Re: re: feeling very fragile

[Guest guest]

When you speak of "we", are you speaking of the group as a whole or

the leaders of this group? Does this mean that none of you go to a

doctor for anything anymore?

The only people I know who are constantly sick, depressed, etc. are the ones who go to doctors. I've been to a doctor once in 3 years. Unless you are very very sick there is no need to go to a doctor. I don't trust them, I don't need them. I take very good care of myself now; I don't take any pharmaceuticals whatsoever, although I have a script of Xanax for an extreme emergency, which is hidden away. You asked about ECT. ECT causes brain damage. It also doesn't work. I don't know anyone who had ECT who didn't have severe memory loss. It is barbaric and should be criminal. Do you know how ECT was first invented? It was used in a slaughterhouse in Italy to calm the pigs before their throats were slit. You are expecting the drugs to work. They don't work either -- that's why they have nicknames like "chemial straitjacket," "chemical handcuff," "lobotomy in a pill," and as for treatment resistant depression, I think it's just another brouhaha to sell more drugs. The drugs also cause memory loss, big time!! But ECT is a ghastly treatment, but a very profitable one, just like all the drugs that don't work.

"Blind Reason"

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

[Guest guest]

Norma,

As a little girl I watched my uncle being sent off to the hospital again and again by my aunt in hopes to help him with his bipolar. He underwent electro shock therapy multiple times only to emerge a shell of the man I once knew. From a scientific standpoint I know very little about it, but I do remember vividly how it stole my uncle's personality and life. And you know what, it never really helped him. Please, please, don't even consider it.

Alison

re: feeling very fragile

BTW - has anyone had electric shock therapy? That has been something else that I have got so desperate that I am even considering trying that! It has been suggested numerous times over the course of 10 years, because the med doses they were having to give me were so high to do anything. But I was always so afraid to even consider it-mostly because I feared I would lose my memory. Well now my memory is so poor anyway, that it really wouldn't matter.I think that is all I have to get off my chest tonight. lol Thanks for being here.Norma

[Guest guest]

My doctor

admitted that all he knows is what the latest information says that

has been released to the doctors. I guess we can't fault them for

that.

That "latest information" is what comes from the drug companies and isn't always accurate, and there is plenty of other information out there that doctors should be reading but don't. Personally, I DO fault them for that. It's THEIR job to do this research, not mine. I can't have much faith in a doctor who doesn't know as much about the drugs he prescribes as I do. Medical treatment is the 3rd leading cause of death in this country. A doctor not having the RIGHT informatin could mean the difference between life and death for a patient.

"Blind Reason"

a novel of pharmaceutical intrigue

Think your antidepressant is safe? Think again. It's

Unsafe At Any Dose

[Guest guest]

Norma,

Glad that I could be of some help. I very new to this group, but have been reading every single post, so have caught on quickly the atmosphere of things. All in all, I have found the advice to be very helpful. I am only about 1 month free of Celexa, but am still taking Ativan. Tried to cut back too soon while still in the end stages of Celexa, and found it very hard. After considering what people in the group advised, I am going to wait until I am more stable, than slowly reduce my Ativan. For me, I only started the Ativan to counter act the anxiety that first some stimulants I was taking caused me, then to help me deal with anxiety that the Celexa caused me prior to withdrawing and during my withdrawal. For me, it was an easy decision to make as too which drug to quite first. Actually, prior to my withdrawing from Celexa, I withdrew from all the different stimulants I had been taking last spring and summer. Those caused me a great amount of anxiety and depression. I only took them to counteract the sedating effects of the Celexa. Well, with those out of the picture, I realized the Celexa was starting to make me more and more anxious and depressed, while the only other thing I was taking, the Ativan, was calming me. So I withdrew fromt he Celexa. No, I am left with taking the Ativan, but as evil a drug as it is, if I don't mess around with the dose, I can tolerate it until I feel strong enough to get off of it.

So, my recommendation to you is to pick the drug that bothers you the most and helps you the least and let that be the one to get rid of first. I am sure other more experienced members may have better suggestions for you, but had to at least put in my two cents worth!

Good luck,

Alison

P.S. I took my daughter to a pediactric gastroenterologist the other day for a second opinion on her wheat intolerance to find out if she has Celiac's disease. Well, I have spent the past few months reading up on Celiac's, so I would be prepared. I have to admit that I went in there very leary of this dr. We had had a bad experience with a different pediatric gastroenterologist when my daughter was a baby - she was born with her food intolerances. But I must tell you this doctor was very patient and didn't patronize me and seemed to want to do the best for my daughter. Of course comparing Celiac's disease with anxiety and depression is like comparing apples and oranges. First of all there is a very diffinitive test for Celiac's disease and secondly the proven way to control it is by diet. No meds involved, no making up disorders that didn't exist to begin with. It is very black and white. But it was refreshing to be able to feel that a doctor knew what he was talking about and not just preaching pharmacuetical company gospel that he was brainwashed to believe.

Re: feeling very fragile

Dear ,Thank you very much for your very thoughtful post - just by the way you worded it, somehow it seemed less threatening. It was nice to recognize that doctors are human and capable of mistakes. My doctor admitted that all he knows is what the latest information says that has been released to the doctors. I guess we can't fault them for that.**I must try and clear up something that I wrote earlier and did a poor job of explaining... I DID have Hodgkin's disease, but I also got the mumps while I was in the cancer clinic. The lumps from the Hodgkin's don't hurt, but the mumps hurt like hell - that's how I could tell the difference!**I will be seeing my Pdoc on Monday and will discuss my desire to go off of the meds. I will ask for his support and hope that he will continue to be my doctor, but if not, my GP said he would support me through this. I would definately need help deciding which pill to start tapering off first. I'm hoping he will support me so I can continue to see him - has been very nice to talk to about many problems.