Hi Cali

My parents always went to Qld for 6 or 8 weeks over winter as they loved it up there - but they felt it was too hot in summer to move there. Have a few relatives who moved up and are still there - Gold Coast and another lot at Buderim.

Like you I don't mind the drizzly Melbourne weather - find the extreme heat debilitating - and so hard to maintain any exercise plan in.

Glad it is cooling down up there!

Bye now

Gemma

I have been chronically depressed for most of my life, it started at about 12 and I'm 55 now. I'm successful despite crushing depression and no help, I'm just too stupid to roll over and play dead. I've led a somewhat normal life, whatever that is, I was a Eagle Scout, a Green Beret (before it was cool) and had a fairly successful career so far. I’ve just lost 100+ pounds and recently started on Welbutrin 300mgs a day, I haven’t noticed much and I understand it takes a while. I’ve been to therapists and the one thing for sure is… they are more messed up that I am, and relative ineffective, including wife #4, "The Psycho Psychotherapist", but that’s another story in itself, for another place and time.

I've been on prozak for almost 1 year, 10 mg... for anxiety and due to the fact that I lost 2 sisters 1 to cancer 1 to a heart attack in a matter of months. I also had an unbearable situation at work which is now resolved...but any way... I had been gaining weight at about 10 to 15 pounds a year. I haven't gained any since I started on prozak and infact have lost about 10 pounds since I started taking it.
I have been trying to lose weight for many years...and not having success. I do not want to go back to the way I felt before prozak...so I will be on it yet for awhile.

Hi Jim and Cheryl

Jim, fantastic that you have been able to maintain a relatively normal life despite depression. I think there are lots of people out there "existing" rather than "living" and that when it is the chemical imbalance depression or anxiety, while counselling can perhaps give people new ways to think about things, the chemical imbalance will generally "rule". Like you, visiting a psychologist, attending stress management courses etc, did nothing to relieve the actual sensation of anxiety or depression, it just gave me different ways to think about it and also made me feel bad that I couldn't use my different ways of thinking to actually "make" myself feel better. Thank God I found a Dr who thought Aropax would be worth trying! Boy, was she right!

Good luck with the Wellbutrin - hope it kicks in and works for you, and WOW - fantastic weight loss - I have only shed 31 lbs yet with lots still to go!

Laughed at your comment about marrying a Psycho Psychotherapist! I don't imagine that experience helped your depression!!!!!!!

Hi Cheryl

I have heard lots of reports of Prozac being good for weight loss - I have found even Aropax helps in that I feel good and don't want to comfort eat!. Good luck and like you I have no intention of coming off the meds while I feel so much happier. I know I am easier to live with for my family as I just feel so much more "alive"

Your loss of your two sisters so close together must have been absolutely dreadful! I can't imagine how you got though it! Thank goodness you sought help from your Dr and your Dr was sensible enough to prescribe Prozac. Wow, what a relief the situation at work resolved as that must have been close to the "final straw" at a terribly difficult time - life often seems to throw everything at you at the one time doesn't it!? So glad you are losing weight AND feeling so much better!

Bye now

Gemma

Hi, Jim . . . Love that name . . . JimsGems. If you care to share, what happened, if anything, at 12? What do you think the root of your depression is? Is there family depression? Were there significant life events?

Are you familiar with Self Matters by Phil McGraw? I'm currently working it. It's really challenging, but, I think it will be productive. I, too, spent years in therapy. However, I feel I got a lot out of it. My life has been one of recovery; seeking answers that will promote healthier living. All in all, everything has pointed me in a direction of better functioning. I guess there is no magic and the effects will always exist at some level.

My 4th wife was a psycho psychotherapist sounds like a great title for a book, I'd buy it.
I've been reading boring romance novels while my foot is propped in the air over my head....I think reading that book would have speeded my recoverie...the things it got going through my head.

EveLee;

My "handle" JimsGems is the URL to my business site. I am a gem and jewelery appraiser and I put the site up for customer service.

I've "owned" the name since 1989 and use it all the time... jim~ jimsgems.com is my e:mail www.jimsgems.com is the address of my web site and everyone is welcome to visit, I don't sell anything off the site yet, so I don't think there is any conflict.

I was thinking about your question and I can't come up with anything that happened specifically, and it could have been 10 or 15. One of my closest friends, dating from around that time, commented in a conversation that I was always very angry and that he never understood it. I’ve mellowed now but I was a very angry person and channeled that anger into accomplishment rather than outwardly, on others. I was a Boy Scout, Eagle Scout, Green Beret (before it was cool) a policeman (naturally) and a investigator, I retired from the force and became a successful engineer with a good lifestyle.

Is the Doctor Phil you spoke about the same one as on the Oprah Show? If it is good, I haven’t read any of his books, but I like his folksy, down home style and he seem very squared away. I’m forever using his phrase; "and how’s that working for you?" I’ve always felt that my chronic depression would be OK as long as I could be constantly doing activity, but being off work due to a lay off, I’ve had lots of time for introspection and looking for work is one of the hardest things I think anyone has to put up with. There are so many what ifs, what if I did this instead of that. I’ve finally stopped doing that so much and concentrated on what I have to do now. I asked my endocrinologist about Welbutrin and he told me it had very few side effects and once it kicks in it is very helpful. In a month or two, I’ll have to ask myself; "how’s that working for you?"

Be well and have fun.

I just wanted to relieve your fears about Prozac, I've been on 20mg of it and it hasn't stalled me yet

Hi Jim! Haven't see you in a while!! Hope things are continuing to be good on your end

I can't imagine getting through this last month of Pain in the foot (literally) without my meds.
dh is driving me crazy...he is pampering me to no extent. Everytime I get up he gets on my case to put your shoe back on...get your foot up..it's been over 3 weeks now... I think I will get my doctor to write dh a note saying I can be out of bed for a while and that my foot doesn't need to be up 110% of the time anymore...and that the shoe is for walking and it doesn't need to be on if I walk to the bathroom as long as I walk on the heel or side of my foot.
I know he does it because he loves me and he says he wants it to heal right so we can get back to our long romantic walks. When we first started dating about 5 years ago, we both lost weight because of our long walks.
OK...so I got off subject a little...but I'm so glad I'm home alone for a few hours, I'm sitting at the computer barefooted and loving it.
I see the doc tomorrow..I'm hoping he lets me go back to work. It really is better. I hardly have any swelling now.
Wish me luck

Gemma . . . "Existing rather than living . . ." makes quite a statement. And, oh how true it is for so many people. What is living? What is existing? And, there must be so much in between. You've got me thinking.

Cheryl . . . I can understand your appreciation for the hours of alone time. Feels so good. I seem to have a lot of it now and really enjoy it. Hope your foot has a speedy recovery; would do some hands on healing if you were closer. Oh, well, my thoughts are there.

Jim . . . Yes, I'm talking about the Dr. Phil on Oprah. This latest book, Self Matters, is really good. I'm working through slowly; can't handle too much at one time. I think, though, that it is more focused on resolving life issues. I have a lot of those, so there is a lot of work to be done. I love the format; it's very structured (don't get me wrong, I'm not). And, that makes it easier to get to the stuff. I just keep taking one bit at a time. I can't even read too many pages at a time. I get overwhelmed.

The combination of the work in the book and some recent cranio-sacral therpy treatments is really pulling the issues together. They're falling together from early on experiences to current behaviors.

It's a humbling experience. Humility is good.

I'm taking paxil for depression, have been for about 1 year. It's really helped with the fuzzy head disconnected feeling. I've been losing weight since I started of the LC food plan, so it doesn't seem to inhibit weight loss.
Corrie8

Hi . . . Tell me more about the fuzzy head. Sounds familiar. Haven't had a clue what it was about. Thanks.

I'm off to the doctor on Tuesday to stop the Celexa (as planned). I'm not going to switch to anything else as I should be out of my SAD time, and I will only be at this job until the end of June (YAY-I'm almost outta here!). Hopefully my weight loss will start up again.....

-animaldoc

I'm not giving up my meds...now way....I've been on prozak 10mg for about 8 months... too much going on in my family. I also started a new job...(In my same department) and I've only been doing it for 3 days...and so far so good. I've been staying relaxed and calm. I know this was a good move for me, not even taking into account the raise. I think I will like this job a lot. I'm staying on my meds for at least another 6 month, that's when my prescription will run out...and I will decide then wether to see my doc and get another rx.
but...go luck to you in getting off meds.
Cheryl

Your posts support the whole idea that nothing is the right thing for everyone. It's good to see people who know what is best for them.