Menopause Discussion > Other Health Discussion
UPDATE: Effects of Depression
CLKD:
Thank you for asking.
"physical manifestation of a chemical imbalance ……. "
If Members read the whole of this thread they will see what I stated earlier. Depression can be a organic, i.e. chemical imbalance as well as being clinical, due to a person not being able to alter where they are today; usually related to relationships, job situations, caring for others …. they become depression due to not being able to get out of the situation.
Organic depression is due to chemical imbalance. I don't get the 'physical manifestation' or the thought that one can 'talk oneself out of depression'. If it were that 'easy' then Psychologists and Psychiatrists, my sister and her husband, friends - would all be out of a job as would pharmaceutical companies …..
If I take my maintenance dose of Anti-depressant then I remain well. If my brain becomes low for more than 4/5 days I up the evening dose for a week. My GP is OK with this regime. I NEVER want to feel as ill as I did in 1991. Unable to get out of bed. Unable to walk, when moving around the house I crawled. I NEVER want to be so afraid that I begged for admission to Hospital to keep me safe: my DH was told to give me more Valium. It did work. But I wanted health professionals to take the responsibility from him and for me to be where what I was experiencing was 'within normal limits'.
CLKD:
GRL states in a response to a comment in the other thread, that she wouldn't consider 'thinking herself worse' …….. why would anyone? One wouldn't want to think menopause symptoms worse so why any other medical condition :-\. In fact I don't think that one can 'think' oneself worse. When well I consider several times a day how I am feeling with regards depressive mood changes as well as how anxious I am ……. the anxiety hits in the gut below the belly button. Mood drop can happen within moments …….. and I immediately consciously think 'oh not again'. Then I have to sort out my medication as appropriate.
When very depressed I didn't recognise the signs. Now I am more aware because I have been well ……. and feeling well means I am not as scared that I will never get well.
honeybun:
So if not better then recognisable and manageable.
Would you say that anxiety is more of an issue for you now. The depression being well controlled but anxiety being variable.
Honeybun
X
CLKD:
Yep. I have always been anxious. My 1st panic attack was at age 3. I was raised in a dysfunctional household so reacted from early on ……… so my reactions are engrained = CBT absolutely useless ::) - however, intermittent talking therapy for 2/3 years about my childhood helped enormously. Vent, vent, vent without someone telling me 'that can't have happened because …… '
GypsyRoseLee:
Ah, found you :)
Back when I had PND my depression was caused by hormonal imbalances to begin with. I knew before I had left hospital with my baby that something was very wrong. This chemical/hormonal imbalance was therefore organic. But I think it then also developed into clinical depression caused by my situation, having to take care of a baby 24/7 when I was already really struggling with the organic depression.
Definitely the worst time of my life.
When I saw my consultant she explained that my peri menopausal depression was essentially the PND all over again, caused by the same hormonal/chemical imbalances in my brain. Except this time I just didn't have a baby to care for.
But I did have a challenging job + young children to care for + a husband who often works away for days at a time etc.
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