Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion Helpful Tips Some thoughts on Depression

Thanks for all the info,

I can relate and personally retreat when it get too bad.

Thanks so much for this advice Donette. My partner has been suffering AS for over 9 years now & has been in & out of depression for most of this time. I am finally researching all I can about AS, Meds, & have found him (hopefully) a Doc (finally) that might be able to help him more. I'm going to print your msg out & at some point let him read it - I think this might help him open up a little more when going through these episodes.
Take care & best wishes
Julz

Julz,

I think that is awesome that you are able to support him through all of this. It really sounds like you are making progress. Good luck.

-Donette

Hi Ciara,
sorry I didnt reply,I havent been on this site for awhile. I think my daughter is on vyvaanse...she has ADD and that is a new one she is trying. I have sleep apnea and a cpap... the fatigue is constant and probably comes from the fibromyalgia and the anemia(from AS) anyway my rheumy was able to prescribe nuvigil...I take it in the morning to get going...and later in the afternoon I take 3omg of cymbalta....(60 made me a zombie) I tried zoloft and yes...weight gain has been a problem.Its hard to exercise when one is so tired. I would love to get on an ADD med, but do not want to have to go thru all the visits to the shrink ect to get diagnosed. I do not like to go to doctors. My rheumy's ARNP is a female and she is the best....so very down to earth, easy to talk to...so that has helped.
Is the vyvanse still working for you???

OMG Donette...I just came across this and you described to a T what I feel like when I get depressed and lately, there are days when I cry...the weird thing is, I'm not a crier, never have been...not that I'm not compassionate or soft-hearted but I'm just not a crier...and Mike and the kids are totally freaked out by my crying...thank you so much for sharing this, now I don't feel totally bonkers...

You are so welcome Michelle. You have had one heck of a year, I think you deserve a meltdown or three!!

This is a year-old topic, but it still amazes me how many of us AS-ers have the depression junk. We really are an extended family.

I'm glad I have this place to come to so I feel semi-normal anyway!

Take Care,
Donette

Hello Hon
Read this post the other day and did not have chance to comment... just noticed your reply to Michelle and that the date of your original post is last year - so am VERY late in replying in fact!

Just wanted to say how completely insightful your thoughts on depression are, I am learning more and more to "listen" to my body in ways that I never have done before. It's amazing how much you learn about yourself when you tune in like this.



I call this having a word with myself! It works aswell, doesn't it?

Fantastic post, Donette which I am sure will help and inspire others.

"Minimizing the impact", as you put it is imperitive, as when you are left alone with problems buzzing around in your head - they tend to spiral out of control and blow out of all proportion.

Great advice, hon

It is wonderful to finally think that there are people out the like me. I think the weather is taking its toll on all of us. I also have depression too. I have tried effexcor(i can't spell), wellbutrin, lexapro, and now prozac. It seems to atleast take the edge off. The past week or so I just can't seem to shake it. On top of my AS, my doctor wants ultrasounds of my breats because they are full of cysts. All I can think is "don't I have enough?". There is so much more going on, this is just what I found out this week.
I feel like everyone around me, but my husband, sees me as a burden and someone who "needs help", even my kids. I do so much more than I should and that makes the pain worse, but when I am not doing anything I feel like I am not doing my part. I am thankful for everyone here who posts. Atleast we have each other, nobody else understands what we are dealing with.

I sent you a PM!

This is so wise.

Mental illness is just an illness, like recurring malaria or arthritis flares.

It's not personal, and it attacks lots of people.

I feel blessed to have been raised by a schizophrenic father, because I knew from an early age that mental illness is a physical ailment.

Depression comes with low energy, mental confusion and fogginess, aches and pains, sadness and/or fear, and many times nothing "brings it on". It just happens, like the flu or a bad cold.

It's really important for people to know that when depression reaches the point of suicidal ideation (thinking up various ways to die), that's the time to go to the hospital.

Thanks for the topic.