WOW! re Dave Re: Introduction

[Guest guest]

Dave - What a great post, so well said and packed with truly

excellent advice and insight. It's so important for depressed and

anxious people to understand that they need to pursue happiness

actively, to strive for it. You can't sit back passively and expect

it to wash over you just because you're taking a medication.

And you're also so right that therapy is a critically important part

of recovery. You can benefit from drugs without therapy, but real,

deep-down personal change requires that you develop acute self-

awareness, and in my opinion, you can't get there without the type of

merciless self-examination that happens in psychotherapy.

Your exercise tip is very helpful, too. I'm going to get out my

little barbells right now. Thank you, thank you!

> FWIW, I spent my life on no meds, and life absolutely sucked. Six

weeks into Celexa, and I felt like life was wonderful for the first

time! Yes there are side effects, but at least for me, the side

effects were nothing compared to walking around hating myself and

feeling sad about almost everything, not to mention feeling inferior.

>

> I find that antidepressants and vigorous exercise are an excellent

fit. The exercise tends to minimize (although not cancel out) the

side effects, which for me on LEx 20 mg., include lethargy, a

tendency to overeat and sometimes fogginess.

>

> One more, perhaps most important thing: GET A GOOD THERAPIST AND

WORK HARD TO CHANGE YOURSELF, 'cause no one or thing or pill is going

to make you happy. Thats YOUR job, so take it seriously. ITs the

difference between, literally, life and death.

>

> Dave

> Re: Introduction

>

>

> Hi Barb :

>

> > I have to say I am not new to the meds no matter what I have

ever

> taken I could not sleep. I am currently taking nothing I have

lost 10

> of the 40 pounds i put on and I sleep well. I don't know if I

ever

> want to take the meds again.

>

> After taking pamelor for several years I was always feeling that

I

> was inferior or flawed and that was the driving force to quit.

No

> health reasons. I did not ever want to take them again. Just

> started a week ago and choosing between med's and debilitating

> depression/aniety I go meds. I hate not sleeping well but I am

going

> to work on that, too. Personally I feel more 'normal' taking

then

> not but I think I might have some imbalance that won't go away.

But

> to each his/her own and yes, I am envious of you....

>

>

>

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