1. Be clear about your reason(s) for wanting to switch antidepressants. Is it that the side effects are intolerable, or is it that you are not satisfied with the response? If you want to switch for the latter reason, you need to determine exactly what you mean and communicate that to your doctor. Did your antidepressant ever work fully? Bear in... Read more
The other day, I took an impromptu break at work to buy something to drink. "I'm just so dehydrated," I told my boss. "My blood pressure medication does that to me - maybe yours is having the same effect."
Aha. That was probably it. Due to my elevated blood pressure, my doctor had strongly suggested I start on medication, which I had done... Read more
I've been taking antidepressant medication for almost twenty years solid, with the exception of the period when I was switching antidepressants and when I was pregnant. The first antidepressant my depression was treated with was Norpramin, also known as Desipramine. I was very lucky, as it worked very well for me. Not everyone has that kind of... Read more
Let me tell you a tale of two Deborahs, and two different ways to handle stress. The first tale takes place in 1993. I was working at the corporate headquarters of a bookstore chain. Although I was doing a good job and getting stellar performance reviews from a very exacting boss, the company was in trouble. There had already been one round of... Read more
As I said in my part one of my depression recovery series, an important step to take once you've recovered from depression is to do everything you can to ensure that your depression will not recur. We're starting to understand that the whole body is involved in the treatment of depression and depression resistance, not just the brain. So even if... Read more
