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How many of us are suffering from a mental health issue?


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There is a HUGE history of depression on my dad's side of the family. My sister and I constantly struggle with depression. For a while I took Zoloft (after I had my twins - meds for about a year and again after I had my fourth son - meds for about 18 months) and it brought me back to myself. Currently I am good with St. John's Wort (4 tablets/day) and a good vitamin regimen (extra iron and calcium seem to work for me). I've been doing this for the past three years. My sister is having a rough time right now and she and her doctor are still looking for the right medicine and the right dosage.

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I was prescribed almost every mental health drug known to man before someone finally figured out I wasn't crazy, I had epilepsy (which can seriously mess with a person's moods, so I might as well be).

 

I now take Topamax and Lyrica.

 

The place that literally saved me: Crazy Meds Without the info from that place, and the help from its forums, I never would have ended up at the right doctors. (warning: it is a bit spicy).

 

 

asta

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I was dx'd ADD around 17 and then manic depressive (then called bipolar) around 25. I am currently doing a radical non-med course for my MD.... I eat well, try to get scheduled sleep, take Lithium Orotate supplement form the health food store (5 mg daily), use the book "Mental Heath through Will Training" (used by the Beautiful Mind guy), and choose to live in a very rural environment to relieve stress and sensory input. I also have been through counseling. I still have 'issues' in the months of August and February, but thanks to a supportive husband and my knowledge of how to utilize the strong points without resisting them, I can weather it w/o meds. Then again, I seem to be following he track where the MD peaks around early thirties and then becomes less problematic, as the years seem to be getting easier. There were certainly some difficult (to put it mildly) years around 30!! My family has a history of MD, OCD, and also Asperger's. My son has AS, and I am watching the others closely for any signs of something we should deal with. I am so happy to talk about any of this that anyone is curious about- feel free to PM me if you wanna get more personal.

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There is a history of mental illness on my mothers side of the family. i have finally decided to focas on some of the symtoms in my own life. Right now, I have to walk at least 4 days a week. I also take fish oil which really helps me to focas. Stress is a large factor.

 

I had to put my oldest 3 boys in school because of the stress of homeschooling. It was a healthy decision. I still have 3 at home.

 

 

This is a good thread to see how others have dealt with different issues.

 

Thanks-a-bunch,

 

Helen in OH

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I suffere from post partum depression and seasonal affective disorder, which means even when my ppd is undercontrol I end up depressed anyway. I have been tested for ADHD and was told I fit the criteria but my IQ was too high for me to get formally diagnosed with it. THat doesn't make sense to me since my kids are the same(heck my dd's iq is higher than mine). I do take antidepressants when I feel the need, It is Celexa and is the only kind I have ever taken. We are heading into the time of year I have to start up again, but over all I think I do pretty well without the meds. I am very intune with my body so even with ppd I know when I am crossing that threshold from the baby blues to full ppd, and it goes downhill fast if I don't seek treatment as soon as I feel myself slipping. If my parents had been more in tune to me and realized I was more than just a "cry baby" as a kid they would have realized that from the age of 10 when puberty hit I was clinically depressed. It wasn't diagosised until I was 25 so for 15 years I suffered with it with no help and now I feel weird when on meds, because my normal self is not a happy person kwim.

 

My kids were doomed right from the start. BEtween my issues, and my exh's family issues(all of them-him, his mom his sister etc have all been hospitalized in the psych ward at some point). His sister has bipolar, he has depression but still doesn't admit it and would rather drink to deal than seek help, he also has adhd I am sure though it is not diagnosed. It is amazing given the genetics that my kids are not more messed up than they are.

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I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. I have a prescription for low dose Ativan (valium) that I can take if I get really anxious or I'm going somewhere or doing something that gets me worked up.

 

I try not to take the med because I have a problem with low blood pressure and I don't want to get too relaxed!

 

Cindy

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Not me, but dh was diagnosed with depression about 4.5 years ago this winter. He started counseling and anti-depressants (Lexapro) shortly after that diagnosis. His psychiatrist found that he was borderline bi-polar in their first evaluation and starting the Lexapro kicked the Bi-polar into high gear. He had about 2 weeks of rapid cycles before the psych. started him on Trileptil as a mood stabilizer. He continued the counseling for a few months. A couple of years ago he did try to cut down on his dosage, but had trouble right away. He has been very stable for awhile now, but we assume he'll always need the meds.

 

His grandmother most likely had depression or some other anxiety/paranoia problem from what his dad remembers of his growing up years. Dh's dad, three sisters and an aunt have also struggled with various intensities of depression. So there's something genetic there it seems.

 

Jami

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I have a whole alphabet soup of dxes. I'm taking Geodon, Klonopin, Luvox, and Depakote currently. I really think if I could get and KEEP my thyroid behaving, I could get off meds permanently; however, my thyroid just seems to do whatever it darn well feels like doing regardless of meds so I don't have much hope of doing that much better....at least not in this world.

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there is depression on my mom's side.

My mom and older sister take meds for it.

My younger sister used to take meds and probably still should.

 

I was on meds last year for awhile but stopped them while I was pregnant.

I currently don't take anything, but thinking I need to start back up again.

I have been feeling really down.

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Currently anxiety and mild depression. Not taking any medication for that but I am in therapy. I am currently taking medication to help me sleep (basically antihistamines) because the anxiety makes my brain go round and round and round and I can't sleep which makes both the anxiety and the depression worse. My therapist also suggested I try adding magnesium and calcium supplements to my diet because these can get really low when you are depressed and make it harder to get back. So now I have to get to a health food store.

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I was diagnosed about 6 years ago, although I have struggled with anxiety as long as I can remember. Paxil CR and counseling were miraculous, and I have been doing really, really well for years. So, with my doctor's okay, I am weaning myself off the Paxil, to see if I can do without it. I'm down to 5mg, and doing well. In a week or so, I'll be off of it completely, and am hoping I can stay off.

 

Wendi

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There is a history of mental illness on my mothers side of the family. i have finally decided to focas on some of the symtoms in my own life. Right now, I have to walk at least 4 days a week. I also take fish oil which really helps me to focas. Stress is a large factor.

 

I had to put my oldest 3 boys in school because of the stress of homeschooling. It was a healthy decision. I still have 3 at home.

 

 

This is a good thread to see how others have dealt with different issues.

 

Thanks-a-bunch,

 

Helen in OH

 

Oh yeah, I forgot! Fish Oil, for sure.

 

Anxiety, depression,

 

I take 1200 mg St. John's Wort, fish oil and I exercise regularly. Oh. progesterone, too.

 

These things keep me on an even keel.

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I must commend you all on your bravery.. it is sometimes hard to talk about these things when it *seems* like so many other moms have it more together, you know? Especially at this time of year (gulp).

 

Way to go, y'all! I am sure you are encouraging others who have not spoken up, and you are soooo very cool for being REAL.

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I must commend you all on your bravery.. it is sometimes hard to talk about these things when it *seems* like so many other moms have it more together, you know? Especially at this time of year (gulp).

 

Way to go, y'all! I am sure you are encouraging others who have not spoken up, and you are soooo very cool for being REAL.

 

:iagree:

 

I was surprised to see this many responses and really didn't expect it!

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I wanted to add that I don't take medication because me and my doctors wanted to try two things first: 1)Take me away from a situation that was making things far far worse (which I have done, it was my previous job) 2)Therapy. If this doesn't make things better I will go on medication but for now I am starting to feel better without it. :D

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You have no idea (well, a lot of you might) how relieved I am to see this thread. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I've struggled a lot with myself over the fact that I have depression and I'm daring to homeschool my daughter. I've worried that it might make me not a good teacher, not effective, you name it. I'm just glad to know that I'm not alone. :grouphug:

 

Anyway, I have major depression, severe. I've dealt with it for a very long time and I've been on about 5-6 different medicines. My doctor most recently had me on a combination of three different ones, but thanks to recent financial problems, I'm down to only one a/d right now. Hopefully we can get insurance again soon and I can resume the cocktail, because I'm feeling like just this one isn't doing enough.

 

I hate needing the medicine. Right now there just aren't any other options open to me though. The one I'm on right now is Cymbalta, and I feel sad every time I see the commercials for it, like it's a magic antidepressant. Cymbalta can help... well I function, but I don't feel like a great, normal person. We all know commercials lie, though, don't we? I just wish I could find something that would allow me to live my life completely free of depression.

 

Thank you for starting this thread, and thank you to everyone else who's shared their stories. :grouphug:

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I took Lexapro for about 6 months last year when I went through a period of depression. That was the first time I had ever had any mental health issues.

 

Currently, I'm trying to be vigilant in taking daily vitamins/minerals (including extra calcium and magnesium), as well as fish oil.

 

If I ever need to take the Lexapro again, I will do it without hesitation. I waited too long before I was willing to try it last time.

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Anyhow, I started this thread because I noticed that we had quite a few people dealing with various issues and I thought that it might help someone.

 

As I have mentioned before, I am bi-polar. I also have OCD and ADD. I take Trileptal and Lamictal for the bi-polar. They are both mood stablizers. The Trileptal helps with mania and the Lamictal with the depression. The Lamictal works very well and I rarely have problems with depression. The Trileptal also works well if I take a high enough dosage. Unfortunately for me, it causes a serious (and sometimes dangerous) drop in my blood sodium level so I can not take the optimum level to keep my mania under control. I, therefore, occassionally have break through episodes. When my moods are stable, I have less problems with OCD and ADD but when I am manic these other two problems are worse and I can not take meds for them because the meds aggrevate the mania.

 

Bi-polar is a mixed blessing. Before full blown mania, I usually have a period of about a week of hypomania. This is the best feeling in the world. I am euphoric and in the zone. Everything flows perfectly and I can get so much done. I am the supermom that I wish I could always be. It seems like there are so many more hours in the day and I somehow find the time to educate the kids, do paperwork, clean house, run errands, write and just about everything else I want to do.

 

And then the mania sets in. And I can't think straight. I can't get anything done. I can't stop the compulsive behaviors. I can't stand to be in the same room with people. The kids drive me crazy. But I never seem to notice until the yelling starts. Of course, my dh always says that he saw it coming a week ago. I have yet to figure out why he doesn't say something to me so that I can adjust my meds before the melt down.

 

I have one dd who is also bi-polar. She has never had a problem with depression and but she had problems with mania and rage from birth until she was properly medicated about three years ago. Every person in the family swore up and down that she was just a brat and that she didn't need medication. But I had been there and I knew better. Now she takes Trileptal and Seroquel and has been stable for over three years. To meet her you would never guess she ever had any problems what-so-ever. She is the most even tempered child. Pleasant and easy. And she is almost 12, going into puberty. The sun shines when she smiles. I can't even discribe the joy it brings me but it is bittersweet because it also breaks my heart that we waited 9 years to do this. She was miserable for 9 years and I didn't do anything about it. My dh was admently opposed to her taking meds and really fought me on it. The results are so miraculous that even he now agrees that it was the best thing that we could have ever done for her. If she ever misses her meds, by the middle of the day, the whole family is asking, "Did S take her meds?"

 

I have six dc. Four of them definitely have OCD but only the child above needs medication. The rest manage fairly well. Two of them are just what people would call anal. Think Monica on Friends. They just have to do things a certain way and as long as they can do that they are fine. One has problems bad enough that it interfers with her functioning but not enough that she wants to medicate. She also has serious problems with anxiety and panic attacks and does have medication for that. She has ADD as well and would like to take meds for this but all of the meds would make her anxiety issue worse. The youngest child is so incredibly normal that it is abnormal. Honestly, she is a textbook version of a normal child. The rest of us are both perplexed and amused by her, almost as if she were an alien life form. She takes after her father who is also perfectly normal and well adjusted. My oldest has drug and alcohol problems and I believe that he is also bi-polar but he will not seek treatment.

 

So in a family of eight we have the entire spectrum. Dad and youngest dd on the perfectly normal end, followed by two mildly OCD dds, one anxious ridden teen with OCD and ADD, then the two bi-polar but stable ones and finally my poor ds at the far end suffering without treatment. This is what we call family.

 

I have heard so many stories and pleas for help and advice here so I wanted to share and let everyone know that they are not alone. Someone has been through what you are going through. Someone is going through it right now. Perhaps if we share and talk we can help one another. I know that this board has been a great support to me in hard times and now that things are going pretty good for me I kind of want to pay it forward and help someone else if I can. Thanks to all who have participated and shared. By the way, the Crazy Meds link someone posted above looks pretty good. I haven't had a chance to reserach it in deapth yet but it seems like it has some good info (Warning: some rough language).

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I was dx'd ADD around 17 and then manic depressive (then called bipolar) around 25. I am currently doing a radical non-med course for my MD.... I eat well, try to get scheduled sleep, take Lithium Orotate supplement form the health food store (5 mg daily), use the book "Mental Heath through Will Training" (used by the Beautiful Mind guy), and choose to live in a very rural environment to relieve stress and sensory input. I also have been through counseling. I still have 'issues' in the months of August and February, but thanks to a supportive husband and my knowledge of how to utilize the strong points without resisting them, I can weather it w/o meds. Then again, I seem to be following he track where the MD peaks around early thirties and then becomes less problematic, as the years seem to be getting easier. There were certainly some difficult (to put it mildly) years around 30!! My family has a history of MD, OCD, and also Asperger's. My son has AS, and I am watching the others closely for any signs of something we should deal with. I am so happy to talk about any of this that anyone is curious about- feel free to PM me if you wanna get more personal.

 

 

I have a few questions and comments if you don't mind. The first was concerning labels. Manic-depressive is an older label that is rarely used anymore. The preferred label is bi-polar. Also, generally bi-polar gets worse as you age without ever really slacking off for especially women heading into menopause. Also I have never heard of a dr. going along with a diagnosed bi-polar patient not taking medicine long term so I am wondering if you are receiving proper medical care in managing this. If what you are doing is working then, of course, I think that is great but I would suggest that both you and your family be hyper vilagent about monitoring your moods and be prepared the deal with the issue should you need med. Lithium Orotate is not strong enough to handle a full blown manic attack.

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After watching my Dad have a heart attack this past March, starting CPR, etc., a few days later I had a massive panic attack that was so bad I ended up in the hospital overnight. (I was two rooms away from my Dad!)

 

When I got home, my doctor diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and gave me some Xanax. I don't take it very often at all, but when I need it, it's fantastic and has made a huge difference in my life.

 

I take Ambien, although I am weaning myself from it. I've been on Ambien for a few years.

 

I have not been diagnosed, but believe I have Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

Alcoholism runs very strong in my family. My brother is a recovering alcoholic for about 20 years now, but is a mean and nasty dry drunk. My sister is an active alcoholic who dosen't think she has a problem. Apparently she's just relaxing by drinking a 12-pack of beer every night. :eek:

 

This is why I don't drink.

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We run a full gamet here. My ds is ADHD and major depression, severe plus dysthmic. He is currently doing okay though not as well as he would be doing if he was treating his ADHD. He refuses to do anything about that and since he is 19, I can't force him. DD15 is ADHD and has anxiety issues. Sometime soon I will take her in to have some therapy over her phobic behavior which she wants so that she can learn to sing solo (she currently sings in a choir but can't get over her fear to sing solo). DD11 is shosing signs of mild depression so I putting her back on St. John's Wort. It helped last time. I have ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder and am currently taking nothing.

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I have a few questions and comments if you don't mind. The first was concerning labels. Manic-depressive is an older label that is rarely used anymore. The preferred label is bi-polar. Also, generally bi-polar gets worse as you age without ever really slacking off for especially women heading into menopause. Also I have never heard of a dr. going along with a diagnosed bi-polar patient not taking medicine long term so I am wondering if you are receiving proper medical care in managing this. If what you are doing is working then, of course, I think that is great but I would suggest that both you and your family be hyper vilagent about monitoring your moods and be prepared the deal with the issue should you need med. Lithium Orotate is not strong enough to handle a full blown manic attack.

 

I wasn't going to reply to this thread, but I will now. My manic-depressive/bipolar symptoms, among other things, have almost disappeared (no meds -- *that* was mismanaged, so medication does not always mean "proper medical care") with diet and exercise -- a by-product of controlling T2 diabetes. You *do* have to be hyper-vigilant, but this is also the case if you're taking medication.

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I have a few questions and comments if you don't mind. The first was concerning labels. Manic-depressive is an older label that is rarely used anymore. The preferred label is bi-polar. Also, generally bi-polar gets worse as you age without ever really slacking off for especially women heading into menopause. Also I have never heard of a dr. going along with a diagnosed bi-polar patient not taking medicine long term so I am wondering if you are receiving proper medical care in managing this. If what you are doing is working then, of course, I think that is great but I would suggest that both you and your family be hyper vilagent about monitoring your moods and be prepared the deal with the issue should you need med. Lithium Orotate is not strong enough to handle a full blown manic attack.

 

Just a quick response as I am headed out for piano lessons!

Manic Depression as a label is coming back in vogue, and I say 'vogue' tongue in cheek:). I believe it started in the Mad Pride movement, and (i guess obviously) they also use "Mad" frequently. Now let me also say that there are lots of things in the Mad Pride movement that i disagree with, but a few things stick... I guess I am grateful that it opened my perspective to find out what was *good* about the part of me that I feared and disliked so much. It is easy to love certain states (you wrote about that in your earlier post and man, do I know what you mean) but to begin to accept *all* of me??? Wow. Also, there is a study showing that for *some* women, especially women with a particular childhood history, the symptoms can lesson after mid-thirties. I will try to find that for you. It is not the case for everyone of course but for some. There are so many different 'strains' and factors that it is difficult to predict anything, rather I am just saying how it has been for me. My family (oh, bless them!!) I so supportive and aware and is certainly vigilant. I think it helps them, that they have something to do! Ha! I would certainly go on meds if I needed to. I believe if we ever moved to the city I would need to, and I am not yet in menopause so make no predictions about that. Now, however, I make lifestyle choices that, while difficult sometimes, keep me on the path with out needing the meds. I have had plenty of medical advice LOL. Not to mention my best friend's dh is a doctor and my mom is a therapist. Sometimes I feel like I am looked after *too* much! ha!

 

You are right in that L.O. cannot handle a full blown attack. I initially took it to help with cluster headaches, and my dh noticed the change in my other symptoms. It does stabilize my moods, and keep me from depression. It merely "takes the edge off". Perhaps it keeps those attacks at a lower level, but who knows? I do know that when I am off it my cycle swings further from baseline. My dh can tell within 3 days that I have not taken it. There is mostly only anecdotal info. about this as a supplement, so that is all I can give you as well;). Perhaps it is a combination of all my actions that helps.

 

This is such a sensitive issue for all of us! Please do not feel I am judging any one who chooses a different path than mine. I am thankful when I am functioning well, adn would do most anything I needed to do to make that happen. I am sure you are in the same boat.

 

OK- I really have to go to lessons now! I don't have any time to re-read this- I hope I wrote everything down OK! I will check in later in the afternoon in case there's more. See y'all!

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I've been taking something pretty much since the girls were born. After my oldest, I had PPD and horrible anxiety. I've taken Zoloft, Effexor, Prozac and Paxil. Prozac did nothing. Effexor was great, but with the short half-life and my tendency to forget to take it, it didn't work that well for me. Paxil was WONDERFUL, but it did have some side effects so I weaned myself off it and have been med-free for you 6 months now. I'm going back to see the psych next week to see if I should still be taking something.

 

I have found that diet, exercise, and most importantly, sleep are they keys for me. If I can get good sleep, everything is beautiful. I have a certain amount of control over that and I've been getting into a bad habit of staying up way too late again. I also, however, have a baby who doesn't always let the mama get enough sleep. :D

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