Anyone else felt as though they were out of options, treatment-wise?

[Socks]

Curious to see what course others have taken when it seems as though you've tried everything.

To treat my depression I have been on various medications for 17 years. Medication does not work for me. I have gotten all I am going to get out of talk therapy/group therapy/hypnosis/cognitive therapy/meditation. My ECT treatment only gave me a few months of relief. Hospitalization was not helpful. Anyone else feel as though they just have no more treatment options? How did you overcome it? Are you still in that rut?

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[Croix]

Dear Socks~

Welcome here. I don't think you are the only person that has felt this way. I suffered PTSD, anxiety and bouts of depression very many years ago and to start with there was can endless round of different medications, dosages and therapies. All this happened as you could imagine in slow motion as one regime was exhausted before another started. That was a most discouraging time.

Unlike you I did gain benefit from being hospitalized - and undergoing another change of meds whilst there. The subsequent improvement was gradual and continued to involve a lot of trial and error in treatments.

I used to joke to my psychiatrist that the current meds were a bit like praying for the sun to rise every day, although one could not see any change one was frightened to stop in case things got worse.

Eventually my current regime was established and by and large has worked very well for many years. I can feel the difference, it is marked.

On therapy, I have the feeling that five different therapists can give the same therapy and get five different results. I would think (this is just me, I'm no medical person) that rapport, understanding and confidence in the person doing the treating is key, and the choice of therapy perhaps secondary.

This is borne out for me in the high confidence I have in my current psychiatrist, who's methods are conservative and talk-based, and the degree of relief I obtain. It would be fair to say he has on occasion saved my life.

So all I can say is I can well understand you frustration, and the feeling that nothing is going to work. I eventually had the good fortune to find both a professional plus medication and therapy that has 'clicked'

Croix

[White_Rose]

Dear Socks

Hello and welcome. The treatment merry-go-round is familiar to many of us. Croix has described his experience and mine has some similarities. I have also been treated for 17 years for depression.

My meds experience was not nice. I have no idea how many different AD I tried. Either they did not help or had horrendous side effects. What I did not know know or realise was there are several different groups of AD. After the last round I refused to take any more. However my GP persuaded me to try an AD from the original group of AD.

This one is also used for other purposes but as an AD it was great. I was told it had a more general effect on my depression rather than a targeted approach. Perhaps a chat with your health professional would be useful. Like Croix I hasten to state my lack of professional expertise, but my experience I think has value.

I haven't had much experience with psychologists. I understand they can be great, or like other professionals, can be not so good. I know they operate differently to psychiatrists. I have seen two psychiatrists. The first was not good, unhelpful, sarcastic and quick tempered. The second is fantastic, patient and I swear can read my mind. I have come so far with her through very trying times. In fact I wonder why she put up with me given my suspicion about trusting anyone. But she did and I find her amazing.

There are many practitioners who favour one theory or treatment over another. Again my experience, my psych does what she thinks is appropriate for me. I have never tried a group therapy process and I suspect it would not help me. I also have no personal knowledge of ECT.

I do not know what to suggest to you other than a discussion with your GP about exploring the use of the different groups of AD. Mostly doctors use the SSRI group, or at least that's what I was prescribed.

I do appreciate your feelings of frustration and probably anger that nothing works. I presume you have given all these options a reasonable trial, say several months at least. Sometimes it does take a while.

I wonder if by this time you have decided nothing will work for you and self sabotage. Sorry to offend you if this is not the case. It may well be something to think about. I am extremely impatient and if something does not work or do what it's supposed to do I stop taking meds at the proper time or amount. This will prevent your treatment from working.

Love to hear from you again even if it's just to tell me I'm wrong.

Mary

[Pink_Soul]

Hello Socks,

Thought I would write and let you know that I had a long battle with anxiety, depression, PTSD. I spent nearly 2.5 years in hospital, had 17 ECT sessions and so many medications. I got to a period where medication stabilised me and now I am medication free and no longer see a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

I haven't had your experiences specifically but I do know what its like to try so many different options and feel like nothing is helping. I decided to stop seeing a psychologist because I felt like I was going around in circles and that it was no longer helping me move forward. I also gained 70kgs from the medications ( I doubled my weight). I was also told by my doctor that I wouldn't return to work.

The turning point came for me when I decided to stop contact with people I had friended while in hospital because I wasn't in a position to deal with their issues and mine. This wasn't easy for me to do at the time and I felt very guilty but it was the best decision I made. I also decided to study coaching, because it interested me, NLP and matrix therapies, as well as reading a lot of books and experimenting with different alternatives, magnesium, vitamins etc.

I found for me that a couple of things I overlooked prior to this:

• mindset for me and the ability to change my thought processes and this was a very gradual change, I had to learn to let go of what being depressed felt like for me and retrain myself to start looking at life as if I was happy and content and how somebody who was in that positive state would respond. I now understand the power of a positive mindset and how affirmations can change our mind and bodies. Gratitude is also something that I do on a regular basis, as it was very easy for me to focus on the negatives instead of the positives.
• Food, because my body had been on so many medications and had so much ECT I was no longer eating particularly healthy, so I decided to start changing some of my foods and I realised that when I ate healthy I felt better in my body.
• Movement - I started to do more walking with my dogs, outside in nature and gradually I also started to practice yoga, foam roller exercises, gardening anything that would help my body to feel better.

It took me 10 years to return to full time employment, to lose 70kgs, stop my medications and start believing in myself and the power to heal. I hope you can find some comfort, through my story and know that there are always options x

[Miss T]

Those medications seem to be a lot more addictive than the pharmaceutical companies lead us to believe. Withdrawing more slowly may help as will seeing professionals such as psychologists, your GP and occupational therapists who can offer more holistic care for whilst you are withdrawing and beyond to target underlying issues and teach more coping skills, which we can all use more of. I have found the side effects, and even the desired effects of being on the medication to be worse than withdrawal effects. It is difficult when the brain and body are in a constant state of flux and are affected by what is going on in your life. You are lucky to have a psychiatrist who will allow you to taper off. Best of luck with it!

[Harry05]

I need ECT. Other treatments are useless.. I'm a wreck. Life is a nightmare. On disability support pension for depression and anxiety. No friends no partner. Shit relationhips with family. How can I get ECT? Also I'm scared about the memory loss side effects as this is permanent in some cases. Suggested ECT to doctors but they said it would be difficult to organise! Not that I'm not suitable for it! That's just stuffed! I guess they can't be arsed to make the arrangements. I have to live in my head with all my hatred and uncontrollable violence thoughts and fear and hopelessness. I just despise ecerything. Sometimes I can't leave the house. The world is a hole. I hate to be negative but i can't control it.Can anyone help please? Advice how to get ECT? Btw I don't have money to pay for it. I need bulk billed treatment.

[sunny]

hi harry can relate to your situation i have had ECT but what they say is true their is some short and a little long term memory ; but for some it brings relief.

Start talking to you GP First about the cost and side effects eg memory loss;then maybe a psychiatrist who is trained in ECT, maybe their is payment plan or it is bulk billed i am not sure

Please reply and let us know how you go

sunny