I found going on Cymbalta very helpful even though I've remained
"walking wounded" the entire time. I found it lifted my mood without
interfering with my ability to address my life adjustment issues like
the older generation of antidepressants would have done. This
disease hit me hard even though I suffered less than most on this
list because I tend to be terminally serious to begin with (my saving
grace is I married a very comical person).
Now a 1 3/4 years after starting cymbalta I feel ready to go off with
my doctors blessing and over the last month I have gradually reduced
the 30 mg dose down to 15mg. As I began writing this letter I
thought it a good Idea to encourage you to try a depression test or 2
(google it and you'll find ton's) Then realized it would be a good
thing to take my own advice as a measure of my weaning success and am
happy to say that even at half the lowest available commercial dose I
am not back sliding mood wise. If you take a few and find you are
not depressed then tell your doctor, I'm sure he or she will be
reassured by your findings.
For me going an antidepressant has been a "hand up" to getting better
and it's okay to ask for help! I no longer need that hand up but I
acknowledge that having TM as an impairment I may need a hand up
again when life throws me another curve ball. But now I know how to
ask for it and how to get off of it as well!
recovering Alcoholics in AA call trying to get sober by yourself
"white knuckle sobriety" we TM survivors have enough pain in our
lives, we don't need to "white knuckle" our mood on top of everything
else we have to face.
Mindy the Artist
On Jun 19, 2009, at 4:12 PM, Akua wrote:
One thing the neuro told me in ICU was that an antidepressant was
very important because of having to go thru all of the issues of
being paralyzed and the changes I would have to go thru with my life.
When the Drs said that to me, I wanted to slap them. I wanted a
laptop, not a pill. I felt like they were setting me up for further
disability. Of course I was unhappy. Fearful even, but I wasn't
depressed.
I never approached depression til last year when i came home to
ramps i couldn't use, no transport
and an inaccessible shower--- after waiting over a year for the
house rehab by an agency that paid an alleged expert to oversee the
construction. This is about externalities blocking me. Too bad the
money I don't spend on drugs is not available to me to do the other
things I need done: another hour or two of an aide, paratransit,
help weeding in the yard, an accessible front ramp, a lift to my
second floor... little things that would make a HUGE difference in
the quality of my life. Or even--- dare I say--- fixing the
condition: a standing machine, an exerciser, water therapy, stem
cell therapy... instead of all or any of these things, instead of
addressing causes or even teaching me how to live as a paraplegic
--- all or any of these --- fix or assist with them before you
deem me depressed and prescribe a pill.
--
