an eloquent, passionate article. The only thing I wonder is what about the people who can benefit from the point of it, but who will say that things aren’t that bad for them, You don’t need to be ready for the funny farm to benefit from drugs and therapy.

That was an amazing post. Thanks for sharing it.

Another country heard from! and this one has survived a coup d’ etat and come out on top! (cheers for OUR side, and Thank you Therese, for alerting us to yet another well-written survivor.

Life is life and there is help out there for those of us who need it to get over the hump. Karma being what it is ( yes I belive in karma)those who call people that admit they need help and get, weak. Be very careful, your words will most likely come back to bite you in the A*%.I have seen it happen. Karmic pay back is a B*&CH!!!!!

Wow. Talk about another one of those crazy coincidences that feel like God is shooting you a look like, “Hey, girl! Listen up!” I was LITERALLY checking WebMD and other sources about Cymbalta withdrawal symptoms when I wandered over to BB!
Truly, this was just about the crappiest week in recent memory for me. The short version is that I inadvertently ended up going cold turkey off my meds (and coffee!) while I was desperately ill, trying to make a huge deadline at work and living through the holidays just six weeks after leaving my husband. But somehow I made it through this first week without drugs and I’m basking in the “accomplishment” of it. I can indulge in a good glass of cabernet sauvignon with dinner and, boy oh boy, it would be SO much easier to take off this extra Cymbalta weight if I just stopped taking it altogether . . . The temptation to quit my “drug habit” is almost too much to bear.
I’ve been on antidepressants for half a dozen short stints since I was sixteen, during the worst episodes. Between crises, the depression/anxiety was less visible, but it was always there. When I started taking Cymbalta this spring its positive effects were noticeable within days, so I finally embraced the idea that long-term medicating might be not be the prison sentence without parole that I thought it might be. Hypomania (that oh-so-happy buzz just shy of real mania) was a creative conduit I might be able to do without if I didn’t have to worry about crashing into my much more usual state of sadness and angst (and, sure enough, my creative endeavors didn’t take a huge hit–in fact, I was able to write/direct/live more consistently than I ever had). Even better, I finally had the courage and inner fortification to face some of the places in my life that had been a real mess for a long time. I reconnected with the church and even had the courage to talk to my minister about my decade’s long secret desire to go to seminary.
So what the heck am I thinking??! Sure, I COULD go back to struggling to stay afloat OR I could get my arse over to the pharmacy tomorrow and strap on the life preserver!
Ah, once again, BB to the rescue. If I’m not laughing hysterically over fake snowlady boobs or being moved to tears over some new insight someone shares, I’m being sent to the pharmacy just as we’re expecting icy-rainy nastiness . . . But then, I guess that for most of us, there’s no “cure” for depression; it doesn’t just “clear up” one day. It’s more like one decision after another–each day (or every five minutes, some days) you make one more decision to live, to breathe deeply, to drive to the pharmacy, to laugh. Thanks for sharing this great article with us!

Really excellent article!!! Next I feel like taking the big dirt nap I will recall that one and others and reconsider. I have to admit to being more terrified of becoming drug dependent than offing myself. On the other hand the anxiety is overwhelming at times! It is nice to imagine what it would be like to actually enjoy my existance for a change. If I should think about this in more depth I’d have to inquire about low cost (aw let’s face it…free) treatment programs. My sucky paycheck just lets me squeek by. Being NUTS is’nt really an option.

Very very good… just like yesterday’s with Tracy Thompson, and once again, (like Tracy) Dooce brings up that *other* problem – “She wants me to tell her that she is right and that if she ignores a certain very large problem it will go away. But I don’t understand why being right is more important that being happy”
Why does being right keep coming into play when in certain situations, No make that in EVERY situation it causes more stress and unrest than we need?
love and hugz,
Cully

Thanks for sharing this. I read Dooce often, but somehow missed this excellent post this week. Thanks too, for the laughs and the extra days of posting. I’m having a really hard time, and it helps to come here and laugh everyday. You’re the best, Therese. Keep up the good work.

I’ve read Dooce occasionally. I had no idea she had PPD or any other form of depression.
I loved when she said of OCD “isn’t that called LIFE?!” ;-P
It’s incredible that a post like hers needs to be said — but as I’ve noted, the stigma from our disease(s), despite all our activism, remains on a Defcon 1 level, as if Scientologists led by Tom Cruise ruled the world.
ESPECIALLY, as Dooce/Heather is right to say, among some of the very people who correctly suspect they have mental health issues but try to stuff/deny them.

Cully: Excelleny question (about “right”, I mean.) O think, for me at least, it comes partly from being raised to always try and do the “right thing and then everything will turn out okay(WHAT a fallacy!) Anyway, at least in my own upbringing,as in most of us raised in the “Happy Days” era (though that was my childhood rather than my teen years, and there was certainly never anyone as cool as “The Fonz” in my little home town!) doing the “right” thing was valuedOne of the frequent qualifiers applied to our musbegaviors was if it was “right” or not; a difficult enough value judgment for an ADULT, let alone a CHILD! Usually when that question was asked of me, I would figure the very question was an indication that whatever I had done WASN’T “right” Of course, this was the era when parents, schools, churches and extended familes (including “honorary” relatives her were in reality only good family friends) all worked TOGETHER to raise the children of a little village like my midwestern home town, so there were alwats plenty of grownips around to ride herd on us too.
My sisters and I all knew that if we got into trouble at school, church or in the neighborhood, whatever adult was close at hand would step in and then we’f=d face our parents as well after we got home. Doing what ws collectively seen as “right” therfore took on a very important role in our lives. in todays world, it’s rare to find that kind of collective responsibility for raising children, in fact, most people wouldn’t DARE criticize or reprimand someone else’s child! There also no longer seems to be a common definition of “right’ anymore; parents/churches and schools are frequently at odds in their judgments or applications of that standard, confusing the issue even further.

Good Morning, Heather!
What an excellent blog so full of truth about depression and medications for it!
It saddens my heart somewhat to read of so many in this world of ours that may feel their depression is something to be ashamed of with feelings of guilt for feeling it! I would love to be able to reach out and encircle all of them to somehow let them know there’s NOTHING to be ashamed of!
When my depression began rather big time in the early 80′s and as I remember, I was far too depressed to even consider what other people would think about my symtoms! Hospitalization in 1987 did begin to put me on the right track with medication and seeing so many others living with feelings of total unworth.
I’ve taken many different anti-depressants over the years, the last one being 40 mg. of Prozac. I am now on Lexapro and it’s helped me immensely.
I remember years ago asking my psychiatrist how long would I have to be on anti-depressants to which he replied, “You should be on them for all your life, Ginger. This is a chemical imbalance that exists and will always be there.”
Wanting to prove him wrong, sometime in the 90′s at Christmas time, I went off my medication. By March, all the old symtoms were beginning to reappear. Except for a few months on and off, since then, I have been on medications and won’t go off them!
Also something else I remember so clearly and want to pass it on to those who are “suffering” family pressure and comments about their depression. Many of these comments would begin with, “If you would…” and “There’s so many people in this world much worse off than you!” Just a small sample of what I’d hear from “well meaning” family members who could not know the hell of what my brain was churning out hourly! The feelings of worthlessness, mind numbing sadness, aloneness……I could go on but those out there who suffer from depression know exactly what I’m saying.
NO ONE can FEEL what is going on in one’s brain and emotions except the one suffering from these horribly dehabilitating feelings!
Depression is pain that does not end without help.
I pray someone reading this who suffers needlessly from depression, will reach out for the help they so desperately need regardless of caring or worrying about what “someone else” may think!
God bless you all and have a blessed Christmas!
Ginger

An article I received on email this morning, thought I’d share:
Overcome Anxiety and Depression
Whitney Hopler
Editor’s Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Bob Phillips’s new book, Overcoming Anxiety and Depression: Practical Tools to Help You Deal with Negative Emotions, 2007).
There’s no shortage of troubling circumstances in life that can make you feel anxious and depressed. Whether you’re anxious about the future or depressed about the past, your negative emotions will prevent you from living the healthy life God wants you to enjoy right now.
Here’s how you can overcome anxiety and depression:
Give up the illusion of control. Understand that both anxiety and depression stem from attempts to control either the future (through worrying) or the past (by trying to change what has already happened). Realize that all such attempts are futile and a complete waste of your time and energy. Acknowledge that only God has the power to control the future and bring transformation out of what happened in the past.
Let your emotions lead you to ask questions. Realize that negative emotions are meant to alert you to danger. Rather than ignoring the anxiety and depression you feel, face your feelings and ask: “What’s going on?”, “How do I feel about it?” and “Do I want to change?”
Turn worries into prayers. Whenever an anxious thought enters your mind, decide that instead of worrying about it, you’ll pray about it. Pray as often as you think about whatever is troubling you. Know that, unlike worry, prayer actually accomplishes something positive.
Discipline your mind. Pay attention to what you’re choosing to think about. Rather than dwelling on your troubles, decide to think about what’s true, good, right, pure, beautiful, and praiseworthy. Read and meditate on Scripture often to saturate your mind with the right kinds of thoughts. Pray for the Holy Spirit to renew your mind every day.
Don’t blame illness when the problem is poor choices. Know that most of the anxiety or depression people experience isn’t due to mental illness in the medical sense, but is due instead to emotional pain caused by poor choices they’ve made. Be honest with yourself about what choices you may have made that have contributed to your anxiety or depression. Consider such potential causes as: broken and conflicted relationships; unspoken, unfulfilled, or unrealistic expectations of life; guilt over not doing what you should do; disobedience; lack of exercise; poor diet or overeating; too much television; not accepting responsibility; prolonged sleep loss; faulty reasoning; emptiness and loneliness; lack of meaning and purpose; alienation and separation; buildup of various stressful events; the death of a loved one; the inability to adjust to and accept hurtful experiences; the unwillingness to let go of the past and forgive others; and a low self-image or high standards of perfection. Pray for the courage you need to face your problems instead of running from them. Know that once you take responsibility for your own attitudes and actions, you’ll start to grow in maturity, which will lead to healing.
Exercise discernment when considering medication. Don’t just take medication for your anxiety or depression without considering alternatives. Understand that you don’t need medication unless you have a chemical imbalance in your brain, which is a relatively rare condition. Know that drugs can have serious side effects, and that they never provide a magic cure. Pray for the wisdom to discern emotional distress from a true medical condition.
Consider what circumstances may be causing your feelings. Ask yourself whether or not your anxiety or depression is tied to some circumstance in your life, such as: losing your job, recently retiring, experiencing financial losses, being involved in an accident, committing some criminal act, being violated by some criminal act, having marital problems, facing an important decision, having troubles with in-laws, having your home or possessions destroyed by a natural disaster, having a conflict you need to deal with but are afraid to face, or losing a loved one through a broken relationship or a death. Recognize how any of these events may have contributed to your feelings. In prayer, give your troubling circumstances to God and trust Him to handle them according to what’s best.
Check out physical symptoms that may be tied to your feelings. Ask yourself whether or not your anxiety or depression is tied to some symptoms, like: trouble sleeping, difficulty breathing, stomach disorders, diarrhea or constipation, headaches, twitching, or shaking. Be sure to visit a doctor to check out any of these symptoms.
Let go of what you can’t change, and change what you can. Recognize the difference between what you can’t change (facts of life in our fallen world) and what you can (problems you can solve). Stop trying to change what’s beyond your control; instead, pray about it all and trust it to God. But do whatever you can to solve problems in your life. If you’re worried about a lack of money to pay your bills, cut back on unnecessary purchases and work harder to bring in extra income. If you’re anxious about the quality of your relationship with someone, work to become more loving and giving, and devote more time and energy to that relationship. Direct your energy away from anxiety and depression and toward solutions to your problems. Don’t just think about it or talk about it; actually take action toward solutions and enjoy seeing the progress you make.
Look for the meaning in your suffering. Ask God to show you how you can grow as a person from your suffering, and how you can use what you’ve learned to help others who are suffering in similar ways. Ask yourself: “How do I feel about what is happening to me?”, “How can I get some help?”, “How can I learn from this?”, “How can I make positive changes in my situation?” and “How can I change my attitude?”
Pray for the right perspective. Ask God to give you His perspective on the relationships and situations in your life that are troubling you. Correct your vision so you can see them with accuracy. Know that doing so will help you to think straight, which will lead to better choices, and then to a better life.
Forget about suicide. If you’re thinking about committing suicide, talk with someone you trust right away and get those thoughts out of your mind. Realize that, if you were to commit suicide, it would cause great harm to everyone who loves you. Know that God offers you real hope. Turn to Him and trust that your life will get better.
Make time for rest and relaxation. Be sure to get plenty of sleep each night, since sleep heals the emotional and physical stress that can cause anxiety and depression. Remember that, according to many studies, at least seven hours of sleep each night is best. Practice deep breathing to help reduce tension. Exercise regularly; doing so will release hormones in your body that help your mood. Regularly engage in some activities that relax you, such as: watching a movie, reading a book, talking with friends, listening to music, taking a leisurely walk, going on a picnic, soaking in a hot tub or warm bath, playing sports, sitting in the sun, taking a nap, reading and meditating on the Bible, and writing to family and friends.
Change the way you talk to yourself. Reclaim your mind from negative thoughts you regularly tell yourself, and start talking to yourself through your thoughts in positive ways. Whenever a negative thought enters your mind, shock yourself into stopping it (such as yelling out loud or in your mind, or snapping a large rubber band that you wear around your wrist). Then replace each negative thought with a positive thought. Or, write your negative thoughts down as they occur to you, and refuse to think about them until a brief, designated time each day. Know that as you change your thoughts, your feelings will also change. Pay attention to your appearance and make an effort to look good; when you look better, you’ll feel better about yourself. Set goals for where you would like to be in your thinking, emotions, and behavior in the next three months, year, and five years. Stop procrastinating about things you have to do; once you finish them, you’ll feel better about yourself. Learn how to face the pain you’ll inevitably encounter in our fallen world, and grow through it. Believe that, with God’s help, you can make significant progress.
Tap into the power of forgiveness. Realize that your anxiety or depression may be caused in part by guilt over something you did that was wrong, or something you didn’t do that you should have done. If so, seek forgiveness from God and the people you’ve hurt. Take responsibility for your own thoughts, words, and behaviors. Express regret and remorse for them. Repent by deciding to go in a completely different direction in the future. Make restitution for all damages incurred, as best as you can. Enjoy the clear conscience of knowing you’ve done your best. Then reconcile with the people you’ve hurt if they’re still alive and willing to restore their relationships with you.
Draw strength from Scripture. Read, study, and meditate on the Bible every day. Let its truths refresh your soul, and remind you of God’s great love for you and unlimited power to help you.
Adapted from Overcoming Anxiety and Depression: Practical Tools to Help You Deal with Negative Emotions, copyright 2007 by Bob Phillips. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Or., http://www.harvesthousepublisherscom.

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