**The Mental Health Thread**

[ic1male]

I have no idea what’s going on with doctors and SSRIs. I asked mine today for escitalopram but she said that wasn’t usually prescribed and to have citalopram instead. But I said I wanted the other one so she gave it to me anyway. *shrugs*

So now it’s 10 mg of that to try

 

[LuckyBenski]

I have no idea what’s going on with doctors and SSRIs. I asked mine today for escitalopram but she said that wasn’t usually prescribed and to have citalopram instead. But I said I wanted the other one so she gave it to me anyway. *shrugs*

So now it’s 10 mg of that to try

Must be nice to be able to say what you want I thought doctors told you and you accepted.

 

[ic1male]

Must be nice to be able to say what you want I thought doctors told you and you accepted.

This is the thing. Ever since I started on them in November, I’ve always been the one to say I want 50mg, now I want 100mg, more I want 150mg. They only drew the line when I asked for benzos.

 

[tres]

I have no idea what’s going on with doctors and SSRIs. I asked mine today for escitalopram but she said that wasn’t usually prescribed and to have citalopram instead. But I said I wanted the other one so she gave it to me anyway. *shrugs*

So now it’s 10 mg of that to try

That's outdated thinking. Either an old school GP, or someone who isn't confident in their antidepressant knowledge.
Don't be afraid of presenting appropriate guidelines to back up your request, especially NICE CKS which clearly states escitalopram can be used. If it's appropriate and safe, any GP should consider it.

Must be nice to be able to say what you want I thought doctors told you and you accepted.

Again, very outdated practice! It should be shared decision making. Something the GP and the patient are happy with, the paternalistic approach of 'doctor says, patient does' is long gone.

 

[Psymonkee]

Yeah my GP's were hopeless with antidepressants. I was 8 weeks into Sertraline and felt it wasn't working and only making me more tired. Their response when I asked about stopping? Oh just up the dose it'll definitely work. Nothing.

As for these days? I'm doing better after finally getting some restful sleep somehow. The only notable thing I changed was to turn my mattress and I doubt that clears up 2+ years of feeling like utter death.

Now I just need to re-focus on diet, exercise and picking up the pieces of my life that lie shattered on the ground before me.

 

[tres]

Yeah my GP's were hopeless with antidepressants. I was 8 weeks into Sertraline and felt it wasn't working and only making me more tired. Their response when I asked about stopping? Oh just up the dose it'll definitely work. Nothing.

As for these days? I'm doing better after finally getting some restful sleep somehow. The only notable thing I changed was to turn my mattress and I doubt that clears up 2+ years of feeling like utter death.

Now I just need to re-focus on diet, exercise and picking up the pieces of my life that lie shattered on the ground before me.

To be fair, guidelines say to increase sertraline to maximum tolerated dose before changing to a second line. Increasing the dose, especially at such early stages, would have been appropriate. Side effects often settle when starting a new antidepressant.

 

[Psymonkee]

That was the third one we'd tried sadly and I was just sick of it all.
Oddly stopping made me feel better straight away.

 

[ic1male]

Hmm, 6 days into Escitalopram and the strange yellow bruises have started to appear again. So I've now stopped taking them and decided enough is enough. I'll find some other way to get by.

 

[nlel1975]

I’m getting a lot of intrusive thoughts at the moment and am afraid of losing my mind again. Just can’t stop overthinking and self talking through situations in my mind some of which are delusional.

I’ve got a new care coordinator who I should probably tell about these thoughts but she only works 9 to 5 Monday to Friday and it’s too late now. Got to get through the weekend and try to function as best as I can.

 

[Psymonkee]

I’m getting a lot of intrusive thoughts at the moment and am afraid of losing my mind again. Just can’t stop overthinking and self talking through situations in my mind some of which are delusional.

I’ve got a new care coordinator who I should probably tell about these thoughts but she only works 9 to 5 Monday to Friday and it’s too late now. Got to get through the weekend and try to function as best as I can.

Don't let them win, block it out and talk to someone when you can - you got this


I'm basically back to normal apart from 4/5am - midday sleep schedule. Now I just gotta work out how to get back to whatever passes for normal and get back to some sort of job.

 

[Pulsedriver]

I started back on Sertraline 50mg on the 13th of this month, so just under 2 and half weeks ago - as I couldn't be dealing with the 10mg Citalopram causing sleep disruption (and indigestion!)
Strangely, even though I had been on Sertraline for 4 years prior to last October, when I restarted it up again, it's caused...Sleep disruption! Never had that one before with Sertraline! Also mega-headaches from time to time, again, not had those ones before!
The sleep thing, I hope will get better, it tends to be waking up about 4am, and overthinking things, so difficult to get back to sleep again, hoping this will calm down as I settle back into the meds.

 

[ic1male]

I definitely noticed a huge improvement in sleep since I stopped everything. No longer wake up needing a wee or anything now.

 

[Pulsedriver]

I definitely noticed a huge improvement in sleep since I stopped everything. No longer wake up needing a wee or anything now.

This is my concern! Always waking up for a wee, then struggling to sleep after.
Strangely, when stopping the Sertraline last year, the performance in the *ahem* bedroom was terrible...Timing wise! Sertraline completely did something and I am not sure how long it would have taken to recover to normality, but it certainly hadn't after a couple of months!

 

[LuckyBenski]

Been ******* miserable for a couple of weeks now... Not progressing on my house move/renovation fast enough, work is stalling, been offered a position as a lab manager but not a very big pay increase. Just feel stale and trapped and have no motivation now, and no belief life will get better later. I'm 35 and literally feel there's nothing to look forward to.

 

[regulus]

Definitely a malaise out there in the world. People are just going through the motions. I see it at work where I regularly interface with about 30-50 people a day, from all walks of life. Glued to phones, brainwashed by a constant drumbeat of negative news, burdened with the high cost of living. Then the pressure or task of trying to find meaning in it all. And even a little bit of happiness occasionally.

I can see how it would get people down

 

[Bassmansam]

Definitely a malaise out there in the world. People are just going through the motions. I see it at work where I regularly interface with about 30-50 people a day, from all walks of life. Glued to phones, brainwashed by a constant drumbeat of negative news, burdened with the high cost of living. Then the pressure or task of trying to find meaning in it all. And even a little bit of happiness occasionally.

I can see how it would get people down

Why does there have to be a meaning in it? Just enjoy the fact that we are alive. Exercise and spending time in nature is a huge mood boost for me, i'd probably be on some kind of tablet without those two.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Had a good ish couple of weeks then yesterday bam mega Anxiety with lots of physical symptoms. Only slept for a few hours last night then up at 4am with hot and cold feeling, restlessness and intrusive thoughts every time I shut my eyes.

The complete randomness of it all is so horrid one minute your doing ok then straight back to the crappyness.

Hope everyone else is coping as best as possible.

 

[Haggisman]

Just enjoy the fact that we are alive. Exercise and spending time in nature is a huge mood boost for me, i'd probably be on some kind of tablet without those two.

I think the problem for many people is that there simply isn't time even for those simple pleasures. When you have to work 10+ hours 6 days a week just to pay the bills, put food on the table, and keep a roof over your family's head, coupled with looking after the kids, it doesn't really leave space for much else. Particularly if you live in a city and can't afford to run a car then regular access to nature is pretty difficult.

 

[Ayahuasca]

I don’t know many people working 60 hour weeks to be honest. Thought that was more of an American thing?

Does anyone else’s symptoms get worse when they’re on holiday? I don’t know if it’s because I’ve simply got more time to think, but I get some wicked anxiety and mood swings after not working for a few days.

 

[MOOGLEYS]

Mine is definitely worse when I’m relaxing sometimes. It’s like your brain goes ahh you are resting let’s have a complete meltdown and put an end to that…..