Ana54 wrote:
6. take a tiny bit of alcohol with your anti-d's.
Are you a moron? (Trust me - that's a
lot more polite than what I really want to say.)
Mixing alcohol, a central nervous system depressant, with any kind of psychoactive medication is really,
really bad advice, even if it's supposedly a "tiny bit." Suggesting that other people should to it is irresponsible for so many reason. But for breivity's sake, alcohol has numerous drug interactions that are hard to predict and are not always readily seen, and even more importantly, alcohol is highly addictive and its addictiveness can be increased by combining it with other mood altering chemicals
as well as drinking while depressed.
Maybe this gives you a little more punch in the morning that you feel you're not getting from your RX (and BTW that IS an addictive behavior, in case you didn't know - altering your meds to get more instant gratification), but in the long run, this well surely make your depression more problematic, mainly because you're systematicallymaking yourself dependent on alcohol. You might wish to watch "Intervention" on A&E sometime to see what an effing joy being an addict is like. Might make you think twice before handing out dumb advice like this.
BTW, if you want to do something that'll help ease depression that isn't going to set you up for a future in 12 Step meetings:
- Keep a regular sleep schedule. No bitching. No whining. Just do it.
- Exercise, daily, preferrably in the morning, at least 30 minutes. Improves mind-body connection, boosts mood, immune system and energy levels, regulates hormones, blood sugar, and brain chemistry, and helps you sleep better.
- Avoid processed foods, excess caffiene, excess fats and salt, additives and artificial sweeteners, as all these can be triggers for depressive episodes. Eat a lot of veggies and fruits, and take a multivitamin and 1000 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids supplement.
- Drink green tea. Yes, it's all people say it is and it's also really effective in easing depression. Try drinking nothing but water and 3 or 4 cups of unsweetened green tea for a week and see if how you feel.
- Force yourself to do things that are mentally stimulating. Crossword puzzles, challenging strategy games, learning a new language, hobbies, art, crafts, etc. Laughter and social interaction too are mentally stimulating. Depression becomes more pervasive and resistant when the sufferer is less mentally active (this is why depression is harder to treat in people with lower IQs and lower levels of mental actitivity).
- If you haven't already, have your thyroid levels tested to see if that's a contributing factor to your depression. Also if you're a woman and have an ASD, have yourself evaluated for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Both of these conditions can trigger derpession, yet can be easily managed with diet and meds.