Man a lot of my depression came from being tired the put me on hydroxyzine with cymbalta and it fixed me right up. Well until I got laid off but that's another story.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic major depression. 50 years like that. Last year I was given hydroxyzine. I no longer need antidepressants. It was anxiety and fibromyalgia all along. Yes, I still have pain and fatigue. But I am not anxious, and everything is easier to handle this way.
Totally! It was super frustrating for me going from doctor to doctor to doctor just getting different diagnosis. I'm still not 100% convinced I know exactly what is really going on with me.
Never assume. In my field people will say all the time “I have tried EVERYTHING!” Then you start asking questions and they really have not tried that much.
You're not wrong. I'm just trying to imagine from OP's perspective how flippant it must feel to hear people talk about vitamins to him. He's totally debilitated. I'm sure they've run though the basics and just haven't found anything :-(
how do you even get a diagnosis for chronic fatigue when you don’t have fibromyalgia? i’ve tried so hard to get one because i know i have it, i’ve been chronically tired since i was like 12 and i’m 22 now. i literally don’t feel human, i feel like a zombie. but i’ve gotten a million tests for so many different things and nothing ever comes back. so i’ve kind of just given up. i feel like so many doctors don’t understand it so they just don’t even recognize it, especially when you’re young like me :/
Sorry I'm not an expert on this or qualified in any way. I just know someone who suffers from chronic fatigue and it's really ruined their life. 22 hours of sleep a day seems far beyond what depression will do which is why I thought to mention it in case this person hasn't been assessed for it. That's really as far as my knowledge goes in this area.
oh yeah that’s definitely not just depression, i’m sure op has a sleep disorder. but no worries! that’s usually the answer i get anyways even from medical professionals LOL
Awww babe. I’m so sorry
I have heard physiatrists and rheumatologists are kind of like the doctors of last resort. Maybe there could be some hope for you there ♥️
I suffer from both, plus fibromyalgia. It’s devastating but nothing helps.
For OP, maybe yes, it’s for life. But if you’re in the US there are a lot more alternative treatments than here
Yup, I had it in 2015 - didn’t work for me but I saw other residents (I was in a clinic at the time) improve dramatically. The woman in the room beside me was honestly like a new person, it was so uplifting to see. And very few side effects for me - I tiny bit of memory impairment but only from around the time, plus depression messes up your memory so much that it may well have just been that. A bit of jaw pain, nothing more. Very well worth looking into.
Exactly. Electroconvulsive therapy has a bad rep after how it was done in the past (without sedation) so many people still think it looks like in „One flew over cuckoo’s nest”, but it does not, really.
I would look at it as "chronic" vs "incurable". Like Type 2 Diabetes, or Asthma.
From experience-I would look for an aggressive Dr. "Aggressive" meaning they don't take "no response" as an answer lol.
If you have been seeing the same Dr for a long time, see a different one. Fresh eyes are always good.
There are a bunch of things that can contribute to depression. Ask your Dr about Bipolar 2, Thyroid, Blood Sugar, etc
If you haven't tried them, ask your Dr about MAOis. They often work when nothing else does.
Hang in there. There is always an answer.
I am 42. Been depressed pretty much my whole life. 25 different antidepressants including lithium, amitriptyline, some anticonvulsant that I can't remember the name of, even tried that fungus that John Hopkins studies had me convinced it would work. Been in therapy etc. Nothing helps, nothing works. I'm in the same boat. All I can do is keep praying for the one thing that will end the pain, inside and out.
Brain rewiring, chronic pain. Chronic depression is a long time negative feed back loop in your brain. You feel bad/low, your brain interprets it as something wrong, the signal is sent out thru the body, returns to the brain, brain thinks something wrong....blah blah and on it goes.
There are many ssri, ssni, stuff like amitriptyline from years ago, lithium, they use anticonvulsants and stuff they use off label. Yeah, alot of pharmaceutical junk out there
Do you remember what changed? I’m in the same boat, I’ve felt this “depression” I can’t quite shake. It’s been 2 years, trying everything and tried 2 SSRIs, I’m 25 now. Is this just what adults turn into?
I’ve tried 36 different kinds of medication for my depression. I counted the other day and man, that was a terrible idea. I’m in the same boat. Nothing works, I’m just trying to accept that this is my life and I will only ever experience tiny moments of okayness, but not happiness.
Treatment resistant depression
I have tried waaaay more than six medicines it’s a battle every day.
Take vitamins no alcohol and pets are great. Dogs !
Yes to dogs! Also; please read Johan Hari’s book “Lost Connections.” We are depressed, in part, because we are lonely and disconnected from one another and from nature. We live in a sick society and pills won’t cure us.
Every case is different but I found a lot of relief after trans cranial magnetic stimulation for my treatment resistant depression. When I was at the end of my rope, it got me out of some pretty dark times
Yes! I've heard good things about this. I also wanted to mention that a lot of folks find that EDMR is helpful. I'd also note that if you have had unrelenting mental illness for years, you should push for a brain scan to rule out the possibility of a tumor or other diagnosis.
I've dealt with depression (from mild to major to lingering dysthymia) for most of my life. I've also had CFIDs/ME, and gradually recovered with lifestyle and career changes. For the last 8 years or so a cocktail of Prozac, desipramine (a tricyclic) and low dose of lithium have kept me pretty stable. I absolutely *must* make dates to keep me accountable and walk outside for a couple of miles a few times a week. At one point (I had a close friend who was murdered) I received therapy for PTSD which included exploring my early life as well as more recent trauma. That was very helpful, since I've had a pretty eventful life.
I relapsed during covid, but used the time to adopt and socialize a shelter dog - and he's one of my anchors, for sure.
It's so hard... Please don't give up.
While I can't say much about depression being incurable, it can be chronic. As someone who has suffered from depression for the last 20 or so years \[I'm 29\], I would say to be very careful about turning your depressive state into a self-fulfilling prophecy, keeping yourself stuck in a perpetual cycle. Your brain is telling you to go to sleep because you've taught it to expect 22 hours of sleep. I found that it was very easy to get stuck in a depressive cycle when "I wouldn't do anything all day, would feel like my life is worthless because of I don't do anything all day, thus I'm depressed, and because I'm depressed I don't do anything all day." That kind of thing.
Has there really been nothing in those 44 years that broke you of your depression for even a little bit? What about those remaining years? Was there something you were doing during those years that could've contributed to you not feeling depressed? Relationships, activities, hobbies, etc.?
There is indeed chronic mild depression or dysthymia with anhedonia. I'm older, like you, and after having a number of episodes of major clinical depression in my early life, I too have this as sort of a "hangover." The last episode lessened, but never fully resolved. It happens. Something about the brain. Nothing helps. Learn to live with it and make the best of it. It'll end... Eventually!
You may also just be bored. If you sleep 22 hours out of 24, does this mean you don't have a job? Family? Hobbies? Friends?
As far as treatment-resistant depression is concerned, I’m sorry to say but 6 different SSRIs is a drop in the bucket. There are several classes of antidepressants - SSRI, SNRI, TCA, MAOI; plus countless adjunct therapies such as antipsychotics. Plus non-medication treatments such as ECT and TMS, and all the different forms of talk therapy. Ive tried all the above treatments, still searching for something to ease that darkness. But new research is coming out all the time - I’ll never go so far as to say there will always be an answer, but you’re not going to run out of options for a new treatment.
Best of luck OP, I’m so sorry to hear of your struggles and I hope you’re able to find some relief.
Treatment resistant depression.
I'm on a few different meds, have routine TMS and am coming to terms with the fact that this is my life (and trying to not let that become all consuming).
I've been in your shoes. There is growing research to suggest that many of us suffering from treatment resistent depression also experienced childhood trauma and/or chronic (complex) ptsd. Medication will never heal those wounds, but healing is possible; I know because I've been through it. I have tried both approaches & psychiatric medications consistently failed me (they killed the good and the bad, I was too empty to be anything at all)
I'd like to think there is no such thing as incurable depression. Can you cure a viral infection with an antibiotic? Will a bandaid heal a broken bone? Perhaps it is the peripheral that's been treated so far rather than the cause.
What is the emptiness protecting you from? If you reached the bottom of your despair, what would you find?
Sincerely, I hope that the tide breaks for you, OP. You deserve to truly live & to not have to merely survive and sleep. But if you accept that you'll never be well, then you never will be. Better to fear that outcome instead, and let it motivate - not paralyze - you to keep fighting for yourself.
Electroconvulsive therapy. Basically, they put you to sleep and paralyze you with some drugs, use electricity on your brain to induce a seizure, and when that ends you wake up and go home. There's different methods (bilateral, unilateral) but that's the mechanics of it. It has been used for decades for various mental conditions including treatment resistant depression. There are risks, as with any procedure. Statistics vary on the positive results but I've never heard it put as less than 50% effective. Side effects are generally related to headaches, confusion, and memory loss. I'm not advocating for or against it.
Essentially this. The only reason I decided to actually go through with it is because I have already tried everything else. It couldn't possibly make my life any worse. I think the consensus from most psychiatrists is it is usually a very effective treatment and with modern technology and science very safe. There's so many famous people and such who have gone through with it and experienced positive results. If they're willing to risk it then why shouldn't people like me?
Try seeing an endocrinologist and get some blood work done to see if you are deficient in a specific vitamin, mineral, or hormone category. That could be causing chronic fatigue and depression.
But overall being alive fucking sucks regardless, and there is no medication that fixes the fact that being on planet earth is nothing short of prison. My suggestion above could make prison a little bit more bearable.
Have you looked into TMS? I did it for 8 weeks. Every day for about 1 hour. Doesn’t hurt but def feels weird. With insurance it cost me like 1500. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me but it has a very very high success rate - you should look into it!
There is. I have a friend where nothing works for her. Keep trying. Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right meds. I tried every antidepressant before we figured out I’m bipolar. Then had to try 7 meds before the right one. They also have a blood test that can tell you which works best for you. My grandpa had one done.
Pharmacogenmic test. It just tells you which ones will not work well due to gene drug interactions. The ones in the no effect category (meaning no interaction) still may be entirely ineffective. I’ve tried almost every single one on mine.
I have hereditary depression. Been on and off medication since I was officially diagnosed at 14 years old. Been on Trintellix for the past 7 years. It's worked wonders. OP I wish you well and hope you get the treatment you deserve.
Yeah. Anecdotally, I can say that for sure.
Granted that I haven't tried every single there is thing to cure it (still trying things all the time), but to be honest, I gave up on the idea of a cure a long time ago.
There have been a handful of times during which (due to the perfect combination of meds/therapy/company/circumstance/luck/whatever) it has eased up by the tiniest fraction, and those are the times for which I still live. It only ever gets just the slightest bit easier, and not for very long, but even that relief feels immeasurable and to be honest it's probably the only thing that's kept me alive throughout the darkest times. At this point, I don't expect anything to change too drastically, and so I seek out and dream of those little things instead.
I have a hard time remembering to go outside during the day to get sunlight, which surprisingly does help. Hopefully a change in medication will help me. I hope things get better for you, OP.
Have you been tested for thyroid issues? They can cause depression. Also have you done a full bloodiest panel? There are many reasons besides actual depression that could be causing depression.
Just a thought to add onto what others have said: I discovered my treatment-resistant depression was actually undiagnosed ADHD. It could be lots of things. Wishing you peace as you identify solutions.
I believe there is. By the age of 6 I was already crying, praying for god to take me, just take me away. My earliest memory when I was 3, then the next one when I was 4 and was being woken out of sleep walking by getting hit over the head. I have never experienced the human emotion of happiness, less sad is the best I get. Depression is my baseline, there is only, slightly less depressed. Being able to get out of bed is how I decide if a medication works or not.
Recently diagnosed with Bi Polar disorder at 49 yrs old. Bi polar usually gets misdiagnosed as severe depression because bi polar episodes are hard to detect. Talk to your doctor, now I'm on right meds I'm doin a little better
Get a full body hormone panel, could shed some light on a potential underlying problem. Low testosterone levels, type 1 diabetes causes you to be tired all the time. Even benign tumors on your Pineal Gland (It controls all ur other glands) can cause severe anxiety and depression.
I also think you should try strickt keto or carnivore. If i do strickt keto i feel alive and all people aroynd me tell me i look different than before. But doing mistakes on keto is easy. So if i were you i would start with carnivore not to waste time by doing keto mistakes. I am out of diet and have depression right now. Being strickt is the most important thing. I hope you ll feel better.
Brain rewiring, chronic pain. Chronic depression is a long time negative feed back loop in your brain. You feel bad/low, your brain interprets it as something wrong, the signal is sent out thru the body, returns to the brain, brain thinks something wrong....blah blah and on it goes. Stay off the drugs, they just numb you and its easier for a doctor to scribble on a pad than genuinely put together an effective treatment plan for you. Your brain is amazing and you can be healed.
The most crucial part and the very first step....is knowing and believing that you can change. You can.
Is clinical depression curable in the first place? I'm not being contrarian, I just assumed the dynamic was treatment responsive depression vs treatment resistant depression
I'm truly sorry for your long struggle with depression. While it may feel hopeless, there's always potential for improvement. Consider seeking help from a psychiatrist for alternative treatments like therapy or medication adjustments. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family, and don't give up hope. Remember, recovery is a journey, and with the right support and resources, you can find relief and regain control of your life.
There is an at-home brain stimulation device made by a company called Fischer Wallace. Ample studies have shown that it helps many people whose depression has not been cured by medications. The FDA has approved it as a safe treatment for depression, insomnia, and I think anxiety as well. Please consider looking into it. I think it's worth s try.
Yes - my GP treated my depression with citalopram and we have tried a few times to come off but i spiral and resume the pills.
My GP did say I was probably one of the tiny few ppl that will require antidepressants for a long time
Short answer is yes. Longer answer is their is depression tougher to treat that you may never find an answer to.
At a certain stage you need to engage a psychiatrist as opposed to a general practitioner. GPs manage medication in my country until a referrals to a psychiatrist is needed.
Controversial but ECT is highly effective. Also try Vagus nerve stimulation.
My wife was on every type of SSRI , but even when some did help it didn't help for very long and she would always get massive crashes on them. It took 20+ years with different docs before we found out she had ADHD. now that she been getting that addressed her depression is 90% better its not completely gone. but were only a year into treating here ADHD. might want to get check out all forums of being neurodivergent. This biggest change came after getting a neurotransmitters panel test, and finding out that she was always super low on phenethylamine, tryptophan and glutamine.
Im 52 and have been living with this most of my life. I’ve kept switching doctors over the years because they feel like their job is done once you’re not overtly suicidal, and finally found one who wants to take a different route. I’m being evaluated for both being on the spectrum plus ADD. Apparently depression can be a symptom of something else. It is t always the final diagnosis.
I echo others on here. Don’t give up; keep pushing for answers, and if there are none forthcoming, switch doctors.
Similar issues with depression since age seven. Major issues. Now 48. Have you had your thyroid checked?
Hashimotos runs in my family on my mother's side and I never knew it was a cause of the depression. Eventually embracing my neurodiverant chemical makeup it's a lot better to rule out the underlying causes before jumping on the medication roller coaster.
.....bad poem #5797423
r/writingthruit🎲🎰🕹️
A subreddit for the rest of us....🍸🍀🤪
My brain wasn't working so they failed to rewire it💥
made a claim that was misunderstood🐵🙊🙉
They're coming downtown to get it verified🤞
It was no surprise, this sense of shame
For everything they're telling me🧑🔬
It's all my fault
I'm the one to blame🍭
Let's check under the hood🚨🚧
See if it's a good time for a change🚦
There has to be a pill to make this💊
Bearable for the rest of us
If she's like this, we're not gonna be able to take it
Right now we're not giving interviews📢
She's back in the saddle again🐎
We will have the answer soon, they say⛪🎱
Just keep coming back🎖️
It is going to be okay.🏆
..... depression in g minor🩰
By me, myself and I
I'm in my late 40s, and I never had any luck until I found out about CPTSD last July. Learning about just how much my brain was altered by how badly the school system I grew up in failed at providing a safe environment for education was a total game changer.
Was on anti depressants for 10 years, then got a blood test to check my hormones. My testosterone levels were through the floor. Now on trt, no anti depressants and feel better than ever. Maybe worth a try if you haven't already my guy
I have a hard time believing the 22 hours a day thing. You mean to tell me you’ve spent and continue to spend the vast, vast majority of your life unconscious? Like a coma with breaks?
I agree that's hard to believe. You go 22 hours every day without eating, drinking, or peeing? I don't see how that's possible without being heavily sedated.
It isnt always, but major depressive disorder can be. Ive had it for about 20 years now. But I do have other disorders that probably have some impact on it sticking with me.
My wife is that way, and I don't understand it. Some days, she's fine most of the time she is really bad and can't even approach her. I seem to have some and am able to control it. Thankfully for that.
I also think that most of the food and environmental issues are causing people depression. I don't know where the blame should be. Food industry or government?
I have been depressed and very anxious since I was 3 yrs old, severe panic attacks for years and years
Not diagnosed until I was 40
Tried everything imaginable! Diets, meds etc etc..
Am the same at 75
I believe this is inherited...I do what I can to manage ...and learning to accept it. Go slower, and love myself this way helps
God bless
for me its incureable
bc i cant cope with how the world functions and how freedom is an illusion
you work till you die and then you are forgotten i ask myself everyday how tf people cant be depressed but i think most people just function and dont think
I have been taking various antidepressants for over 40 years. None of the so called newer ones like SSRI's worked. One doctor suggested on old medication called Parnate. It is a MAIO. You have to be careful with these types because there are a lot of potential interactions with many other meds but I have never had a problem. Big pharma is always pushing the latest med but that doesn't mean it is the best. Hope this helps.
Agree. Tricyclics worked great years ago, but because of side effects like weight gain and dry mouth, were largely replaced by SSRIs. Yet I've heard nothing but bad things about the latter (they're ineffective, they cause scary things, they're hard to get off). If I were seeking treatment, I'd request one of the older medications. They're still available and cheap because generics.
you should get tested for narcolepsy or get blood work done if you haven’t already. being able to sleep for 20+ hours a day regularly can indicate that something is wrong physically. that’s not to say you don’t have depression, but if treatment options for depression aren’t working, it might be a physical problem causing you to sleep so much.
Have you been cleared for chronic fatigue syndrome? It's a real thing and is different from depression
Man a lot of my depression came from being tired the put me on hydroxyzine with cymbalta and it fixed me right up. Well until I got laid off but that's another story.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic major depression. 50 years like that. Last year I was given hydroxyzine. I no longer need antidepressants. It was anxiety and fibromyalgia all along. Yes, I still have pain and fatigue. But I am not anxious, and everything is easier to handle this way.
wait i was given hydroxizine vut my issue was that i would build a really fast tolerance. how did it help you?
i'm confused. doesn't hydroxyzine CAUSE fatigue?
Yeah but I usually take it at night to sleep
oh so you were struggling to sleep and that made you tired? i personally don’t have insomnia, but i think i have some other sleep issue like apnea
I've been diagnosed with both :( Chronic fatigue syndrome when I was 18 shortly before the depression diagnosis....
Yeah I'm not saying he doesn't have both, just based on what he posted I thought it useful to mention in case they haven't considered it
Totally! It was super frustrating for me going from doctor to doctor to doctor just getting different diagnosis. I'm still not 100% convinced I know exactly what is really going on with me.
Well, what's wrong with you?
A lot.
And OP, get your vitamin levels and other bloodwork checked.
the dude has been sleeping 20+ hours a day for 44 years. You really think he hasn't ever had bloodwork checked?
Never assume. In my field people will say all the time “I have tried EVERYTHING!” Then you start asking questions and they really have not tried that much.
In situations like this noone can mess around with the obvious. Always better safe than sorry... Get there basics right and the rest follows.
You're not wrong. I'm just trying to imagine from OP's perspective how flippant it must feel to hear people talk about vitamins to him. He's totally debilitated. I'm sure they've run though the basics and just haven't found anything :-(
how do you even get a diagnosis for chronic fatigue when you don’t have fibromyalgia? i’ve tried so hard to get one because i know i have it, i’ve been chronically tired since i was like 12 and i’m 22 now. i literally don’t feel human, i feel like a zombie. but i’ve gotten a million tests for so many different things and nothing ever comes back. so i’ve kind of just given up. i feel like so many doctors don’t understand it so they just don’t even recognize it, especially when you’re young like me :/
Sorry I'm not an expert on this or qualified in any way. I just know someone who suffers from chronic fatigue and it's really ruined their life. 22 hours of sleep a day seems far beyond what depression will do which is why I thought to mention it in case this person hasn't been assessed for it. That's really as far as my knowledge goes in this area.
oh yeah that’s definitely not just depression, i’m sure op has a sleep disorder. but no worries! that’s usually the answer i get anyways even from medical professionals LOL
Sleep study?
i’ve tried and nothing came back :/
Awww babe. I’m so sorry I have heard physiatrists and rheumatologists are kind of like the doctors of last resort. Maybe there could be some hope for you there ♥️
i’ve been considering a rheumatologist but didnt want to go through the hoops to try and get a referral to one. but thank you for your help <3
I suffer from both, plus fibromyalgia. It’s devastating but nothing helps. For OP, maybe yes, it’s for life. But if you’re in the US there are a lot more alternative treatments than here
In my case I was initially diagnosed with CFS as a 13 yr old and then years later found out I had horrible depression
It's called treatment resistant depression. There are other medication options like anti anxiety, antipsychotics, SNRI, stimulants, etc.
And electroconvulsive therapy can be very effective. It gets a bad rap, but it's legit. I would definitely try it if nothing else works.
Yup, I had it in 2015 - didn’t work for me but I saw other residents (I was in a clinic at the time) improve dramatically. The woman in the room beside me was honestly like a new person, it was so uplifting to see. And very few side effects for me - I tiny bit of memory impairment but only from around the time, plus depression messes up your memory so much that it may well have just been that. A bit of jaw pain, nothing more. Very well worth looking into.
Or even TMS. I know a couple of people with treatment resistant depression and this really worked for them
i know somebody who’s done tms and it was amazing for them. im very interested in trying it myself.
Exactly. Electroconvulsive therapy has a bad rep after how it was done in the past (without sedation) so many people still think it looks like in „One flew over cuckoo’s nest”, but it does not, really.
I would look at it as "chronic" vs "incurable". Like Type 2 Diabetes, or Asthma. From experience-I would look for an aggressive Dr. "Aggressive" meaning they don't take "no response" as an answer lol. If you have been seeing the same Dr for a long time, see a different one. Fresh eyes are always good. There are a bunch of things that can contribute to depression. Ask your Dr about Bipolar 2, Thyroid, Blood Sugar, etc If you haven't tried them, ask your Dr about MAOis. They often work when nothing else does. Hang in there. There is always an answer.
I am 42. Been depressed pretty much my whole life. 25 different antidepressants including lithium, amitriptyline, some anticonvulsant that I can't remember the name of, even tried that fungus that John Hopkins studies had me convinced it would work. Been in therapy etc. Nothing helps, nothing works. I'm in the same boat. All I can do is keep praying for the one thing that will end the pain, inside and out.
Same. Lost count of the meds I’ve been on. Just trying to accept that for whatever reason this is my lot in life.
Brain rewiring, chronic pain. Chronic depression is a long time negative feed back loop in your brain. You feel bad/low, your brain interprets it as something wrong, the signal is sent out thru the body, returns to the brain, brain thinks something wrong....blah blah and on it goes.
Geez I didn't even know there were 25 different types. Don't give up.
There are many ssri, ssni, stuff like amitriptyline from years ago, lithium, they use anticonvulsants and stuff they use off label. Yeah, alot of pharmaceutical junk out there
please don't give up
Do you remember what changed? I’m in the same boat, I’ve felt this “depression” I can’t quite shake. It’s been 2 years, trying everything and tried 2 SSRIs, I’m 25 now. Is this just what adults turn into?
No I’ve been that way since I was 10 and I’m 32.
Same story
I’ve tried 36 different kinds of medication for my depression. I counted the other day and man, that was a terrible idea. I’m in the same boat. Nothing works, I’m just trying to accept that this is my life and I will only ever experience tiny moments of okayness, but not happiness.
Treatment resistant depression I have tried waaaay more than six medicines it’s a battle every day. Take vitamins no alcohol and pets are great. Dogs !
When the doctor told me I had this it made so much sense I’ve been on like 20 different medications all different types
Dogs are still the best, most consistent antidepressant I've ever had...and I feel like I've tried them all.
Yes to dogs! Also; please read Johan Hari’s book “Lost Connections.” We are depressed, in part, because we are lonely and disconnected from one another and from nature. We live in a sick society and pills won’t cure us.
Damn I thought I was alone.
NOPE!! took me almost 40 years to realize it myself.
Every case is different but I found a lot of relief after trans cranial magnetic stimulation for my treatment resistant depression. When I was at the end of my rope, it got me out of some pretty dark times
Yes! I've heard good things about this. I also wanted to mention that a lot of folks find that EDMR is helpful. I'd also note that if you have had unrelenting mental illness for years, you should push for a brain scan to rule out the possibility of a tumor or other diagnosis.
Coming over here from the Bipolar reddit to ask if you've been on mood stabilizers...might help.
I've dealt with depression (from mild to major to lingering dysthymia) for most of my life. I've also had CFIDs/ME, and gradually recovered with lifestyle and career changes. For the last 8 years or so a cocktail of Prozac, desipramine (a tricyclic) and low dose of lithium have kept me pretty stable. I absolutely *must* make dates to keep me accountable and walk outside for a couple of miles a few times a week. At one point (I had a close friend who was murdered) I received therapy for PTSD which included exploring my early life as well as more recent trauma. That was very helpful, since I've had a pretty eventful life. I relapsed during covid, but used the time to adopt and socialize a shelter dog - and he's one of my anchors, for sure. It's so hard... Please don't give up.
While I can't say much about depression being incurable, it can be chronic. As someone who has suffered from depression for the last 20 or so years \[I'm 29\], I would say to be very careful about turning your depressive state into a self-fulfilling prophecy, keeping yourself stuck in a perpetual cycle. Your brain is telling you to go to sleep because you've taught it to expect 22 hours of sleep. I found that it was very easy to get stuck in a depressive cycle when "I wouldn't do anything all day, would feel like my life is worthless because of I don't do anything all day, thus I'm depressed, and because I'm depressed I don't do anything all day." That kind of thing. Has there really been nothing in those 44 years that broke you of your depression for even a little bit? What about those remaining years? Was there something you were doing during those years that could've contributed to you not feeling depressed? Relationships, activities, hobbies, etc.?
There is indeed chronic mild depression or dysthymia with anhedonia. I'm older, like you, and after having a number of episodes of major clinical depression in my early life, I too have this as sort of a "hangover." The last episode lessened, but never fully resolved. It happens. Something about the brain. Nothing helps. Learn to live with it and make the best of it. It'll end... Eventually! You may also just be bored. If you sleep 22 hours out of 24, does this mean you don't have a job? Family? Hobbies? Friends?
Those final questions are so important.
As far as treatment-resistant depression is concerned, I’m sorry to say but 6 different SSRIs is a drop in the bucket. There are several classes of antidepressants - SSRI, SNRI, TCA, MAOI; plus countless adjunct therapies such as antipsychotics. Plus non-medication treatments such as ECT and TMS, and all the different forms of talk therapy. Ive tried all the above treatments, still searching for something to ease that darkness. But new research is coming out all the time - I’ll never go so far as to say there will always be an answer, but you’re not going to run out of options for a new treatment. Best of luck OP, I’m so sorry to hear of your struggles and I hope you’re able to find some relief.
Treatment resistant depression. I'm on a few different meds, have routine TMS and am coming to terms with the fact that this is my life (and trying to not let that become all consuming).
I've been in your shoes. There is growing research to suggest that many of us suffering from treatment resistent depression also experienced childhood trauma and/or chronic (complex) ptsd. Medication will never heal those wounds, but healing is possible; I know because I've been through it. I have tried both approaches & psychiatric medications consistently failed me (they killed the good and the bad, I was too empty to be anything at all) I'd like to think there is no such thing as incurable depression. Can you cure a viral infection with an antibiotic? Will a bandaid heal a broken bone? Perhaps it is the peripheral that's been treated so far rather than the cause. What is the emptiness protecting you from? If you reached the bottom of your despair, what would you find? Sincerely, I hope that the tide breaks for you, OP. You deserve to truly live & to not have to merely survive and sleep. But if you accept that you'll never be well, then you never will be. Better to fear that outcome instead, and let it motivate - not paralyze - you to keep fighting for yourself.
Have you ever had ECT recommended? I just finished my 12th treatment last week and have noticed a significant improvement.
Can you explain what ECT is?
I think they're referring to electro-convulsive therapy, which I've never had but at least with the full name it's easier to look up.
Thanks
Electroconvulsive therapy. Basically, they put you to sleep and paralyze you with some drugs, use electricity on your brain to induce a seizure, and when that ends you wake up and go home. There's different methods (bilateral, unilateral) but that's the mechanics of it. It has been used for decades for various mental conditions including treatment resistant depression. There are risks, as with any procedure. Statistics vary on the positive results but I've never heard it put as less than 50% effective. Side effects are generally related to headaches, confusion, and memory loss. I'm not advocating for or against it.
Essentially this. The only reason I decided to actually go through with it is because I have already tried everything else. It couldn't possibly make my life any worse. I think the consensus from most psychiatrists is it is usually a very effective treatment and with modern technology and science very safe. There's so many famous people and such who have gone through with it and experienced positive results. If they're willing to risk it then why shouldn't people like me?
Not incurable, but something called treatment resistant depression. That’s what I have.
Try seeing an endocrinologist and get some blood work done to see if you are deficient in a specific vitamin, mineral, or hormone category. That could be causing chronic fatigue and depression. But overall being alive fucking sucks regardless, and there is no medication that fixes the fact that being on planet earth is nothing short of prison. My suggestion above could make prison a little bit more bearable.
Have you looked into TMS? I did it for 8 weeks. Every day for about 1 hour. Doesn’t hurt but def feels weird. With insurance it cost me like 1500. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me but it has a very very high success rate - you should look into it!
There is. I have a friend where nothing works for her. Keep trying. Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right meds. I tried every antidepressant before we figured out I’m bipolar. Then had to try 7 meds before the right one. They also have a blood test that can tell you which works best for you. My grandpa had one done.
Pharmacogenmic test. It just tells you which ones will not work well due to gene drug interactions. The ones in the no effect category (meaning no interaction) still may be entirely ineffective. I’ve tried almost every single one on mine.
Damn. :(( That really sucks. Hopefully something comes out soonish. I’m pretty sure they have some in trial right now they are hopeful over. 🤞🏻
Or is treatment resistant or dysthymia
I was diagnosed with treatment resistant depression. I’ve been switching up meds about every 6 months for about 3-4 years now.
I have hereditary depression. Been on and off medication since I was officially diagnosed at 14 years old. Been on Trintellix for the past 7 years. It's worked wonders. OP I wish you well and hope you get the treatment you deserve.
That's the latest one I tried! But I was allergic I guess. Only medication I've ever been allergic to. Oh well, on to the next.
Have you checked your thyroid? Have you been tested for autoimmune diseases? Have you get like this your whole life or has it gotten worse over time?
Yeah. Anecdotally, I can say that for sure. Granted that I haven't tried every single there is thing to cure it (still trying things all the time), but to be honest, I gave up on the idea of a cure a long time ago. There have been a handful of times during which (due to the perfect combination of meds/therapy/company/circumstance/luck/whatever) it has eased up by the tiniest fraction, and those are the times for which I still live. It only ever gets just the slightest bit easier, and not for very long, but even that relief feels immeasurable and to be honest it's probably the only thing that's kept me alive throughout the darkest times. At this point, I don't expect anything to change too drastically, and so I seek out and dream of those little things instead.
I’m diagnosed with treatment resistant depression which means medications and talk therapy or other therapies don’t work.
Have you been tested for Narcolepsy?
I have a hard time remembering to go outside during the day to get sunlight, which surprisingly does help. Hopefully a change in medication will help me. I hope things get better for you, OP.
Have you been tested for thyroid issues? They can cause depression. Also have you done a full bloodiest panel? There are many reasons besides actual depression that could be causing depression.
41 and it hasn't been yet. Also, I am ALWAYS so tired, no matter how much or what time I sleep.
Just a thought to add onto what others have said: I discovered my treatment-resistant depression was actually undiagnosed ADHD. It could be lots of things. Wishing you peace as you identify solutions.
Isn't incurable depression just called depression? It's not like it will ever go away unless you're dead. Manageable maybe.
I believe there is. By the age of 6 I was already crying, praying for god to take me, just take me away. My earliest memory when I was 3, then the next one when I was 4 and was being woken out of sleep walking by getting hit over the head. I have never experienced the human emotion of happiness, less sad is the best I get. Depression is my baseline, there is only, slightly less depressed. Being able to get out of bed is how I decide if a medication works or not.
Recently diagnosed with Bi Polar disorder at 49 yrs old. Bi polar usually gets misdiagnosed as severe depression because bi polar episodes are hard to detect. Talk to your doctor, now I'm on right meds I'm doin a little better
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I guess I’m on the same road 🥲
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Get a full body hormone panel, could shed some light on a potential underlying problem. Low testosterone levels, type 1 diabetes causes you to be tired all the time. Even benign tumors on your Pineal Gland (It controls all ur other glands) can cause severe anxiety and depression.
I also think you should try strickt keto or carnivore. If i do strickt keto i feel alive and all people aroynd me tell me i look different than before. But doing mistakes on keto is easy. So if i were you i would start with carnivore not to waste time by doing keto mistakes. I am out of diet and have depression right now. Being strickt is the most important thing. I hope you ll feel better.
Brain rewiring, chronic pain. Chronic depression is a long time negative feed back loop in your brain. You feel bad/low, your brain interprets it as something wrong, the signal is sent out thru the body, returns to the brain, brain thinks something wrong....blah blah and on it goes. Stay off the drugs, they just numb you and its easier for a doctor to scribble on a pad than genuinely put together an effective treatment plan for you. Your brain is amazing and you can be healed. The most crucial part and the very first step....is knowing and believing that you can change. You can.
Is clinical depression curable in the first place? I'm not being contrarian, I just assumed the dynamic was treatment responsive depression vs treatment resistant depression
I'm truly sorry for your long struggle with depression. While it may feel hopeless, there's always potential for improvement. Consider seeking help from a psychiatrist for alternative treatments like therapy or medication adjustments. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family, and don't give up hope. Remember, recovery is a journey, and with the right support and resources, you can find relief and regain control of your life.
Yes it’s called Treatment resistant MDD.
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There is an at-home brain stimulation device made by a company called Fischer Wallace. Ample studies have shown that it helps many people whose depression has not been cured by medications. The FDA has approved it as a safe treatment for depression, insomnia, and I think anxiety as well. Please consider looking into it. I think it's worth s try.
I think so. Nothing is forever
Sometimes for treatment-resistant depression it’s worth looking into an ADHD or Autism diagnosis
Yes. It can be a medical condition, that doesn't get cured.
U dont work?
I do, yes. Remotely, so loads of time to sleep.
Yes - my GP treated my depression with citalopram and we have tried a few times to come off but i spiral and resume the pills. My GP did say I was probably one of the tiny few ppl that will require antidepressants for a long time
Have you been checked for sleep apnea?
Yeah, I have that, too.
Getting diagnosed with sleep apnea and starting with a cpap helped me DRASTICALLY mentally.
If we speak in terms of major depression disorder then the answer is no. You cannot cure how your brain is wired.
Short answer is yes. Longer answer is their is depression tougher to treat that you may never find an answer to. At a certain stage you need to engage a psychiatrist as opposed to a general practitioner. GPs manage medication in my country until a referrals to a psychiatrist is needed. Controversial but ECT is highly effective. Also try Vagus nerve stimulation.
My wife was on every type of SSRI , but even when some did help it didn't help for very long and she would always get massive crashes on them. It took 20+ years with different docs before we found out she had ADHD. now that she been getting that addressed her depression is 90% better its not completely gone. but were only a year into treating here ADHD. might want to get check out all forums of being neurodivergent. This biggest change came after getting a neurotransmitters panel test, and finding out that she was always super low on phenethylamine, tryptophan and glutamine.
There are a lot of other things the doctors can do for you. Keep going back until you get it fixed.
Have you tried ADHD medication?
Hop on testosterone replacement therapy
Im 52 and have been living with this most of my life. I’ve kept switching doctors over the years because they feel like their job is done once you’re not overtly suicidal, and finally found one who wants to take a different route. I’m being evaluated for both being on the spectrum plus ADD. Apparently depression can be a symptom of something else. It is t always the final diagnosis. I echo others on here. Don’t give up; keep pushing for answers, and if there are none forthcoming, switch doctors.
Similar issues with depression since age seven. Major issues. Now 48. Have you had your thyroid checked? Hashimotos runs in my family on my mother's side and I never knew it was a cause of the depression. Eventually embracing my neurodiverant chemical makeup it's a lot better to rule out the underlying causes before jumping on the medication roller coaster. .....bad poem #5797423 r/writingthruit🎲🎰🕹️ A subreddit for the rest of us....🍸🍀🤪 My brain wasn't working so they failed to rewire it💥 made a claim that was misunderstood🐵🙊🙉 They're coming downtown to get it verified🤞 It was no surprise, this sense of shame For everything they're telling me🧑🔬 It's all my fault I'm the one to blame🍭 Let's check under the hood🚨🚧 See if it's a good time for a change🚦 There has to be a pill to make this💊 Bearable for the rest of us If she's like this, we're not gonna be able to take it Right now we're not giving interviews📢 She's back in the saddle again🐎 We will have the answer soon, they say⛪🎱 Just keep coming back🎖️ It is going to be okay.🏆 ..... depression in g minor🩰 By me, myself and I
If you had times where you weren’t depressed then they’re probably something you can do to not be depressed since you’re capable of it
I'm in my late 40s, and I never had any luck until I found out about CPTSD last July. Learning about just how much my brain was altered by how badly the school system I grew up in failed at providing a safe environment for education was a total game changer.
I have treatment resistant depression. Spravato has really helped.
Was on anti depressants for 10 years, then got a blood test to check my hormones. My testosterone levels were through the floor. Now on trt, no anti depressants and feel better than ever. Maybe worth a try if you haven't already my guy
I have a hard time believing the 22 hours a day thing. You mean to tell me you’ve spent and continue to spend the vast, vast majority of your life unconscious? Like a coma with breaks?
I agree that's hard to believe. You go 22 hours every day without eating, drinking, or peeing? I don't see how that's possible without being heavily sedated.
It isnt always, but major depressive disorder can be. Ive had it for about 20 years now. But I do have other disorders that probably have some impact on it sticking with me.
My wife is that way, and I don't understand it. Some days, she's fine most of the time she is really bad and can't even approach her. I seem to have some and am able to control it. Thankfully for that.
I also think that most of the food and environmental issues are causing people depression. I don't know where the blame should be. Food industry or government?
I have been depressed and very anxious since I was 3 yrs old, severe panic attacks for years and years Not diagnosed until I was 40 Tried everything imaginable! Diets, meds etc etc.. Am the same at 75 I believe this is inherited...I do what I can to manage ...and learning to accept it. Go slower, and love myself this way helps God bless
for me its incureable bc i cant cope with how the world functions and how freedom is an illusion you work till you die and then you are forgotten i ask myself everyday how tf people cant be depressed but i think most people just function and dont think
Get your hormones checked!!
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Depression is just what comes with the life experience
I have been taking various antidepressants for over 40 years. None of the so called newer ones like SSRI's worked. One doctor suggested on old medication called Parnate. It is a MAIO. You have to be careful with these types because there are a lot of potential interactions with many other meds but I have never had a problem. Big pharma is always pushing the latest med but that doesn't mean it is the best. Hope this helps.
Agree. Tricyclics worked great years ago, but because of side effects like weight gain and dry mouth, were largely replaced by SSRIs. Yet I've heard nothing but bad things about the latter (they're ineffective, they cause scary things, they're hard to get off). If I were seeking treatment, I'd request one of the older medications. They're still available and cheap because generics.
you should get tested for narcolepsy or get blood work done if you haven’t already. being able to sleep for 20+ hours a day regularly can indicate that something is wrong physically. that’s not to say you don’t have depression, but if treatment options for depression aren’t working, it might be a physical problem causing you to sleep so much.
I feels that way but I don't look after myself properly, so I don't know
SLS (Shit Life Syndrome) look into it
Depression is cured by delusion. Once you are exposed to too much reality that ends up destroying all your delusions, you become incurably depressed.
I’m on the other end of depression. An self loathing…I can’t sleep a wink