Posted by Edward on August 8, 2001, at 13:39:31
In reply to Re: Hate being off meds; don't like being on them » Edward, posted by adamie on August 8, 2001, at 13:19:11
> You should consider ECT if you are seriously considering ending your life. If you're going to commit suicide then what do you have to lose except possibly some intelligence due to minor brain damage fromt he ECT? try something.
>
> i value my intelligence extremely but this depression makes my thinking ability like crap. In this state it is as if I am seriously brain damaged. That is what depression has done to me and I am sure this has been the case for many people as well. I feel in my case ECT while maybe doing some minor brain damage would overall restore my intelligence to a large extent. But only if my depression were to turn very severe. In my worst period I had even had trouble reading! I would need to re read something over and over just to somewhat understand it. ECT is a deffinete possibility for me in the very distant future if I somehow dont get better. But I have a lot of hope that my specific depression will greatly improeve and even fully go away sooner or later.
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> Also I dunno if you have access to VNS but it seems like a great thing for treating treatment resistant depression. it is like a pace maker for the brain. people use those to help their heart so why shouldn't they for severe treatment resistant depression? in studies it has created remission in 40 to 45% of treatment resistant patients who were so desperate they wanted to undergo such an operation. They insert a little box in your chest which has a little cord that goes around your vegus nerve. it sends a mild pulse to this nerve for 30 seconds every 3-6 minutes. the pulse is hard to notice. the only side effect is altered voice for the time when the pulse is active due to the fact that the vegus nerve is right beside the vocal cord. but even this is not a side effect that occurs in every VNS user. I think it's an absolutely amazing invention. If you're severely depressed to the point of likely suicide ettempts there is nothing to lose except having your voice slightly altered. it's just a little box that is in your chest. that is it. I wish more people would look into this treatment. I fortunately live in Canada where this has been approved as a treatment for depression. if meds dont work I will try this without a doubt. And if it doesn't work it can always be removed. There is really nothing to lose. It has less side effects than any med possible. take care. try to consider some other options if no meds have worked for you.I think you've put me in touch with reality. My depression is mild when I am on my meds; I've only ever attempted suicide when it has been very severe. I will hopefully be seeing a new psychiatrist soon. I am hoping he/she will suggest something to augment the mirtazapine that will finish off what remains of my depression. Unfortunately, part of my problem seems to be numbness of emotion, which mirtazapine only adds to, so perhaps I will have to change meds completely. I am scared of doing this because I don't know if I can cope with the gap between them.
I don't consider myself treatment resistant because I've only had a full trial of fluvoxamine and 3 weeks of paroxetine. I am too young to undergo ECT, and I've been told it's a last resort for people so depressed that they are completely unable to function, which I have never been very close to being.
poster:Edward
thread:74167
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010804/msgs/74177.html