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Any opinions on parsing out differences between these, and treating each each symptom? Is this still depression? Is my brain rendered dysfunctional without stimulants now?? I have chronic depression (dips down here & there), but then it always goes back to this level (nearly a baseline for me). I'm tired, blah, SO LISTLESS and all I want to do is lay in bed all day, comfy & nice. Today, I managed to go out to get groceries (was out of TP for crikes sakes), showered, then back to bed resting & staring at wall. No interest in listening to music, trying to read made me drowsy.... Not sad, not thinking of anything... just lying in bed, with no wherewithall or motivation to get up. Other factors: Winter weather, I've been on Ritalin break for 1 month.....Problem is, the last month on holiday, I was fine, active, good mood and had energy!! Blood tests are all normal. What gives?

Hi, I have been diagnosed with Depression and SAD. I've been on Zoloft (75mg) for 3 months now. It's okay for SAD, but it is very "numbing": I've never felt so amotivated, apathetic and indifferent. Zoloft also exacerbates my agitation. Is this normal? Will it become better? Thanks and greetings, Alfed

Have you used sunlamps? Did they help? How did you use them? Which brand did you buy? Did the possibility of UV damage give you anxiety? - Cause it's giving me anxiety

hi, I need some consultation on what I am dealing with. There appears to be this problem where I will see things in life that aren't there. For example, just the other day I noticed that my window is broken. This is impossible since my window is impenetrable. Moreover, I am seeing this illusion where my money inside my safe is no longer there. Funny right? I have tried taking meds to get rid of this optical illusion, but nothing seems to work. Other than optical illusions, I also can no longer see where my bed is and I often trip on my way into it when I go to sleep. Also, I keep missing my mouth when I go to insert food into my mouth. This has been happening ever since I took a break to watch the eclipse with my pet dog. Someone please help.

I was on a great path towards remission. Things were going great until last October when I had a fight with a friend who cut me out. Then my relationship with my girlfriend was getting strained due to finances. Then I stated to ruminate about my lack of a social life and how lonely I am. Also the typical signs of fall which is the season when my father died 6 years ago. So throw in parental grief into the mix. Then the days stated to get shorter. And I stated to regress back into a dark place with suicidal thoughts triggered by the thought of never being able to talk to my ex BFF ever again, my failings with making new friends, and unresolved issues with my late father. Also my former friend asked me not to come back to the peer support group he runs. I have friends and social supports from ex-friends peer group. About a a week and a half ago, the energy and life force evaporated. I stated oversleeeping or having bad bouts of insomnia. I have zero drive or motivation. It's definitely SAD affecting my MDD. I don't want to be this depressed, cranky, morose, or irritable. What should I change in my treatment plans to turn things around? I see a therapist for CBT. I'm overdue for a med review and adjustment. Currently on 20 mg Prozac, 75 mg bupropion, 50 mg lamactil, 10 mg ambien. I'm also binge drinking to drown out the negative thoughts and emotions. This happens every year come October. What should I change in my meds or therapy to get my SAD and MDD back under control so that I can stop isolating myself, hiding in bed, drinking heavily, dreading living my life, and ruminating over cringe-worthy fails? I'm a mess. I worked so hard to get myself out of depression but all that work has evaporated. Help!

It's that time of year! Every year in the fall (for the Northern Hemisphere members), I like to remind everyone that the days are getting shorter and maybe you want to take some action to avoid slipping into the Black Pit. If your doctor thinks it's a good idea, this might be the time to increase the dosage of your antidepressant. If you use a light box, get it out and start using it. If you don't take Vitamin D or fish oil, this might be the year you should try it. Not all of us get SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), but it is a serious issue. If you find it harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning, or if your sleep pattern has become disrupted, or if you feel helpless/useless/hopeless, then depression is knocking on your door and you need to do something. If you have a therapist, bring this up at your next session. If you are being treated by a psychiatrist, go over your list of medications and talk about possible adjustments to help you get through the Dark Time. If you know me at all, you know I will bug you to do the following: 1) Practice good sleep hygiene. Try to go to bed at the same time every day. No screens in the bedroom. Try to have the same routine every night in terms of cleaning up, brushing your teeth, etc. Keep a boring book on your night table if you can't sleep. 2) Try to get some exercise every day, preferably outdoors. You will sleep better if you are physically tired, and many people find that outdoor exercise can lift their mood. I'm not saying it's a cure-all, but it can help. 3) Do your best to eat healthy, unprocessed foods. If you only ingest junk, you will feel like junk. Feel free to make your own suggestions. Let's fight the Darkness! olga

I've been a long time reader of the boards but just decided to join because of the lack of information on Fetzima. I've been taking it for a month now and had a horrible experience these past few days. I've been struggling with depression, especially anxiety, since my teens; mom has OCD/hoarding disorder and dad was just diagnosed at 67 with bipolar disorder (we all knew that, he just wouldn't got to the doc to get medicated). It's beyond me why two wacked out humans would get together and spread their horrible genetics to not just one child, but two. My brother is a bigger mess than I am. I decided not to have children to try to end this bloodline! I've been on Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Pristique, Buspar, Depakote, Remeron, Cymbalta, now Fetzima, and I know I'm forgetting some. Reading these boards have helped me realize I'm not alone in my struggles. Thank you for that.

I am a desert dweller in southern Utah. I just started Brintellix after trying almost everything else out there for the past five years. I want to keep a record of my progress with this drug. The following is a little background on me: The first 15 years of my life in Seattle followed a pattern of gray skies from Halloween to Easter. Then Summer was one or two weeks of radiant sunshine. I thought that I could survive the next gray season for those few sunny days each summer...I was wrong. The gray was killing me slowly. I had depression and anxiety and didn't know it. The gray days made life even worse me as a child. Thankfully, we moved to a whole new world-Tucson, Arizona. Boy! was that a change, and a difficult adjustment for me at first.

Hey, I'm B and I'm 28 and I live in Vegas. I sort of wrote about what brought me here already in my general intro... so, this post can direct you there - if you care. http://www.crazyboards.org/forums/index.php/topic/69929-ohey-crazy/ Also, that post will direct you to this other "forum" where I wrote about how weed is just as helpful to me as, let's say, my lexapro. I'm still depressed but I'm kind of rounding a corner on it - so I feel like I can be useful to other people still in the early / getting-help stages of their depression... Also, just having others to talk to on days like today is great. So, yeah, words that are more eloquent and entertaining can be pursued through above link-age. I swear, those posts are better than this one.

Aint life grand when changing meds for anxiety causes anxiety? FML I have been taking Pristiq for approx 3mo's. Went directly from Celexa one morning to Pristiq the next night. Transitioning from an SSRI to an SSNRI was physically brutal, but I worked through the initial side effects (some not so negative), and found that Pristiq REALLY helped my GAD. I mean, insanely effective. But I would still have moments when I would have to fight off a panic attack--the Oh my god, I can't breathe, I CAN'T BREATHE!!!/ Oh my god, I'm having a stroke/heart attck/aneurysm while driving with my kid in the car!!!/Oh my god, the sky is falling, THE SKY. IS! EFFIN. FALLING! Don't you get it?!?! varieties. So, I would take an Ativan when I knew I would be in one of these helpless positions where the people around me would not understand/be able to help beyond taking me to the ER. As time passes, I've relied less and less on the Ativan. I like to have it with me, but I only take it as a last resort. Trouble is, between the Celexa (taken for 1yr) and Pristiq, I gained a ton of weight, and w/Pristiq, lethargy and fatigue have taken over my life. Not helpful. Not worth it for me to become diabetic to mitigate anxiety. I asked my pdoc about an SNRI, and we settled on WellbutrinSR, 50mgs to start while I ween off of Pristiq--a process I wouldn't even wish on someone I really didn't like. My energy is up, my appetite a bit lowered, but I am still well doused with Pristiq. Just found out that my pdoc wants to discontinue my Ativan rx. I am becoming nervously concerned that when the Pristiq wears off and the Ativan is gone, my anxiety might come roaring back. Such is the mind of someone so wound up about everything, everywhere, all the time.

Hello, I'm Connor and I am bipolar (2) but on the ALMOST bipolar 1 side of things. I am taking 50 mg of Seroquel and 200 mg of Lamictal. Both help with balancing my mood and seroquel is doing a great job at making me fall asleep. Seroquel even seems to be helping my appetite be supressed...quite odd right? I've lost weight. Anyway, I am extremely depressed still and find it hard to even get out of bed. What other med could I take that could make me happy again? I don't just rely on meds just so you know, I go to therapy too. I am so antisocial, paranoid, anxious, and cry a lot more then I used to. I am also always always always way tired even though I am sleeping way better (it's the same tired i felt even before seroquel so I know it isn't that effecting me) Please help, give me suggestions on maybe an Antidepressant? I am not sure. I heard those were bad for bipolar disorder. But I am losing all my friends and losing hope too. Please, someone help. Sincerely, Connor

Hi all- I am new to this group, and I thank all of you for welcoming me. After checking out a couple other forums, and even signing up for one, the first thoughts about this site are sky high! I felt like I was being bullied and judged by people that were in the same boat is me. I am a 26 year old male, who was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder in 2009. At the time I was put on Lamictal 100mg, and Xanax 2mg daily. I could tell the lamictal was working over the months, but my addiction to xanax was getting in the way of any success I could have helping my condition. In 2010, I changed Doctors (insurance reasons), and my doctor changed my meds to Topamax. At first it really sped me up, I did not see a change in mania. I was also still dealing with an addiction to benzos, this time being prescribed klonopin. I was struggling. Relationships with all people, especially my family. But the worst part of it was my impulsive ways left me with no friends. Stealing and lieing really distanced me from people, and the excuse of being treated ran out of gas. I then moved to Atlanta, where I had lived as a younger guy because I knew that I had friends there who had been diagnosed with similar illnesses. When I got down there it was "so long topomax, gimme the xanax". I was taking upwards of 6mg daily. On top of that, I started messing with the contins. Oxy and his sister Roxy. Of course money was thin from all the drugs, and it was time for heroin. I was shooting up daily, and obviously in a pit. I moved back to Michigan to live with this girl Sarah. I was in hell. I was withdrawling from opiates when I wasnt taking them, and I was popping xanax like it was going out of style. 5 months of this and my closest people to me in my life were moving. My parents. Denver it was, and I was sad. Of course me not being medicated, sent me into a depression and mania. Thus increased the intake of opiates and benzos and I was screwed. I met and scammed a doctor, and he prescribed 120 1mg xanax a month, 120 10mg norcos, and lamictal. How would any lamictal work while being so F-ed Up? It didnt. I made the decision to move to Colorado. For the first month I was there I was so screwed up I dont remember 20 straight days of skiing. I met a local addict who was seeing an addiction specialist. I knew that I had to shape up, and I made an appointment with this guy. He specialized in addiction to sleep disorders. He drug tests every visit, and if you mess up you lose your meds. First thing he did was up my lamictal to 200mg, and he prescribed me to suboxone for my opiate addiction. That was January 13th. I havent had a drink since January 23rd. I remember the middle of March, me looking at my dad while skiing and telling him I was finally happy. The girl I was dating at the time, and I decided to move in together. What a disaster! I was able to get my hands on some xanax because she caused such back anxiety and I just wanted to be tuned out. We worked together, and one night she got so upset with a boss at work, she quit and told me I had to or I was out of the house! My dumbass did it, I think the xanax was a big contributor. At the time That was the beginning of March and thats the night I lost ALL FEELINGS FOR HER! I was in decent shape from all the skiing and the thin air, but that wouldnt last. I fell into a deep depression. On May 8th she wanted to get away, I think she was sensing me leaving her because I couldnt stand her, and she wanted to spoil me. We went up to Jackson Hole, and I crashed on my bike and broke my wrist, fractured my elbow, stitches in my chin and crazy trail rash! At the time I was on suboxone and popping mass amount of benzos. My on again and off again thing. The doctor prescribed me oxycodone for a month. It didnt do much because of the suboxone. Late May I was finally able to get another job although I had a broken wrist. I was taking my suboxone and lamictal, and withdrawling from xanax. A couple weeks later the withdrawals stopped but I was depressed as all hell. I lost my job. I lost my insurance, and I lost my doctor. I had a bunch of presriptions thank god, that he had written. But my depression was so deep I needed something new. He had written me a srcipt for wellbutrin, that I never took. I started the other day, without doctor supervision. I dont have the money, and the meds are pricey. I'm taking 150mg, twice a day, as prescribed. But I dont know what to expect. I am on day 5, feel a tad bit different. I'm able to get up in the morning and go hike and stuff, but I still get bouts of depression. I hope it passes, this seems like its my last chance. I do get about 6-8 hours of sleep, which is better than most I see on wellbutrin. But I guess I just want assurance that its going to get better. I am taking 150mg twice daily, along with lamictal 200mg, and suboxone 4mg. Can anyone give me assurances. This forum seems like a blessing. I have been alcohol free since January 23rd, and just about 2 months without xanax. JC

Hy, i am nicole, 17, from europe. My english is not good, i am just learning the language now. All my life I felt that I am not good enough.. My mom cheats my father.. My brother depressed. My mom is depressed too. My father is never at home, he doesnt care anyone else except himself. When i was 13 my grandpa died. At 14 grade my dog died.. I loved her so much A few months ago my grandma died. We dont speak with my other grandpa since 4 years. I was depressed so many times, and now I feel alone, helpless, useless, unlikeable, ugly, fat, stupid... I havent got friends. My best friends left me alone and we havent speak since 12 weeks. I miss you babe i like the rain. I feel that i wont be happy.. The life is just walking away next to me. These things make me unhappy everyday. I started self injury again. My first cut was at the age of 14 after i lost my dog.. When i was 15 my mom found my cuts and took me to a psychoterapist. I lied her all the time. I thought thats ok, i havent got problems... But I had. A few days ago I started to feel depressed and started cut myself again.. I cant stop it my legs, my wrist... What should i do now?