AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

[Sarasmiles]

AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

Hi Abbers,
DG, I know what you mean...I post less when I'm blue, too. I'm so sorry about your friend.

Today was a rough one. I'm going to start a thread about SSRI withdrawal...I won't go on about it here. But suffice it to say, I feel really down and irritable, exactly two weeks since I took my last Prozac. I don't believe it's depression. I really think it's "withdrawal". It's day 26 AF, and I'm craving a drink. I haven't had cravings since about day 4 or 5, but today I do. I just feel so irritable! I want to scream...it feels crazy, like bad PMS. All I want is to improve my mood, and my inclination is to pour a drink to do it. I won't do it this time. I KNOW it isn't the solution, and will just start the cycle all over again. If I drink, I'll get depressed and anxious, and then I'll want more alcohol tomorrow. I want so much to get through this period of tension without drinking. I have to at least find out if the irritability goes away, after a little more time off of Prozac.

Sorry for the self-absorption. It helped just to put all this down, though. I thank God I have this safe place to go when things feel so lousy.
Sara

[peacenik]

AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

i think this is a good point to bring up here...alot of times i feel weird about posting about my struggles because i feel like everyone here is doing so well and don't really want to hear about the struggles i am still facing. i think this thread is intended to be a safe place for us to come to no matter how we are feeling. if you are down, be honest and reach out, if you are happy, let it shine! we can't all be GREAT all the time, that's not reality.

so in my humble opinion, i m glad to hear the honesty of dg and sara's posts...i think it gives a more realistic view of what life is...and no matter what, it's always better sober.

hae a great weekend all!

peace

[peacenik]

AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

ps, sara, didn't i read something on the amoryn site about not taking it while you are "on" sri's? do you think that culd be affecting your mood. also i believe one is suppsed to taper off prozac?

[Doggygirl]

AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

Greenie, I too am thinking of Cindi. I just went and looked up her recent posts and it sounds as though she may be in a 72 hour lock down? (or whatever they call it in her area..) I sent her a PM in case she can see it - one of support of course. With AL, we are in a life and death battle that we sometimes forget about. (the life and death part) Getting in a car is just one way that the "death" part can be a danger. Greenie, you did the right thing in case that is why your hand feels heavy today. (I'm guessing at parts of this since I don't know the whole story. I hope I'm not way off base and offending!)

Sara, I have read horrific things about that class of meds. There is an interesting book my chiro had in her office titled "Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher." She was extremely successful as a pharma sales rep and worked for several different companies in the industry selling this class of drugs. She eventually ended with some addiction / withdrawl problems of her own and tells her story in a way that makes me really wonder if the benefits really do outweigh the risks. At any rate, after reading that book I feel compassion for what you must be going through. I admire you for hanging tough on your promise to yourself to not drink through it. The natural things I have read that are helpful for depression include Fish Oil (I like Carlson's Cod Liver Oil - lemon flavor) and L-Tryptophan. Those might be a couple of things to research in terms of trying to help make the withdrawl process easier? I don't know - just tossing a couple of ideas out there. And of course please join us in Abbercizers (has someone started the October thread??) for some endorphin power. I hope things improve soon for you!!

Peace, You are so right that this thread is for all of us every day regardless of mood or what we might be facing in the day.

Thanks to all for your never ending support!

DG

[Sarasmiles]

AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

Thanks so much , Peacenik and Doggygirl. Yes, I did taper pretty slowly this time, cutting back over a two week period, until I took my last (by then very small) dose on the 19th. Maybe I should have gone even more slowly. I haven't started the Amoryn yet, but I've been taking the basic elements of it - St. John's Wort, 5htp, B vitamins and a root I can't remember the name of at the moment...Rhodelia? Something like that. I was off the Prozac when I started on the other serotonin boosters. And fish oil. Yup. I take it. I have the arsenal...It may be time for prayer.

I'll look for the book you mentioned, Doggygirl. I just read, "Prozac Backlash", which is one of the things that persuaded me that I'm experiencing withdrawal, not a return of depression.

Tomorrow is another day. And Happy Weekend, everyone!

[Lavande]

AF Daily - Friday 2 Oct

Good evening all,

DG, sorry about your friend's Dx, that's rough!

Sara, hang in there friend, I know it's tough for you right now but things are going to improve very soon. You have done everything correctly, safely. Keep taking your supplements as you stated, try to relax this weekend, distract yourself, do something fun.

I am also thinking about Cindi, hope she's OK!

Wishing everyone a good AF evening,
Lav