Kwa Tjong-Liem For a number of years now I have been, out of necessity, visiting hospitals, On several occasions, I was the patient myself. Then there was my wife's illness. Hospitals are like that, all those who visit hospitals have some reason to be worried. Still everybody puts on a brave face. I vividly remember when somebody in the adjoining ward passed away, there was all of a sudden loud wailing by his (it was a male patient) relatives. We try to cope with this as good as we can.
Thank you for writing again about depression. I have been free of it now since 2/22/22. I have a diagnosis of major depression, recurrent, severe. Hoping that this uplifted state is more permanent this time. The last stretch lasted 9 months and was triggered by a trauma last May.
I can recommend an incredible book about C-PTSD which is common in combination with major depression. What my Bones Know by Stephanie Foo. I have dealt also with healing from C-PTSD.
In my case Ketamine infusions and Spravato treatments have been very helpful. I have not done any for the past few months and have continued to do well. Spravato (Esketamine) has the advantage of being covered by many insurance plans for treatment resistant depression. I found infusions more powerful, but generally, people have to pay out of pocket for them. I know of someone who was able to treat her teenager with Ketamine infusions. Not sure if Spravato is available for teens. They are both psychedelic therapies.
This is so interesting Mel. I've been doing a lot of reading about ketamine, it seems like it is an effective jumpstarter, as we know the antidepressant meds take so long to kick in, and ppl don't know when they start whether they will at all, so that waiting and trying different drugs can lead to feelings of futility. I'm glad you've found a bit of a reprieve yourself. May it last, and your summer be peaceful and creative, Susanna
A good piece, just read it now. Yes, many of us know someone thus affected. I have a very good friend (not nearby, in Germany) whose life was completely disrupted by depression, had to quit her position at a university, could do little. Remarkably, after several years, and trying various things, ranging from spiritual to drugs, and nothing seemed to help, she finally did start to get better, and does now seem to have made a pretty much full recovery. Remarkably, something as simple as caring for and walking with a friend's dog, seems to have been the biggest thing that helped her get back into normal life. So happy for her.
I really think that caring for an animal is indeed healing. I also knew someone who worked with 1st graders as a classroom helper and the oxytocin and love she got from them helped so so much. Thanks for sharing that story, Susanna
Once again, such a well written piece! I have dealt w/ a husband who was in the throes of depression a couple of times and I would not wish it on anyone. I now have a daughter who is self-harming and I wonder if the depression is genetic or situational. I also have a friend who lost her son to suicide last year and just the thought of what she must be going through can bring me to tears. I hope that the light can shine brighter on this terrible disease and we can find answers before more people are lost to the darkness. Thank you for adding to the light.
Oh Bex, am so sorry. This is a particularly excruciating kind of parental worry. And I think it’s both genetic and situational, generational stressors trigger it in those with a biological predisposition. I send you hugs and light and strength, I know it is not a linear battle and it can be so exhausting. PS the self harming is so so common now. I wrote a lot about it in that cover story, research on why it is so addictive etc. From Janice Whitlock a research who specializes in it. That part is about 3/4 of the way through the piece. https://time.com/magazine/us/4547305/november-7th-2016-vol-188-no-19-u-s/
Thanks for sending the article--I am going to send it to my daughter so she knows she isn't alone in this. I don't know about you, but I don't know how I would survive today as a teenage girl. I was a "dork" for most of my formative years. I say dork because I had friends, but I was in the G&T program, so socially, I wasn't very outgoing. I was stuck in between groups. Add to that, being an introvert and not realizing that was a reason for why I felt the way I did. Now, I embrace my introversion and don't apologize for it anymore. I feel blessed these days to have survived adolescence. :-)
On another note--it doesn't help the situation at all when it takes more than a month for kids to even get in to see a mental health specialist. I have been trying since March and finally have an appointment for her at the end of the month--ugh!
Kwa Tjong-Liem For a number of years now I have been, out of necessity, visiting hospitals, On several occasions, I was the patient myself. Then there was my wife's illness. Hospitals are like that, all those who visit hospitals have some reason to be worried. Still everybody puts on a brave face. I vividly remember when somebody in the adjoining ward passed away, there was all of a sudden loud wailing by his (it was a male patient) relatives. We try to cope with this as good as we can.
Kwa Tjong-Liem
Thanks for sharing your story Tjon-Liem. And yes, it's about just coping and moving forward however we can. I wish you and your family well, Susanna
Thank you for writing again about depression. I have been free of it now since 2/22/22. I have a diagnosis of major depression, recurrent, severe. Hoping that this uplifted state is more permanent this time. The last stretch lasted 9 months and was triggered by a trauma last May.
I can recommend an incredible book about C-PTSD which is common in combination with major depression. What my Bones Know by Stephanie Foo. I have dealt also with healing from C-PTSD.
In my case Ketamine infusions and Spravato treatments have been very helpful. I have not done any for the past few months and have continued to do well. Spravato (Esketamine) has the advantage of being covered by many insurance plans for treatment resistant depression. I found infusions more powerful, but generally, people have to pay out of pocket for them. I know of someone who was able to treat her teenager with Ketamine infusions. Not sure if Spravato is available for teens. They are both psychedelic therapies.
This is so interesting Mel. I've been doing a lot of reading about ketamine, it seems like it is an effective jumpstarter, as we know the antidepressant meds take so long to kick in, and ppl don't know when they start whether they will at all, so that waiting and trying different drugs can lead to feelings of futility. I'm glad you've found a bit of a reprieve yourself. May it last, and your summer be peaceful and creative, Susanna
A good piece, just read it now. Yes, many of us know someone thus affected. I have a very good friend (not nearby, in Germany) whose life was completely disrupted by depression, had to quit her position at a university, could do little. Remarkably, after several years, and trying various things, ranging from spiritual to drugs, and nothing seemed to help, she finally did start to get better, and does now seem to have made a pretty much full recovery. Remarkably, something as simple as caring for and walking with a friend's dog, seems to have been the biggest thing that helped her get back into normal life. So happy for her.
I really think that caring for an animal is indeed healing. I also knew someone who worked with 1st graders as a classroom helper and the oxytocin and love she got from them helped so so much. Thanks for sharing that story, Susanna
Once again, such a well written piece! I have dealt w/ a husband who was in the throes of depression a couple of times and I would not wish it on anyone. I now have a daughter who is self-harming and I wonder if the depression is genetic or situational. I also have a friend who lost her son to suicide last year and just the thought of what she must be going through can bring me to tears. I hope that the light can shine brighter on this terrible disease and we can find answers before more people are lost to the darkness. Thank you for adding to the light.
Oh Bex, am so sorry. This is a particularly excruciating kind of parental worry. And I think it’s both genetic and situational, generational stressors trigger it in those with a biological predisposition. I send you hugs and light and strength, I know it is not a linear battle and it can be so exhausting. PS the self harming is so so common now. I wrote a lot about it in that cover story, research on why it is so addictive etc. From Janice Whitlock a research who specializes in it. That part is about 3/4 of the way through the piece. https://time.com/magazine/us/4547305/november-7th-2016-vol-188-no-19-u-s/
Thanks for sending the article--I am going to send it to my daughter so she knows she isn't alone in this. I don't know about you, but I don't know how I would survive today as a teenage girl. I was a "dork" for most of my formative years. I say dork because I had friends, but I was in the G&T program, so socially, I wasn't very outgoing. I was stuck in between groups. Add to that, being an introvert and not realizing that was a reason for why I felt the way I did. Now, I embrace my introversion and don't apologize for it anymore. I feel blessed these days to have survived adolescence. :-)
On another note--it doesn't help the situation at all when it takes more than a month for kids to even get in to see a mental health specialist. I have been trying since March and finally have an appointment for her at the end of the month--ugh!
So true, a month to see someone , another month to even have an inkling as to whether the meds or other treatments are working... so rough unless you have funds for non-insurance covered treatments like equine therapy which has had good results with adolescents. There were also places doing somatic healing and walk and talk therapy in the woods which seem to be a welcome alternative to sitting in clinics talking all day. There's also that Susan Cain book on introverts that did so well, twas a bestseller for like 8 years. May the mercurial mental health treatment gods be with your daughter and with you on this road. Along with your friends. Here's the introvert book: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-Talking-Collection/dp/9123962984/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=CjwKCAjwj42UBhAAEiwACIhADl54WlidvDhl_wyZUBsk8PryLBkvwbIBMtU-emqLCl0EJgs-D6jWNhoCG-MQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241613701324&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9004351&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3330553203455595051&hvtargid=kwd-34645668488&hydadcr=15555_10342232&keywords=susan+cain+the+power+of+introverts&qid=1652806752&sr=8-1
B
Speechless ... hugs ...
Thank you, Dave 🙏🏻
Thanks so much 🌸🌸🌸