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    #1

    Unconventional depression treatment

    Hi all, I had posted this question in the medication section of this site, but a member suggested that I try the more general area, since the question may apply in general to alcoholism and treatment. Here is what I had asked:

    I have been alcohol free for 8 months but have not yet overcome the depression that has been with me for many years. I thought it may have gone away after I was sober for a few months but this didn't happen unfortunately. I was using pot for a while to try and get away from my problems, and as an alcohol substitute, aswell as a small amount of a benzodiazepine for anxiety. I gradually cut out both drugs in case they were also causing depression but that didn't help all that much either.

    I know that many changes in life are important, not just stopping drinking, and I have been trying to put changes in place. I have also tried numerous antidepressants but most had no positive effects. I am just wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what I can try next. Are there any drugs that can help depression that work differently to the usual antidepressants? I feel that my problem could be caused by some chemical imbalance that isn't changed by conventional antidepressants.

    Well, that's about it really. I'd be interested in any suggestions...also best wishes to everyone here!

    EDIT : Sorry to edit after posting but I need to ask this --- do any/many of you drink to try and cope with depression? Do you get cravings to drink again due to depression? My own cravings for alcohol are never due to seeing or smelling alcohol, or due to other people drinking, or due to being in 'slippery places'. My only desperate desire to drink comes as a direct result of being unable to cope with feelings of depression.
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    #2
    Unconventional depression treatment

    Good post.

    I get urges to drink when I feel I can't face or cope with life/my day. It's that feeling of "I've so much to do I can't do it". Other times when I have less responsibilities I am like "what the hell I could drink to make this time pass quicker".

    So very common situation I would imagine. I try to remember to be grateful and keep things in the moment.

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      #3
      Unconventional depression treatment

      Greg, in addition to the PM I sent you, I'd like to mention regular exercise (vigerous cardio). Maybe look into something like qigong, tai chi, yoga? I don't know enough about those to be specific, but maybe someone else does.
      sigpic
      Thoughts become things..... choose the good ones. ~TUT

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        #4
        Unconventional depression treatment

        Consider cross posting this under the Holistic Healing forum - there's a lot of expertise over there.
        Go before that fire there, at the altar of your heart
        That fire of who you really are and be consumed by it fully
        Surrender everything into the fire of that love until you are one with that love. You ARE that love.
        Tilak Pyle Altar of the Heart

        Comment

          #5
          Unconventional depression treatment

          Hi Greg - yes I drank to ease depression/anxiety/low self esteem - the only thing is as booze is a depressant it keeps you stuck there.
          I drank to feel more confident/entertaining/likeable/attractive.

          I take prozac BUT I find that exercise really helps,eating well, plenty of sleep.
          The basics,and counting what I have in my life that is good (health,home,relationship,cats, friends etc. I also read books on cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness - they seem to help me.

          I don't go to AA but I find the 'one day at a time' mantra,the serenity prayer and being in the moment rather than regretting the past/worrying over the future also helps. Not that I manage to do this all the time - I'm having a blue duvet day today BUT trying to use time to do household chores that need doing.

          I'm just over 3 weeks AF - I will be interested to see if I can come off prozac once I've been AF for some time and if drinking has kept my depression going.
          Good luck.
          one day at a time

          Comment

            #6
            Unconventional depression treatment

            Greg - 1st of all I'd like to congratulate you on 8 months sober, fantastic achievement!

            I wondered what your attitude is now to being AF? Although it hasn't cured your depression are you pleased about being sober and do you like your AF life? The reason I ask is I wondered if you resented it and maybe found the life change dissatisfying and therefore connected to the depression? Becoming AF changes every aspect of your life and the adjustment is drastic. If you were still clinging on to "why me" it could be a reason to be depressed, I just wanted to throw that out there. Wishing you well on your journey...
            "In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer ."
            AF - JAN 1st 2010
            NF - May 1996

            Comment

              #7
              Unconventional depression treatment

              Greg,
              Depression is common after giving up drinking as one of the phenomenon of addiction is a "raising" the bar on pleasure and reward. I have heard it slowly moves toward normalization however I suspect there are some of us for whom this is not true.
              I, myself, seem to still need a daily dose of lexapro for my longstanding depression which I thought would leave once I became abstinent.
              I count this as possibly one of the things I may have permanently harmed during my alcohol dependent activity. But treated depression is much better than where I was at when I last drank!
              Are you exercising daily? It has been shown to have as strong an antidepressant effect as pills.
              Hope your mood improves soon!
              sunny

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                #8
                Unconventional depression treatment

                Greg I too suffer from depression and anxiety sometimes leading to panic attacks. Medication has helped me, especially with the panic attacks but as mentioned throughout your responses exercise or, what I like to think of as activity, help. I hear exercise and I cringe, thinking of gyms or calistehnics (sic) or the like, but I have been working for several months on property, I have dropped lots of weight and I am in a better mood than I have been in a long while, as is my hubby who suffers from even more depression than me, and the flip side anger. Find something you enjoy and tackle it, the more physical the better, but make it something YOU enjoy or a goal YOU want to reach (such as us dismantling and building a house). You can do this!

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                  #9
                  Unconventional depression treatment

                  Hi Greg,

                  Congrats on your 8 AF months!!!!

                  My drinking was all about unrelieved anxiety & depression. I was on an AD but continued to drink. I discontinued the AD & started on an herbal blend (that includes St John's Wort) called Amoryn. I felt much better after about 3 months & then was able to go completely AF. Exercise of any sort always helps too

                  Good luck!
                  AF since 03/26/09
                  NF since 05/19/09
                  Success comes one day at a time :thumbs:

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Unconventional depression treatment

                    Thanks everyone for your replies.

                    I do some exercise as part of my job, which is manually repairing steel roll cages (large warehouse trolleys), but it may not be constant enough to qualify as a full cardio workout. I may have to look at increasing my exercise. I'm also interested in alternatives mentioned here for depression and anxiety. To answer a question above, I admit I'm not 100 percent happy with the AF life so far, mainly because the depression didn't go away. Well-meaning people (doctor, counsellor, family) said I'd be right once I was away from the drink for a while but it didn't happen that way (mainly because my depression came first, before the drinking). I am also trying to work out a way of taking baclofen, since many people here say it has worked wonders for them. Unfortunately I couldn't sleep properly when I tried it but I may have to put up with that if it can stabilise the mind and reduce these damned cravings to drink. That is one issue where I do ask "why me", since this drug is helping so many!

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Unconventional depression treatment

                      Greg,

                      Look into 5-HTP & St John's Wort - natural mood enhancers rather than restarting Baclofen at this point. I think you'll find them very helpful
                      AF since 03/26/09
                      NF since 05/19/09
                      Success comes one day at a time :thumbs:

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