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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Mental Health Disorders and your RX

MgmtBlue

Bluelighter
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
147
Location
East Coast
Hi Everyone,

First let me say I hope this is the right place to post this and that I did a search and didn't find any similar threads.

I am currently on Cymbalta for depression and GAD. Recently I have consulted a psychologist as my GP is no longer capable of helping me manage my depression/anxiety. Well after speaking with her she said she sees signs of OCD and ADHD in addition to the depression and anxiety. I'm not thrilled of the idea of being on so many different meds and I was wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar and how you are managing your symptoms.

Thanks!
D
 
I take about 14 pills before bedtime and it's working well with my OCD and depression BUT I'm still searching for something better to help me stay asleep and to deal with anxiety better. I'm currently rx'd xanax for anxiety but my tolerance is too high for it to even phase me now. I'm not thrilled to be on so many pills but I hated being bi-polar on top of everything else so I guess I have to pick my poison, pills or deal with the problems. Either way, I hope she gets you sorted out and you are comfortable with the choices made!
 
I am diagnosed as bipolar, also with ADD, anxiety disorder and depression. Coupled with several medical conditions I have, I take quite a few medications myself. Before starting the meds I was a train wreck so it was a trade off. I wish you luck!!!
 
So you have: OCD, ADHD, depression, GAD.

Drugs aren't the only answer. You know what? Fuck most of them. Do you suffer from debilitating OCD and ADHD? GAD is pretty common as well (pretty much everyone has it) and depression... well they can give you chemicals to solve it, but it can probably be solved by dealing with your problem (unless you're just sad all the time, then sorry I don't really know about that).

OCD isn't threatening at all. Signs of it means you might or might not have it. Antidepressants should help with OCD anyways, and I don't really view it as a problem to be a perfectionist, just don't do it all the time.

ADHD can be problematic, if you're jumping around on tables and not doing your work. If you just can't concentrate take a stimulant like coffee and if that helps, Adderall or Ritalin being the most common drugs will help a lot more. They also deal with depression in the short term, and make you feel like a god. But it will make your OCD come out, or appear its not uncommon for you to be a perfectionist on it (I was trying to put on a skin on my mp3 player perfectly, took 2 hours, but I think its well worth it since its forever, and wouldn't have been happy with a shoddy job). Are you sure you don't have ADD instead?

And unless you really feel like you're depressed, I wouldn't bother with the SSRIs. They really screw you up in the long term. Sure the doctors don't think they're dangerous cause they don't get anyone high, but they are nonetheless very problematic especially the withdrawals.

I have a problem with GAD as well, but its a behavior problem that can be changed through behavior modification, as can all of these. Its not very easy and I'm sure I won't be able to do it quickly, but its the best way to deal with all of the problems you have been diagnosed with. Its just more fun (sometimes) to take drugs to fight them since its instant. But those chemicals that fix your imbalances are what you will grow dependent on if you don't 'fix' your behavior.
 
Wow, thanks for the great responses everyone. This is why I love this site.

BabyGurl and stateofnevrmind, I'm glad to hear that your meds are working for you for the most part. Do you have any noticeable side effects (besides tolerance)?

Depressicaa, you make some great points and I appreciate you sharing your personal experience. I am cautious about being on drugs and I am very open to the idea of therapy to help with these behaviors, which is why I contacted a psychologist instead of going to my GP to simply get drugs to mask the problems. On the other hand, I have to also be open the possibility that I may need the help of certain medications in the mean time.

I am in the beginning stages of really diving into what the root of these problems are, so I'm trying not to stress too much about it. It helps to hear what others have gone through and again I appreciate the time and the responses!
 
BabyGurl and stateofnevrmind, I'm glad to hear that your meds are working for you for the most part. Do you have any noticeable side effects (besides tolerance)?

The only side effects I had were in the beginning and that was tiredness. You become tolerant of that quickly too. At least I did. I actually just had my night meds increased a bit b/c I wasn't getting tired on them anymore.
I've been on these meds for about a year now and see a completely different person for the most part. Before, with the bi-polar, I would just snap for no reason. Now I can control most of my emotions without being a train wreck.
Oh I did forget to mention that a lot of these meds will give you dry mouth. I always have a bottle of water with me for that.
 
extreme empathy for you but have patience

Hi Everyone,

First let me say I hope this is the right place to post this and that I did a search and didn't find any similar threads.

I am currently on Cymbalta for depression and GAD. Recently I have consulted a psychologist as my GP is no longer capable of helping me manage my depression/anxiety. Well after speaking with her she said she sees signs of OCD and ADHD in addition to the depression and anxiety. I'm not thrilled of the idea of being on so many different meds and I was wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar and how you are managing your symptoms.

Thanks!
D

I have been taking and trying anitdepressants, antipsychotics, and antianxiety meds for fifteen years now.

Prozac worked for me the most but it not was enough so my doctor combined it with effexor which is the predecessor to cymbalta. That sucked so i tried cymbalta. It worked somewhat but didn't feel right. My doctor suggested pristiq which is the next evolution in cymbalta and that has worked the best for me by far.

As far as the anxiety medicine it depends on your anxiety. If you have panic attakcs xanax will act quickly and wear off quickly and you'll have to take more. Klonipin is slow acting but will last much longer. Ativan is inbetween and valium is a waste of time. The best advice I can give is to try what you can and be patient with the results. If something doesn't work then move on to another. I have tried literally dozens of medications over the years and it took me a long time to find the right combo. The best you can do is exercise and regulate your diet while experimenting with what works the best. So much about antidepressants is unknown and each person reacts differently to each one. Just try to be patient. Believe me I know that patience is the last thing a person with depression wants, needs, or has. Do your best with external resources untill you find the meds that work for you. Don't be like me who has been inpatient in psych wards eight times since I was sixteen.
 
I've been diagnosed with ADHD ever since I was 12 and have almost always been prescribed a stimulant of some sort to combat it. Then when 16 I was diagnosed with bi-polar AND depression. I thought depression went with bipolar in one big package but oh well, now I'm scripted a Bi-Polar med AND an anti-depressant. About a year later I start to experience really bad anxiety which probably was just part of my bipolar as well but placed on a benzodiazepine which I became physically addicted to. Now I have insomnia problems (probably because of my anxiety) so placed on a sleeping agent as well. Became dependent upon those things as well. By this time for all those problems I have graduated to taking 5 drugs, when getting to the core of my problems could have probably reduced it to 2 or 3 meds. Psychs love to 1. Make diagnosis based upon a survey of your life in 30 minutes or less and then 2. Give treatment via drug. Following appointment is followed by "What side effects have you experienced so they can continue on changing drugs around, upping doses and adding on more drugs. Thats how it is.

Now I'm 27 and diagnosed with fibro. It really sucks so have to take a couple more meds for that. So here I am, on 7 medications when some that I'm on I know that I really don't need but doctor always must ensure that I do.

When you think that you may have a mental health issue problem and would like to learn how to solve it or at least help learn how to treat it, look into other therapies first before busting right into the medication scene.
 
may I suggest a very strong dose of LSD?
not so you can just get fucked up, but so that you can do some introspection and try and fix some of your problems. I find on high doses of psychedelic drugs I tend to get very instrospective about myself and vey motivated to fix whatever I find wrong in my personality.
This piece of advice, of course, should not be taken all too seriously. Using psychedelic drugs when having mental issues may lead to unwanted effects. It's a very long shot, but one in a few thousand people find the psychedelic experience as a great mind opener.
 
Sorry to say this but a lot of people do need drugs/meds to function. I have ADD and an LD, clinical anxiety, borderline personality, schizotypal pd.. and a few others like bipolar, which may overlap with those last 3
(anti-social behavior goes along with ADD)-

AD(H)D is legit. I'm not a neurologist but during testing for AD(H)D i had an EEG which shows key features of AD(H)D & the differences in neurotransmitter behavior from an NT (neuro-typical) brain.. The studies to back it up are out there. I'm tired of people saying it doesn't exist..or worse, downplaying it by saying everyone has AD(H)D.. no, you either have it or you don't

i'm medicating my ADD. the meds have turned my life around over the last year. before that i couldn't function with a job, school, etc cause of the brain fog and constant fatigue- indistinguishable from chronic fatigue syndrome.. think about not being able to get out of bed for days cause you're so tired and weak.. and nothing helps..eating, exercise made me more exhausted. sometimes i still fast to have energy, but i'll be up for several days at a time

i take benzos as needed (been on-and-off them for years) and they keep me from slipping into psychosis. they are the only thing that consistently help my anxiety and panic attacks - i'm so grateful to be back on them that i don't abuse the shit out of them now and actually benefit from them

psych meds: cymbalta caused me a nervous breakdown. i was incapacitated for 3 months following withdrawal. zyprexa- brought out latent schizophrenia and triggered flashbacks.. no more psych meds for me ever again

I've been through psych therapy for years. It helped while i was going, but it's not a permanent solution for me anyway. I don't think there is just one for most people.. you constantly have to transition and try new things.. when i have problems i can deal with, i do. other problems in life can't be resolved and are best ignored (for sanity's sake; defense mechanisms)... the lack of or dysfunction of defense mechanisms is what throws some people off the edge. so maybe for some their problems are maladaptive behavior. for others more of a neurological issue, which is harder to deal with

when you have disturbing, life-threatening mental problems you can't just say ok i'll stop medicating & just deal with all this head on. Idk about you, but it doesn't work that way in my world. My mind plays tricks on me, delusions, dissociation.. it's not safe when i don't know who i am or if i'm dreaming or actually awake. it puts limits on what i can do. when i can't even trust myself, what am i left with? I isolate myself. It makes life simple

as for depression and AD(H)D.. it seems people mix these up too often. in my case, ADD causes me to be depressed- since my thoughts are unclear, i lose motivation & energy trying to keep up with the rest of the world.. being around other people, in public burns me out.. thus friendships are superficial/hard to maintain. this leads to a pretty lonely, depressing life

some people who are depressed may appear to have AD(H)D- due to lack of motivation, focus and apathy. these people show increased motivation/productivity when they're in the right mood. environment may play a role

then yet others may be AD(H)D+comorbid clinical depression, which could manifest in different ways

-G
 
i have depression, so i have abilify, i'm a bit psychotic sometimes so i have cyamemazine and abilify, i have insomnia so i take meprobamate with acepromazine and aceprometazine (in one pill) and i have serious anxiety so i take valium and xanax, and i also am prescribed hydroxyzine for anxiety and buprenorphine for opiate maintenance... so don't worry you're not the only one on lots of meds, but it helps me, so.....
 
The responses to this thread really illustrate the point that everyone is different. I believe wholeheartedly that there are people that need medication. I also am willing to try therapy to aid in straightening out my issues.

Again, thanks for sharing your personal experiences. Even to yztuc, that's an interesting suggestion. I've always been standoffish to trying LSD simply out of fear--and also because of the meds I'm currently on and the issues I'm trying to work through. I am a completely non judgmental person and if that works for you more power to you.

Gormur, you are absolutely right, not everything is behavioral. There are disorders that exist that cannot be fixed with therapy and require medical intervention. I appreciate the time you put in to respond.

I'm trying to relax a bit about all of this..but I figure my reaction to what my therapist said is just another way of my anxiety manifesting itself. We'll see what happens when I go back next week.
 
I'm diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder with Major Depressive Episodes. I'm in therapy by court order and I'm prescribed a cocktail of medication - including diazepam (originally for anxiety, but now because I'm dependant on it), bupropion for depression, Seroquel for insomnia and stress, haloperidol for psychotic/neurotic episodes, and a few others. I'm finding the combination of therapy and medication helpful.
 
I'm diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder with Major Depressive Episodes. I'm in therapy by court order and I'm prescribed a cocktail of medication - including diazepam (originally for anxiety, but now because I'm dependant on it), bupropion for depression, Seroquel for insomnia and stress, haloperidol for psychotic/neurotic episodes, and a few others. I'm finding the combination of therapy and medication helpful.

Glad to hear this. How long will this last?
 
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