Situational depression~HELP!

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
#1

I have Crohn'scolitis.  I have been out of work since mid February because of my disease.  I am usually very active in my community, but have not been able to leave the house because of pain or needing a toilet.  I am now very depressed.  I know that if I can go back to work and get on with my life, the depression will go away.  Can antidepresents help in this situation?  Any sugesstions are VERY welcome.  Since there is no income, I can't afford any expensive treatment.

Please, I need the help of my CP friends!

Rachel

#2

Rachel, meds can help. Sometimes you have to go through a few to find the right one. You need to ask yur dr what he thinks might be the best for you. But the answer is a definite yes....

Good luck...Sammi

#3

Rachel,

I always start these things with something like “based on what i’ve read” and “in my opinion” . . . now i’ll continue. If you have options available to you, you probably would be better off NOT going for meds right away.

No matter what kind of depression you have, it’s often best to start with a licensed therapist. If you get a referral from one of your doctors, it’s way better than throwing darts at a bunch of names on the wall! And, of you have an HMO type health plan, the doc can refer you to one who is in the right network or whatever.

And you’ll probably be able to get in to see a therapist before you would a pdoc.

A good therapist can diagnose pretty well – is it really situational depression, or something else. You can explain up front that you want some help, because the depression is interfering with your life, but you DO NOT want to start meds if you don’t really need them.

A couple of sessions should be enough for that kind of assessment, then you get a referral from they therapist for the pdoc. Again, you’re not picking names out of a hat.

A lot of people with situational and/or mild to medium depression recover just as well with therapy as they do with meds. It can take up to 6 weeks to know if a med is effective. In those 6 weeks, therapy might already be well on the way to making you better.

Why start dealing with all the side-effects, interactions with other meds, and all that crap with meds if you don’t really need to?

If you take meds, you really should also see a therapist, anyway – because meds alone really aren’t the most effective solution.

I know you’ve been here in the depression forum before, but haven’t been for a while. Have you gone through this kind of depression before? How did you deal with it then?

Well, i’ve probably repeated myself about 10 times already, so i’ll stop. Good luck. Now that you’re back, hope you stay with us for a while.

hugs,
c

#4

Basically I have to agree with Sammi – the place to start is with your doctor. Explain to him/her just what the problem is and be honest. The doctor may have some ideas to help you, or may feel you need to consult some kind of specialist – either way you’re starting at the beginning and working towards a solution. Just take it step by step until you get all the answers you need.

#5

PLUS AS FAR AS MEDS GO, TRY PPA OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO ASSIST-EVEN THE COMPANIES THAT MAKE THEM!

P

#6

MEDS CAN CERTAINLY HELP. ST JONHS WART IS OVER THE COUNTER AND CAN BE VERY HELPFUL AS WELL.

AS FAR AS BEING HOME, TRY TO DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. IF YOU ARE UP TO IT, GATHER SOME OLD CLOTHES THAT HAVE BEEN HANGING AROUND IN YOUR CLOSET FOREVER AND BAG THEM FOR GOODWILL. OR GATHER SOME CANNED FOODS FOR TH E HOMELESS SHELTER. THAT IS IF THE PAIN ISNT BAD. DONT DO TOO MUCH.

#7

see your doc rachel and consult though ive heard st johns wort is very good

#8

Rachel, hate to burst your bubble. ~laugh~ I have situational depression and until the situation stops the depression isn’t. you must resovle, or resove to let go. Perhaps you are suffering some grief along with the situational depression. Any kind of loss can spur on a round of grief. And that needs two different directions going at it. Some easy meds without many side effects might help you and they have samples so tell them the financial situation. while you let the loss or ending settle in Then come off the support med.
And a counselor, grief counselor, life manager, help talk you throuogh the rough spots for free or sliding scale fees based on what you can afford.
sending you hugs and I’m hear for you… with ears and a shoulder.

#9

As I have learned, and grown on this journey of life, my mind has become more and more focused, and I think much more clearly. I have gone through situations that at one time would have sent me to my knees. I’ve done a lot of work to prevent that from ever happening. My mind is strong and I’m really focusing on keeping myself in balance, thats a life long commitment , Y’know. I know what is right, and what is wrong, and I am willing to go to any lengths to stand behind the truth. However, strength does come in different forms, and my body doesn’t want to co operate with my mind. For people whose depression is due more to difficult situations than a serious chemical imbalance, medication may help Rachel, but psychotherapy may help just as much or more. Numerous medications, particularly the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), have proven effective in alleviating depressive symptoms. By themselves, though, these drugs do not address underlying issues that cause or maintain depression, especially under the circumstances of ‘why’ you feel isolated and depressed sweetie. Also, the drugs may have unwanted side effects, and many of these treatment drugs are terribly miserable to ‘stop’ … so … please keep that in mind. I just went through ,and I’m still going through absolutely miserable side effects and withdrawls from a medication I’ve been on for the past cpl of yrs. I would NOT wish this on anyone.
Psychotherapy has also been proven effective in treating depression, and its effects tend to last beyond the end of therapy. Good psychotherapy may take a little longer than drugs to reduce symptoms initially.

When someone has a disease that is visible, people understand their inability to do many of the things that others who are not disabled can do. When you have a few diseases as “we” do, such as Crohn’s, Colitis, and Depression , people are not so understanding of what “we” can and can’t do. When they look at us, they think they see a healthy person, sometimes, that is, sometimes we might look very gaunt.

When we slip into depression, and it’s a long, hard road back. I know, it’s happened in my life and it’ll happen again! Stress has been the main culprit. Until someone has suffered with crohns or colitis , it can’t be explained, just as a mother cannot explain to someone who is pregnant, what it’s going to feel like to give birth.

Everyone out there who suffers in silence this is your spot to let it out, some of us , this is your opportunity to help others with kind words and encouragements…

I’m here for you Rachel !!