posted September 01, 2014 10:47 PM            

I'm curious - if you don't mind sharing - how many have tried some kind of mood stabilizers? Your opinions of them? You're personal experience?

posted September 01, 2014 10:57 PM            

I dont think of myself as depressed. Anxious? To be honest, I dont know. With this scorpio moon I have a hard time really knowing myself, or why I'm feeling what im feeling. And the harder I try to put it into words the less I seem to understand. I just know that I've seem to develop some hypersensitivity this past year. I mean I guess I've kinda always had it but its seems to be getting progressively worse. I think I'm dwelling too much on my worries I suppose.

posted September 02, 2014 05:06 AM            

I am personally very wary of taking drugs, especially those that alter brain chemistry or function, you never know what you may be doing to yourself.

I am sure there may be cases where medication can help with some things, but still... I feel it we are still children when it comes to understanding the brain.

posted September 02, 2014 07:59 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Swift Freeze:
The brain is complex.

I am personally very wary of taking drugs, especially those that alter brain chemistry or function, you never know what you may be doing to yourself.

I am sure there may be cases where medication can help with some things, but still... I feel it we are still children when it comes to understanding the brain.

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This
Swift Freeze you deserve a Nobel Prize for this advice in my book.

I have written a thread about anti-depressants in health&healing with the same advice here The neverending cycle of trial and failure with Anti-Depressants

posted September 02, 2014 09:53 AM            

I know a few people who swear by anti-depressants, one of whom is an older widow who couldn't cope with the loss of her husband. If they feel it works and they are getting their money's worth, I have no argument with them. Everyone has to make their own choices, after all.

I'm fortunate that I don't have PTSD, panic attacks on a regular basis, or any other serious and persistent troubles. I cannot say that I would never consider psych drugs because I don't know what life is going to throw at me. But in my regular life so far, I have never considered drugs, even with postpartum depression. (I suppose the upside of being a Capricorn is, you don't expect life to be cheery all the time anyway. So when you're down, even very low, it's almost like, ho-hum, more of the same.)

To keep my moods stable and in the upbeat range for at least part of every day, I rely on a healthy diet in line with Ayurvedic principles. After taking a dosha test years ago, I realized I'm prone to Vata imbalances which can make me nervous and jittery. Certain foods at certain times exacerbate that, even harmless foods like raw apples or oats. I really have had to watch my reactions to food closely because I can get out of whack so easily.

I also drink soothing teas (don't all water moons? ) and take long baths with epsom salts and essential oils. Music can be healing and SILENCE can be even more healing, in my case. When my mood sinks very low and I'm feeling totally bleak, I self-medicate with chocolate, even if I've officially "quit chocolate." I've gotten okay with enduring low moods, but I'm not going to suffer needlessly, if I know a few squares of chocolate will help.

And I keep in mind "This, too, shall pass." It's easy for astrologers to grasp that-- "This, too, is just a transit."

I was in serious funk the other night with the transiting moon in Scorpio (transiting water moons usually clobber me) but the little mantra in my head was "Just gotta hold out one more day and the pressure will be off! Just be patient!"

Though I have an 8H Pisces moon, I feel that a Scorpio moon is an even tougher "assignment," a heavier and darker energy to deal with overall. That's how it feels to me, with the transits.

So you have my sympathy, eyes_like_pisces

posted September 02, 2014 05:27 PM            

I try to regulate my emotions with natural things such as music. I play the guitar and sing, yoga, raw foods and juices, doing things I love like writing and gardening, giving love to others by doing charts etc

If I was not naturally oriented, I could probably get mood stabilizers but I try to get to the root cause whether it be low self esteem or feeling you have to be perfect etc

posted September 14, 2014 02:42 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Faith:
^ There was no *hate* for drugs on this thread.

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posted September 14, 2014 03:02 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by aquaguy91:
I'm surprised that there is so much hate towards anti-depressants here. They have helped me a great deal and I know several other people who have had positive experiences with them.

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I distrust them. Not saying they're bad in every case, but they're way over-prescribed IMO. And I've seen people harmed by them as well as helped. Both in subtle ways and even hospitalized with major psychosis, and I've known 2 personally in the latter case. On top of that a friend of mine was nearly murdered by her mother put on them who called 911 and the daughter heard a paramedic listen to her mother describe the psyche meds she'd started say that "sometimes that happens" ("that" being her filled with homicidal intentions to her children for no reason other than she'd started taking psyche meds that were altering her brain chemistry).

On top of that is when these drugs are peddled for money more than legitimate medical reasons, and that people who have legite needs but not the money can't get them.

posted September 14, 2014 05:02 AM            

Guess what, I was not, and the anti-depressants did nothing. But I did become more happy since I met my girlfriend, and he insisted that it was thanks to the anti-depressants. Gave me an excuse to stop taking them though.

posted September 14, 2014 11:26 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by aquaguy91:
Don't be pedantic.

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quote:

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Originally posted by aquaguy91:
There seems to be a distrust of psychiatric drugs/anti-depressants, maybe hate was the wrong word.

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Right, hate was the wrong word. There was no hate, everyone here was respectful towards others' choices. Credit where it's due, you know?

I do think most people would be better off taking a natural approach than turning to drugs. For one thing, the side effects of antidepressants can be serious, and they are common:

quote:

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One of the more common “though not frequently talked about” side effects is decreased interest in sex or decreased ability to have an orgasm. As many as half the patients who get SSRIs report a sex-related symptom, says Bradley N. Gaynes, MD, MPH, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina.

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posted September 14, 2014 11:31 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by PixieJane:
On top of that a friend of mine was nearly murdered by her mother put on them who called 911 and the daughter heard a paramedic listen to her mother describe the psyche meds she'd started say that "sometimes that happens" ("that" being her filled with homicidal intentions to her children for no reason other than she'd started taking psyche meds that were altering her brain chemistry).

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Well now that you mention it....

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Fact: At least 34 school shootings and/or school-related acts of violence have been committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 167 wounded and 78 killed (in other school shootings, information about their drug use was never made public—neither confirming or refuting if they were under the influence of prescribed drugs). The most important fact about this list, is that these are only cases where the information about their psychiatric drug use was made public. (See full list below.)

The below list includes individuals documented to have been under the influence of psychiatric drugs and not only includes mass shootings, but the use of knives, swords and bombs. 22 international drug regulatory agency warnings cite side effects including mania, violence, psychosis and even homicidal ideation...

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See list: http://www.cchrint.org/school-shooters/