitamin D supplements to maintain good health. Vitamin D deficiency is probably the most common medical problem worldwide, Holick said.

“We know that being vitamin D sufficient reduces the risk of having your first heart attack by more than 50 percent, reduces the risk of having peripheral vascular disease by as much is 80 percent and decreases the risk of prostate, colon, breast and a whole host of other cancers by as much is 50 to 70 percent,” Holick said.

In addition, not getting enough vitamin D also increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, Holick noted. By increasing your vitamin D intake to 800 international units a day reduces the risk of developing diabetes by as much as a third, he said.

Holick recommends taking high doses of vitamin D supplements, as well as sun exposure. In addition, Holick recommends taking as much as 1,400 international units of a vitamin D supplement every day.

HealthDay

A: It seems to lean more towards health than biology. For biology, my guess is that you’d need to focus on the biological functioning of the vitamin.

But I think, for a report, it will be sufficient, because it does deal with a biological topic. Medicine is largely based on biology.

Q: Why do people take for granted water and don’t drink it as much when others need it?
I notice people are so obsessed with coke and all this other sh**less drinks that are bad for you. We don’t drink as much water, don’t realise that water is medicine. I was a reading a book called “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water”. Now I appriciate water but I notice other don’t which is sad because we have the resource when others don’t.

FROM the book:

As a result of extensive research into the role of water in the body, the author, a medical doctor, believes that he has found chronic dehydration to be the cause of many conditions including asthma, allergies, arthritis, angina, migraine headaches, hypertension, raised cholesterol, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, depression, and diabetes in the elderly.
According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, the body possesses many different thirst signals. A dry mouth is not a reliable indicator of your body’s water needs. He describes a variety of more reliable ones, and helps you learn to understand when your body is calling for water. In this way, he claims you can prevent, treat, and cure a variety of conditions of ill health, at no cost, with what he calls nature’s miracle medicine: Water. The author explains how much water one needs to drink a day to stay healthy, and why tea, coffee, and sodas are not good substitutes for water.

A: Let me tell you, I read this book too, something like 2 years ago, and since than I accustomed myself to drink at least 2 liters of water per day, and sometimes even more.
I hear many times people complaining they are thirsty, and then begin searching for a coke or other artificial drinks.
People exchange water by tea, coffee and other drinks..
Most of them don’t know that coffee dehydrates the body, taking away calcium and body liquids. Others artificial drinks are so unnatural, containing food colors and other chemical materials, that damage the human body.
Our body lacks water, and people think they will complete its shortcome by all those “poisoned” cokes and sprites.
Terrible, what can I say.

Q: What is better for depression, weight loss and concentration? Wellbutrin or Adderall?
Also – how long does it take before you feel the difference of either drug or lose weight? and how much have you lost? I’m scared to take anything for depression/concentration that will make me gain weight. Thank you.
I am clinically depressed and I have refused medication over and over again because I fear altering my state of mind. I feel it is the right thing for me now and I’d like to try it. I do not need to lose weight, but I certainly do not want to gain it – this is why I posted this question. Please respond to the question only if you have an answer that is regarding what was asked. Thank you in advance.
I am clinically depressed and I have refused medication over and over again because I fear altering my state of mind. I feel it is the right thing for me now and I’d like to try it. I do not need to lose weight, but I certainly do not want to gain it – this is why I posted this question. Please respond to the question only if you have an answer that is regarding what was asked. Thank you in advance.

A: The Wellbutrin will help you with depression, weight loss, and if your concentration issues are related to anxiety or depression, it will help you with that as well. I felt more energy within a few days of taking Wellbutrin. I felt less depressed in a couple of weeks. It also suppressed my appetite, which helped me maintain and eventually lose weight (it didn’t cause me to lose weight, it just made it easier). It was very, very helpful for me, along with therapy. I didn’t feel my mind altered at all on it – I was actually more alert and obviously more happy, so I was more myself. I still was capable of the deep thought that came along at my lows, without the desire to kill myself, so it was a good trade-off. I don’t suggest taking adderall – you have to take it multiple times a day and you crash each time. If you have ADHD (and it’s not depression or anxiety causing your concentration problems), it’s better to take a long-lasting drug like Vyvanse. No crash, and it lasts 12 hours so you only have to take it once. If you don’t have ADHD, don’t even take adderall. It has an EXTREME effect on those without ADHD. The Wellbutrin will help with the depression-caused difficulty concentrating.

Q: Wellbutrin in addition to Adderall for concentration?
1st (I do talk to and see a Dr, so you don’t have to read this entire thing to ambush me)

Do you think that adding Wellbutrin to my current Adderall regime will help?

I have concentration issues and other stuff that is related … I could go further in detail, but I already know that I will get some comments about being lazy and blah blah blah…
In short: I procrastinate beyond my control. I cant focus on material or projects. I can concentrate and even “over” concentrate on harder topics that I enjoy in college like calc and sci class.

I have been on Adderall for the past year and it did work wonders at times, but I never completely fix my issues. The past month or so, I do not feel the Adderall working at all, or very little at best. I know how and why, and I (not my dr) will not increase my dosage every time I get used to the med.

I have the scripts already, but I research my health stuff before jumping into a regimen that was created in 5 seconds by a very busy doctor. It takes 4-8 weeks to work so I am in no rush.

Thanks..

A: I took Wellbutrin for over a year for major depression. One of my biggest problems with depression was overwhelming fatigue, and Wellbutrin was known as a stimulating antidepressant. It did seem to help at first, but like other meds, the effects seemed to peter out. Eventually I stopped it.

I don’t have many problems with concentration, so your case, of course, is different than mine. In case you have not seen the link below, it may be a source of great inspiration to you. Beneath that is some info on Wellbutrin. I wish you well.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=0h&oq=wellbutrin&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS336US336&q=wellbutrin+adderall+combination

http://www.drugs.com/wellbutrin.html

Q: Is anyone else having the same side effects to Wellbutrin SR?
I take Wellbutrin SR 150mg twice daily for over 6 months, I have been having some interesting side affects since, first of all my short term memory and my memory all together have been pretty much non-existent, my concentration is lower then it has ever been and I am always tired and my reflexes are shot. Is anyone else having these problems? And if so how did you solve them?

A: I tried it for a short time to see if it was acceptable and it made me too tired and kept me awake at night so I got off it. So I didn’t have the problems as extensive as yours. I ended up using antidepressants for about two and a half years and went off the one I was on about 3 months ago and noticed I felt again. I see how the antidepressant dulled my life inside, I am happy to be off them. If your symptoms are unacceptable and they are causing more problems than you are getting help from a medication you should try to switch to a different medication that you can live with. That is how I solve my problem with a medication that is causing unacceptable side affects and I talk to my doctor about it to figure out an alternative.

Q: Can someone who has gained weight on every SSRI remain weight-neutral with a combo of an SSRI + Wellbutrin?
I have been on numerous SSRIs in the past for anxiety and OCD, but I also have concentration issues (perhaps ADD). I am scared of Adderall, so I’m trying Wellbutrin in addition to an SSRI. I’m concerned with getting even more anxious, but I assume it can’t be as bad as Adderall would be. So, my question is – can the Wellbutrin counteract the metabolism-based weight gain experienced with an SSRI? I can only find information on the use of Wellbutrin to mitigate sexual side-effects. Not so much about weight stabilization.

A: I take Wellbutrin, it was because I gained weight on Zoloft (30 lbs) and Paxil, and Prozac made me feel like a zombie and I did not like the sexual side effects. I have been taking Wellbutrin for about two years now and have not gained weight from it. I do not take an ssri along with it though, the wellbutrin has helped some for my ocd and I also take anti anxiety medication.

Q: wellbutrin vs. stimulants…does anyone have experience studying with both?
I would like to hear how these two compare but mostly any negative side effects of wellbutrin since I know stimulants fairly well…i.e. problems with wellbutrin including memory, concentration, general sense and what not…

A: Wellbutrin is certainly not an ideal ADHD medication or study aid.

Wellbutrin typically gives some energy equal to a cup or two of coffee. When they studied Wellbutrin to see if it was addictive and how stimulating it was, the people in the test said coffee was superior in both addiction and stimulation. It is really best for people with depression without anxiety. It does not work very well for other issues.

Wellbutrin is dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Amphetamines like Adderall are serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Amphetamines also act as MAOI’s and stop the breakdown of the neurotransmitters, and Amphetamine will enter the cells containing the neurotransmitters and force the cells to “dump” the chemicals out. So amphetamines work from all aspects to increase the neurotransmitters.

Side effects are the same type of things. But Wellbutrin has become infamous for its seizure risk (much higher than stimulants). Like stimulants it can increase concentration. There is little to no effect on memory and there are no changes in thinking like amphetamines can cause (ie stimulants can cause metacognition and related things). Over all Wellbutrin actually has more side effects.

I have taken Wellbutrin and I currently take Adderall XR. When taking Wellbutrin I was very shaky and was probably close to having seizures. Adderall (at 60 mg) has been fine and highly effective.

Q: Wellbutrin cognitive abilities?
I’m confused. Does wellbutrin sharpen your cognitive abilities or not? Some say that it makes you dull and inarticulate. Others say it makes you sharp and able to concentrate. Others say it impairs your memory. Anyone who is depressed, and ONLY taking Wellbutrin, please answer.

How does it affect:
concentration, creativity, ’sharpness’, verbal/written skills, memory. And finally, does it help you to retrieve that dream-like awe and ability to have strange and creative thoughts? Please don’t laugh. All the magic has been completely snuffed from my life.

A: I just started using Wellbutrin SR 150 mg about 3 weeks ago. This is the ONLY antidepressant that I am taking. I do believe that it improves cognitive function. I was on Remeron for 2 months before this and I was getting ready for an entrance exam for pharmacy school. I was a wreck. I couldn’t concentrate. Math has always been my hardest subject. I was struggling with the calculations and I couldn’t understand why (I already have a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a BS in Biology- so I have definitely done my fair share of math). I was desperate to get ready for the exam. With less than I week to go I saw my psychiatrist and she had me taper off Remeron and added the Wellbutrin. Within hours of taking the first dose my brain slowed down enough to show me a glaring fundamental problem in my thought process- I HAD FORGOTTEN HOW TO PROPERLY DO LONG DIVISION (you know which one gets divided by which…) I couldn’t believe it but right then and there I was able to slow down and effectively study for my exam with an increased level of satisfactory concentration and less anxiety as the days went on. By test day, I was super calm and relaxed and I got through the exam without any major mental breakdowns that I had been dealing with for several practice exams in the months prior to this date.
To this day, I am only taking Wellbutrin SR 150 mg 2x daily and I don’t know what I would have done without it.

Q: Does anybody know of an anti depressant that helps motivation and concentration?
Zoloft isnt helping, Paxil turned me manic, wellbutrin gave me a seizure…I would like tosuggest something to my doctor and was hoping someone has some feedback on how a specific medicine helped them. I have a fear of failure and disappointment that I think is the cause of the lack of motivation at least. The only thing that helped was klonopin. But it is addictive and hard to get a prescription. Any feedback?

A: You may want to speak to your doctor about Venlafaxine (Effexor), which acts on seratonin and boosts levels of norepinephrine (the neurochemical affected by earlier antidepressants called tricyclics). It has a good track record in treating cases that fail to respond to other medication. If you have not done this already, you may want to combine your medical treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Q: Question for people who got help from Wellbutrin!?
Before you found out that Wellbutrin is a drug that relieves your depression, or improves your concentration or relieves your other symptoms, did you feel better when you smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol/coffee or ate food?
I seem to have a mild depression, but i don’t feel any kind of pleasure from chocolate, cigarettes, food, alcohol, sweets… This made me think that there is something wrong with my dopamine. (That’s why i’m asking people with Wellbutrin experience)

A: Prior to Wellbutrin nothing gave me plesasure. food maybe because the taste is an immediate pleasure but really I was just so apathetic. I didn’t want to take anti depressants because I thought the same as so many people that they would “get me high” or not work, I can do this by myself, etc….. I took Wellbutrin when I stopped smoking and it turned out I really liked it so I stayed on it for my depression. It didn’t make me high it just made me less depressed.

Part of depression is a lack of pleasure. You may also lose pleasure in doing things you used to enjoy, going out to eat, movies, hobbies…

Q: 300 Mg’s of wellbutrin xr and 15 Mg’s of adderall?
My doctor has just increased my wellbutrin to 300 mg from 150 mg & I have also been put on 15mg of adderall to take in the afternoon while at work .I am on these drugs for my low concentration levels at work as they tend to fade after 4 hours of being awake and I find it hard to think clearly. I’ve also been diagnosed for deppression.Has anyone tried this combo & what effects did they have on you? presently my dosages of 150 mg’s and 15 of adderall were not really helping my concentration levels or energy levels late in the work day. I was wondering what your experiences were.
i was on 150 mg’s for about 6 months and the adderall i have been on for 6 weeks now

A: Holy crap, I’d be swinging off the ceiling fan on that combo! I took adderall in the past, and it worked fine, but I lost too much weight.
I now take Wellbutrin, and just upped to 300. What I do take keep it going throught the day is to take I pill when I wake up and one after lunch, at about 2. That seems to help a lot.
Just something you can try if what you have makes you jittery.
And Wellbutrin killed 2 birds with one stone for me with ADHD and mild depression.
Good luck:)

Q: Wellbutrin— Does it really work ? ?
So far i have tried Zoloft(50), Prozac(20), Effexor(75) for my Dysthymia and OCD( Repetitive thoughts) but none of them has worked consistently. They only worked when i am severly depressed. Surprisingly all of the medicines worked within three days and got me out of sever depression. My problem is, none of them worked consistently to remove Dysthamia sysmptoms( Low Self Esteem, Getting irritated, Sluggshness of thoughts, Poor Memory, lack of concentration, small incidents causing OCD thoughts, lack of motivation etc..) They made me loose memory, coordination power absent minded, moody and excessively tired. FYI: Addrall works great for motivation, boosting mood and memory but it doent resolve occasional OCD and anxiety problems.

Do i really have Depression or something else( ADD, Bi-Polar)
Did anyone feel this way ?
Should i try WellButrin, does it really work ?

Please Advise.

A: Wellbutrin works differently than most of the other anti-depressants. It doesn’t effect serotonin, so you won’t feel as “good” as fast, but will get a better “level” mood for a longer period of time. Wellbutrin also doesn’t decrease sex-drive like the other anti-depressants do. If the others haven’t worked for you, try Wellbutrin.

Q: What prescription would help with concentration?
I was put on Wellbutrin and it did not really help. I was asking my doctor to change my prescription. Doctor said we had to wait till he set me up with a psychologists to see if i have ADD. Now that i think about it i do not want to take a controlled substance drug. I feel like the psychologist over diagnosed me and gave me 2 types of depression pills, (Xanax) for anxiety. and Seroquel for bi-polar. I refuse to take these drugs, because i feel 100% that he is a nut. The most i may have is mild depression. The thing now is psychologist called my doctor and eliminate the chance of me getting the proper medication for ADHD. Again i know my own body and i feel his judgment on medication is wrong. What can i do to get the proper medication that i need. What would you recommend me to do? What do you think of the psychologist? What medication help you with concentration?

A: The most common ADHD med is Concerta. If you’re unhappy with your doctor get a second opinion.

Q: Which pill is best for helping increase energy, concentration?
I am an adult F age 37 being treated for these -
1. B12 deficient neuropathy. (Neurontin 2000mg day, Combunox 4xday, B12 Injections 1xmo.)
2. depression and anxiety – (prozac 20mg , klonopin .25mg as needed)
3. Anemia- (Ferrous gluconate 3xday)
4. Degenerative Osteoarthritis – (Combunox)
5. Fybromalagia- (had for over 10 years) – (combunox, B-Complex Injections 1m x1 weekly)

—-As you can guess I am having a lot of problems with concentration,
fatigue and feeling I am in a ‘fog’.
I take caffeine pills about 4-5 times a day to stay awake and alert.
I took Adipex-P for a few months and my energy level went up 100% .
I am no longer taking Adipex (law says 2 months every 6mo or something like that)
I am going to my Dr and want to have a list of meds I think
would work for me and have been trying to do some research.
It would help me GREATLY if any of you have experience with similar problems and have found help (NO HERBAL or ALTERNATIVE MEDS-I PREFER PRESCRIPTION MEDS ONLY)
****Provigil
****Dexedin
****Adderall
****Wellbutrin (bupropion)
****Ritalin

Thanks for all Honest Replies- I really need some help getting my head out of the Fog. I wouldn’t mind something that made me feel ‘happier’ as I am pretty down in the dumps. Ive tried other Anti-depressants but prozac doesnt give me trouble so I stay with it.I need more energy and alertness and able to speak clearly again. i NEED the meds I am taking now- I only want to supplement my current meds with one (or two) that will help me.

A: i would suggest Provigil. It improves energy drastically – you can do a lot of things, don’t feel so hungry and it will make you feel ‘ok’ – its nothing that will make you feel ‘high or buzzed’ but it will make you wanna get up and get things done!

I would suggest going online and ordering a few of them. 200mg per day is the usual dose, however i think 400 mg is also alright (depending on you feel about it, you decide this dosage)

provigil also has neuroprotective properties (or so i’ve read)

caffeine – this is not great! caffeine will increase your energy for a little bit, and then it has a big ‘come down’ which’ll zap your spirit.
forget the caffeine pills, have coffee in normal amounts (like a lot of people do, even if its not the best thing to do) but no caffeine pills

btw – if you’re taking so much medication, your liver is gonna ‘rebel’ and you’re gonna feel the effects coz your liver just cant cope with so much

about vit b12 – you’re doctor’s giving it to you coz you’re obviously anaemic,. try to eat some more meat (red meat, its not so unhealthy if you take away the fat). if you’re taking it for any other reason apart from anaemia, then stop taking it coz b12 will go out of your body (in urine) as soon as your body has enough of it… so it’s just a waste of time taking B vitamins really (unless some real problem, like anaemia)

Q: I just started taking Wellbutrin and it’s making me very drowsy. ?
It supposed to give energy and improve concentration. Why am I have the opposite reaction

A: Everyone’s body reacts differently to medications, it’s normal to have adverse effects. I take an antidepressant as well, and it’s supposed to do the same thing, but it’s done the opposite for me too. I would suggest taking it at night, and if it starts to bother you, i’d call your doctor.

Q: Should I take wellbutrin?
I have been it before – if I take it I will have more energy and I wont be sad…. Cons to it though is that it seems to cognitively dim me, mess with my concentration and increase my fear of people…. There are good and bad things to it. Anybody have any advice? Any would be greatly appreciated. I don’t want to be sad but I also don’t want to be uber scared of people.

A: Talk to your doctor about this. Wellbutrin is only one drug out there. Getting the right one (or combination) to treat the symptoms without the side effects can be tricky and take time, but it can be done. If your gp is prescribing, go see a psychiatrist. They simply know more about the ins and outs of these drugs and have more experience mixing and matching.

Best of luck.

Q: concentration problems, meds?
I am bi-polar and take lamictal, cymbalta, and wellbutrin, I’m having a really hard time concentrating, spacing out, learning new thing?
Anyone else or have some insight?

A: OK, first of all I feel your pain. Now, get to your doctor and have him review your current “cocktail” against what you are experiencing. Don’t give up, there IS help and life can be quite dandy actually. Hang in there!

Q: SSRI antidepressants?!?
My doctor prescribed me a SSRI antidepressant for my major depression,fluvoxamine maleate.I’ve read on the Internet something about SSRIs but I didn’t quit understand.What is serotonin and what how do these help in treating depression?What are the most common side effects of SSRIs?In the prospect it says that there is high possibility of suicide attempt but it’s part of the treatment.I have suicidal thoughts but I most certainly don’t want to die!So can these pills make me feel so miserable at one point in the adjusting period so I may try to kill myself??I’m very scared to take these pills.What should I do???Thank you.

A: I think SSRI’s are like anything else in America. They can work for hundreds of thousands of people, but then one person that happens to be on them commits suicide and now suddenly they get a bad rap. Don’t even sweat that. Here’s how it works.

Serotonin is one of several things that basically regulates a handfull of things, anger, aggression, mood, sleep, body temperature even, but namely, in this case, depression. A lack of serotonin can cause many, or even all of these negative things, but often simply results in horrible depression, and different mood and sleep habits.

How it works in very basic form is a circular effect if you will. SSRI’s or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors work by inhibiting (stopping) the reuptake of serotonin. In layman’s terms, so much goes out, so much comes in, the SSRI makes less come back in, making more available to you, so the body isn’t short, thus negating all of the negative effects the lack of serotonin was causing.

Hope that makes a little more sense.

Q: What are your experiences with sexual dysfunction while on SSRI antidepressants?
Do some of you have anorgasmia (not being able to orgasm) while taking SSRI antidepressants? Or not? Which SSRI seems to have the least amount of sexual dysfunction? If you do have sexual dysfunction while on an SSRI how do you go about telling your sexual partner about it? Are you honest with them?

A: I’ve had some problems with SSRI. Be honest with him, but also be willing to explore. When I was younger I thought orgasm was what it was all about. Now I have discovered sensuallity and there are multiple avenues. Also we have found that many times playfullness has ended up in orgasm. There are psycological factors in this. The self fullfilling prophecy “I can’t achieve orgasm, therefore don’t try.” By enjoying each other’s closeness you may be surprised what happens.

Q: What is so bad about SSRI antidepressants?
I am being treated for clinical depression with an SSRI called Fluoxetine (Prozac in the US, I am told). I am really glad to have it, because I finally feel better after about half a year of taking it, following years of untreated depression.

Now some people, when I tell them what I’m taking, go “whoa! That stuff will make everything much worse!”
What are they on about?
When?
Why?

A: Prozac is a killer drug dude. It can cause you to become even more depressed so badly that you can even progress to thoughts of suicide or even attempt suicide.

First know the warning signs.
#1. Periods of time of having very favorable emotional thoughts of feeling very good about yourself and not a bit depressed. Then the pendulum swings in the opposite direction and you begin to feel depressed again. The cycle repeats itself many times. This is known as mania. Better known as bipolar disorder.

#2. Prozac causes the same symptoms of bi polar disorder which will tell your QUACK shrink to then prescribe another dangerous drug such as adderall or zyprexa to “treat” these new symptoms. This is an extremely dangerous situation since both of these drugs have killed over 30,000 people both here in the USA and overseas combined. If I were you get your GP to wean you off of Prozac slowly because going off of it cold turkey can be deadly.

I wish you the best of luck. And I do hope you find an alternative to taking this horrible medicine (or should I say poison)

good night

Q: How does mirtazapine (rememron) a tetracyclic antidepressant work differently from SSRI antidepressants?

A: Tetracyclic anditdepressants are a class of drugs used primarily as antidepressants that were first introduced in the 1970s. They are named after their chemical structure which contains four rings of atoms and are closely related to the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) which contain three rings of atoms. Mirtazapine (rememeron) is a tetracyclic antidepressant primarily used to treat depression. (however it can be used for other things as well) The medicine works by antagonizing certain receptors (particularly the 5-HT receptors and certain alpha adrenergic receptors) and also works as an inhibitor for a certain norepinephrine transporter. By doing this, the medicine enhances adrenergic and sertonegic neurotransmission and thus elivates most of the causes/symtoms of depression.

Unlike most conventional antidepressants, however, mirtazapine is not a reuptake inhibitor. SSRI’s and MAOI typically work by preventing the re-uptake of certain neurotransmitters back into the cell. By preventing their reuptake (or re-absorption) SSRI’s and MAOI’s allow for a greater concentration of the neurotransmitters to remain in the synapse, allowing them to have a more potent effect.Remeron has no appreciable affinity for the serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine transporters.

I hope this helps!
Best of Luck!

Q: Is my brain permanently damaged from taking ssri antidepressants?
I am 15 years old and I have been taking Celexa for two and a half years. I have only recently been alerted of the dangers associated with ssris. I am going to start weening off today. I have never increased my dosage even when I built up a tolerance. I still have a strong sex drive and I am able to feel emotion and I can be happy. Am I too late?

A: I definitely recommend that you work closely with your doctor as you taper your dose. SSRIs do have side effects for some people, but this doesn’t mean that you’ve damaged your brain from these drugs. Also, the effects of SSRIs in adolescents are still not well understood – this is why it’s very important to consult with your doctor about going off the medication, and also why it’s important not to quit cold turkey.

I took SSRIs for 6 years (from age 20 to 26). I experienced many side effects while I was on the drugs, but I managed to get off of them 5 years ago and I have not experienced any long-lasting side effects. I went on to get my Ph.D. in psychology, and I recently wrote a book called “The Antidepressant Antidote: Five Steps to Get Off Antidepressants Safely and Effectively.” The book is geared toward adults, not adolescents – but some of the information in the book might be useful for you.

I would also recommend two books by Joseph Glenmullen, M.D.:

“Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Other Antidepressants with Safe, Effective Alternatives”

“The Antidepressant Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Antidepressant Withdrawal, Dependence, and Addiction”

Best of luck!

Q: What do people have against SSRI antidepressants?
Zoloft, Prozac, etc…

What are some reasons some people dislike these drugs? I’ve overheard a few people saying that SSRIs are B$, don’t work, etc etc. What might their reasoning be?

Thanks!

A: Maybe because they have never been very depressed. Some people just don’t like to take meds. I’ve been taking antidepressants for years. I’ve tried so many in the past and now I’m back on Prozac.

Q: What classification do SSRI antidepressants fall under on the controlled substances act?

A: SSRIs are Schedule IV meds; they have an accepted medical use.

Q: Has anyone developed type 2 diabetes as a side effect of taking SSRI antidepressants?
Dear jackie m, thanks for your information. I took citalopram for 7 weeks earlier this year and although my fasting blood sugar has been about 6 or 7 for the last 10 years, it is now, after taking citalopram, 12 or 13 and my doctor has put me on Metformin.

A: I searched the website for your answer and I did come ac cross a few articles that say SSRI antidepressants can make a person more likely to get type 2 diabetes?

I took antidepressants for several years and still do take them but they are Propananol and 2 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes diet controlled?

Q: Can you recommend a good website where I can buy some SSRI antidepressants?
I’m in the UK, but the website doesn’t have to be there.

I am taking a course of them at the moment on the NHS, but work committments are making it difficult to get the normal prescription from my doctor, so I want to build up a small reserve so I don’t have to go without for a few days.

Thanks

A: You can’t. Call your doctor and tell him your issue. I’m sure that he can phone in a prescription when you need it.

Q: Anyone experience weight gain while on SSRI antidepressants?
I am working with my doctor in regards to going off the medication. I’m not going to suddenly stop taking them.
Been on 40 mg/day Celexa for over 2 years now. I’ve gained a lot of weight. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this while on SSRIs and how easy the weight loss is once I go off of them.

A: This is someone’s experience of taking Celexa:

“I was on Celexa. I think it did a lot of good for me for awhile but I gained 20 pounds!!! I also never felt like having sex, had trouble concentrating or learning information that I had studied over and over again (I am a med student, so this is no good!), and had a feeling that my moods were just TOO regular, that there was never any change or variety at all. So I quit, cold turkey, about a week ago. I couldn’t take it any more: I was running four times a week and STILL none of my pants fit me!”
You can lose weight easier by avoiding sweets,cakes and chocolates.Also you should do regular exercise.

Q: What is the difference between venlafaxine which is a SNRI and the other SSRI antidepressants?
please do not mention side effects or other negatives that cause worry

thanks in advance

ste

A: Venlafaxine (Effexor, Efexor) is a serotonin–norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reuptake inhibitor so it is NOT a SSRI selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

The following drugs are SSRI’s:

Celexa, Cipramil, Paxoran (citalopram)
Lexapro, Cipralex (escitalopram)
Luvox, Faverin (fluvoxamine)
Paxil, Aropax, Loxamine, Seroxat (paroxetine)
Prozac, Fluox, Plinzene, Oxactin (fluoxetine)
Zoloft, Lustril (sertraline)

Unlike SSRI’s venlafaxine acts on norepinephrine in addition to acting on serotonin. However venlafaxine acts primarily on serotonin and significant actions on norepinephrine occur at a higher dose.

SSRI’s and SNRI’s are both highly efective in treating depression and anxiety. In The US, Canada, and The UK venlafaxine is approved to treat major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, and social anxiety disorder.

Venlafaxine is one of the only medications with level 1 evidence (the highest) for efficacy and is recommended first line treatment for treating panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and venlafaxine has level 2 evidence for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Venlafaxine has one of the lowest rates of discontinuation (due to side effects) among antidepressants. Under 1% of patients in clinical trials discontinued compared to 13-17% discontinuation of SSRI’s and 30% discontinuation with tricyclic antidepressants (TCA’s).

The most frequent side effects from venlafaxine include:
abdominal pain with cramps, anorexia (weight loss), increase in anxiety (typically short term), blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), insomnia, nausea, tremors, visual changes, xerostomia (dry mouth). Typically side effects go away within the first few weeks of use.

I also highly recommend venlafaxine. It can take 4-6 weeks before it starts to work although patients often start to notice some effects within 2 weeks. If you are taking it for anxiety it may increase your anxiety, as I mentioned in the side effects. In some cases this can be severe and use of a benzodiazepine like Xanax (alprazolam) or Rivotril (clonazepam) for the first few weeks of treatment may be helpful. Using alprazolam or clonazepam with venlafaxine for the first few weeks of treatment has been shown to provide more rapid relief, is associated with fewer side effects, and a better outcome.

For more information on venlafaxine:

Effexor consumer information (CAN):

http://www.wyeth.ca/en/products/Product%20Patient%20Info/Effexor_XR_Part_III_13Feb09_sub_Feb_18th.pdf

Effexor medication guide (US):

http://www.wyeth.com/content/showlabeling.asp?id=472

Efexor patient information leaflet (UK):

http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/document.aspx?documentid=8609&docType=XPIL

Q: What are the disadvantages to taking SSRI antidepressants long term?
Barky that’s rubbish. I was on SSRI’s for a year, and came off them slowly no problem. Then 9 month later I relapsed. 9 months is quite alot of time to be healthy.

A: there are side-effects to taking any of these medications. everything from dry mouth to sexual dysfunction, fatigue and cognitive fog. ironically, sometimes even an increase risk in suicidal gesture/attempts (particularly in pediatric and adolescent populations). the benefits of the medication should outweigh the risk of the potential side effects.

as far as longitudnal studies, you might have to look up each individual SSRI or SNRI for that data. all of the manufacturers have their studies listed in their prescriber information handouts.

Q: Many people on this site use SSRI antidepressants. Has no one noticed that they don’t work?
Everyone I’m acquainted with who has used them, has needed to be switched to an alternative antidepressant. Comments?

A: every one of those antidepressants are only compensating for a defficiency in your body. they may on one hand make up for the defficiency, but on the other hand are man made, by people who want you to stay sick. so there are little extras that dont completely make you healthy. if you research you can find out what deficiency your body has and get some minerals from your local ealth store. its way cheaper and without all of the bad additives. this is from personal experience. prozac, wellbutrin, zoloft,ive taken a ton.

Q: can a patient undergo an ECT while taking lexapro or other SSRI antidepressants?

A: ECT is used to treat severe depression and won’t interact with your meds. overall it’s thought to be more effective than antidepressants and for those suffering psychotic depression it’s often used as well as meds cos the meds alone wont treat it.

be sure to tell your dr ALL drugs you are on before you give informed consent for the ECT. although since it’s probably your pdoc who is recommending the procedure, they probably already know what drugs you are on

Q: Iv been prescribed SSRI antidepressants to tackle my depression, has anyone had any success with these?
Iv been suffering from depression for around 4 months but was only diagnosed a week ago, my doctor gave me some information on SSRI but i am keen to get a personal account. I know not everybody reacts the same to medication but i am still keen to hear how other people have got on with them as i am skeptical about weather a drug can solve this problem for me.
thanks

A: I started taking Celexa about 4 to 5 months ago and let me tell you…. they DO work!

Celexa really works and didnt give me bad side effects. Everyones body is different though so you may have to try different kinds of pills before finding the right one for you. I tried 3 before finding the best one for me!

It does take a while to kick in but when they do you can feel SUCH a difference! Helped my depression, anxiety, social anxiety and more!

=]

Q: how do you know the difference between an OCD or neatness?

A: watch Munk its great. Ocd is a obsession. You feel fine until someone puts something out of place. Neatness is liking everything to look orderly not perfect.

Q: If I am a grouch constantly when it comes to neatness, to the point I annoy myself, is it OCD?Can it be fixed?
Real answers only pls… For example: My grandmother is definitely a neat-freak… to the point you feel like you can’t touch anything when you’re at her house. I feel like I’m following in her footsteps and I hate it! My boyfriend is here all the time and I’m constantly on to him about not sitting on the furniture with dirty clothes, about how I have to clean up after him, etc. But the only thing is… to most people, I don’t think his behavior is as bad as I make it seem. I am sure he is acting normal, but even if he gets the table that we’re eating at dirty it drives me nuts. Part of it bugs me because he’s not the one who cleans it up and it’s my stuff, but the other side of me wants to be like WHO CARES?! I’d rather him be here every single day dirty and making messes than not have him here at all. My house is basically spotless the majority of the time and I feel weird when things get out of place. I want to be sweet all the time, not sweat the small stuff! Is this a disorder?

A: Sounds like you’re just a little obsessive. Everyone has their hobby and some people are just fastidious. OCD people tend to do things that are bizzare and unproductive repeatedly.

Q: how can i get rid of my OCD without medications?
i keep checking the rooms in my house to see if anything of mine is in place and i keep doing it everytime i walk through my house. i keep obsessing over neatness in my handwriting and i worry if something is out of place. i try to forget about neatness and tell myself that not everything has to be perfect but i do it anyway. it’s so frustrating! i’m getting so upset. any help?

A: you should talk to a therapist that specializes in ocd. i understand that you don’t want to take medication but sometimes medication really does help. would you rather be on medication or be like this? please don’t try to do this on your own and don’t assume it’ll go away by itself. talk to someone. god bless.

Q: Do You Find Yourself Having OCD Tendencies?
about anything??

I’m just anal about alot of things but not really OCD.

I sometimes wish I was OCD about neatness!!

A: i have this thing about washing my hands.. must wash hand when they feel dirty.. though maybe im coming out of it. it hasnt happened in quite a while.. oh lord. brb i need to wash my hands …

Q: OCD is really nothing…?
I have never experienced anxiety or any nervous problems. But I just like when things on my desk lay in perfectly straight lines and right angular patterns. The recycle bin in my computer never holds any one item, because I like it better when it’s empty, nothing in it, so I delete everything permanently (actually this one got me into trouble a few times… . When there are missed calls on my home phone, I also clear them immediately (on all three phones in the house, because I can’t stand it when I clear one of them and leave the other two.) Also, I hate to have guests or small kids in my room, because when they touch or move something, I have to later walk after them and put everything to its righteous position (right angles, straight lines) I’m just a little of a neat freak at school. But I’m not cleaning everything obsessively (a little bit of dust here and there is OK, or dishes in the sink… haha.) and I don’t have a germophobia or something like that… all those habits don’t really interact with my social life, or my life whatsoever. It’s even hard for others to notice those habits, except that sometimes I get complements or chuckles about my neatness. That’s all. So is my OCD still and OCD if it doesn’t interact with my life? and it doesn’t make problems? I don’t intend to do anything about my OCD. Do you think I should?
P.S. I’m only 15.

A: What you’ve described is not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Those that suffer from OCD suffer from horrible panic attacks or crippling anxiety whenever their “tick” has been interrupted. What you have is just neat behaviour. You prefer everything in its place, but you won’t have a mental breakdown if something is out of place.

Q: Is This OCD?
My rooms very clean for a teenager but everything ALWAYS has to be in some kind of order/ neatness before i go out, or lets say go to school, or take a shower. My room always has to look neat and perfect. Though i never do count. I used to when i was younger do everything 2 times and at the time i didnt realize it could of been something wrong i would always think okay if i crack my nuckles once i will get bad luck and if i crack them again i would get good luck. I would do this with everything. I no that sounds very dumb but its what i thought I grew out of that though But i constantly have bad thoughts as if something bad is going to happen to my parents or my brother and sometimes myself Its scary because i cant sleep at night and i jump out of bed everytime i hear a car because im very worried my house is going to get robbed Its very frustraiting because i cant get a good nights sleep. But i was just wondering could this be OCD or am i overreacting?

A: Obsessive Compulsive disorder is the culmination of all the anxiety disorders. For someone with this disorder it is not uncommon to experience SEVERE generalized anxiety, recurrent panic attacks, debilitating aoidance, and major depression, all possible occuring simultaneusly with other OCD symptoms. Do you have thoughts, images, or impulses that you attempt to completely avoid (example, do you clean your room to avoid scorn by a room mate?). Obsession – intrusive and mostly nonsensical thoughts, images, or urges that an individual tries to resist. Compulsions – thoughts or actions used to suppress obsessions (counting) and provide relief.

I pulled that out of my abnormal psychology book. I hope it helps. And if this does sound like you, don’t worry. There are many ways to help, and it sounds like you are doing alright anyways.

Q: OCD??? Or SOMETHING ELSE?!?
CAN ANYONE DIAGNOSE MY CONDITION?!?

Well my problem is quite complex! You see, i had OCD, when I was like 14, and I was put on Zoloft for it, but it’s really gotten a lot better now (4 years on). I don’t do repeated actions, don’t have urges for neatness, cleanliness etc and i’m very care-free. HOWEVER, i’m not sure whether i’ve developed a NEW condition all in all?!? It’s something like this:-

After doing a certain action that is AGAINST my SELF-IMPLEMENTED RULES, like breaking glass, I feel this CHANGE! For some reason (THOUGH I KNOW IT’S BULLSHIT), my sub-conscious mind keeps telling me that i’m somehow DIFFERENT after doing that action! I lose continuity and i don’t feel like the same person (or atleast i feel so)! But i know it’s BULLSHIT! But that thought keeps coming! And i get this strange HIGH feeling like i’m on ecstasy or someshit! I usually RE-DO the same action inorder to come back to normal and neutralize the earlier action! And it usually works, and i lose the HIGH feeling after a while. But unfortunately, this has led to a ritual like neutralization process……and it really annoys me!

But the funny thing is, such attacks happen RARELY! And they only happen IF i break my RULES (very petty and silly rules that i have created myself)! So I ALWAYS obey my mind, because they happen rarely. When i confront my mind and say NO, I usually have that HIGH feeling for days…..and i can’t tolerate it!

Can anyone diagnose this condition? Does anyone know an online person who could help me diagnose this?
Delete

A: Dude you sound just like me but I am in control,you are not quite there yet lol.In reality we dont have any serious issues we just have thoughts deep in our mind making a consequence for every single move we make.For example when you leave out the front door in the morning or whenever and you know you locked it but you just have to go back and check or even making sure you closed the refrigerator door, you may push on it super hard to make sure.You have to learn to just put your obssesive thoughts to the test and break your rules and see what happens,your body has to learn to adjust to going agaisnt ocd like behavior so start avoiding repetition and just let your mind drive you crazy and once YOU see that your thoughts are just thoughts you will be more accustomed to ignoring it.

Q: is it possible that i have ocd?
I…
am overconcerned about neatness and things being orderly
and constently organizing the house,
check and double check if my doors are closed and if doors are locked
i have to touch for example a chair several times before i can leave it to make sure its straight, and if i dont i turn around and do it again.

i was reading and i read that symptoms of ocd alo include the need to be clean and wash hands constently… and stuff.. im not like that.. does that mean im not ocd?

again please only awnser if you are possative

A: Yes, it sounds like you have some symptoms of OCD. The most important diagnostic criteria, though, is that it significantly impacts your life. If your rituals take about 5 minutes a day, you’re probaby ok. But if you’re spending hours doing them, that’s a problem. Of course, seek treatment if you find this distressing.

Q: Do I have OCD or are these just weird habits?
my whole life i’ve always been a neat freak.
but within the past few years i’ve become more aware of my
habits. here’s a list, let me know what you think:

animal abuse makes me ridiculously uncomfortable.
i tweeze my eyebrows excessively.
i obsesss over facial blemishes.
i’m really scared for my mom all the time.
at times have angry thoughts.
constant sexual thoughts.
neatness/tidiness.
i count syllables in my sentences.
i count my steps.
i count things in my head visually and
see them like dots on a pair of dice.
lip biting.
any hair that is out of place, i pick it out.
always feel like someone’s watching me
i can only sleep facing my room, not the wall.
always have to have door shut at night.
i delete my calls/texts constantly
i’m always scared of getting into a car accident.
i open/close my door a bunch of times before i leave
my room to make sure the top of my snake’s tank is shut
i have a constant need to clean, straighten up, improve things.

OCD?

A: Yes it does sound like OCD based on info I have from living with my Mom, and paranoia is part of OCD. There are some really good treatments for this with medication and therapy. Sometimes OCD has been linked to epilepsy because your brain is misfiring or the same thought occurs over and over. I really wish you the best.

Q: Do you have OCD?
If so, what kind? (Germ-phobia, neatness, ect.)

A: Germ phobia

Q: I think I may have OCD?
I am 13 years old. I did a symptom checklist and here they are..
-Unfounded fears of contracting a dreadful illness
-Obsessions about one’s body
-Excessive concerns about dirt and germs (including the fear of spreading germs to others); and environmental contaminants, such as household cleaners
-An overwhelming need to align objects “just so”
-Abnormal concerns about the neatness of one’s personal appearance or one’s environment
-Stashing away useless trash
-Repeating questions over and over
-Rewording or rewriting words or phrases
-Unfounded fears that one has failed to do some routine task (such as paying the mortgage or signing a check)
-Repeated intruding images of violence
-Being overly concerned about one’s weight (for example weighing one’s self several times a day)
-The need to keep doing something until one gets it “just right”
-Accumulating useless objects
-Repeatedly checking to see if a door is locked or an appliance is turned off
-Checking associated with bodily obsessions (such as repeatedly checking oneself for signs of a catastrophic disease)
-Checking and rechecking for mistakes
-Asking over and over for reassurance
-A feeling of dread if some arbitrary act is not performed
-The need to touch, tap or rub certain objects repeatedly
-The overpowering need to tell someone something or to ask someone something or to confess something
Another thing I have is an obsession with my hair in public. I always have to ask if it okay. If it is windy i have to hold it down and seek shelter. I won’t let anyone touch it and if it messes up I throw a tantrum and scream. I have scary thoughts all the time and my drawers are filled with useless items.

-
-

A: Some of those things sound like ocd… But the best thing to do is to contact your doctor who can advise you further and start treatment if you need it…

Q: Target or WalMart and why?
I prefer Target. Yes, Wal Mart is cheaper, but I really like shopping at Target. I miss working there too. I like the neatness OCD of it all. Wal-Mart is usually a big ole mess.

A: I only go to Walmart when it’s really late and I need something since they’re open 24/7. I prefer Target because their staff is friendly and actually look like they enjoy working there. I’ve only run into three people at Walmart that were smiling for real. Everyone else was either faking it or not even smiling.

Q: Husband wants to move into a house with another couple so we can get out of debt.?
My husband is in the navy, one of his fellow shipmates is getting a house and they have come up with the brilliant idea of us sharing the house. My husband has alot of debt that I honestly dont know if we will ever get out of at the rate we are going but if we did this we would be spending a quarter on living expenses as we are now and really be able to get out of debt. I am 100% against this idea. But as I think about it I feel like I’m being selfish. Anyone have an oppion on what I should do? I think it would casue so many problems, I’m a very private person, very OCD person when it come to neatness and the way I like things. And furthermore he would be gone on deployment for 9 months out of the year we would be there so I would be the one having to deal with it. anyone have any expierence living with another couple, how’d it work out?

A: sorry but to be honest this is something you need to talk over with your husband. im sure there would be some good in it and some bad in it but between you both you need to weigh up the options and together make the decision

Q: My family are starting to hurt my feelings. Am I overreacting?
This is going to be long. Just a warning, lol.

Well, basically, I can be a bit… peculiar. Idiosyncratic would probably be a better word.

If a control is measured by numbers (volume, temperature, etc.), then I have to have the numbers either on an even number or on the number 7. I don’t even know why it’s those numbers. If it’s not on those numbers it feels like something bad’s going to happen. It’s like I can’t concentrate on anything else because of this feeling. It’s like dread. I know it can be annoying, but I can’t control it. It’s like my brain thinks it by itself, because I know that something bad isn’t going to happen.

It’s the same with times. When I get in the shower, I have to get in precisely when the clock is on the hour. If it goes a minute past, I have to wait ’til the next hour. For the same reason, the feeling that something bad will happen if I don’t.

My hands feel dirty all the time, I have to wash them, maybe once an hour? On average. If my hands are actually dirty, and it’s something I don’t like (for example, cheese, lol), then I have to wash my hands exactly three times before they feel clean. I know logically that any germs/dirt is gone after I’ve washed them once, but my hands don’t FEEL clean unless I’ve washed them three times. I also carry hand sanitiser everywhere in case my hands get dirty.

I have a thing about keeping things in line – like if there’s four magazines on the table, each magazine has to be the same distance from the other magazines. It’s the bad feeling again – like one of the magazines is ruined if it’s out of line.

Whenever I’m out, I always get the feeling something’s wrong at home – like I have to go back. Maybe I left the oven on, or my straighteners on, or the bath running. I know I haven’t because I check them before I go out, but it’s like this doubt at the back of my mind saying ‘go back, just check one more time, and again, and again..’

I’ve no idea why I’m like this. It’s like, I know something bad won’t happen if the heating’s on an odd number, but I can’t shake the feeling. It started a while ago, maybe 6 – 10 months ago. It started with the even numbers, and then more things started, and now it’s starting to affect my life. I’m 16. My family are starting to get annoyed. They find it funny, but annoying at the same time. They either laugh at me, or shout at me, and I get frustrated because I can’t help it. They all call me weird – my parents, my brother, my grandparents. If you looked up ‘unbalanced’ in a thesaurus, I can guarantee I’ve been called 90% of the synonyms by my family. My parents frequently tell me that I ‘need to see a doctor’. I can understand where they’re coming from, but at the same time, I feel hurt and upset by what they’re saying. If they think I need to see a doctor so badly, why haven’t they taken me to see one? I don’t want to see a doctor, I feel embarrassed. They treat it as a joke, but to me, it’s serious. They have a strong sense of humour, one that’s based on a lot of teasing and mocking, but it feels like they’ve gone to far. My parents seem to think I’ve got some form of OCD, but I thought you had to like neatness and cleanliness for that? My bedroom’s as messy as any teenagers.

Am I overreacting here? It feels like I am, because whenever I mention that saying I’m ‘psycho’ or whatever isn’t nice, they just laugh it off and say ‘lighten up, it’s a joke’. I’ve told them that I don’t like it, but they don’t seem to care. Should I just try and shrug it off? Are they being wrong at all? Am I right to tell them to stop, or just being too uptight?

It’s so confusing

Thank you everyone

A: According to Wikipedia:

Obsessive Compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce anxiety, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety, or by a combination of such thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions). Symptoms may include repetitive hand-washing; extensive hoarding; preoccupation with sexual or aggressive impulses, or with particular religious beliefs; aversion to odd numbers; and nervous habits, such as opening a door and closing it a certain number of times before one enters or leaves a room.

With that in mind, you sound like you do have it but I am not a certified psychologist to diagnose you so you need to see one and have a diagnosis made. The more your parents understand this the better and they can go through counseling with you to better help you overcome this. Only then will you feel better about yourself. YOU DO NOT need to feel embarrassed about this because it is a serious psychological issue. I developed a slight amount of OCD with van doors wanting to constantly check them to make sure they were locked… like an anxiety overcame me and I really had to have the support from my little brother to help me not check it until I finally stopped but it takes time. Good luck and please do get help because you can overcome it.

Q: how is this free written poem?
Apparently she’s the girl with all types of problems.
Apparently she’s the one that puts them all on herself.

She’s not as thin as she should be,
because she can’t seem to eat right,
or muster up the urge to binge every morsel away.

She’s not as mean as she should be.
Then shes told that she is not as nice as whats expected.
She frequently gets whiplash, as she trades spaces.
Both say that she has a psychological dilemma,
whether its the desire to be accepted or to shun.

She’s not a Chameleon,
where she can adapt and melt into the environment.
She’s tryed fervently to perfect that scenario.
She’s indecisive whether she should be a rod of steel or a spaghetti noodle.
Exhaustion seeps as she searches,
for the girl reflected and the one deep down.

She’s OCD followed by a slob.
This is the way she expresses her situation.
She has no control over her world in a wreck,
so she soothes it with the neatness of objects,
to so control and hopefully soothe anxieties.
Other times shes says d*** it,
and lets it all fall to shambles.
Afraid to fight and lose it all.

Apparently she worries to much about her face paint,
till she is fine flaunting without it,
then she is thought to be in a rut and lazy.
When all she has is greater confidence and self acceptance.

I’m not a Chameleon.
I’m not a well put together girl.
I am what I am,
different from day to day,
unpredictable in many ways.
I’m just trying to make it through life.

I can’t prune and paint myself,
to fit every ones acceptance.
Take me as I am or just let me be.
I have to live life so I’m content.
Someday I’ll have to say good bye to everyone & everything,
I’ve failed if I’m disappointed with MY outcome.

Any suggestions? Did you like it or not? Why?

A: I like it there is good decriptions and it’s deep but yet clear to understand the points that you are trying to make. I think overall you did a nice job.

Q: Should one go back to sleep after waking up and realizing life is too overwhelming?
How can an awakened spirit live in this world? It is impossible to fit in the American society. Maybe Japanese, but America….OMG

A: If you can go outside and look at the stars, feel the night breeze, listen to the sounds of the distant night life. You are exactly in the place in the world you need to be to facilitate your growth. Don’t worry about fitting in to the insanity of an insane world. The real still exists and seeing this gives you a wonderful opportunity to create lasting change. Remember the outside world transforms with our inner growth. Best wishes with the sleep!!

Q: Life is too overwhelming for me. What can I do?

A: Make a plan to become a better person right away. Have that plan start tommorrow and make sure it has step by step instructions and goals. Try to accomplish those goals, finding out why you failed when you do (and you should expect to fail at some point) and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes. Just organize priorities in your life and lay out a plan to fix each problem.

Q: POLL: Have you ever felt that life is too overwhelming????

A: always…..

Q: Have you ever reached a point, where so much is going on in your life, it’s too overwhelming to even discuss?
Many say it’s best to vent and talk with others when you’re stressed. Or that you should continue looking for solutions. But sometimes, things can become so overwhelming when it’s one thing after another, that it seems pointless to verbalize and/or explain the details to others? Even worse, is that when these things are out of your control, you face the fact that all you can do, is monitor how you respond to it all???

If you’ve been in this situation, did you just let go and let God, because you knew no human would have the answers? Or if you’re not religious, did you decide to keep things to yourself, and take one day at a time? What did you do to stay strong? Well, I’m probably not explaining this correctly, but maybe someone will understand what I’m asking.
I wanted to add, that sometimes when things reach a certain point, I feel almost guilty for burdening others. Not because I don’t want to confide, but I figure if it’s overwhelming me, and there isn’t much the person can do anyway, why stress them out too? I especially think it’s wrong to put all your burdens on one person.

A: Hi SeekingAnswers. One at a time my friend, one day at a time. We cannot control other people, we can only control ourselves, and sometimes we don’t control ourselves very well either. If you have a problem, pray to God about it, and then stay out of it. Let Him have it. Accept whatever the outcome of your problem is. And let God’s will be done in your life. Try saying what is know as the Lord’s prayer. In Matthew 6:8-13:

“…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Q: Is the INTERNET TOO overwhelming for you?
Sometimes I sit back and think, wow! Technology is just blowing my mind. You can talk to people all over the world. I have met some wonderful friends from all over the globe, and it doesn’t stop. It makes my life easier to keep in touch with family too. Do you ever just sit back and just say WOW? It becomes so overwhelming to me that at times I have to just take a break, and rememeber the days when you pick up the phone to call someone, or read a book to have some excitment! I miss the good old days sometimes. Sorry this is so long…but i just had to get this off of my chest!

A: It’s not overwhelming for me since I grew up around computers and the internet. On the contrary, it sounds like you didn’t. I’m used to all of the techological advances since it’s what I know, but you know a simpler time

So for some, it is overwhelming. For the younger generation it isn’t.

I guess when I think about it though, talking to someone in Russia or Bangladesh instantly or without actually talking is pretty nice….

Q: How do you help a friend learn how to love herself again?
The loss of her friends life is almost too overwhelming for her, who feels so guilty she survived the car accident & her friend didn’t?

A: This is a situation that will not go away over night. It may never fully go away. Time and time alone will dull the overwhelming feelings she has. You go through so many I wonder whys and there are no answers except it was her time to go and not your friends. The days of our lives are numbered before we are born. Her friends purpose on earth has been full filled, your friends hasn’t. If she hadn’t been killed in the accident she might have had a freak accident. It simply was her time. It may well be your friend was left behind to accept the hurt to rise above and obtain some understanding to be able to help others who will experience the same or similar circumstances. By her endurance she will be someone others will look to for strength in their time of need. I learned what we think our purpose is and what it may truly be could be two horses of a totally different color. Not what we want, surly not what we’d choose, but if God brought her to it, he will take her through it. She has to forgive herself. The guilt she bears is because she was left behind. She needs to sit down alone and talk out loud to her friend just like her friend and Jesus were right there next to her, because they are in spirit. Pour her heart out to them verbally. Cry….Cry some more. Ask their forgiveness for her feeling the way she does and accept that they don’t blame her, it wasn’t her fault. Tell her to accept they would want her to go on and be there when someone needs her, and believe it in her heart. It won’t go away instantly but some relief will come and each day will be a little easier. It starts with one step. I’ve been there.

Q: Life is overwhelming-My mind is TOO open?:S?
im 14..i find the fact that im even alive amazing..I don’t take life seriously-after all,noone gets out alive..I feel like im high EVERY SINGLE DAY,i could sit there staring at a wall just thinking about how amazing the fact i’m alive is,wondering if maybe the world is a test,i could wake up tommorow and be in a different body,different world…..I find it intrested how people can comunicate,Anything is possible,the impossible is even possible..NOONE can prove something doesn’t exist..i mean monsters,aliens mutant man horse things could exist,i mean we do,why wouldn’t something else..
I could stand on a beach spinning around in a circle looking at the clouds,thinking how crazy it is that im here..it could all be taken away tommorow..i mean anything can happen,in a minute or two some giant bug could leave off a gas and wipe out humanity..who knows?
noone can prove what isn’t there..
when we die,what happens?..we go to heaven/..you come back to me when you’ve visited…noone can prove anything true..

im vegetarian..i believe everyone and thing is equal on this planet..

i just can’t accept the fact we are alive; we can comunicate; and have personalitys of our own..it just amazes me;it seems almost impossible to me..

when i was little i used to feel like things wern’t real..i used to wonder if maybe it was all just someones dream…
now its different..i know theese things are real…and thats what astounds me..

what’s wrong with me? :S
x
actually to answerer #1
I was really “depressed” when i was 13 self harmed and suicidal..

A: in Samandhi and Vipassana meditation we call it “walking the line” When I meditate I try to see the natural good emotions and good things in life, I don’t reject the bad unnatural things, I simply recognize the bad things acknowlegde them at let it pass. I think you are not so much too open, but very philosophical and intellectual. And as an extra bonus have a very positive attitude. If you would like to channel this energy buy or check out, from the library, some books on philosophy. The selection is vast and covers many areas. I have a long list, if you wish to get in touch and I’ll try to find my list and recommend a few sections for you to check-out. Many books are very heavy and complicated, best to start off easy. And they are not going to be what you suspect at all but brutally honest sometimes, incredibly beautiful others. Many have a false sense of what philosphy is, if you already tried this, ignore my message. How about signing up for philosophy courses, or learn to meditate and get this energy all out at once if it troubles you?

Q: I hate my life so much, what can I do?
Latel;y life has been too overwhelming for me. I am recieveing a C+ in AP Bio and am completely failing honors precalc. I have been studying my butt off all day everyday going to extra help and the like.. but I can’t get a grip on things. What should I do? I am so depressed that I cry everyday. I’m used to being a straight A student and that was before effort. Now I am putting in effort and still nothing is working out for me. Also I get every homework problem right, however on test days it all falls apart.
The way howmy school works…I’m stuck in the classes til June..and I am not suicidal..just want to do immensely better.

A: First of all, are you getting enough sleep?
Make sure, no matter what you get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Lack of sunlight is also depressing.
Make sure you study in a well lit cheery room, open the curtains and let the sun in.
How is your diet? Proper diet makes you feel better, and also exercise.If you don’t have the time, just try walking more,longer distance to school, classrooms, to get something to eat, etc.
If you have been a straight A, some thing is on your mind, and only you know what it can be.If you are worried about someone close to you, or you don’t like another person or teacher, all that can play into why you are feeling this way.Have you had a doctor check up?Sometimes, thyroid, or hormones, play a big part of how you feel.take care ♥

Q: I hate my life, what can I do to change it?
Latel;y life has been too overwhelming for me. I am recieveing a C+ in AP Bio and am completely failing honors precalc. I have been studying my butt off all day everyday going to extra help and the like.. but I can’t get a grip on things. What should I do? I am so depressed that I cry everyday. I’m used to being a straight A student and that was before effort. Now I am putting in effort and still nothing is working out for me. Also I get every homework problem right, however on test days it all falls apart. I think how said I am is also turning guys away from me befcause they don’t want a girlfriend that is always unstable all of the time. Help!

A: i can imagine how smart u are because ur in AP classes!
u have to realize that not everybody can get into those types of classes.
if ur gettign a C+ in bio, be proud of urself! i was failing that class & i would get straight As too.
in my opinion, for some reason i felt that AP classes were harder than actual college classes.
and dont worry, with ur grades, u will definitely get into a good skool.
if u still fee down, why dont u try studying with a group. or other things like asking lots and lots of questions, askingfor help from the teacher…

Q: Moving my two cats into home with 2 large dogs?
My mom and I are going to be moving in to her boyfriends house soon. We have 2 cats, one we had for five years the other we have had for about half a year. His house is a lot bigger than ours, he has two younger kids and two Labrador retrievers.
I am very concerned about my cats adjusting. It’s our first cat i am most worried about, he’s lived a peaceful life without too much overwhelming things happening.
What is the best way to make them comfortable and happy and how should the pets be introduced?
thanks

A: You can never be sure how they will act to each other make sure that you put the cats in a room and keep the door closed and let them smell each other under the door, and you can have them “get to know” each other some by swapping scents use a old towel or blanket let the cats have them for 24 hours or so so she can play, sleep then let the dog smell it and do the same thing with him let the dogs have it for a while get his sent on it then let the cats smell it. kinda get used to each other that way do a while before you let them meet.

Q: Paranoia… or…? (warning, long)?
Alrighty. I’m pretty sure I’ve got paranoia, or at least something of the sort. This doesn’t feel normal AT ALL. And it’s been going on for almost five years now.

So pretty much, my life feels like The Blair Witch Project meets reality. I always feel as if I’m being watched, stalked, and that something is going to hurt me. Some THING. It’s not people that I fear about, but it’s more like this evil spirit thing. It’s hard to explain, it really is. I can’t see it, I don’t hear voices… I’m not crazy. But this is starting to conflict with everything.
I can’t talk on the phone. I’m too terrified. Like literally, I’ll get so scared that I’d rather not have to order the pizza than get it. Even calling family members is too horrible. I’m scared to answer the door, too. I hide. My heart literally feels as heavy as a boulder when someone knocks at the door and I get this terror.
I’m also scared being alone with people. Anyone. The only person in the entire world that I feel comfortable around is my sister. I don’t even feel safe around my parents.
I can’t sleep. Whenever I close my eyes, I feel vulnerable. I feel like something is just watching over me. Just standing there. Waiting. And every noise that I hear, or every shadow I see, sends me into a shock. I HAVE to find out what causes it or else I can’t sleep. The unknown is what scares me. I can’t even sleep how I sleep most comfortably – with my back to the room – because it’s too overwhelming. This is probably going to sound stupid, but I’ve had experiences before where things have woken me up as I slept that way. Things I can’t explain. And it’s just too much.
Being alone in the house is majorly terrifying. I just can’t do it. I feel so vulnerable and scared that I’ll be killed. I can’t take it anymore.
The dark scares me especially. When I can’t see, you might as well take all of my senses away.

These are all such real fears. They send me into a state where you get really cold. The hairs on your arms stand up, and your heart beats faster. You look in each and every direction, just scanning the room OVER and OVER and OVER making sure nothing is there. I can’t even sit out on my roof because it terrifies me. Even though I am above ground, I still feel it. It’s in the air. All around me. I’ll never, ever feel safe.

There are SO many other things I could list right now but they’ve slipped my mind. This is affecting my life too much and I don’t think this is normal, unless you can tell me otherwise. I’m so sick of living this way. I never feel safe and I’m always scared. I just want to feel free.
How will I ever live alone? Go for a job interview? Change scares me a lot because I don’t know what to expect. I become so worrisome and paranoid and scared.

What’s the deal? I’m terrified to tell anyone. Only my best friend in the entire world and my parents know because they’ve seen it first hand. I’m going for my doctor’s appointment soon and I really, really want to tell her but at the same time, I’m terrified. I don’t want her to tell me that I’m fine and that it’s just my imagination. And at the same time, I don’t want her to tell me that I’ll need to be locked up in some psych ward and live on pills and go to therapy. I don’t want to do that. I’m seriously so scared of what they’ll do to me if I tell them.

Please help me. =[

A: I know you really want to help yourself, and i think you are very brave for posting this here. I know how you feel, but at the same time, I can’t possibly say that I do. I know a bit about psychology, and think you should meditate 4 starters. You don’t have to close your eyes, find a bright room and breath deeply. calm your shoulders and think of grass.I think that you should definitely go, be brave for them, too. They will just try to help you. You are not being watched, I promise you. I feel like that. Also, you don’t have to trust everyone with your secrets. Just have fun and be around them, not everyone means harm. I do not know what to tell you, but I want you to know that you are not alone, and that i and people are very willing to help you and listen to you. Good Luck!

Q: People online (and a bunch in real life too) always tell me that I have Asperger’s Syndrome?
I have no social skills. A huge symptom is not being able to read people’s emotions, so I took this test online where it showed you people’s faces and you were supposed to guess how they were feeling, like “aghast”, “confused”, “contemplative”, “distrusting”, etc.

I got 32/37 right. Is that bad?

I also don’t feel like I’m interested in one thing, I can’t hyper-focus on anything, but I have ADHD and Social Anxiety Disorder so that might have something to do with it. I hate numbers and Star Wars and all things like that. I like reading though, but usually novels from the late 1800s/early 1900s. I don’t grunt or make any odd noises, I don’t have hygiene problems, and I don’t feel overwhelmed all that often. I don’t really care about anything. Everyone always tells me I have Asperger’s, I’m 17.
I looked it up and it said that:

“Adults with autism or Asperger syndrome = 16.3

‘Normal’ adults = 20.3

Adults with Tourette syndrome = 20.4 “

those were the mean scores
Mean score on the Eye Task

‘Normal’ males = 18.8

‘Normal’ females = 21.8

A: Well for one you need to define “social skills” Someone kind of gawky/nerdy is highly distinguishable form someone with Asperger’s syndrome and along the lines of some other Pervasive Development Disorder.

Also the fact that you have other co-morbid mental illnesses may play a role in your social experiences.

Also what kind of test was this? Is it normed and has isometric properties, or is it just one of those tests people take off the internet. Has it been used in actual research with people with Asperger’s syndrome?

Wither Asperger’s what I see is difficulties in communication and repetitive/stereotypical interests and movements. There is also rigid ways of doing things. Communication is said to be of decent quality.

Also Asperger’s syndrome is usually diagnosed in early childhood. I do not thing that your this young, so I doubt it went undiagnosed for all of these years.

Q: HELP! in love and need advise, life changing question that I need answers too.?
Ok I need some relationship advice sorta,

Here’s the problem and why it happened:

Ok so I feel like if me and the girl that I’ve dating are distancing from each other, had it been some other girl I wouldn’t mind, but this is basically the girl of my dreams. And I don’t want to mess it up, ok so last week we had a scheduling conflict in our dinner date so she had to cancel. I didn’t talk to her for the rest of the week because I don’t wanna seem too overwhelming and too needy, but however I did send her a bouquet of roses on Friday, just to show her that I was thinking of her. So she texted me a thank you and expressed her admiration for the beauty of the flowers, and due to logistic issues I wasn’t able to respond immediately but an hour later and as the proper reply (I think) I complimented her beauty and how the roses would fall short. Needless to say I asked her about her plans for the weekend, take into consideration that she is an avid textter and usually responds within 15 minutes to my reply’s, but she didn’t So I started to wonder…ok maybe I came off to strong, unfortunately, about one and a half months ago when I had a clean slate and fair shot at her “love” I messed it up. I kissed and told about our erotic encounter to some of my friends counting on that they would not betray my trust and tell half the world. Unfortunately that’s what they did, even her sister found out, almost in every detail what had happened and told her about it. So by the next day, she didn’t wanna hear anything I had to say. And totally went cold turkey on me, how ever I had not idea why she did so I went about my business until she cut my wings off with a death blow text. Fortunately she found it in her heart to forgive me after we cleared up the misunderstanding and sorted out how the betrayal came about. So thus we became friends for a while until I had to come clean again and tell her I couldn’t be just her friend, so again she wanted to cut me out of her life but quickly reconsidered and decided that it was ok for us to date, not as bf and gf but just date and see where that took us.

And this is where I end up now, we’ve been on several dates again, the last date almost two weeks ago was awesome, we talked for hours and shared allot of personal info about each other and basically kept it formal but intriguing. I have yet to kiss her since that one nigh and day of passion a month back, mainly because Im reserved (with women I see a future with) and I don’t wanna make her feel awkward, because even thought we are dating she wants to continue to be my friend after, if it doesn’t work out romantically between us. Ok back on track now, so I textted her the reply regarding her plans for the weekend(Friday afternoon) but she didn’t get back too me, so I pretty much went delusional and started thinking negatively of why she hadn’t responded, and my main conclusion to calm my self down was that she’d probably was too busy to get back to me because one of her friends was having a birthday party and social outing that weekend so she was doing that. She never responded so I proceeded to ask what I had done wrong the next day, because by now I had assumed that she probably hated me and went cold turkey on me again for some reason I had not idea of. She again didn’t respond, so three hours later I sent another text exactly as follow: “???,last time I checked sending flowers wasn’t a bad thing?what’s the prob???” by then I was super devastated and morally and emotionally unstable, because I was assuming that her presence in my life was over. So I went out with my friends and got pretty much wasted on Saturday. What is an emotionally unstable young man in puppy love to do in this situation I created in my mind. Ok so during my drunken tirade she responds at 1am(Sunday) in the morning “OMG! I just got off work and I already said thank u, Seriously whats ur prob” to which in my drunken state responded “I was overreacting I thought I had fucked up and you went cold turkey on me : ( sorry” During all this time it didn’t occur to me that because she works in a department store and because in Texas where I live we happen to have a tax free weekend this past week that she could have been too too busy to respond and hold a 2 to 3 hour text conversation with me. And this is where I am now I haven’t texted her back because I super embarrassed and I don’t know what to say. It’s now Monday and I have too and want too talk to her again, but I don’t know what to say.

I can go with the whole, this never happened approach and text her about other things, or I can just come forward and ask her to excuse me for my somewhat odd behavior, and tell her that I was worried that I wasn’t ever gonna see her again and that someway I thought I had messed up again. And this is where I need your help..so please please advise me, this could possibly be life changing.

Thank you,

Edit: Done on Tuesday August 19, 2008 9am Central time

To whom might be interested in what’s going on and what course of action I took last night, Well I was too cowardly to call her and try to talk to her, but how ever I did text her exactly as follows, to pretend like nothing happened. “Did you get to have any fun or sleep this weekend or just work : )” Because I went with suggestion number one and decided to give it a try, it didn’t work after she didn’t respond by 45 minutes I sent the following text “btw Im super embarrassed about my text from the weekend, Im sorry but I was worried that I had messed up & you didn’t wanna talk too me again, although I like you as a girl allot, I really value you’re friendship, so I hope your are not ticked off at me : ( I guess you are probably working so get back to me when you can, I hope I still can cash in my rain check for Wine & Drinks some time, I haven’t seen you in 2 weeks and I miss you” I hope my summer love is not over, i am a mess
Continued edit:
I am completely depressed today, and super bummed out, I hope that better days are in store for me and that in fact she wants to continue to date me, I don’t want this to be just a summer love that’s over by labor day. I was looking for true love and when I thought I had found it, it wants to get away from me and I don’t know how to hold on to it, with out driving it away even more. She hasn’t texted me back and I anxiously hope and wait for her reply, she is the first women in my life that I’ve had such strong feelings for, she totally turned my world upside down and changed me for the better in the 2 months I’ve know her, since the first time I made eye contact with her, I was captivated, now I’m a hopeless puppet at the mercy of her wishes and her replies. I understand that there’s more fish in the sea, and as 23 year old I have swimmed with my fair share, but no one as wonderful as this.

A: god you are way too sophisticated..
and that answer was longggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
i would say, pretend it didnt happen thing, and just completely change the subject.. coz she will think that you are really obsessive if you keep bringing it up.. its best to act casual, and not like you have to talk to her every 5 mins cause that is off putting.
good luck mate x

Q: HELP! in love and need advise, life changing question that I need answers too.? (Part 2)?
(this is the link to the original question)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApaOHTBYERuzNo8SeEOWltPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080818152806AAC8TEf

Ok I need some relationship advice sorta,

Here’s the problem and why it happened:

Ok so I feel like if me and the girl that I’ve dating are distancing from each other, had it been some other girl I wouldn’t mind, but this is basically the girl of my dreams. And I don’t want to mess it up, ok so last week we had a scheduling conflict in our dinner date so she had to cancel. I didn’t talk to her for the rest of the week because I don’t wanna seem too overwhelming and too needy, but however I did send her a bouquet of roses on Friday, just to show her that I was thinking of her. So she texted me a thank you and expressed her admiration for the beauty of the flowers, and due to logistic issues I wasn’t able to respond immediately but an hour later and as the proper reply (I think) I complimented her beauty and how the roses would fall short. Needless to say I asked her about her plans for the weekend, take into consideration that she is an avid textter and usually responds within 15 minutes to my reply’s, but she didn’t So I started to wonder…ok maybe I came off to strong, unfortunately, about one and a half months ago when I had a clean slate and fair shot at her “love” I messed it up. I kissed and told about our erotic encounter to some of my friends counting on that they would not betray my trust and tell half the world. Unfortunately that’s what they did, even her sister found out, almost in every detail what had happened and told her about it. So by the next day, she didn’t wanna hear anything I had to say. And totally went cold turkey on me, how ever I had not idea why she did so I went about my business until she cut my wings off with a death blow text. Fortunately she found it in her heart to forgive me after we cleared up the misunderstanding and sorted out how the betrayal came about. So thus we became friends for a while until I had to come clean again and tell her I couldn’t be just her friend, so again she wanted to cut me out of her life but quickly reconsidered and decided that it was ok for us to date, not as bf and gf but just date and see where that took us.

And this is where I end up now, we’ve been on several dates again, the last date almost two weeks ago was awesome, we talked for hours and shared allot of personal info about each other and basically kept it formal but intriguing. I have yet to kiss her since that one nigh and day of passion a month back, mainly because Im reserved (with women I see a future with) and I don’t wanna make her feel awkward, because even thought we are dating she wants to continue to be my friend after, if it doesn’t work out romantically between us. Ok back on track now, so I textted her the reply regarding her plans for the weekend(Friday afternoon) but she didn’t get back too me, so I pretty much went delusional and started thinking negatively of why she hadn’t responded, and my main conclusion to calm my self down was that she’d probably was too busy to get back to me because one of her friends was having a birthday party and social outing that weekend so she was doing that. She never responded so I proceeded to ask what I had done wrong the next day, because by now I had assumed that she probably hated me and went cold turkey on me again for some reason I had not idea of. She again didn’t respond, so three hours later I sent another text exactly as follow: “???,last time I checked sending flowers wasn’t a bad thing?what’s the prob???” by then I was super devastated and morally and emotionally unstable, because I was assuming that her presence in my life was over. So I went out with my friends and got pretty much wasted on Saturday. What is an emotionally unstable young man in puppy love to do in this situation I created in my mind. Ok so during my drunken tirade she responds at 1am(Sunday) in the morning “OMG! I just got off work and I already said thank u, Seriously whats ur prob” to which in my drunken state responded “I was overreacting I thought I had ****** up and you went cold turkey on me : ( sorry” During all this time it didn’t occur to me that because she works in a department store and because in Texas where I live we happen to have a tax free weekend this past week that she could have been too too busy to respond and hold a 2 to 3 hour text conversation with me. And this is where I am now I haven’t texted her back because I super embarrassed and I don’t know what to say. It’s now Monday and I have too and want too talk to her again, but I don’t know what to say.

I can go with the whole, this never happened approach and text her about other things, or I can just come forward and ask her to excuse me for my somewhat odd behavior, and tell her that I was worried that I wasn’t ever gonna see her again and that someway I thought I had messed up again. And this is where I need you
Edit and part 2
I decided to post the exact text so maybe someone can help me see something I’m not.

August 10 10:20pm
“Whatever you want just let me know, Yeah I did say I eat regular after jogging but I also said that it wasn’t good too, someone has selective hearing, Goodnite : ) “

August 12, 1:30 PM
“Bad new I was just told I have to work tomorrow so I thinks its best I stay home” This is on the day when I was supposed to pick her up for dinner and drinks, She is off on Wednesday’s so I decided to take her out on Tuesday night but it didn’t happen.
My reply “are you sure, it’s just drinks, I have to work tomorrow to you know, if you have other plans you can just say so : ) no need to lie (jk) : )“

Her reply that same day: Her:“No ill have too pass I’ve been late to work way too many times”
Mine: “I understand what ever you think is best then text me later, have a good nap” she usually gets out of work at 2 and naps because she works from 5am to 2pm.
Ok this is where it gets weird:
Ok so on Friday I was feeling really good and so I decided to send her some roses like mentioned above, To which she replied

Friday August 15, 5:54pm
Her:“Thank you for the roses theyre beautifull”

Too which due to logistic issues “traffic” I replied and hour later:
“Beautifull : ) I don’t think they compare to you though, : ) I know that might sound lame and overused..lol, but in youre case it’s true : )…soare you looking forward to your friends b-day this weekend”

She didn’t reply so I assumed like mentioned above that I had done some thing wrong:

Saturday, August 16, 3:30 pm
What did I do now?
She didn’t respond so I tried again within three hours:

Saturday, August 16, 6:14
“???, last time I checked sending flowers wasn’t a bad thing??, whats the problem??”

By then like mentioned above I was super bummed out and depressed, and went and got wasted with my friends, to which she replied on Sunday AM Saturday night:
Sunday August 17, 1:16 am
“Omg! I just got off work and I already said thank you, seriously what’s your problem”
Too which I replied drunk:
“I was overreacting I thought I had fucked up and you went cold turkey on me sorry”

I left it at that and seeked some advise from yahoo answers, the main reason why is because I been going out with this girl behind the back of my parents and friends, and my friends have no clue, because unfortunately I have trust issues with them now because of the betrayal.

I texted her again yesterday:

Monday, August 18, 8:13 pm

ME: “Did you get to have any fun or sleep this weekend or just work : )” Because I went with suggestion number one and decided to give it a try, it didn’t work after she didn’t respond by 45 minutes I sent the following text
Monday, August 18, 9:00pm
ME: “btw Im super embarrassed about my text from the weekend, Im sorry but I was worried that I had messed up & you didn’t wanna talk too me again, although I like you as a girl allot, I really value you’re friendship, so I hope your are not ticked off at me : ( I guess you are probably working so get back to me when you can, I hope I still can cash in my rain check for Wine & Drinks some time, I haven’t seen you in 2 weeks and I miss you” I hope my summer love is not over, i am a mess

I am completely depressed today, and super bummed out, I hope that better days are in store for me and that in fact she wants to continue to date me, I don’t want this to be just a summer love that’s over by labor day. I was looking for true love and when I thought I had found it, it wants to get away from me and I don’t know how to hold on to it, with out driving it away even more. She hasn’t texted me back and I anxiously hope and wait for her reply…..
she is the first women in my life that I’ve had such strong feelings for, she totally turned my world upside down and changed me for the better in the 2 months I’ve know her, since the first time I made eye contact with her, I was captivated, now I’m a hopeless puppet at the mercy of her wishes and her replies. I understand that there’s more fish in the sea, and as 23 year old I have swimmed with my fair share, but no one as wonderful as this.

I’m I overreacting im I making a big deal out of nothing, I sure hope that this is just a communication problem, I will call her tonight and try to figure out what’s going because im going crazy. I pray to God that it is, because I cant loose this person, I am gonna be devastated completely if I do.
Btw please continue to check back with this question I will update and edit the question with her reply I hope and with my actions. Maybe someone can suggest a forum where I can post this up where I would get better and clear answers. Please help me, this could be the love of my life and I don’t want it to end like this.

A: “by then I was super devastated and morally and emotionally unstable”

This is your problem, right there.

Seriously, you need to calm the hell down. One of the HUGEST turn-offs for girls is a guy who constantly needs attention, like you. This is also why text message relationships are a terrible idea. If you wanted to talk to her, you should have CALLED her to ease your worry, not pester her with dozens of whiny texts. One conversation or voice mail would have been perfect.

She has a life, you know. It doesn’t center around you and answering your messages AS SOON AS THEY APPEAR. Like you said, she has a work schedule that probably prevents her from answering texts at every available hour of the day.

You need to let go a little. Give the girl some space and let her decide her own feelings for you – don’t try to force her to feel a certain way by being needy. The best thing you can do is call her and explain to her that you’re just nervous, and you understand that she needs space and doesn’t want to be smothered. Let HER contact YOU for the next few days, so you know what kind of relationship SHE wants to have with YOU.

There have been a few guys who have done this to me – leaving me texts all day, calling me all day, then calling or texting me back a few hours later if i was busy or didn’t answer, and honestly, I wanted nothing to do with them. It tells me they don’t have enough to do in their own life and must spend theirs obsessing over mine. Step back and give her space. You’ll be lucky if she even wants to reconnect with you after this. Sometimes it’s better to let things go.

Q: I am trying(for the 4th time)to stop taking Zoloft100mg. The withdrawl sensations are too overwhelming. Help!?
I’ve tried in the past to slowly decrease the dose so I can be zoloft free, but my face starts to feel numb and I get sensations of electric shocks in my head. It’s so weird! I’ve talked to a few doctors about it and it seems that the drug is so new they basically don’t understand it either. The drug has done wonders for me in the last 6 years. Although I agree the drug is not for everyone, it saved me from a very dark place, and now that I’ve been in the light for a few years, I am ready to try life without the meds. Anyone with this problem too? What did you do? Also, anyone with questions about the drug, please ask because I find that I am informative with experiences while on it, but not when trying to eliminate it from your life.

A: I know the sensation you’re talking about. I was on Paxil for a while and when I was comming off it I got rushes through my head (felt like electricity), plus I’d get dizziness along with it that felt a little bit like vertigo. I cut my dose down gradually over about a month or so. Have you tried 75mg for a week then 50mg for a week, then 25mg for a week, then one every other day for a week?

Q: Has anyone ever taken Lexapro 10 mg while pregnant?
If so, any complications?
Hi, Im not pregnant but hope to be soon.

A: Is that an anti-depressant? if so then i was told by a doctor that the reason they try to get you to stop taking anti D’s is cause it ‘may’ have an affect on baby becoming dependent on them but that there is no real evidance to support it. Its just precausionary. They told me that they’d prefere i stayed on them if i wasnt coping while pregnant cuz if youre stressed the baby will be too.

Q: How many mg of Citalopram is 10 mg of Lexapro equivalent to?
Because I know lexapro is the stronger version of citalopram, but about how do they compare? How much citalopram would you have to take to get the same effects as 10 mg of lexapro?

A: Lexapro 10 mg is usually equivalent to Celexa 20 or 40 mg. The problem is that some people metabolize differently.

Each drugs has two forms – right handed and left handed (kind of like you have two hands, they are mirror image of each other, but a right hand glove will not fit left hand)Lexapro is basically one of the two forms of Celexa. The other form is found useless for most part and have a bit more side effect. So, technically, Celexa, or Citalopram, 20 mg is separated into 10 mg of Escitalopram, or Lexapro, and 10 mg of something else that we don’t want. However, Lexapro tends to be more powerful due to the purity, so we say that 10 mg of Lexapro is equivalent to 20-40 mg of Citolaprm.

Both of the previous answers are correct. The only way you can tell which dose works for you is to try it and and get your doctor to evaluate you.

Q: Is it safe to take 50mg. of Serquel,& 10 mg. Lexapro for Bipolar Disorder Daily?
I have mood swings, & am usually depressed or suffering from anxiety ! My Doctor prescribed Seroquel 50mg. @ bedtime, & Lexapro 10 mg. in morning or @ bedtime ! Is this a good combination, & what side effects should I look for while taking this combination for my Bipolar Disorder ?

A: yes it should help. Seroquel recently ha been shown to have antidepressant properties and will help sleep

Q: im 17 and i was on lexapro 10 mg and my dr switched me to citalopram HBR 20 mg and im just wondering..?
im wondering if its gonna work better than lexapro, b/c lexapro worked for me for about a month and after that i was just as stressed and if i didnt take it i got migraines.. my doctor said this should work better for me.. has citalopram worked for anyone else?

A: Both are SSRIs but it is still a case of trial and error. Nobody knows why, but for some reason Lexapro works better for some and Celexa (Citalopram), for others. Many people show significant improvment from depression and anxiety.
If it doesn’t work, I would encourage you to try others- there are many…

Outcomes are best in combination with therapy.

Good luck.

Q: How much does Lexapro 10 mg 30 pills cost at Wal-Mart with no inurance?

A: 4$

Q: increasing to lexapro 10 mg?
i have taken 5 mg of lexapro for the last 10 days. last night i increased the dosage to 10 mg as instructed by my doctor. even though i had no side effects on 5 mg, today i am dizzy and nauseous. it is not terrible, but certainly uncomfortable. is this normal? how long will it last?

A: It’s normal and should not last long at all. A few days at most. Just be careful driving, on stairs………..just be aware. Your body will adjust.

Q: does lexapro 10 mg cause your eyes to dilate?
lexapro used for depression in teens, can it cause your eyes to look dilated

A: I’ve been taking the 10mg for the last few days, and yes, my eyes are wildly dilated.

From searching around the web, I’ve found that it’s not uncommon, and it seems that the effects can be long lasting, even after you’ve stopped taking the medication.

I am definitely concerned for the safety my eyes… I feel like I should be wearing sunglasses inside.

Q: Lexapro, 10 mg to 20 mg. Doc increased dosage. Should I need Alprazolam much anymore?
Hi, I’ve been on Lexapro 10mg for about 3 1/2 weeks and have Alprazolam (generic of Xanax) .25 mg for when I need it. I need the Alprazolam every once and a while. Not as much as I thought I would. I took 2 yesterday because it was bad day and I’m finding today that I’m a bit edgy. I didn’t take it today. Can you have withdraw from just one day?

Also, my doctor just increased my dosage from 10 mg to 20 mg and I supposed to take it after I get finished with the 10 mg dosages which is in a couple days. Will this increase cut down my need of taking the Alprazolam? I’m thinking & hoping it will.

A: It isn’t unusual for someone to take xanax while waiting for their anti-depressant to kick in. You shouldn’t be worried on days that you don’t take it. Once the Lexapro is at a good dosage and working for you, your doc will most likely take you off it. That’s a med you don’t want to be on for a long time— I have been on it though for stress and it sure can take the edge off when you are stressing out. Just follow your doctor’s orders and don’t take it unless you feel the need.

Q: I have 19 10 mg lexapro left, will I die if I take them all at once?
Also, how long would it take to die from starvation?

A: No idea about the drugs, starvation is the worst way to die and it takes as little as a week and up to 2-3 considering the calories in drinks. Get help please.

Q: I am bi-polar but have been prescribed Lexapro 10 mg.?
I have had several manic episodes that have caused major problems in my relationship. Also I have drank occasionally never excededing 7 or 8 beers. My moods have been all over the place. What do I need to do?

A: Lexapro is an antidepressant, not a mood stabilizer. So it doesn’t help with mania. Talk with your doctor about this. If he/she doesn’t see an issue, get a second opinion. Manic symptoms should be treated, not ignored.

With drinking, if you can taper it back or stop, maybe it’s time to do so. If you can’t, it might be time to consider getting help. “Occasional” use can be normal, but it depends on what “occasional” means.

Also, consider seeing a therapist. Medications are not the only treatment modality, and a therapist can help you with both the alcohol stuff and the mood stuff.

Q: PPD – on Lexapro (10 mg?)?
Your Question
Lexapro for Postpartum depression?
Hi
My doctor prescribed Lexapro for postpartum depression – he assured me that I would not have any issues with weight gain.
Have anyone here taken lexapro for PPD? Did you like it? did you gain weight? what were other side effects?
I am on 10 mg.

ALSO: please! only give me an answer if you have had experience with this. No need to google anything and paste here just for the points. This is serious!

A: Hi. I worked for a psychiatrist for almost 3 years before I had to quit (was put on strict bed rest with Sophie). We saw some patients with PPD. Doc was split down the middle on medication. Half of the patients he would give Lexapro, half he would give Cymbalta. I don’t know what made him pick one drug over another though. I can tell you from personal experience, I have taken both. I didn’t gain weight on either. However, there are some sexual side effects with lexapro that aren’t present with Cymbalta. It appears that some patients complain of lack of climaxing with Lexapro, both guys and girls. If you start to experience this, be sure to tell the MD and see if he/she wants to change it. You will start to feel better in about a week or two. It made worlds of difference to me! Good luck!

Q: Will going cold turkey and quitting 10 mg lexapro after 2 weeks of use give me bad withdrawal?

A: You may have unpleasant side effects if you stop taking this medication suddenly.

Q: I just started on wellbutrin 300mg a day along with Lexapro 10 mg?
I have great major depression after moving from ca. to oregon. I guess that I left alot of friends for 30 to 38 years and I feel lonesome. I quit drinking alcohol in 1991 feb 18 and I am in recovery for nearly 16 years and I guess caused me to have a chemical imbalance…I also take ativan if I get to ansy as I am trying to quit smoking and I am 10 days free from cigarettes.
I want to know if this is too much medication??
I want to know if this is too much medication??

A: No, it’s not. Everyone’s different and sometimes it takes a combination of antidepressants to get you feeling better. The Lexapro is a low dose. If you feel like you are overmedicated (with these two you probably won’t), talk to your doctor and see if you can gradually discontinue one of them, but those doses do not appear worrisome. The Ativan I presume you take PRN. Just try to keep those to a minimum. Also, the Wellbutrin may help you stay away from the cigarettes.
Good luck!

Q: has anyone been on 10 mg of lexapro and not want to really leave their home?
i’ve been on lexapro for the treatment of anxiety and depression for the past 3 months and i’ve noticed that my moods have improved and my anxiety has reduced but i don’t really feel like leaving my house anymore… its struggle to leave my house, i’m not sure if it’s because of the lexapro but has anyone experienced this? like, i do leave my house but i don’t want to. it takes me a while.

A: Hi, is that because of you not being motivated?

I take generic Wellbutrin SR (150 mg) in the morning, and Lexapro (10 mg) with dinner, for depression and anxiety. I’ve been taking that for over two years, and it’s working very well for me.

The Wellbutrin SR seems to help me to be more alert and active – and wanting to do things – while the Lexapro makes me more mellow, and it helps me sleep better, too. They are relatively low doses of each medication, which keeps side effects at a minimum. I really can’t tell I’m taking any medication at all.

There are a lot of people that take Wellbutrin with their SSRI’s, it helps to counteract some of the possible side effects – such as drowsiness, weight gain, and the sexual side effects. It really does make a difference!!

Q: Can I take Lexapro 10 mg and Thermadrol at the same time?

A: Thermadrol? I’ve never heard of that and I have been working in a pharmacy for 9 years…

Q: depressive cognitive triad?
How do cognitive psychologists explain the depressive cognitive triad?

A: ok ok, I’ll bite
without reference, it’s all about self awareness n mental feedback of your state of mind n body. if something negative that happened externally that u can’t attribute it to any obvious cause, those feelings are internalized to one self. It’s happening but it’s unexplained so it must be me. the snowball effect rolls over to one’s perception of succeeding events in a negative light. hence, a spiral effect downwards.

if you believe this is BS then God knows I tried

Q: How is “Cognitive Triad” defined?

A: Beck’s cognitive triad is a triad of types of negative thought present in depression proposed by Aaron Beck in 1976. The triad forms part of his Cognitive Theory Of Depression.

The triad involves negative thoughts about:

-The self
-The world/environment
-The future

Q: For Those Intrested In Autism ‘Long Text’ On The Traid Of Traits..Very Intresting My Twins Were Involved In
People are currently diagnosed with autism
when they have a triad of traits – impaired
social ability, difficulties with communication,
and restricted and repetitive behaviour. But
are all three characteristics inextricably linked?
Dr Francesca Happé thinks not: studies of people
with autism and their relatives over almost two
decades have led her and her colleagues to
believe each of the three features of autism
are caused by largely independent genes, are
associated with different brain regions and are
related to different cognitive characteristics.
A Cognitive Psychologist, DrHappé has
spent some 20 years trying towork out
why people with autismview the world
so differently. ‘People with autism have
striking social difficulties,’ she said. ‘They find
it hard to recognise other people’s thoughts and
feelings. At the same time, they have superior
cognitive processing in terms of eye for detail.
We have been looking at the underlying causes
of these different aspects of autism, searching
for a parsimonious explanation, but try as
we might, we have been unable to find one.’
So instead of continuing to search for a
single cause of autism, they are now trying
to understand more about what causes the
three individual characteristics, and why
they co-occur. To this end, DrHappé and
her IoP colleague Professor Patrick Bolton
have launched the largest ever communitybased
twin study of the autism spectrum
with the help of 300 families who are part
of the IoP-based TwinsEarlyDevelopment
Study (TEDS). Using information gathered
from TEDS families, DrHappé, Dr Angelica
Ronald and colleagues have already found a
considerable number of children who have
difficulties in only one area of the autistic
‘triad.’What’s more, the comparison of the
development of identical and non-identical
TEDS twins when they were aged seven and
eight suggests that, while each different aspect
of the triad is highly heritable, separate genes
contribute to each individual trait. ‘It looks
as if largely independent genetic influences
operate on the three different traits,’ said
DrHappé. ‘If this is correct, the search for
genes ‘for’ autism may be far less effective
than searching for genes affecting, for example,
social skills specifically, or those contributing
to rigid and repetitive traits.’
This conclusion has been supported by
other studies that illustrate how individual
traits run in families of people with autism –
close family members often share just one of
the triad of traits, to a lesser or greater degree.
‘Many fathers of children with autism in
particular show the same sort of focus on detail,
rather than the bigger picture,’ she said, ‘and
social difficulties can also be found in family
members whomay not show an eye for detail.’
If the theory is correct, she says, many
individuals may possess one characteristic
of the triad, but do not meet the diagnostic
criteria for autism. ‘There may be people
who have pretty poor social skills, but have
no problems with communication, or people
who are able socially, but have rigid and
repetitive behaviour.’
The newMedical Research Council-funded
twin study seeks to find out more about the
causes of the triad’s individual traits as well
as their interaction in autism. 200 of the
participating families have at least one twin
with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.
‘We will be visiting families and interviewing
them about symptoms and current functioning,
asking about childhood illness and other health
problems in order to identify environmental
factors that may have played a part, and
undertaking cognitive testing of the twins
to look for different psychological processes
that underpin the triad traits.’
The TEDS twins are now aged between 12
and 14. ‘Because we have information about
them that families and teachers gave when
they were younger, we will be able to check
back for precursors to the development of
the characteristics during the early years,’
she said. The researchers will eventually
use the information they gather to help
search for genetic, environmental and
cognitive influences underlying each
of the individual features.
‘What we want to do is to understand
how the triad hangs together in autism,’
she said. ‘Most importantly, as we abandon
the search for a single cause for autism
and increase our understanding of the
three distinct characteristics, we may
need to abandon the search for a single
“cure” for autism, and instead tackle the
individual traits of the triad.’
| Autism spectrum disorder | 15
Separating the triad of autismtraits
‘Research suggests separate genes
contribute to each individual trait’
When I found out I was pregnant in
1998, I was over the moon,’ says Angie
Perks. ‘Then I had a scan, which confirmed
that I was having twins. At 37 weeks, I gave
birth by C-section to Kylie, who weighed
5lb 9oz, and then Thomas who was 6lb 3oz.
‘By 14 months, Kylie was walking and talking.
At 18 months, Thomas finally began to walk,
but he never played with his twin sister and
wasn’t talking, so I asked my health visitor
who was also concerned about him. She
got in contact with the child development
centre and a lady came to see us. Penny
came to our house to watch Thomas.
I remember he was sat on the floor lining
his bricks in a row and making sounds. She
sat writing in her book then she looked at
us and said, “I think Thomas may have autism.”
I actually had an idea that she might say that
as I had looked on the internet and came
across this website which explained to me
what the symptoms were. After an assessment
at hospital, Thomas was diagnosed with severe
autism. The twins are now nine, and Thomas
is still non-verbal and still in nappies. He can
be destructive and it is sometimes hard
work looking after him and making sure
Kylie doesn’t lose out. My mum helps a lot
and Kylie has now started going dancing
and has some shows coming up, though
Thomas won’t be able to sit through them.
‘Thomas goes to a really good special
school and they write me a letter every
day to say what he’s done as he can’t tell
me. He loves his routine and he stays in
his room for hours and hours. Kylie is his
big sister and always will be. When other
children ask her about her brother,
she tells them he’s got autism and
what that means. Children can be
cruel, and if they don’t understand,
she doesn’t want to know them.
‘People don’t realise they are twins
because they are nothing alike at all. They
look different and they have completely
different personalities. I used to be really
upset at the stares that Thomas would get,
but now I just take no notice. People just
see him as a naughty boy. They really
don’t understand about autism, and
they certainly don’t understand why
one twin can have it and the other not.
Sorry its worded like that i had to copy and paste ..if you would like to see the original version ..email me x

A: This is valuable research. Thank you for sharing it with us.