I rarely post but I need some advice. I've been following Q since the second week of posting. I used to have all the apps until they were cancelled to keep pinged with updates, OH those were the days. I've kept my father who's 75 and suffering from depression up to date, he has also helped me see the bigger picture by introducing Joe M, then the Luther Blissett - Q books and other research he's done, he's aware of the fight, the threat, the hypocrisy, the fraud and has an IQ that can't be registered with MENSA, it's off the scale. He's quite a character, mixed with all walks, seen some extraordinary things in his life and taught me well, I'll just leave it at that but without his insight I would never have had the moral compass I have. The problem is he's suffered from depression since childhood, I've some theories on why, but they aren't really relevent for this post. I think quite a lot of extreme high IQ individuals do have problems with depression. I'm unable to visit him because I'm unvaxed and we are seperated by countries. Anyway, back in early Jan 2020 he went to a cash machine located inside a bank and the man doing the servicing of the other machine was coughing badly, this is somewhere in Europe. He then went down with a serious illness that lasted four weeks, almost killed him, very edgy from what I gather. He's not been right ever since, crying, major depression and now is in hospital having a complete breakdown. Apparently he's been on Cipramil for twenty years, 20 didn't work, 30 did, 40 sent him mad again. Has anyone here got any advice on alternative meds, or ideas I can help my family with. Apparently he will not stop crying and I'm very worried indeed. If anyone here has some insight into possible remedies it would be much appreciated. Had it happened several months later, thanks to the Q movement I would have gone for zinc, vit D amoung other things and advised, he was taken out early and they also didn't inform me until later, it's his current depression I need insight into. Many thanks in advance. WWG1WGA
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Citalopram is an older SSRI - or selective seratonin reuptake inhibitor. It's got some serious side effects that should rule it out as a first line drug. I recommend that your dad find someone who uses more recent SSRIs that are not brand spanking new, but have a lower side effect profile. They'll be more tolerable to your dad, I'm sure. Sounds like his doc allows him to be very poorly managed, and it is unacceptable. No one should be in the throes of Major Depressive Disorder while under a doctor's care. Is he managed by a GP or a psychiatrist? It may be necessary to enter him for a short stay in a psychiatric facility of better quality for a med check/adjustment, so long as they don't demand he be jabbed to get in.
The OP's father has been on SSRI's for years, so if those aren't working, there are other meds to try. There are SNRIs which work on norepinephrine instead of serotonin (like Effexor). There's also bupropion, which isn't in the same class of meds and sometimes works better when combined with something like citalopram. There are options.
Problem is, of course, that antidepressents usually take a month or so to show effects, and then they usually need to be played with, and the OP is looking for something immediate.
OP, you mentioned your father just had a near-death experience, which is going to be traumatizing to anyone, let alone an elderly man who is now stuck in the hospital. It's unlikely that there is going to be an easy pill fix to that. I know what this board typically thinks of therapy, but this is exactly the sort of crisis that many therapists are trained to handle.
If you can't do that, try to get him doing activity as he is able. Depression feeds itself with inactivity and mental rumination, and even going on a short walk outside can have drastic effects on the mood of a depressed person. It might take time, but little by little, pushing him to stay active and social as he is able is likely going to help.
But above all, just support your father. Even if he doesn't know it, there's a part of him that wants to get better, and he might just need some help to function until that part of him can see daylight again.
Best of luck.
Thank you, very helpful indeed, thanks for responding. He's pretty well managed from what I can gather, he has though always attempted to cut his dossage but then had problems again over the years when reducing. He hates having to take drugs to keep him on an even keel, but they have worked for years and helped him function, so why change? They clearly aren't working anymore. Obviously I want to keep this anonymous as possible on such a visited forum but I know there are people here that think laterally rather than follow a carrot. He's just not been right apparantly after having covid and yes I think he's had it, or something else for sure, right on deaths door from what I'm told but distance has and several other factors meant that I'm only just getting the full story. He's constantly crying and shaking apparently and I'm concerned. I think certain meds for depression have changed over the last two decades, they will have to wean him off the Cipramil and try other remedies. Black Dog is a hard one to manage. Are there any natural remedies? Has anyone here had someone they know with depression suffer from long covid? Any insights on that?