SebNZ said:
Hmm interesting. I didn't even know about SNRI's, had to google them. Did you find them any better than SSRIs? I'm tempted to ditch the Sertraline if I can find something better. Agree with you on the doctor's being keen to prescribe them though haha... I wonder if they get bonuses the more they prescribe. I'm pretty sure that's the case in the US but not sure if it's the same in other Western countries.
Funny thing happened to me today. I realised I was 38 and not 39! How dumb is that! I've spent the last year thinking I was 39 and since the NY I've been thinking about turning 40. And I'm 38! Idiot! LOL
Tomorrow is my first day of my break. Looking forward to it. I have not had any relapses over the weekend, which I was a bit worried about, so that's fantastic. My mood is quite good as a result and my energy levels are decent (although still sleeping more than normal). I did not go out on Saturday night, which was a bit of a downer. But on the plus side, I avoided drinking and therefore a hangover (and potentially a relapse).
I'm feeling pretty confident now about this reboot. The urges are quite low at the moment. Hopefully stays that way.
Incidentally I watched a terrible movie called Eden Lake, which stars Michael Fassbender. Did not enjoy at all and the ending made me quite angry (which is rare for me when I'm on this medication). I couldn't stop thinking about it and it stopped me from getting to sleep. Interestingly I wrote a negative review of it on reddit and that made me feel better and the thoughts have mostly gone away now. Interesting how writing things down can get them out of your mind.
Hey mate,
No not really with the SNRI/SSRI differences - much of the same really.
I'm 90% sure doctors here don't get paid for writing scripts - what I'm almost 100% sure of though, is heaps of GP's are incompetent when it comes to psych meds. The time spent in university studying mental health and the meds that treat it is
minimal &
basic.
They are taught that if a patient presents with said symptoms - depression, anxiety - offer them these medications ( there's a lot) then counselling services, and book a check-up appointment in one months time. they explain common side effects from medications, that are easily accessible on goggle - however what I found was that they left most of the important shit out with Effexor, man i had a tough time getting on and coming off that medication - google "Effexor Withdrawals" and check out all the people going through absolute hell. That's when I started losing faith in GP's.
A year or so after i was of Effexor, I was struggling with anxiety again - went back (to a different GP) and asked to try a med i read good things about, Luvox (fluvoxamine). The Doctor seemed keen to help, writing up a mental health care plan - asking if i wanted to go see a psychologist to talk about my issues - no thanks I replied - been there done that. "So how does that make you feel, Aussie?, Why don't you try thinking of it this way?" - psychology is a complete waste of time
For Me, but i know of many people personally who it has helped - the issue with me though is a chemical imbalance in my brain from addiction - anyway I digress.
The GP then prescribes me Luxov at it's recommended starting dose - and then i ask if there's anything I can take along with it to help the initial side effects, because of the hard time I'd had with Effexor, Sure he said - and then wrote out a prescription for Valium "Yay, Yummy" I thought.
A few days later i became violently ill, couldn't walk because i was so dizzy, lips were tinged blue - turns out you cant take Luvox and Valium together - it interacts with each other and can be in the worst cases, fatal. My GF Googled it after seeing how unwell I was.
I stopped all meds immediately and have never even thought about asking for help from a GP again - in my
personal opinion, be careful - sure there are some great GP's out there - get a referral to see a psychiatrist - their job is literally to diagnose mental health conditions and prescribe meds, they don't council.
As i previously said meds have helped me a lot, when i needed them - but not much is actually known about them. For "simple" Depression/ Anxiety, i believe diet, exercise, therapy (works for some and not others) and building up other healthy hobbies and social skills long term is the solution.
This is just my take on the whole psych med thing, I'm not a doctor.
Being one year younger is a mistake I'd like to make mate ;D 8)
Stay strong and vigilant during your break, stay busy - keep a routine. Even if it's a basic as " go to woolies once a day and buy dinner for the night, walk for 30 mins, watch TV - it's the routine that keeps you sharp bro.
Aussie.