Re:Let’s avoid talk of ‘chemical imbalance’: it’s people in ...
by GordonS on Thursday July 16, 2020 @10:48AM
(#23859524)
I've suffered with depression my entire life, or at least as far back as I can remember. Even as a young child I felt that way - despite the fact that my mother was a manic depressive (with multiple suicide attempts and stays in psychiatric hospitals over the years), I didn't recognise it as depression until I was much older; firstly because it was how things had always been, and secondly I guess because I got so good at hiding it that I'd subconsciously convinced myself.
I was always sad, and saw little meaning in my life, or in life at all, really. I cried lot. I frequently fantasised about killing myself, though I never got close to actually doing so.
I never talked about the way I felt. I felt ashamed, and I felt that people wouldn't understand - I've often heard "normal" people talk of how depressed people should "man up" or "get over it". Over the years, I got very good at hiding my true feelings. AFAIK, nobody ever guessed.
Maybe 5 years ago I started taking 5-HTP, which I believe has an SSRI effect (but one that is more short lived than pharmaceutical SSRIs). I actually started taking it for another reason (neuropathic pain, which has of course not helped with depression!), as I'd never considered treating the way I felt with chemicals, but within a few weeks the difference in me was incredible - I realised I hadn't cried in a while, and hadn't felt the immense lows that I felt every couple of weeks or so.
I still take 200mg twice a day, and get immense benefit from it - it's not a cure by a long shot, but after a lifetime of feeling miserable, the change is amazing. I seldom cry for no reason, and I rarely experience extreme lows (and when I do, they are less severe and shorter lived).
More recently I also started taking ketamine for my neuropathic pain, but it's actually further enhanced the anti-depressive actions.
I've tried SNRIs and SSRIs for my neuropathic pain, but am unable to tolerable them. If anyone else is in the same position, I'd very strongly recommend reading about 5-HTP and thinking about trying it. If you've tried SSRIs and they've failed for you, then it might be worth looking into ketamine (though I realise that may not be an option depending on where you live).
I was always sad, and saw little meaning in my life, or in life at all, really. I cried lot. I frequently fantasised about killing myself, though I never got close to actually doing so.
I never talked about the way I felt. I felt ashamed, and I felt that people wouldn't understand - I've often heard "normal" people talk of how depressed people should "man up" or "get over it". Over the years, I got very good at hiding my true feelings. AFAIK, nobody ever guessed.
Maybe 5 years ago I started taking 5-HTP, which I believe has an SSRI effect (but one that is more short lived than pharmaceutical SSRIs). I actually started taking it for another reason (neuropathic pain, which has of course not helped with depression!), as I'd never considered treating the way I felt with chemicals, but within a few weeks the difference in me was incredible - I realised I hadn't cried in a while, and hadn't felt the immense lows that I felt every couple of weeks or so.
I still take 200mg twice a day, and get immense benefit from it - it's not a cure by a long shot, but after a lifetime of feeling miserable, the change is amazing. I seldom cry for no reason, and I rarely experience extreme lows (and when I do, they are less severe and shorter lived).
More recently I also started taking ketamine for my neuropathic pain, but it's actually further enhanced the anti-depressive actions.
I've tried SNRIs and SSRIs for my neuropathic pain, but am unable to tolerable them. If anyone else is in the same position, I'd very strongly recommend reading about 5-HTP and thinking about trying it. If you've tried SSRIs and they've failed for you, then it might be worth looking into ketamine (though I realise that may not be an option depending on where you live).