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[lemmy]

Well I have had dysthmic disorder diagnosed since i was about 25- now 45. I have been on medication since then as well as therapy. I have had up and downs but overall have been pretty stable. However for the last couple of months i have felt pretty awful. I am trying to fiddle with my meds but it has not been working yet. I don't really have any questions just looking for some support.

[Aurelia5]

Welcome Lemmy~

You just found Support Central! I've only been here for a couple of months, but wow! is this the nicest bunch of people on the internet.

I got into my DSM-IV, and looked up Dysthymic Disorder. You're a step away from Major Depressive Disorder. You poor thing. You said you've gotten worse recently. That is a harbinger of serious depression. Don't mess with your drugs. I tried that and had so many things going at once I didn't know which ones were working and which were making things worse. Not only that, but as you know from antidepressants, you have to get slowly all the way off one before you start another. Also you have to give them 4 weeks to work. Have you done all that? What, if I may ask, are you on now?

I'm 53 years old and have been at this depression thing since I was little. I took a whole bunch of psych classes and have been to a large pile of doctors. I've tried almost every antidepressant out there, and am currently holding steady with Cymbalta.

Write anytime. You don't even have to have anything to say. Just want to talk? We're always up for that.

Look forward to hearing from you.

A5

[lemmy]

Thanks for the advice, I would never mess with my drugs on my own. Doc is on it. I am currently on effexor and welbutrine. As I said i have stable for a long time. I am still currently functional which is good. I have very difficult job and it seems all I have I give to the job and my team. When I come home I just want to go to sleep. It is hard to find people to talk to. All my friends are aware but we are all social workers and you know we are supposed to fix things on our own. My partner is caring and tries but I don't think she really gets it. We have been together a year and a half and this is the first time I have ever really been symptomatic. I have been thinking of trying accupunture. I have had it in the past for neck pain and there are some studies suggesting it might be good for depression.
And how are you

[Aurelia5]

Hi again Lemmy

I'm pretty good. Have a problem with anxiety - free-floating-anxiety, but as I preach to everyone in the world, I have Xanax to get me out of the rough spots. Also I worry too much. I worry about worrying.

I was on Effexor for about 8 years. I thought it was great, but then my life got more difficult, I got and still am very physically sick and my husband of 19 years was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer a couple of years ago. So I was sinking. My doc put me on Cymbalta, the new top of the line, and I think it is actually better than Effexor. I'm surprised you take Wellbutrin too; I'd think that would just give you a lot of unnecessary side effects. Wellbutrin didn't work for me. Made me edgy.

Is your job getting too demanding? I had one that was and it nearly killed me. I just got too wound up trying to do everything right while under a microscope.

I don't know much about accupuncture. I have a friend that swears by it except she's always getting it. It never seems to help her. She's always sick, won't go to a real doctor, tries all manner of ghastly smelling teas and eats things a DOG wouldn't eat and wonders why she's so sick. EAT A CHEESEBURGER! Makes me want to throttle her.

Anyway, you've got friends to come home and talk to now.

A5

[Monty]

Lemmy,

Glad that you found us.

Many years ago I tried accupuncture. For me it didn't work, though I have friends that swear by stuff like that.

I was brought up in a religion that doesn't concur with the thought of the members going to doctors. Messed me up for a lot of years.

When I finally went the medical route, I have been very med compliant. It has been very rare, over the past 20 years that I have not taken my meds, as indicated. I am very glad you are not messing around with your drugs on your own. I have had friends who figure that they know themselves better than the doctor. They have either fiddled with their meds on their own, or stop completely. Neither action seems to have positive results.

Know what it is like to find it difficult to talk to people. Especially to my partner about depression. I know that my partner loves me a lot, but still I don't want to scare people when the bottom starts dropping out of things. Find, for me, that it is best that I go to my doctor and try to get things nipped at the bud.

You have found instant friends by posting on this forum. We all kind of look out for each other. Keep in touch.

[helium]

Well I have had dysthmic disorder diagnosed since i was about 25- now 45. I have been on medication since then as well as therapy. I have had up and downs but overall have been pretty stable. However for the last couple of months i have felt pretty awful. I am trying to fiddle with my meds but it has not been working yet. I don't really have any questions just looking for some support.

Hi,
I think I suffer from the same disorder, only that I never heard the diagnostic from the psy. I took Cymbalta last year, but I decided to quit taking it due to an improvement in my mood. Probably it was a big mistake because I think I'm having a relapse.

I don't have much advice to offer, but know that I'm here. I find this site really supporting and the people here are the best.

Hope to see you around.

-Hortensia