Posted by krem on November 24, 2004, at 7:59:02
In reply to Re: new to depression and medication, posted by KIMBA2005 on November 23, 2004, at 5:48:12
Hi Bambooz
I had bad postpartum after just a miscarriage, so I can only imagine how bad it might be after giving birth.
SO many people are still extremely ignorant. My own husband, who works at a high level in the mental health arena, said to me that the only thing wrong with me was not trying hard enough.
I believe it's easier for other people to dismiss our invisible pain than it is to take on the burden of stepping in to help or even to comfort.
Many people believe we want to take "happy pills" as if our attitude were "well I feel okay, but I'd prefer a bit happier." I was able to get through to my husband by reminding him of a very negative experience he had with drugs while in college. What he felt was similar to the kind of dysphoria of depression. I explained that the throes of depression mean feeling that way all the time, with no knowledge that it will wear off (as a drug would) and no way to explain to others why you feel as you do.
It does make me angry, the casual cruelty of people who are lucky enough to escape a mood disorder. At one point my husband said he just couldn't deal with it anymore. He wanted me to deal with it, fix myself, and then come begging for forgiveness. I asked him what he would do if he saw a person bleeding and in terrible pain on the roadside. I told him a bad episode of a mood disorder is absolutely the equivalent. Imagine how the roadside person would feel if you walked past, looking disgusted at the person for presenting such an unattractive blight on your landscape.
Maybe someday, if we all have the courage to stand up for ourselves, and keep supporting each other this will be different. More of us will survive, more of us will work and live as we deserve to.
Anyway, to get back on topic, the only thing with effexor is that it does have withdrawal problems , so if you stop you have to taper. It might really work for you. Can you ask your doc why he prescribed that one and not a different one? Perhaps it has something to do with the samples he had on hand thanks to a pharmaceutical rep? make him accountable!!!
thanks for letting me vent. I hope you feel supported.
Finally, they have done studies showing that excercise really makes a difference. I imagine it is really hard to do with a baby. It's hard enough to do with just depression. If your boyfriend is insistent on this, maybe he'll watch the baby for an hour while you do something.
Good luck!!!! My thoughts are with you.
ps -- are most people here from the UK?
poster:krem
thread:418771
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/newbs/20040812/msgs/419668.html