Disappointed
August 9, 2009 5:04pm
Haven't been writing in a long time now. Disappointed but I realize that as soon as I got off track with my writing "goal" I …
Progress
0 %
writing goal (week)
6
trickykitty
5:01pm, August 9, 2009
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About Me
trickykitty
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Journal
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Week 7
June 13, 2009 1:28am
This has been a completely insane week for me. I am feeling like the rollercoaster of all rollercoasters lately. Told my med doc, she was …
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Goal is SIX week strong
June 4, 2009 10:12am
I know that I am trying to get organized and yet feeling so scattered. It is now Thursday and I missed my Monday hopes of writing, along with …
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Who am I?
May 27, 2009 6:05pm
Yesterday my therapist made a simple and true observation... not only am I a person dealing with mental health issues of my own, but I also have a …
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Post Therapy Thoughts
May 26, 2009 10:15am
Just wrapped up a therapy session. It must have been a good one because once again I feel like I was run over by a steamroller. The …
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Hugbook
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Hey there, thanks for your post on my journal i just read it , you speak a lot of sense :) how are things going for you? x
Hug
A great big hug to you. You're not alone in what you are having to cope with. Some of have been there and back, but know that with Faith He will take your hand and lead you through. Best, Zeyda
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Flower
Thanks hun :)
I’m With You
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From SackOCrap
May 15
I saw your response to Laynie's post, I'm so sorry you are having a tough time. I've looked through your profile. Someone I care very deeply for suffers from PTSD, it can be crippling. Big hugs and love to you
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Support Groups
Close Depression
Type: Clinical (Major) DepressionI have suffered from depression since early childhood, though not diagnosed until after 30. I believe in a treatment plan combining medication and therapy. Educating myself about depression and learning not to be ashamed of it has been key to my quality of life. I have a lot which I can share on this topic.
Treatments
- Celexa Not Working
- Celexa was only a brief trial for me while my insurance hemmed and hawed about continuing my Effexor prescription coverage. My experience with Celexa was not effective however, that is in comparison to Effexor being the right med for me.
- Effexor Working / Worked
- I have been on Effexor for the better part of ten years now. It is a life-saver for me. While I hear about many side effects and issues that others have had with it, I cannot imagine my life without it.
- Meditation Considering
- I have been really overwhelmed by multiple mental health issues and other life stressors. I have considered meditation and can only imagine it would be a positive experience... now I just need to build the motivation to actually DO it.
- Positive Thinking Working / Worked
- Positive thinking is difficult for people with depression by nature! However, it is something that if you strive towards can help. Look for the good even if it's small things.
- Prozac Not Working
- Three years on Prozac. At best I can say it deadened me, though that's also the worst I can say about it. My son was on it for perhaps a year as well... same result. No unpleasant side effects for either of us, it just didn't work well enough.
- Psychotherapy Working / Worked
- Counseling has been very helpful for me though only in times that I have had a good match. My first efforts in therapy were with a woman that I was not a good match with... it's a wonder that I did not give up based on that first negative experience. I'm glad that I didn't though. I have gone on to work with a few different professionals that I have had great results with.
- Seroquel Working / Worked
- Seroquel has worked for me. The best thing about it is that I am able to sleep at night. The only down side is it has caused weight gain. My son had good luck with it as well but because of the weight gain he was taken off of it.
- Support from Friends & Family Somewhat Helpful
- Friends and family can be a great asset to battling the daily swings of depression and other mental health issues. Only if they are educated or at least try to be truly understanding of the condition(s).
- Wellbutrin Not Working
- This is the first medication that I tried and it was horrible for me. I was told it was good for depression and might help me cut back on smoking too. All it actually did was make me more irate and I stopped it after only a few days.
- Writing Working / Worked
- I've stepped away from keeping a journal though I have no idea why... it had great theraputic benefit for me. I guess I just got withdrawn from the habit. I would like to start again.
Close Agoraphobia & Social Anxiety
Even as a child I had a great deal of social anxiety, could not stand being in crowded stores, trouble connecting with peers, etc. I had better and worse spells with it over the years. Before getting any type of help for mental health issues, there were a number of times that I tuned out from the world and isolated myself at home. Even with counseling I still have these tendencies, not quite as bad though.
Treatments
- Psychotherapy Somewhat Helpful
- Therapy would likely be more beneficial if I were comfortable talking about this subject. With an array of mental health issues Im not sure why this is one of the hardest things for me to talk about. So the main problem for me is that while I still isolate myself... I make it even harder by masking the situation. Its a wonder Im joining the group for that matter!
Open Panic Attacks
My first panic attack in public was the event that first brought me to seek professional help. I had long ignored issues with depression and anxiety. I had minor panic attacks at home, though not often. Once it happened to me in public though and I had my young son with me at the time. Feeling out of control that way... I knew that I was past the point of being able to handle these problems on my own.
Treatments
- Ativan Working / Worked
- Was given ativan after having panic attacks while in the hospital for unrelated condition, it was very helpful. There are times that I felt it would have helped me to have PRN however, it's not something that my med provider feels is best.
- BuSpar Somewhat Helpful
- I have been on buspar as part of a multi-med regiment for years. There were times they discontinued it and I did not notice any difference. While I now take it every day, three times a day, I don't really know if it does me a bit of good. No bad side effects though.
- Effexor Working / Worked
- Have had nothing but positive experience with it. I have been on it the better part of ten years. When I was taken off it a short time (insurance issues) I had to do a cold turkey withdrawal and that was extremely difficult for me. My depression and anxiety went completely out of whack. You really should not go off this medication without a taper down.
- Klonopin Working / Worked
- I have best luck taking this med at night, I am only able to tolerate a small dose in the day because it makes me sleepy. Hard to be specific on what it does for me because I am on so many medications.
- Meditation Considering
- I have thought about starting meditation for my overall mental health, though I'm not sure it would have any impact on panic attacks?
- Patience Somewhat Helpful
- I have to work really hard on maintaining patience with difficult situations. I have grown a lot of patience compared to my younger years and the bulk of it is spent towards raising my children. When there are problems and there is nothing that I can do but wait on things to get better or change, I have a tough time of it.
- Positive Thinking Somewhat Helpful
- Positive thinking is a great means of dealing with mental health issues and plain daily living. However, when you suffer from multiple mental health issues and have stress in your life... it's hard to stay motivated. Positive thinking requires a lot of focus and energy to maintain.
- Psychotherapy Working / Worked
- Counseling is very helpful for panic attacks, it is important to be able to talk about these experiences and figure out what triggers you and to make sure that you don't isolate yourself to avoid having panic attacks in public. That has been a struggle for me, I most often avoid situations where I fear I might have a panic attack and talking about that is important. The onset of panic when you think that you are in a safe situation though... well I guess it's important to talk about that too.
- Seroquel Working / Worked
- I take Seroquel on a regular basis at night and have up to two doses I can use prn for panic in the daytime. I find that it is very helpful if it is taken at just the right time. If I can take it as I start to feel panic or shortly after, it helps me pull myself together. If I try to use it after a full panic episode though, all it does is make me tired.
Open Migraine Headaches
I started having migraines a couple years ago. I have a long headache history but migraines are a completely different matter. When it happens, any amount of sound and light is unbearable for me. In the cool weather I benefited from wearing a hooded sweatshirt pulled out to shield the light. Also helps buffer out noise. I have not figured out what to do in the summer months though?
Treatments
- Caffeine Working / Worked
- I have always found that caffeine helps to accelerate things like tylenol, so I use it regularly. I am a coffee fanatic to begin with... but I feel that whenever I am in pain I actually NEED it.
- Tylenol Somewhat Helpful
- Taking Tylenol is better than taking nothing. I am on it regularly three times a day anyway though for my arthritis. So the problem is what do you do when you take a tylenol and then shortly after you get a migraine? Lucky I don't have migraines often.
Open Back Pain
I have had problems with my back for years. They were exasperated by a car accident and have been on and off ever since (that was over 15 years ago and still bothers me.) Lately I have had a lot of lower back pain. It makes it hard for me to do activities of daily living, even just cleaning up the house or even getting dressed.
Treatments
- Chiropractic Adjustment Not Working
- I had adjustments done after a car accident. Sometimes I think that I did have a slight benefit from the adjustments but in the long run I wound up having worse problems and had to quit seeing the chiropractor because I didn't feel the benefit outweighed the risk of "overadjustments" as he called them. Maybe I had a bad doc?
- Flexeril Somewhat Helpful
- Its been a number of years since I had flexeril but I think it did some good for me in the past (that was before the car accident though.)
- Heat Somewhat Helpful
- Only helpful for me if followed by bed rest and my life does not afford much opportunity for that!
- Hydrocodone Working / Worked
- Hydrocodone has been successful for me in dealing with back pain and any pain. However, it only works for a limited period of time and the docs are careful not to overprescribe due to addictive issues.
- Ibuprofen Working / Worked
- Ibuprofin was helpful for me in the past when taken with tylenol. Due to other medical issues though, I can no longer take any anti-inflammatory. That has made life a bit more challenging for me. One of the problems was an allergic reaction though so now they ban me on any. Besides bleeding issues on top of it.
- Naproxen Not Working
- Used to take it years ago... never helped. No side effects that I can remember though.
- Relaxation Not Working
- Taking time to rest is needed to function with back pain. I have to take a lot of breaks and sit. It is very inconvenient, frustrating, and doesn't make any difference in my ability to function. It's just my way of dealing with pain. Vacation would not be helpful as I have been in too much pain to believe I would even be able to enjoy vacation.
- Stretching Somewhat Helpful
- I have started a regimen of stretching in the mornings to help with all my aches and pains. Warm up the body to start out the day and it's been somewhat helpful. I still have a lot of lower back pain that makes it hard for me to function though.
Open Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Have been suffering carpal tunnel for close to 20 years. It acts up on and off and much of the time I have to wear some type of support on my wrists. I also have the related condition on my feet. These problems are in addition to arthritis.
Treatments
- Wrist Splint Somewhat Helpful
- Yes this does help and is sometimes neccessary but very uncomfortable and frustrating because of the limits for functioning. Does help cut back on stressing the condition and preventing pain. Tough to function with or without supports.
Open Arthritis
I have been diagnosed with psoriatic, osteo and rheumatoid arthritis. I am in my late thirties but often feel like my joints are elderly. Have been on many medications. Getting ready to start IV Remicade. I'm very worried because if this doesn't work, they don't have anything more to offer. Arthritis seriously limits my ability to do the ordinary things in life that many people (fortunately) can take for granted.
Treatments
- Ibuprofen Somewhat Helpful
- I have been banned from taking thee medications first because of a bleed and clotting problem but secondly due to an allergic reaction to lodine. When I used to take motrin and tylenol together that was somewhat helpful.
- Lodine Not Working
- Allergic. Caused tongue swelling. Since then they don't allow me to take any drug from this category anymore.
- Tylenol Somewhat Helpful
- Years of taking combination of motrin and tylenol were better than taking nothing at all but were not truly effective. I have found that Tylenol arthritis formula is better than taking the standard. I didn't think that there could be much difference because it doesn't have any other ingredients. However the modified dose getting higher amount three times a day is a benefit.
- Enbrel Somewhat Helpful
- I was on enbrel injections that I did myself at home twice a week. Was always a problem with the insurance company but somehow they managed to have me on it for a couple of years longer than usually advised I had to come off it because it was not offering enough benefit to continue on such an extended course.
- Humira Not Working
- I was on humira shots administered myself at home but they were not helpful to me. During that time I also had increased breathing problems. While not proven I believe that this med triggered my bronchitisasthma. I was taken off it after a short course because it wasnt doing me any good.
- Methotrexate Somewhat Helpful
- This is another medication that is difficult to sum up because taking it is better than not taking it. It is still not effective enough on its own. It did seem to work better in conjunction with other treatments which have been phased in and phased out of my regimen over time. Sticking with it and adding remicade. Have heard thats a good combo?
Open Psoriasis
Affected Areas: Psoriasis of the SkinI have suffered with psoriasis since my late teens. I think that it's wonderful that there is more public awareness of this condition though, for years I was looked at like a contamination risk! In addition to years of being asked if I had poison ivy all summer long year after year (by strangers.)
Treatments
- Coal Tar Not Working
- Was used years ago, when I was young. Didn't help.
- Dovonex Somewhat Helpful
- somewhat helpful no side effects. used in combination with other treatments.
- Enbrel Somewhat Helpful
- somewhat helpful but the docs say I have fun the full course allowed with it. time to try other things.
- Hydrocortisone Somewhat Helpful
- Better than nothing but by itself, not at all effective.
- Methotrexate Somewhat Helpful
- Somewhat helpful if used in combination with another med. They tried me on it alone for about 8 weeks... they said it's no good for me by it's self. My skin and arthritis are both progressing.
- Phototherapy Considering
- At the time I was scheduled to start UV treatments my psoriasis went into a temporary remission so the treatments were cancelled. It's since back in full force, working on other med trials. Would still consider UV treatment in the future if docs suggest it again.
- Humira Not Working
- Prescribed humira to treat psoriasis and arthritis. Not at all helpful for me with either condition. Seemed to trigger respitory problems. Had to stop taking the shots because of bad bronchitis spell. Went back on it after a while and then my breathing and mucus got worse again. They took me off of it because it wasnt doing any good. Did not comment on whether or not they believe it was causing my breathing and congestion problems.
Open Anxiety
Have been in treatment for anxiety (along with depression and other assorted conditions) for nearly ten years. I recognize that I did have problems with anxiety for years prior to treatment however, might as well say my entire life.
Treatments
- Breathing Exercises Working / Worked
- They always tell you that it's the best thing to do. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. If you are past a certain point, breathing is very hard to regulate. In fact the more you think about trying to control it can make me more anxious. Vicious cycle.
- BuSpar Somewhat Helpful
- Have been on buspar a number of years on and off as part of a multi-med treatment plan. When they have taken me off it, I don't notice any difference so I'm not sure if it is actually helping me. I do not notice any side effects though and they say that it can help in combination with the other medications that I am taking.
- Klonopin Working / Worked
- Have been clonazepam a number of years as part of a multi-med regimen. It does seem to be a benefit. Best tolerated at night for me. I can only take a small dose in the daytime because it makes me sleepy.
- Meditation Considering
- In theory it seems like it would help. Haven't tried it yet. Tough to get motivated.
- Positive Thinking Not Working
- Positive thinking has been somewhat helpful for my depression, for anxiety however... it's very difficult to muster. I have always been a worrier by nature. Anxiety and panic attacks developing by my twenties. The power of positive thinking has been a motto for me on and off... it's just tough to keep it up long term.
Open Rheumatoid Arthritis
Have been in treatment for RA for a few years. About to start Remicade infusions (May 2009). Have tried a number of meds (alot I can share about them), have a good deal of restriction in life because of this disease. The pain and stiffness can make me feel twice my age! Would like to network on this condition.
Treatments
- Enbrel Somewhat Helpful
- Was on it for a couple of years (longer than generally recommended.) It helped but they said it wasn't enough benefit for me to continue on it. In my case used to treat RA and psoriasis.
- Folic Acid Working / Worked
- Taking daily because I'm on methotrexate. No problems taking it, 1000 mg on top of the 400 mg in my daily vitamin as well.
- Humira Not Working
- No benefit on Humira for me. While taking it I had a couple bouts of bronchial problems. Had to stop taking it, felt better, went back on.. more breathing problems. Did not help joints or skin in the meantime.
- Methotrexate Somewhat Helpful
- Have seen benefit when used with another medication. Eight weeks of methotrexate without partnering med... little to no help.
- Prednisone Working / Worked
- Prescribed several times for RA and breathing problems. When I am on it, I could forget that I even have RA. They don't leave you on it though so the benefits are only seen in short spells.
- Remicade Too Soon to Tell
- Will be starting this med May 2009
- Tylenol Working / Worked
- Tyelenol arthritis formula helps where standard formula did not help much at all. Don't know why I waited so long to try the arthritis one????
Open Depression Supporters
My son was diagnosed with depression at five years old. They have gone on to suspect other diagnosis as well but I'm told it's hard to fit children into categories, they have a hard enough time doing it with adults.
Treatments
- Crying Somewhat Helpful
- Gets the feelings out but leaves me exhausted.
- Music Working / Worked
- Always helps me when I'm stressed.
- Patience Working / Worked
- I've been trying to build my patience levels my entire life. Yes, patience is a very good method of dealing with things but it can be tough to muster at times.
- Talking Working / Worked
- I have excellent communication with his current providers and I like them very much. I am participate in a parent support group in my community geared toward children with mental health issues.
Open Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
This was the hardest group for me to join. I can't tell 'my story' but I'm here for support and to try and support others. PTSD is a tough diagnosis to bear because it tells that you went through something that you probably don't want people to know that you went through.
Treatments
- Effexor Working / Worked
- Best Med in the world for me.
- Psychotherapy Working / Worked
- It's tough to talk about how the thing(s) that I was exposed to impact my life. I have spent a lifetime trying to pretend that things did not hurt me when they did. I think therapy might be (future) the only way to come to any sort of resolution on this subject.
- Talking Working / Worked
- It helps but it's so hard to do.
