What's your diagnosis? What's your treatment?

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

I am bipolar. I used to be a cutter during my depressive episodes, but I got a handle on that with a recovery program similar to AA (12-step based).

I take Lamictil and Zoloft. I am also in talk therapy, not for the bipolar but for other things.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. depression

but i have had a whole host of other issues including bulimia, anxiety and codependency issues.

boy, i am honest with this stuff...good thing i am never considering a presidential run :P

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

2. LOL!

Yeah, you better not ever run for anything. :D

Some of my other issues are anxiety and trouble relating to other women. (I am the only girl in a family of six, so maybe this isn't too surprising.)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. mine is mainly relationship related

not having relationships with people who respect me..and also people who typically need to take me down a notch or two to make themselves feel better......i think i am making progress on it...we'll see.


about the cutting...i have known several peopel including myself who have done that...:hugs:

[smirkymonkey]

35. I have that problem with people too!

Mostly in the work arena - I keep ending up with abusive employers/co-workers. It doesn't happen so much in my personal life, but maybe that is because I am less likely to tolerate bad behavior in a relationship that I feel I have more freedom to choose to be in or not.

With work, there is always the trade-off between putting up with shit and financial/job security. It's not so easy to cut the cord - going through that right now and it sucks. I have a great situation, but my boss and co-worker are so abusive that it almost isn't worth it.

[Madspirit]

76. also self-abuser

More head banger than cutter but have done both.

...bipolar, PTSD and depression.
Madspirit

[Ann Arbor Dem]

4. I have dysthymia...

Chronic depression with some major depressive epsisodes. Celexa and cognitive therapy have been my treatment for the last three years. I've used other combinations of SSRI's and therapy in the past. At this point in my life, this works best for me.

[arcane1]

5. never been diagnosed with anything... never even tried...

but I am rather fucked up, so who knows?

[commander bunnypants]

6. watch out for that rash with Lamctil

can be very serious. The name escapes right now.

CB

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

10. My doctor had me do a very slow titration.

I took a quarter-dose for two weeks, a half-dose for two weeks, and then started my full dose. No rashes. It's a great approach.

[Droopy]

7. I have schizoaffective disorder

It's a rare disease that is a combination of schizophrenia and manic-depression. I've suffered from the illness for twelve years, but only in the past year and a half did I get the right diagnosis and thus the proper treatment. I take Geodon (anti-psychotic), lithium (mood stabilizer), and my psychiatrist recently added Wellbutrin (anti-depressant). I would like to be in talk therapy right now for my depression, but I can't afford it. While my insurance covers most of the cost of my drugs it only covers half of talk therapy sessions. So my cost for that would be $50 a session.

[commander bunnypants]

8. does the Geodon work foor you

I have seen mixed results. But hey almost anything is better than haldol.

CB

[Droopy]

9. The geodon is working wonderfully

I used to be a real tin foil hatter. I thought people could read my mind and see my most private thoughts. I thought the people on the tv and the radio were talking directly to me and were giving me a hidden message meant exclusively for me. I used to have delusions of granduer where I thought I was the messiah or the chosen one.

All that is no more thanks to Geodon. It's an expensive drug, but it works wonderfully for me without any side affects, and thankfully my insurance covers most of the cost.

[bloodyjack]

11. Diagnosed with major depressive disorder a couple years back

Haven't undergone any sort of treatment/therapy, but these days I'm seriously considering it

It's not that I feel small; the world around me just appears incredibly high

[Droopy]

13. Take care of yourself, man

It's good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor. That's always a good sign. But I wouldn't hesitate to get treatment if you are seriously depressed. Hell, I'm getting treatment and I'm not too bad off.

[Mojambo]

12. I suspect I might have Avoidant Personality Disorder

But since I have no job, no money, and an increasing anxiety about even leaving the house I don't think extensive treatment is in my future.

[Droopy]

14. I don't know if this will help

But I hope so. Usually, especially in cities, there are clinics that charge based on your ability to pay. You probably won't get meds like that, but you will get talk therapy which may help you out.

[Mojambo]

15. Yeah, they said they might be able to get me in

to see the staff therapist in 6-8 months.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. i am not the biggest advocate of meds

but your doc may be willign to medicate you till you get the therapy you need

[Mojambo]

17. I have no health insurance

or a regular doctor.
It's been many years since I've seen a doctor.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

[Droopy]

18. That sucks

You'd think with such a high demand that they would add more therapists.

I don't know what to tell you besides to get on the waiting list.

I know there were people that I was in the hospital with on the psych ward that were poor. I don't know how they got into the hospital or who was picking up the tab for some of them. I think what some of them said to get in is that they were suicidal. Some of them were on social security disabilty.

[LDS Jock]

39. I go to a place like that.. and here is what I did

When I had to restart at the program, there was another four month wait. By letting them know this was an emergency (and it was) I was able to see a doctor by going in and waiting til they had some time to deal with me. Those places are severely overworked, but from what I've seen they are very willing to help. Make noise about how you need help. If it gets to the point of suicide or other harm to yourself, they will treat you. It's hard for anyone to admit they need help, and fight through the process when they are having problems. Please, pester them again for help until you get it.

[scarlet_owl]

19. Severe depression, PTSD, and generalized anxiety disorder.

I take Abilify and Lexapro.

[skygazer]

20. Bipolar, anxiety disorder, PTSD

Currently, and for the last six years, I've been on no meds and have done very well. I am beginning a manic episode right now though, which is a bummer since I've not had one for quite some time. Combination of things - stress about money (I have none), stress about health insurance (it got cancelled) and stress about the holidays (which always get me down).

I didn't exactly think I was "cured" - hell, I've been this way as long as I can remember and I'm nearly 44 years old so you'd think I'd be used to it - but I sort of hoped the worst was over since I've never had six straight years of peace. I've only had the occasional "greyday" in all that time and they passed quickly. Compare that to years of ups and downs, fruit salad mixes of meds, stays in psych wards....

Yesterday, I was in the store talking to a friend about how poor I am and she said brightly, "At least you've got your health!" I had to laugh.

[FuzzySlippers]

21. Chronic depression of varying severity, generalized anxiety, and

social anxiety. I'm not currently taking any meds. Have taken Prozac and Zoloft as well as lorazepam in the past.

[no name no slogan]

22. Chronic Major Depression (episodic), plus SAD

I've been clinically depressed most of my life, but I've only taken medication for the last eleven years or so. I take Effexor and lithium in combination to fight the depression, and Trazodone at night to sleep. I also do cognative therapy during my yearly major episode (which is typically in the fall) to help me get through. Due to the nature of my depression, I'll probably be on some medication or another for the rest of my life.

I've been on a number of drugs and other remedies: St. Johns Wort, Paxil (I went from 140lbs to 220lbs on that one), and Wellbutrin. I had a very bad reaction to Wellbutrin, and had to take a sick leave for a couple months to get over it, back in 1996.

I'm not a big proponent of medicating everybody, but if it works for you, stick to it.

[northamericancitizen]

24. I lost my post! Damn

I had written a fairly long message about my dx(diagnostic). It disappeared on me.

Well for now it will be a short version. lol

Dystimia, anxiety (effexor and lectopam(benzo)

My 13 years old son is gifted,ADDHD with LD(learning disabilities) and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
Zoloft and dexedrine

I have been a mental health activist for the last 5 years, locally and nationally (Canada)

Glad to be here with you guys.

Lise

[slutticus]

23. Major Depression

I may have Dysthymia, but I had a major depressive episode right after I started grad school (lasted about 2 months before I went to a doctor). I was put on Wellbutrin for a couple of years and that helped me a lot. I was very glad to finally be able to get off of Wellbutrin.

I am doing much better now, I hope that little black cloud never comes back...

[Ellen Forradalom]

25. Bipolar disorder type II

(depression dominant); have been taking Paxil CR 25 mg and Depakote ER 1000 mg for a while now, very successfully.

[Crunchy Frog]

26. Chronic depression-since I was four years old.

Anxiety disorder. Generally fucked up life.

I've tried all kinds of different medications and never found anything that helped much. Right now I'm off of everything except Klonopin. Without the Klonopin the anxiety completely parylized me.

Glad to have this group. Nice to meet everybody.:hi:

[AlienGirl]

32. I was dx'd at age 4 too!

[diamondsoul]

27. Hey, Walt, I didn't know you were bp!

I got diagnosed a good 12 years ago but was absolutely terrified to take Lithium so never got into drug therapy. I just recently (two weeks ago) was re-diagnosed with bpd and put on Cymbalta (30 for first week now 60mgs) and Abilify (.5mgs). I'm also in group therapy for dual diagnoses three times a week. So far that's all but it's helping a lot. I get the med progress rechecked in 2 weeks.

[DemExpat]

28. Borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety disorder.....

pretty much life-long.

Years of therapy did give me insight and understanding, but meds only worsened my situation. I was heavily addicted to anti-anxiety meds - kicked them when I was pregnant with my first child - and Prozac actually brought on waves of panic attacks which took me a year to get over....:-(
Never again.

Not until I came completely clean of pharmaceuticals and set out to help myself with the aid of some gentle herbs, good diet, daily walks with my dog, some supplements, and Homeopathic remedies did I climb out ot the deepening hole that I was sinking into.

Having a counsellor to vent to was also a great help during that time.

Oh, and writing all of my shit down in diaries throughout the years has also been a fantastic tool in helping me gain some self-understanding and acceptance while providing a very safe and private place to vent it all without projecting it all on those around me.....
A very powerful tool to try.
By writing it down, it gives the chaos and unbearable feelings a place outside oneself, it relieves the tension and allows you to go about your business with a lighter load.

All the best to all here who are living with these particular and painful life-problems.

:grouphug:

DemEx

[undergroundpanther]

29. Dissociation

ADHD and PTSD.
I'm also transgender and Bi lucklily these two aren't mental "issues" anymore.

I grew up in a very abusive home also I had a neighbor who was a fundie Christian who was a pedo he and his wife were complicit in it.
Years later I was at a "dissociative unit" run by DR.Lowenstien.He tried to convince me these christians were really satanists and they tried to get me to lie about mt own past,needless to say I chewed him out once I figured out he was manipulating me and I slammed the door on his ear.

My life has been one pile of crap after another.

[EFerrari]

47. Writing it down helps so much.

:hug:

:grouphug:

[DemExpat]

52. I have a huge stack in the back of my closet

of yearly diaries just filled with my stuff.

Maybe one day I'll look through them, or then maybe I won't.

:D

:hug: :grouphug:

DemEx

[Ariana Celeste]

89. question re: borderline

know of any trustworthy websites about borderline? i know someone with it and have suspected it in myself for years... i'd like to learn more

[derbstyron]

30. Where to begin: Bi-polar; Borderline Personality;Anorexic;self-cutting

and on and on and...ugh

As far as treatment goes. I am under psychatric care as well as undergoing therapy.

For meds:

Lithium and Lamictil for Bi-polar

Effexor for Depression and Social Anxiety Disorder

Serequel for Anti-psychotic tendancies; attempt to control self-cutting.

Remeron for Depression and to assist with sleep.

Xanax for Anxiety

Peractin to stimulate appetite.

Ugh...all this shit JUST to keep me alive. I hate life.

:scared:
Most of this shit doesn't work. But we've tried just about everything else. Name a mood stabilizer or anti-depressant and the odds are we've tried it.

[AlienGirl]

31. Depression and Anxiety Disorder

I take Paxil and Klonopin, but they aren't working as well for me as they used to, so as soon as I have the time I'm getting back on the med-go-round--ugh.

Tucker

[jdots]

33. depression bouts

after being a test goat for years i am back on M.A.O. inhibitors ( Nardil) which have been around for a long time,the list of things you can't eat & drink is extensive .I think alot of anti depression drugs are way over prescribed by the new pill doctors who ask you how the meds are instead of how you are.So much depression is situational now that the world is being run by fools and drug companys.

[curse10]

34. severe depression and anxiety disorder (complete with panic attacks)

I take lexapro. It's been a miracle drug for me. I was on trazadone for awhile and it was awful.

I've been on lexapro for over a year now and I feel like a "normal" person. The only bummer is the whole decrease your sex drive thing. As if we aren't depressed enough, the drugs they give us kill our sex drive.

[smirkymonkey]

36. Episodic Depression, Recovering Alcoholic

Also, self-diagnosed ADD/Sensory Defensive. VERY sensitive, but am realizing this can be a plus if managed properly. It's like I see and feel things that other people don't - I get very bounced around by other people's energies and am almost psychic in reading the moods and energies of others.

As I have mentioned in another post, I am coming off of Paxil, Wellbutrin.

[DemExpat]

37. I join you in the Highly Sensitive Person Club!

But, like you, I see advantages to it along with the disadvantages (mostly having to deal with stresses of modern societies).

Did you read the book on this, "The Highly Sensitive Person: How to survive and thrive when the world overwhelms you" by Elaine N. Aron?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0722538960/qid=1102174533/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_11_1/202-1340380-7199852

This book opened my eyes to the fact that many of my problems, discomforts, and inabilities to perform in certain situations had to do with this high sensitivity, not necessarily my mental illness, and something with many POSITIVES along with the drawbacks.

I find my sensitivity to others' moods and energies, as you stated, a real plus in my friendships and relationships with family, especially my children! (Pets, too!)

(When they are not driving me nuts, that is.....LOL)

:hi:

DemEx

[Duppers]

50. thanks for posting about the book

I just sent smirkymonkey a message, before reading your post, saying much of what you have.

I was raised in an abusive household and became hyper-aware of what might set off either parent.
I think that is one of the main reasons I'm hyper-sensitive in any situation, why I pick up on many, many things that others don't. Also, I'm ADD and sensory defensive.

And I too have a special rapport with my child and all my pets. I love animals. They're more honest than people.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm wondering what you believe created your gift?

Thanks.

[DemExpat]

51. You know, Duppers, it could all be explained as you have by abuse

and emotional neglect in childhood, by a chemical imbalance (as some choose to see it), but I have learned to see it in these ways as well as in the light of spiritual growth and evolution. All things we learn and perceive, experience about mental health problems, imbalances and sensitivities are IMO pieces of the whole, of the puzzel.

I see sensitives and many aspects of mental illness as sufferings (and gifts of insights into different ways of perception and feeling!) of people in spiritual evolution - souls searching to function on earth in new levels of consciouslness - who cannot continue in the ways of the "norm", or in societies that have been built in modern times.

I also think that answers for new ways of living here on earth - along with the education we enjoy - will also come from the seemingly growing number of those of us who find it difficult to impossible to function in societies as they are now set up. Lots of lessons to be learned in how babies and children need basic needs met in the family to grow up to be relaxed and happy too.....there is lots of knowledge on this, but not knowledge that can be put into practice by most parents, it seems.

But animals also have a very special place in teaching us how to ascend - whether spiritually or just plain as a more humane, highly evolved civilization.

I also love looking into psychological profiles of different aspects of Astrology, for my personal understanding of myself as well as for my relationships. Enormously enlightening and rewarding.

:hi:

DemEx

[diamondsoul]

38. Bipolar

Don't know if I'm type one or two, though. Currently on Abilify at night and just went off Cymbalta due to side affects. I should start a new anti-depressant later today and will check back in with that info. We're just now in the trial stages of medication for me.

Anyone here with elevated blood pressure should be wary of Cymbalta. I got a nosebleed like you wouldn't believe and my bp was up while I was on it. In addition if you take Cymbalta and get muscle spasms, get off the stuff asap, as those can become permanent over time.

I'm in group therapy for dual diagnoses, bpd and alcoholism and in individual therapy for additional work on learning to cope with the affects of bpd.

[Deja Q]

40. PTSD, ADD, Schizotypal... am taking

Lexapro at the moment.

Can't take wellbutrin as that causes seizues.

I used to be a cutter, but that cleared up on its own. The scar marks remain.

[Cobalt Violet]

41. Avoidant Personality Disorder.

No treatment.

I use to try getting treatment for some of the symptoms. I have found that most of the so-called professionals are more screwed up than I will ever be.
They can't even get the diagnosis straight. Most just want to put me on whatever meds that the pharma companies reward them for putting people on.

I am open to group therapy and cognative thereapy but can't really afford it.

Self help has a lot of appeal to me but I don't find much available for this.

[Lilith Velkor]

48. There's a yahoogroup for it

I think it's called Avoidant Sanctuary.

[Cobalt Violet]

53. Your right.

I joined that group the other day. Yahoo forums are annoying to me because of the layout.

I have a lot of problems navigating the yahoo groups forum pages. I think that DU has spoiled me in that way. I wish yahoo would change them to make them more readable. MSN has a group too and that is much more readable but still no DU.

[rox63]

42. Major depression & anxiety disorder

and a sprinkling of OCD, which is also on the anxiety spectrum.

I've been on Effexor for the last 10 years, and it's really been a miracle drug for me. But I do suffer from one of it's major side effects, which is trouble sleeping. So I also take a small dose of Trazadone at bedtime to help me sleep. The benefits of the Effexor have been so good that my doc wanted to find a way around that side effect, if possible. And it worked. I was on Zoloft for a couple of years before we tried the Effexor. The Zoloft seemed to work for a while, but then it lost it's effectiveness on me, so we decided to try other meds, and hit paydirt on the first try.

I have also had several years of talk therapy, which was a tremendous help. But I haven't been in therapy for the last couple of years. I feel like my mental illness is mostly under control for now, although I do have occasional episodes of depression and anxiety. But I can see them coming, and I have strategies for dealing with them. So my life is pretty good, all things considered. :)

[movie_girl99]

87. i also take Effexor XR and have sleeping issues

last night I woke up every hour on the hour. I'm exhausted most days.

[mopinko]

43. have a bipolar child

unmedicated, but doing pretty well, thanks to lots of talk therapy, and therapeutic school.
also have a brain disorder myself- fibromyalgia, which has sometimes included bouts of depression.

i note that the op is now wearing the granite hat.

[oceanspirit]

44. I also have an umedicated daughter who is bipolar

She doesn't have any health insurance and is 24 years old, working three jobs and going to nursing school. She mostly is manic as hell. Then crashes big time. I worry about her all the time.
I'm glad to hear that your daughter is doing well. My daughter won't go to a pdoc. the pdoc I go to said she wouldn't charge her alot, and she would give her samples so she didn't have to buy medication. Frustrating!!!!!!!
ARRRRRRRGHHHHHH

[EFerrari]

45. Formally, I have generalized anxiety disorder but it's probable that

I'm PTSD. If there was affordable health care in this country, maybe that could be nailed down, and then again, maybe not.

I'm on a scooch of tranqs in the a.m. and that's about it besides the stuff I do on my own -- exercise, diet, meditation type stuff. Which I do every day because then, I get to feel better. :)

I moderate a small list for families dealing with Borderline Personality Disorder and try to work in the community because what works for me is airing out problems with peers and reading what they think.

:hi:

[undergroundpanther]

46. PSTD, Multiple, Gender identity,and ADD

I go to therapy, I take adderall, and Klonopin. I take other meds for my back that have nothing to do with mental health.
Try to get by.I also occasionally call a 24 hour helpline when things get tough and my therapist is not around. My cats are a big help. I Love my Cats . They have saved my life I dunno how many times. Long walks and doing artwork.Tattoos,I used to go to a drop in centre called Hearts and Ears a place for GBLT folks with mental illness. It was a haven to me and I miss it badly.Where I live right now I can't get there.So was a Transgender support group I went to I miss them too.

[Cobalt Violet]

57. I know what you mean about cats.

They just love us so unconditionally. Mine are a great comfort to me too.

[Lilith Velkor]

49. PTSD + dysthymia

Maybe some other things, but I got coerced into an extra-vicious 12-step program and it fucked me up even worse so I don't trust doctors anymore. Or Christians.

I read voraciously. I used to aspire to writing, but my mother read my poetry and had me locked up. I used to want to be something other than a mental patient, but that's tough going when you have zero emotional support, the only alternative anyone's ever offerred me is joining a cult and I'd rather die because I've seen people I loved get their brains eaten by them.

So I just wait for an idea of how to cheat the game and get a decent income somehow, without having to deal with normal people and their stupid office politics. Or death, whichever comes first.

[Cobalt Violet]

54. I don't trust either of them either.

That really sucks about getting lock up for your artistic expression. I don't know how old you are but I hope that you will feel inspired to write again and may be keep it away from her.

[Lilith Velkor]

55. I'm 38

I ended up back at her place in 2001 because a roommate fucked me over but good. I got a job at a store, but then the anthrax thing happened, she started picking daily fights with me so I was always on the verge of tears at work, and the customers would pick up on it and be extra mean. So I got suspended, went to a pre-emptive war protest and got arrested, then fired.

They really showed my America-hating ass, did they not? Look how well it worked out! :rofl:

My favorite author died yesterday, perhaps his spirit will stop by on the way to whatever afterlife he's going to and hook me up with some inspiration, or at least a really good dirty joke.

[hunter]

56. What does "aspire to writing" mean?

You are writing here...

It's sort of like professional sports. Just because you don't make it to the NBA doesn't mean you can't play basketball.

And writing is even better than that, you can keep on writing even if your knees get worn out and cranky.

I equate writing to gardening. Even though I'm not a farmer, it's very nice to have fruits and vegetables I grew myself.

Personally, I've been a writer since I was four years old. Occasionally I sell something, but it's not my life.

My mom is a writer, sometimes professionally, but the things she has made the most income from tend to be things she ends up hating, especially things like advertising and press releases. It would not sit well with me if I felt I had to write words I couldn't believe in. That, and a lack of discipline (and maybe talent!), are a large part of why I'm not writing for a living.

[Lilith Velkor]

58. I meant professionally

I also play guitar and piano, but haven't had access to instruments for a long while. I lack discipline, but I'm told I'm funny, maybe there's something there too.

Either way, I'm just not cut out to be an office lady, and to her credit my mother seems to be coming around to accepting that. Also, there hasn't been anthrax or snipers around for a while, so everybody's not walking around totally scared shitless like they were that awful year. Not only that, we may have front-row seats for impeachment soon.

Things change, and can change very quickly. My awareness of this fact is as decent a substitute for hope as I can manage.

[undergroundpanther]

59. I can't handle christians either

Once they announce they are into christianity my trust twords them drops fast.I do not trust christians and I find when christians preach at me on the street it's all I can do to not clobber them.I have all christian channels blocked on my TV.A different way to use those "parental control channel blockers "

[Lilith Velkor]

60. Hehe. A funny true story:

One warm cloudy afternoon in 1999, I was waiting for a bus, and making conversation with a nervous-looking middle aged fella. I was glancing away to see if the bus was coming when he said, "I believe in Jesus Christ."

Instantly my head whipped around to glare at him, and the very second our eyes locked, there was a HUGE crack of thunder. As the rumble died down, I said in a low growl, "Do...not...speak to me." Then I primly went to sit on the bench and fuss with my purse, somehow keeping the laughter in until my bus came, just whispering to myself, "thank you Thor, o thank you thank you Thor."

You should have seen the look on the guy's face. :rofl:

[EFerrari]

61. Now, THAT is funny.

:rofl:

[undergroundpanther]

62. Damn I had a similar experience

I was hanging out at the Rotunda mall while I waited for my ex to get outta his therapy session. It was hot and humid a miserable day, ripe for thunder..I had a few friends at that mall. We all sat there in the food court eating pizza and shooting the shit, and we all were yakking about paganism magick etc.We'd always gather to talk pagan stuff.

That day, some Christian teenyboppers came by to bug us for they were sitting two tables away and overheard everything we were talking about apparently.

As they tried to sell Jesus to die hard pagans, I noticed the wind had picked up and it got darker fast..I am one of these idiots that cannot stand sitting inside during the early stages of a thunderstorm, my friends took it as a smoke break opportunity ,knowing I would not be sitting inside for long.

So the christian girls followed us out telling me I wasn't a witch.Witches don't exist Jesus is the real power, yadda yadda. I looked at the oldest one and said..Oh really? My friends backed me up saying Don't fuck with the Panther ect..when we got out onto the sidewalk at the side entrance the thunder was rolling, wind was kicking but no rain yet.

I started spinning around real fast invoking Sekhmet's names really fast and ended it with a growling sound stopped suddenly and pointed both my fingers at a building being constructed maybe 15-20 yards away, and lightning struck it,it had exposed steel girders, that was easy enough, So I spun around fast again before anyone could say anything I did the invocations , and lightning nailed a street sign about ten feet away,from the fundie girls,The lightning was hellova bright the crack was deafining, I could not help but laugh with joy, they looked like deer in the headlights and the streetsign had half the finish blackened, I turned,and snickered at them and I asked the christians, You wanna be next? Gave them an evil grin..

They ran back into the mall so fast the first girl hit her head on the door pulling it open ..LOL.
We yelled don't let your lord hit ya where he split ya and collapsed into laughter, as the rain began to fall.After the cigs were out we went back in and they were GONE.

I dunno why I can sense lightning strikes pretty accurately I got a knack with electrical stuff. Sometimes it's a pain in the ass tho. I sometimes shut down my own computer or blow out lights or turn appliances on or off without touching it or any remotes. Especially when my emotions are intense it happens . My therapist has turned off her incandescent lights if I come into session pissed, it's pretty funny.

[Cobalt Violet]

63. That's great.

That just made my night.

[hunter]

70. I got my cross, my rainbow flag, my Darwin fish, and my Bible.

The more noxious sorts of Christians leave me alone. A long time ago when I was having a lot of trouble I was fortunate to run into some Christians who actually got me back on my feet again without trying to sell me anything. It could be I was just lucky, or maybe they were just scared of some lunatic who talked to God and got answers.

[shrike]

64. ADD, dysthymia, with outbreaks of major depression

Though I've experienced only one of the latter since getting on antidepressants (fluoxetine, generic for Prozac.)

I was diagnosed ADD about 18 months ago, and have taken Concerta ever since. Talk therapy never worked for me; I'm afraid I'm best off taking my drugs.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

66. talk therapy didn't work for me either.

i sit there and talk and wonder what to talk about.

usually i wind up talking about things i don't really care about- 'cause I feel like i have to- i mean, i'm paying this person... and they want me to talk... so i talk.

and it's usually meaningless. :shrug:

[shrike]

67. Glad I'm not the only one

I would always find that it was best to put the rubber to the road and move on with things. Making positive changes in my life (combined with meds) always worked best for me.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

68. I'm also glad that I'm not the only one!

I know that the "optimal treatment" by the books is talk therapy & meds... But, for me- it's not optimal. And I tried more than one therapist... and more than one style of therapy. I felt like none were really worth the time investment, or the money. I would get more out of writing, or if I felt like talking about something, calling a friend.

I'm not knocking talk therapy though- it's done wonders for friends of mine... just not for me. :shrug:

[hunter]

69. Part of who I am is that I don't connect well by talking.

Writing and reading are better, but mostly I connect to people by doing things together.

Talking is more like learning how to act -- I often feel like an actor in social situations, or else it reminds me of the speech therapy I had as a little kid:

Repeat after me...

It's a matter of burning in the pathways for finding and using the proper words.

Talk therapy teaches me how to act human, but it doesn't give me whatever mental tools I seem to be missing; it makes me aware of certain blindnesses that I have, and maybe I can figure out how to compensate, but it doesn't make me see.

I fundamentally find people very irritating. My growth as a human being has been in large part a process of desensitization. Talking or talk therapy is part of that process.

But talk is not enough. Without meds I'm asocial and impossible to live with. My problems seem to be both structural and chemical, and drugs are remarkably effective dealing with the chemical aspect. The structural aspects can't be changed, I have to simply work around them. Talking helps with that too.

I don't think there is an "autistic spectrum" (which is my current pigeon-hole), instead this spectrum seems to be more like a bag of rocks. Some of these rocks are more burdensome to carry than others. My family history is terrible. It's a funny farm of obsessions, psychosis, Asperger's, and full blown Autism -- of people living in other realities. The weird thing to me now is that while I was growing up so much of it was just so normal to me, like everyone had relatives who wore funny clothes and went to family picnics only to stare at the bark on trees or talk endlessly about some very specific thing completely unrelated to what everyone else was doing.

"Where's grandpa?"

"Oh, he's working on his magnets."

And sure enough you'd go in his shop, and there'd be wires all over the place, and magnets and coils and glowing tubes, and the smell of soldering, and he'd snap at you, "Shut the door, I'm working!" or else, sometimes just as bad, he'd drag you in and explain what he was doing, and he'd get irritated if you didn't understand, so you'd pretend to understand.

[atommom]

81. I think ADD people may benefit less from talk therapy.

At least, in my experience (and I have the same issues you do), I found that I was just rambling through each session and not progressing toward anything in particular. Later, when I found out about the ADD, that made more sense. ;)

[ncrainbowgrrl]

65. dysthymia/major depressive disorder (atypical)

on cymbalta/ritalin combo and sleep meds.

also on other anti-depressant drug as migraine preventative- so...I guess elavil too.

[SPKrazy]

71. Major Depression, Dysthymia

some PTSD, and history of addiction.

Also some major issues of adjustment right now as in marital problems and semi separation.

I feel sometimes like I've hit a bump that won't end. Everything in my life seems to be sliding away from me in some way.

The only thing I can see to do is to see my therapist, go to meetings, talk to people, do what is in front of me to be done, take my meds, sleep when I can get it, eat, exercise, and try to meditate and use spiritual beliefs as I can.

I question whether my Paxil is working well for me anymore, I've been on it for several years. I also take clonazepam, and they help me with anxiety, but less with the depressive end of it.

I wasn't as depressed when I started this regimen 5 years ago, the depressive end of things has hit more recently.

I've always been dysthymic I think

[tibbir]

72. Bipolar, Dissociative, Generalized Anxiety, etc.

I'm relatively calm right now because my meds are in balance. I take depakote, neurontin, wellbutrin, cymbalta, buspar, risperdal plus synthroid for my hypothyroidism.

[Rising Phoenix]

73. bipolar 1

and panice disorder with agoraphobia, body image anxiety....

the pills are numerous and never ending

[tibbir]

77. I hear you, Mrs. Sniffa, I hear you.

I get SO tired of taking pills. But they do help some, so there you go.

[stillcool]

74. Severe depression with psychotic tendencies..

and PTSD. I take Lamictal, zoloft, and seroquel.

[Madspirit]

75. 1,2,3

Bipolar
PTSD
Depression

...between meds. but have been on most of them.
Madspirit

[hashibabba]

78. I've had differing diagnoses. from Bipolar to chronic depression

with major depressive episodes. I'm definitely not a true Bipolar because my highs aren't high enough, or long enough. I also suffer from some GAD, OCD and SAD.
I started out being originally diagnosed in the late 70s, but didn't get proper treatment. Finally started taking Prozac around 1990, but I kept going off of it when I'd feel better and would slowly get even worse than I'd been to begin with. Finally just had a total breakdown and ended up on a drug smorgasbord, which eventually started to help me.

So now I'm on Wellbutrin (try it if the others give you bad sexual side effects) and Lexapro (which also has antianxiety properties), BuSpar for anxiety, Trazodone for sleep and Zyprexa for mood stabilizer.

After I went through the breakdown, it took me a long time to get better. If I hadn't had the meds, I'd be dead. Meds don't dope me up or make me feel unnatural. They just make me feel *normal.*

I get my therapy through the county, which charges on a sliding fee scale, fortunately! Five dollars a visit. You can get some drugs through manufacturers' programs if you can't afford them. Or, one of my clinics gave us samples of everything. Now I'm on Medicare D Rx plan, so only pay $16 a month for nearly $500 worth of meds.

I don't know how much talk therapy helped me. I just talk about what I call *surfacey* stuff, never really get into what's REALLY going on inside. But I have to do it to get the meds, so I go.

[sakabatou]

79. Encephilitis

Treatment: Time

[Random_Australian]

80. What I have? No idea. Interestingly, when I finally got to a position

where I could look at the sypmtoms of mental illnesses, I really didn't want to. I looked at some anyway (I will be brave and admit that this was more out of a desire to make me feel pain than anything else). Didn't really fit any single to well. I'm too logical to think I could diagnose myself, though, so I did not try.

Lucky me, sort of. Despite parents which meant mental illness could never be even implied or discovered in any way, the fact that I could do well in school very easily meant that I had plenty of time with my own head, and multiple hours a day for a couple of years has got me to the point where I can handle myself. As of 02/27/06, actually.

For something to read, you can see my latest attempt at self control in the 'positive thread'.

[crim son]

82. Lonely.

Music, DU, vodka. In that order.

No. Chronic depression. 40mg Prozac plus a cartload of stuff supposed to make me eat and sleep. Currently, I am noncompliant!

[politicat]

83. Situational Anxiety and Chronic Insomnia

Situational Anxiety stemming from a house fire we had over a year ago (and the subsequent, FALSE, half-accusations of arson by the lazy and stupid cops in my old city). It's 99% resolved now, but... sigh. Tell my neurotransmitters that.

I've had chronic insomnia since I was a small child, possibly since infancy. (My mother says that I would sleep all day and be up all night as an infant, if she'd let me. She says she was the only mother she knew who purposely woke the baby.) I can get to sleep, but can't stay asleep without medication. If I can't sleep on something like a regular basis, I get well... squirrelly is a better term than anxious, depressed, manic or lethargic. Squirrelly may not be technical, but it's more descriptive.

[Wapsie B]

84. Depression.

Wellbutrin has helped immensely. Exercise does too. Still got a ways to go.

[Deja Q]

85. Talk and I'm terrified of medications, given none of them have worked.

And nobody wants to give me any uppers either, even though many meds have the opposite effect...

I used to be a cutter but the inclination went away on its own... until recently when elevated levels of stress in a confined area had me to do ANYTHING to mentally distance myself from the emotional trauma being inflicted. Usually my natural ADD finds something new to grasp on at just the right moments, but there are times when the ambient surroundings are inescapable.

My conditions are depression and anxiety, tied to the core problem of Asperger's Syndrome. Some anxiety is PTSD-based and certain images or watching certain people do certain things do trigger bad memories...

[movie_girl99]

86. depression/anxiety

I had a pretty effed up childhood and managed to "deal" with for a long time. The past couple of years I've found myself less able to do so.I have a lot of anger, mostly toward my mom but i tend to direct a lot of it to my husband who is an easy target.

I'm seeing a Psychiatrist once a month and take Effexor XR and have had 6 free counseling sessions provided by my employer. I don't know if I will keep up the counseling or not but she is on my insurance plan if I decided to keep it up.

[no name no slogan]

88. Bipolar II (was misdiagnosed as major episodic depressive)

I was misdiagnosed as a major depressive with severe episodes for 15+ years. Consequently I was treated with a half-dozen different SSRIs that would quit working after a couple years.

Finally, last December, I read an article about Bipolar II, which is like Bipolar but with lower-level manic episodes and/or "mixed state" depressions. It was like a bolt from the heavens. I finally knew what I had and knew I could get treatment for it.

Currently I'm on six different meds: Lamictal, Lithium, Cymbalta, Ambien, Androgel (for a hormonal problem) and Diltiazem (for high blood pressure, a side effect of the meds). I also go to the gym 5-6x a week and have eliminated almost all meat and alcohol from my diet.

I haven't felt better in years.

[tavalon]

90. Depression, ADD, and a sleep disorder

Funny thing though, my meds work so well that were I not on a regularly scheduled pillfest I would forget that I have any of those. I'm so very, very lucky. I hate the drug companies but I don't hate them for everything because for those of us with true brain chemistry problems, some of the stuff that they've given us (at an extremely high price) is just nothing short of livesaving.

That doesn't mean that I forget for one moment that they assisted my child into a lifelong battle with autism and the drugs that he now takes to combat various difficulties related to that don't make up for the original injury. Admitting to their crime might but I'm not holding my breath there.