Prozac Nation
February 28th, 2008I’ve held a largely internal debate whether or not to talk about this publicly. However, given the responses to my posts regarding living with depression and with the idea of being more open, I’m going to share.
Given the amount of stresses that we’ve endured since 2004, I thought it might be helpful to look at a brief presentation:
click image to launch presentation
The decision was not made lightly and the professionals don’t think I’m chronically depressed. I started talking 20mg of Prozac a day after we returned from San Diego. o
Tags: depression, presentation, prozac
-
This entry is filed under health, personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You may leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. Please read the Terms of Service before leaving a response.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Hope all turns upwards. You sure have a lovely family and the pictures of the pups always make me smile.
I actually ended up getting up the courage to talk to a therapist and, in turn, a psychiatrist partly due to Heather’s posting about how medication worked for her. I thought it was honest and brave and it more than hit a nerve.
Thanks for continuing the good work Armstrongs!
February 28th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I went through an awful, horrible, heinous breakup of a long-term relationship a few years ago and ended up hospitalized. They put me on 10mg of Lexapro (tiny dose) for a year, I went off it, and I’ve been drug-free for six months. It REALLY helped. And I am not a chronic depressive either. But I needed it for that time in my life, and I’m damned glad it was there.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
For some reason, I was thinking of you and your family the other day and as an avid and long-time reader, I couldn’t believe how you were handling the stress of what seemed like constant illness and all the random crap that you’ve been through. Not light stuff, indeed. I think you made the right and necessary decision in taking Prozac. My diagnosis is long-term–probably life-long–but is definitely intensified by my current situation and stresses. I wouldn’t be alive right now if I didn’t take my medications. You know that you are not alone….and hopefully the meds will help you get above water so you can actually breathe your way through a better year. Best of luck!
February 28th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Love the analysis of the stresses.. What was the mystery illness you had - any diagnosis..
I think the other solution beyond pharmaceutics is MOVING - to Austin.. you’d love it here.
AAP
February 28th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
All the best and thanks for your continued honesty. I look forward to visiting your site daily.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
You shouldn’t have to second guess honesty. A body’s gotta do what it must to get through the day, the week, the month, the year. And as long as it isn’t hurting you, your family, or anyone else, what’s the problem?
February 28th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Just went off Effexor and back on Prozac. Husband prefers Effexor the Prozac didn’t work for him. Although years ago I was on 20mg for a year before they increased my dose and it started work. Good luck! It’s rare you read about men struggling with depression.
I know when my husband and I both started working from home a few years ago there was a sort of “identity” crisis that caused depression.
Oh, just one more thing…the generic Prozac didn’t work for me and it caused me great stomach distress. I don’t know why, binders, fillers, who knows … who cares … anyway I switched back to the name brand (a hundred times more expensive and we have no insurance - sanity ain’t cheap) and I haven’t had a problem.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Again - kudos to you for being open and honest about your life…all of your life (well, maybe not all, but quite a damn bit of it).
I made the decision just this last week to just be open about being on an anti-depressant, being diagnosed with depression, and when folks ask about the factors that led up to it, telling them about it.
The negative stigma will never go away unless individuals who are looked upon as smart, together, etc, sometime say out loud “yep - I needed help - I asked for help - I got help.”
February 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
It takes a strong person to admit any (so called) weakness or illness. Good for you for being strong and trying anything to be be the best man, father, and husband you can be. And the courage to tell the world just in case your struggle might help even one person? That is just awe inspiring. THANKS!!
February 28th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
This is very nerdy, but I like it. Good luck and glad to hear you are
already feeling better. I take lexapro and klonopin myself, and they
are a god send.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I was on Prozac for a month hoping it would help my migraine headaches. It didn’t help them at all, but I soooo did not care anymore. I could totally see how this drug (and many like it) can be a useful tool.
Life is stressful and at times overwhelming, why suffer?
Good for you. Being mentally healthy is very important.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Kudos to you for sharing this and for having the guts to try to make it better. My husband took Lexapro for about 3 months to help get him through chemo/radiation treatment for cancer. He wasn’t clinically depressed, but the doc (based on input from me) thought he needed a little help to see the sun again. He’s off it now. He was terrified he’d be a lifer. Even if he ended up needing it long-term, he knows it would be worth it to have the real him back again. We have 2 kids (ages 7 and 1) and they needed daddy to get his big butt out of bed. Not to be perfect, just to get back in the game a little. Your presentation shows how truly sucky the last few years have been for your family. Yes, the suckiness is tempered with great (but stressful) things as well, but things are still stressful. Best of luck.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Playing the devil’s advocate, some of this stress/depression is self-inflicted - good god, why would you get another dog?
February 28th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
@T - Note that depression can affect how one perceives events. Looking
through Jon’s presentation, I found it interesting that some events that most people would consider major stressors did not rank that high for him (for ex., the birth of a child). However, as the timeline progresses, I think it shows a high stress reaction to events that someone else might not consider so stressful (for ex., selling a house or getting a new dog).
February 28th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I can’t believe you need Prozac when you have graph bars!!!!
Now, seriously, good for you, and hope all the Winters end soon.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Welcome to the club, Jon. The meds help. They really do.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Have a headache? Take an Excedrin.
Can’t dig yourself out of a depression? Take an anti-depressent.
I’m not being flippant. Sometimes a pill helps. You can’t think about diet changes during a migraine and you can’t think about lifestyle changes during a depression.
Glad to hear you’re doing better.
February 28th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Blurb-
Do you believe in the physical manifestation of depression? When someone is fine otherwise– but has chest pain and tooth aches and side aches– and gets checked out only to find out there is nothing physically wrong? Going through this now — I think. I can’t believe that my brain is wired this way. It wasn’t always. Just interested in what you think.
Good for you– helping yourself is the coolest thing. Glad you are feeling better!
February 28th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
good luck you
i took them for a particularly stressful time (under therapist’s suggestions) in my life and now am happily off them (my circumstances changed)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7268496.stm
February 28th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Thanks for sharing - People need to understand that sometimes life is harder than Ozzie and Harriet made it out to be. Good luck!
February 28th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Jon:
And the results?
February 28th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF! Whatever.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Good luck with the meds. The right combo has really helped Tiffany.
My favorite part of the presentation? When you busted George’s balls! By the way, you should see his ass. He’s lost half of it!
February 28th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I too, am part of the Prozac nation. Life got so much better after only a few days on that lovely little pill. Colors got brighter, I slept better, and all of a sudden I was the person I used to be, if you know what I mean? Good luck to you, and Heather and Leta. Life your life, dude, and don’t let anyone tell you what’s best for you but your own head and heart.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Hi Jon,
I hope the Prozac works out for you - have you noticed any difference yet? I did after a while - that it just didn’t get to me as much.
It’s funny, because people sans depression would look at things like A New Dog! and Moving House! as not that bad….but when you’re battling to enjoy life as it is, any break to the routine is hard…but those new bits is what makes life worth living….best of luck!