Hey all, love this forum/family of patriots and purebloods. As we are all well aware that the serotonin link is garbage for psych as a recent article came out. Does anyone have advice/tips for OCD/anxiety? My wife suffers from it and at times it is crippling. Sadly she is on seroquel, an SSRI, wants to keep taking it for sleep. We have tried pre/probiotics, kefir, GABA, she has had Christian counselors, etc. I am open to advice from what had helped others. Thanks patriot family ahead of time.
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There is no short answer to your question, so please bear with me.
Here’s the deal, I’ve suffered from treatment resistant depression most of my life. I’ve taken every drug you can imagine to try to deal with the depression, but have only found temporary relief from taking SSRIs.
I stopped taking SSRIs at least 15 years ago, because I didn’t like the way they made me feel, and also because I didn’t think they were working. However; when I would stop taking my SSRIs, I would be fine for a while and then I would crash again. I would be a complete mess and chaos ensued. So the following medications are what I take now for depression and anxiety.
Wellbutrin - for depression - wellbuterin is not an antipsychotic. It works in the brain and nerves on the chemical messengers norepinephrine and dopamine. NOT Serotonin. I feel this is a much better drug for depression. Obviously all drugs have side effects, but this one works for me. 200 mg 1x daily - take it in the morning because it will keep you up at night. If someone were to have it prescribed to them for the first time, I think 100 mg is best. Always start slowly and work your way up if needed. But only if needed!
https://www.drugs.com/wellbutrin.html
BuSpar - for Anxiety - BuSpar is not an anti-psychotic medication. This is important. It is also not a benzodiazepine. Anything like Xanax or Kolonopin are addictive, and very difficult to come off of. BuSpar just helps me to not wake up on the ceiling, I don’t feel anything weird, or drugged, in anyway. It’s a very mild antianxiety. 10 mg 3x daily - but I only take it once a day unless I really need it for a very stressful day.
https://www.drugs.com/buspar.html
OK… So I’ve been taking both of these drugs for years, and I was still suffering from severe depression, suicidal Ideaations, and just an overall inability to perform in life. I mean just being able to wake up, put on clothes, and show up somewhere on time was nearly impossible.
About 2 1/2 years ago I was introduced Ketamine Infusions for Treatment Resistant Depression! This treatment is a lifesaver, and has completely changed my life. I highly recommend this treatment, because I have my life back. I can get to appointments on time, I can take care of myself, I can manage my bills, and I don’t want to kill myself every day. That’s the bonus lol.
Ketamine infusions work by flooding the brain with glutomate, which helps neurons to grow new connections. This treatment actually helps to rebuild your brain. Here’s a brief video of how it works.
https://youtu.be/GnL4p-35Grg
This is the Infusion Center that I use.
https://www.renewinfusions.com/services/ketamine-infusions
I will tell you what my experience was, so your wife will know what to expect.
We found an infusion center by doing a bunch of research. I wanted a place that was holistic, and also affordable.You’ll fill out a bunch of papers, you’ll have to see a psychiatrist there, and they will assess your situation to see if you have treatment resistant depression.
Once approved, you’ll go to the facility, and you’ll have six treatments within about four weeks, or less. This is the initial stage. After that, you can go for monthly boosters. However; if the treatment works really well for you, you may not have to return for several months. The treatment is expensive, and it’s not covered by insurance, but I would check to see if your insurance will cover it, because that could’ve changed since I started 2 1/2 years ago.
Of course the pharmaceutical companies needed to hop on pop, so they invented EsKetamine. It’s a nasal spray, and used for the same treatment. However, it still needs to be done in an office, with a doctor, and is much more time consuming, and for me it was less affordable. Personally I think the infusion therapy is more effective, but don’t get me started on the pharmaceutical companies. Although the nasal spray may be covered by your insurance, the therapy may not be as effective.
At the infusion center I go to a room with a lounger, and a TV. You choose a Nature video or some thing that will soothe you, and they hook you up to an IV. The ketamine infusion is timed, and usually lasts about 45 minutes. You don’t really watch the video, because you keep your eyes closed, it’s really more the music that helps you to relax and get into the flow.
** Full Disclosure ** Some people don’t like to do the Ketamine Infusions because it takes you to an altered state, and can be scary. I would not recommend anyone doing this therapy, if they are not Christian. I use Jesus Christ as my guide throughout the process, to keep me whole, safe, and to lead me in a direction in which he wants to heal me. We all have trauma in our lives, and I try to use these infusions to help get to the bottom of the issue, and not just put a Band-Aid on it. Sometimes I reach scripture, and/or have keywords like peace, joy, and love to guide me through my treatment.
When I was in my teens, I did lots of acid, so the treatment for me is not all that strange. However some people do have difficulty with the esoteric experience. I think once you’ve tried it once or twice, people get the hang of it and our less fearful.
One benefits of the infusion therapy, is that if you’re having a bad trip, they can back you out of the infusion, and stop at at any time. This is beneficial if you want to re-acclimate, and then start again. In the 2 1/2 years, I’ve only had a couple bad episodes, but I have great doctors, and they helped me to continue on and process through my issues. In the end it’s been very beneficial.
My depression has been a lifelong journey, and it wasn’t until I returned back to the Lord, and found myself whole in Him, that I was able to start the infusions. I had known about the Infusions for a while, but I don’t think I was ready. My main focus needed to be Jesus Christ as my redeemer, and the Ketamine second to Him. I’m now on a monthly booster regiment, and they also have ketamine lozenges to help with difficult times in between. However; there is a strict protocol for this type of prescription.
Anyway I know this is really long, but I wanted to make sure that your wife knows that there is hope. Getting off the SSRI will be tough, but I think moving to the Wellbutrine at the same time could be beneficial. Of course I’m not a doctor, do not take any advice from me without checking with your doctors. Just remember, that psychiatrists, psychologists, and a lot of doctors don’t want you to get well.
It’s important to remember that you are the patient. If something doesn’t work for you personally, then you can ask for changes. If you don’t want to take some thing that they’re recommending, you don’t have to take it. I have stopped many medications without even consulting my doctors, because of hair loss, and other side effects from medication‘s.
Sometimes you have to tell your doctor what YOU want, not have them tell you. Suggesting to move from an SSRI to Wellbuterin - it’s not that far of a stretch. All you have to say is that the SSRIs are not working, and I want to try something different. I would love to tell you that your wife would not have to take any of those medication‘s anymore, but in my experience it’s always ended up being very bad for me.
I am fortunate that I have some great doctors, that I’ve been seeing for over 15 years. We work together as a team, and both my psychiatrist and psychologist are so happy that I found ketamine infusions. They are now recommending ketamine infusions to other patients, and recommend the infusion center that I go to.
The benefit? I can’t even begin to explain to you the benefit of the ketamine infusions, for me personally… The list is endless. But I can’t tell you, that my mother who has watched me suffer from depression most of my life, no longer has to see me in agony in misery. Our entire relationship has changed, and we can enjoy one another, enjoy experiences together again, and we have hope! Hope for a brighter future. It’s the other people around you that are affected by the depression, that find relief as well.
I don’t want to take the attention off of Christ, because without Him, none of this would be possible. I believe he humbled me to return to him, and then provided a way out of my misery with the ketamine treatments.
I sincerely hope that your wife does find some type of relief from her situation. Optimal results would be to not take any pills, try the ketamine, and find a new life. I reiterate that I am not a doctor, and all these things should be talked to with your psychiatrist, and or psychologist. Each person is different and Will react to these treatments in a different way.
When people ask me about Jesus, I tell them… I’m not his lawyer, I’m only his witness. All I can tell you is what he’s done in my life. This is kind of the same thing. May God bless you, and I’ll be praying for your wife.