After almost 30 years of living and surviving schizophrenia I was informed 2 years ago that I also have bi-polar disorder as well. Needless to say it was a bit of a surprise. Then I started to think back through the years gone by and it seemed to make sense. The hallucinations, the delusions, the fear, all filtered sort of, through the maze of lows and highs.
The reason I write this on your site ( I usually write on Schizophrenia Connection )is that I have been feeling depressed for a long time and I don't know what to do about it. My doctor wont give me anti-depressants (she thinks that I'll get manic). I live in Canada, and you don't really get to choose your doctor up here. (but we do get cable TV, even HBO!!!)
My partner has chronic depression and she gets the right treatment and is doing well. It is through my own experience and hers that I understand depression, but feel powerless to help myself, short of legal action, of which we are considering.
What I'd like to ask this community is can you think of anything else I should/could be doing?
Thanks
DF
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Hi Don
This is a complicated question indeed. I am trying to understand...you have Bipolar Disorder in addition to schizophrenia? Or have you been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder to replace your diagnosis of schizophrenia?
Living in the U.S....I am not aware of the Canadian system for mental health. Is the doctor who treats you now....is this the doctor who has diagnosed you with Bipolar Disorder? I guess I can understand the doctor's reluctance to give you traditional antidepressants if you do have bipolar disorder because for some folks...it could kick you into mania. But what I am not understanding is why the doctor is not treating your bipolar symptoms with medications suitable for this condition.
I am going to give you the link to our Bipolar site so that you can research some of the medications there. In addition...are there not drugs for schizophrenia which also treat depression?
In a perfect world...what would you like to happen? What would you like your doctor to do that he or she is not doing?
Thanks for reaching out here. Let us know more about your situation and we can try to give suggestions and at the very least...give you some support. It sounds like you are in an extremely situation and you just want some relief from your depression.
We are listening!
I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you. I've been away. To answer your questions, my diagnosis was schizophrenia for 26 years. It was just a few years ago that my doctor informed me of the schizo-affective diagnosis. I do take a mood stabilizer, Tegritol, and an anti-convulsant Topomax. I also take two anti -psychotics, in large doses.
My mood is good. I live alone in a 1 bedroom apt. and I've lived here for more than five years, and am doing well supporting myself and maintaining my home. I have a good support network consisting of a loving family and some good friends and I have a Case Manager that comes to my home every two weeks.
I am currently seeking part-time employment with a Vocational Rehab Service and I started a cooking class yesterday.
This Thursday I'll be speaking to a group of college students at a local private collage with the BC Schizophrenia Society. The lady I work with is great!
We've been doing this for about four years now and she is the president of the local chapter. The students I'll talk to this week will be mental health workers and long-term care aid workers. I get paid to talk for 15 min. and we show a video and answer questions. I'm always nervous but each time it gets a little easier.
My Dad was a Medical Librarian and after I had been sick for a few years and had accepted my illness and treatment for it, he educated me.
It is good to know that an individual can understand what I call "the experience of schizophrenia".
As for depression and general mood, there is a tendancy for the anti-psychotics to drag you down a bit but my doctor called this a trade-off. If you have to put up with a bit of a side effect to deal with a symptom - then so be it , just do it.
Thank-you for caring,
Don Fraser