Depression and Anxiety

[lc9]

I also read that some renegage practitioners (psychologists/psychiatrists) used ecstasy as part of their program and that it yielded positive results.  From my experiences back in the day, I didn't experience any negative state afterwards, just an occasional slurring of speech that lasted a few months.  But that's insignificant if the results are positive.  If it doesn't help at least you'll have what might be the most pleasant 6 hours of your life ever!  Never tried ketamine though.

haha, yes, there have been reports of Docs doing things that, even in severe cases, shouldn't be done.

But there are scores of researhcers popping up in the U.S., especially in the Texas area who are using Ketamine for suicidal depression patients, and like I said, results are encouraging.  It is geared towards treatment-resistant patients, which is why I asked Rick if they had tried these types of drugs.  I mean, this is the new course of action in the fight against depression; treating depression in the immediate.

Here is another good read, it is a little more scientific.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2006/experimental-medication-kicks-depression-in-hours-instead-of-weeks.shtml

 

[lc9]

Anyone know of anymore research regarding depression. I've heard several ideas before, like lack of certain amino acids, inflammations, lack of vitamin d, lack of certain minerals, usually magnesium.

There is tons of research with seemingly countless theories and ideas.  Magnessium and Vitamin D treatments (which can be OTC), would be geared for someone who experiences very mild depression, or episodic depression (like people who get sad in the winter), but there is no correlation to suggest these treatments reduce or effect depression long term.  Depression and anxiety are a combination of the physical and mental, and it is very real.  Research is pretty solid on which neurotransmitters effects depression the most.  Which is why new drugs are starting to pop up, because it is only recently that researchers found that the glutamate receptors react in a much different manner than other receptors.  The response to a drug, like Ketamine, is quick. 

Once we start unlocking the brain, treatments in the future will have much more immediate impacts.

 

[Stebro]

Anyone know of anymore research regarding depression. I've heard several ideas before, like lack of certain amino acids, inflammations, lack of vitamin d, lack of certain minerals, usually magnesium.

There is tons of research with seemingly countless theories and ideas.  Magnessium and Vitamin D treatments (which can be OTC), would be geared for someone who experiences very mild depression, or episodic depression (like people who get sad in the winter), but there is no correlation to suggest these treatments reduce or effect depression long term.  Depression and anxiety are a combination of the physical and mental, and it is very real.  Research is pretty solid on which neurotransmitters effects depression the most.  Which is why new drugs are starting to pop up, because it is only recently that researchers found that the glutamate receptors react in a much different manner than other receptors.  The response to a drug, like Ketamine, is quick. 

Once we start unlocking the brain, treatments in the future will have much more immediate impacts.

What makes no sense to me is that it seems as if a lot think that all depressions are related to serotonin for example, and I don't buy that. Because my experience is that some get better from taking antidepressants that deal with that, some don't get better at all, some get worse. So the only conclusion I can draw is that their depressions depend on different reasons. And I think it's weird that the healthcare is just basically taking a shot in the dark and hoping for the best. I mean it would be one thing if you measured the level of serotonin etc before treatment. Btw is glutamate related to that amino acid? Or is it the same thing?

 

[lc9]

What makes no sense to me is that it seems as if a lot think that all depressions are related to serotonin for example, and I don't buy that. Because my experience is that some get better from taking antidepressants that deal with that, some don't get better at all, some get worse. So the only conclusion I can draw is that their depressions depend on different reasons. And I think it's weird that the healthcare is just basically taking a shot in the dark and hoping for the best. I mean it would be one thing if you measured the level of serotonin etc before treatment. Btw is glutamate related to that amino acid? Or is it the same thing?

Your logic is pretty accurate.  I try to explain to people like this.  Imagine your knee hurts, and you go to the doctor, will that doctor immediately know what is wrong?  No.  Are there different causes of knee pain?  Yes.  Now this is a simplified example, but depression is the same, some people react better to dopamine drugs, others SSRIs (serotonin) and others to stuff like ketamine.

And yes, glutamate is an amino acid, it is one of 20 in the body that is used to assemble proteins, so it is found throughout the body, including the brain, where it is a neurotransmitter.

Furthermore, glutamate receptors are implicated in the pathologies of a number of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.  So it is a very important receptor and neurotransmitter in the brain and body. 

 

[Bullfrog]

And for many people, depression has a cause not linked to chemistry. While their bio-chemistry might be out of whack, it could simply be symptom of life-long repression of emotions or memories.

I might have posted this already, but when I saw my doctor about a month ago, all he asked was whether I thought I was bad enough to warrant medication. Uh, what? Isn't that for the doctor to decide? How about suggesting I speak to a psychologist or even asking what I think might be a cause?

 

[lc9]

And for many people, depression has a cause not linked to chemistry. While their bio-chemistry might be out of whack, it could simply be symptom of life-long repression of emotions or memories.

This is exactly right.  Some people are void of imbalances that would suggest depression, yet it still exists.  That is why it is hard to treat.

I might have posted this already, but when I saw my doctor about a month ago, all he asked was whether I thought I was bad enough to warrant medication. Uh, what? Isn't that for the doctor to decide? How about suggesting I speak to a psychologist or even asking what I think might be a cause?

And this is the reason it is hard to find the root cause.  Depression and anxiety are complex diseases that originate in many forms at any age in life.  It is a process to alleviate symptoms.

Even if someone were to use the ketamine, this won't slove their problem for life, other things need to be addressed in an ongoing manner.  The goal, like any progressive and languishing disease, is to keep the disease in remission through progressive treatment.   

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

I'm not a medical doctor, nor do I wanna be. 

Some types of depression result from suppressed anger. 

 

[moon111]

I'm not a medical doctor, nor do I wanna be. 

Some types of depression result from suppressed anger.

So flush that Prozac down the toilet and punch a Habs fan today!

 

[Rick C.]

They still use ECT??? I thought that barbaric practice was discredited!!!

What part of it is barbaric?  I must have missed something in the 5 sessions that I had?!?

 

[Mikhail Bloodnovsky]

They still use ECT??? I thought that barbaric practice was discredited!!!

What part of it is barbaric?  I must have missed something in the 5 sessions that I had?!?

Someone watched too many bad Holywood movies. Few shows on Discovery I saw on ECT showed how effective it can be for some people.

 

[Bullfrog]

I'm not a medical doctor, nor do I wanna be. 

Some types of depression result from suppressed anger.

So flush that Prozac down the toilet and punch a Habs fan today!

While I know you're just joking, inappropriate expression of anger comes in two forms: suppression and rage. They're both equally damaging to the person feeling the anger.

 

[Bender]

They still use ECT??? I thought that barbaric practice was discredited!!!

What part of it is barbaric?  I must have missed something in the 5 sessions that I had?!?

Someone watched too many bad Holywood movies. Few shows on Discovery I saw on ECT showed how effective it can be for some people.

I actually haven't seen any movies for ECT. I just am of the view that shocking the brain is probably not a good idea. Studies move back and forth for the practice, but I'm skeptical of its usefulness.

 

[riff raff]

They still use ECT??? I thought that barbaric practice was discredited!!!

What part of it is barbaric?  I must have missed something in the 5 sessions that I had?!?

Someone watched too many bad Holywood movies. Few shows on Discovery I saw on ECT showed how effective it can be for some people.

I actually haven't seen any movies for ECT. I just am of the view that shocking the brain is probably not a good idea. Studies move back and forth for the practice, but I'm skeptical of its usefulness.

Carrie Fisher is a big proponent of it...if that means anything to anyone.

 

[Stebro]

I don't know what to think anymore. The jobs I want exist out there, and I get to interviews. But a lot of time during the interviews, I get negative thoughts about my health. And thinking about the expectations they have, and thinking about whether I can do it or not. Sometimes I just don't know whether I feel bad because of the fact that I don't have the jobs I want, and sometimes I think that it doesn't matter what job I'll have, I'll still feel bad. And I keep on coming back to the same question. "Will I ever become healthy again?". Then I look back at the time, and I've had depression for like 10 years, and I come up with the answer "Getting healthy? yeah, that sure seems likely". And I can't keep on living like this, and I can't quit either. And I don't have any answers.

 

[Bullfrog]

Sounds to me like you've got a bit of a fear of success and failure. A fear of success often comes with fears that people will expect more out of you that you can provide. A fear of failure prevents us from taking risks and trying new experiences. But often end up with the same result: self-sabotage -- whether intention or unconsciously.

Fear of failure is what's prevented me from truly succeeding and really enjoying life. I wish I had the answers for you, but I'm still figuring it out myself.

Is there anything that happened in your childhood that might be affecting how you feel and act now? After some soul-searching, I think I'm starting to really understand how my past has affected my life.

 

[McPwnage]

At least you are getting to the interviews, I am in a catch 22 when it comes to job hunting.  Because I have never had a formal job I don't have anything of real substance on my resume so when I try to get a job I get completely shut down.  On a serious note anyone have advice on how to break the cycle of job hunting?  I'm starting to think I might have to volunteer somewhere. 

 

[The Red Polar Bear]

At least you are getting to the interviews, I am in a catch 22 when it comes to job hunting.  Because I have never had a formal job I don't have anything of real substance on my resume so when I try to get a job I get completely shut down.  On a serious note anyone have advice on how to break the cycle of job hunting?  I'm starting to think I might have to volunteer somewhere.

I've been looking for quite a while myself, so while this may be the blind leading the blind, but that's probably a good idea. Either volunteer, get more training (either formal or informal) or get a part time, temporary, unrelated job. Improving your skill set, whether it's through knowledge or experience, will be helpful in the long run no matter what happens.

The biggest thing right now though is your connections - in good times, people get hired through legitimate means; now, it's all about who you know within the company. In my close circle of university friends, 6 got jobs through others (relatives, professors, whomever), 3 are still looking (myself included) and one got it through a regular application process. Talk to people who you know that are employed in your field and outright ask if they know of any internal postings within their company that you can apply to, or even if they can take your resume and forward it to whoever is relevant.

You obviously know that it's pretty difficult out there. On one hand, it sucks that so many people are looking for work. On the other, there is some comfort in knowing that there are a lot of people in the same situation as you are, so you're not alone in your efforts. That can be seen as good or bad, but I choose to look at it in a "don't be discouraged" sort of way.



(Anyone need an entry-level chemical engineer? )

 

[moon111]

I'm not a medical doctor, nor do I wanna be. 

Some types of depression result from suppressed anger.

So flush that Prozac down the toilet and punch a Habs fan today!

While I know you're just joking, inappropriate expression of anger comes in two forms: suppression and rage. They're both equally damaging to the person feeling the anger.

Of course I'm joking... or maybe not.
Anger comes from lack of control.  If you can accept the things you can't control, it'll greatly reduce one's anger.

 

[Bender]

At least you are getting to the interviews, I am in a catch 22 when it comes to job hunting.  Because I have never had a formal job I don't have anything of real substance on my resume so when I try to get a job I get completely shut down.  On a serious note anyone have advice on how to break the cycle of job hunting?  I'm starting to think I might have to volunteer somewhere.

Strategies that worked for me:

1) Start somewhere and pile on the responsibilities early. It doesn't matter, to be honest. I gained responsibility as a keyholder and lead salesperson at my retail store. Having targets and clear goals that you reached that the manager can corroborate is KEY. My girlfriend also started retail and became management. She has since moved on to a large company making decent money for being out of school for less than 2 years.

2) Apply to internships, not necessarily voluntary. There are a lot of options out there. http://www.careeredge.ca was extremely useful. The school job postings sucked major.

3) Start off with a large company: Banks are pretty much recession proof. Try RBC, TD, BMO etc and their insurance counterparts and stick it out for a year or two. The level of prestige you get even working an entry level position at a company everybody recognizes is invaluable.


I can send you some other links as well, as I'm a pretty recent grad. I'm probably only 3 years ahead of you.

My strategy is work where I am currently and use any downtime to work towards a certification in order to catapult myself into another pay grade.

 

[McPwnage]

At least you are getting to the interviews, I am in a catch 22 when it comes to job hunting.  Because I have never had a formal job I don't have anything of real substance on my resume so when I try to get a job I get completely shut down.  On a serious note anyone have advice on how to break the cycle of job hunting?  I'm starting to think I might have to volunteer somewhere.

Strategies that worked for me:

1) Start somewhere and pile on the responsibilities early. It doesn't matter, to be honest. I gained responsibility as a keyholder and lead salesperson at my retail store. Having targets and clear goals that you reached that the manager can corroborate is KEY. My girlfriend also started retail and became management. She has since moved on to a large company making decent money for being out of school for less than 2 years.

2) Apply to internships, not necessarily voluntary. There are a lot of options out there. http://www.careeredge.ca was extremely useful. The school job postings sucked major.

3) Start off with a large company: Banks are pretty much recession proof. Try RBC, TD, BMO etc and their insurance counterparts and stick it out for a year or two. The level of prestige you get even working an entry level position at a company everybody recognizes is invaluable.


I can send you some other links as well, as I'm a pretty recent grad. I'm probably only 3 years ahead of you.

My strategy is work where I am currently and use any downtime to work towards a certification in order to catapult myself into another pay grade.

cool, I will try that site.  Yeah the career page at my school hasn't really helped me at all.