Korean Job Discussion Forums

[caw0059]

First, let me say that I have struggled with depression for many years starting soon after a car wreck that resulted in a brain injury back in May of '96.
I started out taking Paxil in 1997 which worked fairly well for the 6 months I took it, took Prozac for a while, and was on Lexapro for about 2 years before my body built up a tolerance for it. I have also been on some AD here in Korea in this last year for a short time which worked ok for me.
I have always read and done research on the web regarding the causes, symptoms, types, cures, medicines and anything else regarding depression, and in the past few months I read some info on a web site about nutrition. That is one thing the MD's never talk about. I think it is job security on their part, and it keeps the pharmaceutical industry well funded.
Basically, the information I read talked about how emotions are only chemicals in your brain, which I agree with, and if you are deficient in nutrients then your emotional well being is bound to be off balance in some form or fashion.
Anyway, I began religiously taking a multi-vitamin (Equate One-daily), and I haven't experienced any symptoms of depression for the past 4 months or so. This is the first time in almost 10 years I have felt this good without meds.
I have tried exercise, and maybe it has worked a little, but taking these vitamins have done me a world of good.
I want to encourage anyone reading this to try going steady on a mult-vitamin for a while. Hopefully you can find relief there.
Please pass this information on if you find it helpful.
Best of luck to you.

Chris

[Young FRANKenstein]

Okay, Mr.Cruise.

[Wrench]

[mole]

[Wrench]

[Paji eh Wong]

I am interested in this stuff. I have 'Molecules of Emotion' by Candace Pert sitting in my "to read" pile.

Any other recomended reading?

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Grimalkin]

I worker as a sales rep for Eli Lilly (who make prozac) for a year and my customers were mainly psychiatrists. Most of them use to stress the point that depression was a complex problem and that in most cases more than one approach was needed. Two points were always being stressed.


1)They felt that medication on it's own was seldom effective long-term.

2)Since each patient is different, each needs a treatment tailored to their specific needs.

It's important to remember that altho' depression is a mediated by a chemical imbalance sometime that chemical imbalance is the cause of the depression and sometimes it is a symptom.

In otherwords a biochemical malfunction can cause the chemical imbalance but also a psychological state can bring about the imbalance (the same way that a feeling of fear can cause an increase in adrenalin).

[jajdude]

Wrench, I've never heard of True Hope.

As for chemical imbalances and what works, it sure does depend on the person. I believe in endogenous and exogenous depression.

You lose your job, girl, whatever and become depressed: that's exogenous.
Antidepressants may help, but may not be the thing.

You come from a family where mental strife is rife: that points to endogenous. That's where ADs may be necessary.

Depressed? Let's not confuse the term. Something that seriously affects your life for a long time: That's what I'm referring to.

There are several good places to go on the internet to discuss and find info on this topic. This board is not one of them.

[canuckistan]

[Pligganease]

I have never been diagnosed with "depression."

I have been sad, at times. I have been "in a rut" for weeks on end.

However, I always find that it works itself out. I wonder what people did before synthetic THC alternatives were developed, making big drug companies billions.

My roommate a while back had been on Paxil for a while. I convinced him to stop taking it. I had him go swimming with me every day (5 km/wk) and smoke a bowl every other night. Within a month, he was completely off Paxil and swore he had never felt better in his life.

That was 6 years ago, and he has not taken a pill since.

Man, I hate big medicine.

[canuckistan]

[stevemcgarrett]

Canuckistan:

Congrats: you just might have the most ignorant post on this forum. Many if not most people with long-term clinical depression continue to suffer from the illness despite a healthy lifestyle. Heredity does indeed play a large role, as do chemical imbalances, which can be induced by accumulated stress. It's difficult enough to cope with clinical depression (as my grandmother did) without pointing fingers aka McCartney and Cruise style.

[canuckistan]

[joeyinasia]

Many fellow foreigners I've met here are bi-polar to some degree. I think it helps (us) adjust to the working conditions here, which in themselves, at times, are bi-polar.