Rearden, Not sure why you make such an empathic claim. The research you posted cannot be taken as sufficient to support your claim, nor can your personal experience. The sad truth remains (at present) that the definitive 'cause' of depression is still unknown, and current treatments are essentially shots in the dark (though better than nothing, perhaps). But you seem to gravitate towards extremes of expression, so your post is not out of character. Perhaps that is symptomatic in itself. My advice: Make a deliberate effort to unburden yourself of the pervasive hostility that seems to have a grip on you. Then we will ALL feel much better. saxon
I know that opiates are a live saver. If it was not for them, I would not be here. A lot of people know what my situation has been so I wont go much into it, but having suffered in terrible pain for a long time I am fortunate to have gone to the Mayo Clinic and been given narcotics. That said I wonder if your depression is being amplified by the narcotics. I say this because they had me on Oxycontin for a few years and I decided I wanted to try life without it. It took several months to tapper off of it and during that time I was very depressed, sometimes nearly suicidally so. I talked to my doctor about it and he said that is very common because as a result of taking the opiates your body will naturally decrease its own endorphine production. It took about 3 months after I was totally off the oxy for me to feel better, but then I felt a lot better. At any rate good luck with everything. I am glad you have found something that works for you and you do not suffer anymore. I do agree that someone is much better off with narcotics than without them in certain cases. I would encourage you to try a period of time without them with some antidepresant theoropy and maybe counsiling with a psychologist, but if that does not work then you have to do what you have to do in order to live your life. Brandon
How well do you know Rearden. I've been reading his posts since I first joined ET and find him one of the most intelligent and reasonable people to read anywhere.
Rearden, Not to minimize any suffering you have endured, but do you get sufficient and regular physical exercise? As I understand it, regular and vigorous exercise is supposed to be a mood enhancer/endorphin generator and tends to have only positive side effects. It certainly moderates my lousy moods when I get them. I am not suggesting that exercise alone would alleviate your apparently severe and chronic depression, but it can certainly be a useful adjunct.
Until I read this post, I was on the verge of deeming humanity <b>unworthy of me, and unworthy of my medical discoveries</b>. I can't thank you enough, but I sure have plenty of ability to reward you, roberk. Eccentric* multi-millionaires are very good people to have on your side, after all. If you want OPM for a proven trading system, <b>you now have it</b>. If you want a highly successful trading mentor, who can teach you the skills and techniques needed to become rich on your own (One of rarest and most sought after commodities in the trading world)- <b>you got it</b> If you want yourself or anyone you care about to be carefully and lovingly treated by the best physician you'll ever find anywhere in the world(sans medical license), <b>you have it</b>. My will stipulates my estate be divided 44 ways. If you'd like that amended to 45, <b>it's yours</b>. Congratulations.... for just being a decent person. *If I was poor or middle class, I'd just be 'crazy'.
Next come the posts asking if I've tried Kava Kava, St. John's wort, light therapy, hypnotism, sleep pattern regulation, serotonin regulation through tryptamine or 5-htp, melotonin, B-complex, etc... The answer to all these obvious and basic methods is always <b>YES!<b>. Everything thrown at me here is kindergarten level. No offense, but don't even bother asking next time. The answer is always,<b>: Yes! Of course I tried that!</b>
Brandonf, I've been hoping that you'd show up here on my thread. As I am not a chronic pain patient (At least not in the traditional sense), I've been hoping that <b>you, personaly</b> would show up here to make mince-meat out of the following well-intentioned, but dead wrong statement: