Depression Support Group

The thing I hate the very most about depression is feeling disconnected from my life, my self, my family, and who I am.

If I could just get me back..that'd be half the battle.

I'm starting CBT on Monday; has anyone else been in CBT? Has it helped? Have you had long periods of success with it?

Ive never been on CBT, But Gabs all your words are very much how I feel inside too.

But I dont know if I will ever get back even half way but I'm trying....

Peace to you

Patty

Thanks, Patty - you, too.

I do believe that you will get back, too

Hi Gabs and welcome to the group. A couple of more things from the drug discussion. I don't think I said what I meant totally clearly. There is no such thing as an inabillity to get addicted to rx drugs. Does anybody honestly think all of the druggies were bringing something back on trips to a rain forest? It is not at all off the main road to the one of addiction. How about all these 'famous' - quotes 'cause they're so well known I never hear of many of them until they're in court for something; usually drug and other drugs aer involved. I had a supply of a major med that I couldn't take. I kept telling Jim to stop writing them, and the pharmacist to stop filling them. I honestly thought I could give the sealed bottles to Jim for patients who need it adn have no rx insurance. Turns out that's not legal. I'd I had wanted to, when I was able to get around a tiny bit, I could have found a drug area and what I'd not taken would me worth at least $100,000 on the street. The kids tossed them along w/ almost everything else I owned, and believe me, I would not be buying or selling drugs anywhere. A friend asked for a handful of the so many that I was saving, and I wouldn't give them to her. Maybe because my mother the pusher was forever giving rx drugs to strangers, partly because my mother never had a med as strong as that one, and it can do serious probs. After she offered a roommate in hospital an aspirin for a headache, I knew exactly when I became my mother's mother. I took her purse, took all meds and

I highly recomment Carrie Fisher's funny as hell but non-fiction about some of her experiences w/ mental problems. I think the main one is bi-polar disorder. Anyone condsidering ECT could be helped by this. It's not long, and the title is

Wishful drinking, tho alcohol was a prob for her, just both of her parents. They've made this into a movie on HBO, and it was a one person deal that was funny in spite ofg the topic.

Also think about all the 'entertainers' who met spouses in rehab. Of course Liz comes to mind first, but there have been so many we've herd of, and I'd wager there are just as many we havent. I'm not sure where you got the idea that you can't get addicted to an rx drug.

The other thing is is's 4 p.m. and I'm finally going to bed. Not sure where the day went, but then I rarely am.

Be careful w/ rx meds. Read the info the pharmacist gives out and look the drug up online. As I said, I prefer google, but you can use anything you like. One of the ways people get addicted to rx drugs is if they are injured, have surgery, or anything that happens so someone needs the meds. Once they're no longer needed, if you continue them, THAT is when the addictive problems come in. I was visiting my mom in Cincinnati about 40 years ago (my son was a baby and we were kicked out of our apartment w/ nowhere to move). I got the toothache the dentist who put in my gold tooth (molar) told me I'd get if the bridge (fixed) was not professionally cleaned every 3 months. The Army dentist said cleaning teeth was an invention of civilian dentists to make money. I knew that was BS, but I asked him if he could PLEASE just clean around the bridge. He repeated what he said at first and walked out. When we were in Cincy, the two teeth the bridge was fixed to suddenly became unbearable. She called her dentist, and he did everything he could to save the two teeht, but it was too late. I begged him to take them out before I jumped off a roof. He's giving me demerol, and after he took the teeth out, he said to take one every four hours until the pain stopped, and take one more in 4 hours. As long as I was in pain, the meds made it bearable - just. But when I took that one extra, I wanted to go shove a few down the dentist's throt. I was so high I woke up, thought the bed grew upward and I was on the ceiling. I was afraid to get up for the 'necessary'. I was honestly scared I'd fall. Finally I had to take the chance. I came to the conclusion that for most of us - heaven knows I am not the one to say there are no exceptions to ANYTHING. I came w/in a few hours of death on a mild med that barely had side effects. But in general, if we have enough pain to need the amount of meds we're taking, we do not usually get addicted. But if they aer not needed, they're hell - to me. The next day (I was still a bit groggy) I asked everyone I spoke w/ how anyone thought that feeling of being totally out of control of any part of me was a GOOD feeling. I'd had other docs give me the one more idea, but I'd always forgoten.

40 years later I am still wondering how waking up as if you're on the ceiling can posssibly be a good feeling. If anyone has any answers, I'd like to hear them. But before I go onto another track, I'm signing off w/ love to all of you, and I don't care if I sleep until tomorrow morning.

Take care of yourselves, check out any med w/ pharmacist, doc, on the web, from someone who's taken it, etc. It does not hurt to ask. If I wasn't on another planet when given the mild med that almost killed me, I'd have looked it up and not taken it. Because of severe medical abuse when my kidneys almost falied from those meds (not on any site), I went into, not sure what you'd call it, but I didn't know I was alive for 3 weeks, but at times I spoke logically. I've no memory of any of this. And the dcotors repeateedly brought me to the brink ov death, at which point some part of my mind, w/ which I am not acquainted, would pop up and refuse meds.

One last comment that could be of help. I think I said I can take 7-8 meds - of ANY KIND. Rarely do my side effects show up in anything my doc or I found. In my lifetime, I've come w/in hours of death many times. I think only one was not drug related. My doc of 33 years retired, and it took him dozens of calls to get a doc who'd write the odd med I need to survive. The doc assured Jim he'd give me exactly whatever I was taking - some amounts, etc. Came time for the first of these meds. The others were called in. This one needs a 'script. The doc said to have the pharmacist call when I needed the others; and I should call 7-10 days before the refill was needed. That day came and he told me he'd give me a third of what I'd been taking. I asked him if he sold body bags. The stress I went thru w/ my many chronic pain meds. I finally came up w/ a compromise that could be all I needed, but if I needed extras, I would keep a log of what the added meds were for. He agreed but is not responding to my calls about needing to ask him something and asking him to send my med. Every time it's time for the new med he gives me problems When I figure out what he intends to do w/ this long-term, I'll let y'all know.

Sorry for all the novels. June is hell for me, and I do whatever I can to get thru it. So thanks for reading my novels (and to those who didn't). I am truly off to sleep after the fastest snack I can find.

May be back tonight, may not.

I wish all of you good sleep w/ nice dreams.

Best,

Sylvia

Sorry to be back again, but thank you Patty for your kind thoughts; they arer appreciated. This is absolutely it. I'm not sure all of this makes sense. Too tired.

Thanks sister,

Sylvia

Your Welcome Sylvia...I think you are very tired and need some rest now...as you said your self...Good night...Peace Always

Patty

Sorry....but what is CBT??

Hi Beth...CBT explained by Wikipedia....

The premise of cognitive behavioral therapy is that changing maladaptive thinking leads to change in affect and in behavior.[3] Therapists or computer-based programs use CBT techniques to help individuals challenge their patterns and beliefs and replace "errors in thinking such as overgeneralizing, magnifying negatives, minimizing positives and catastrophizing" with "more realistic and effective thoughts, thus decreasing emotional distress and self-defeating behavior".[3] CBT helps individuals replace "maladaptive ... coping skills, cognitions, emotions and behaviors with more adaptive ones",[4] by challenging an individual's way of thinking and the way that he/she reacts to certain habits or behaviors.[5] CBT includes a number of diverse but related techniques such as exposure therapy, stress inoculation training, cognitive processing therapy, cognitive therapy, relaxation training, dialectical behavior therapy and acceptance, and commitment therapy.[6]

That sounds wonderful, but it also sounds like alot of work and would take someone willing to commit to the program. Almost like having the willpower to go on a diet. I don't think I would have the "drive" to do that. I should, but I usually just give up!

Beth..I think they are listed in just a lot ways for therapy. I don't think you do them all, but I could be wrong??

Patty