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OT: Pappy going Drug Free


Pappy P

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On a personal note:

 

Well, I had been taking an anti-depressant for about 3 years.

 

However, sicne my health plan stopped covering that particular drug, I decided it was time to try to live drug free once again.

 

For two weeks now I've been tapering off the drug. Man have I been irritable and moody.

 

Luckily, I've been able to press on.

 

Now, here I am two days off the drug completely, but I'm still a cranky arse.

 

I've always been ADD, so chemicals and drugs were supposed to have an opposite effect on me, but I think my metabolism is messed up now.

 

I've not been sleeping good since tapering off the drug, so now I think I need to finally come to terms with my caffine addiction.

 

Today I am tapering off the caffiene as well. I never really thought it had an effect on me before, but.....

 

I've only had one cup of coffee today and I already notice an improvement. I usually dose up with two strong cups of coffee after waking up and with 5 or more glasses of tea by bedtime.

 

I'm gonna try to limit my self to 2 glasses of tea today and then I will go after alternate sources of caffiene tomarrow.

 

Wish me luck in this battle.

 

Oh yeah. Almost forgot.

 

I've been really creative while on this anti-depressant. All the songs I've written and recorded have been during this three year period.

 

I'm hoping I don't lose that creative spark.

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Be careful. You might begin a downward spiral and not be able to recognize it. If not a therapist, have a friend or relative observe and document your state of mind now and any changes in the next weeks and months.

 

Good luck coping, Pappy.

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

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fntstcsnd

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Good luck on being drug-free. :thu:

 

I wish you the absolute best.

 

Oh, and I think caffeine affects everyone, including people that have been on it for more than 10 yrs. Now, where's my cup? One of these days I'm going to get unhooked, too... but man, do I love coffee.

 

Take care...

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

--from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

My MySpace Space

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Dang neighbor, had no idea.

 

Has the Doctor suggested any alternatives, like yoga, Watching the Home Shopping Network or Bowling? (Just trying to lighten it up) :)

 

Or does the Doctor know?

 

If you need anything, I'm around - along with all the other folks.

 

Hang in there!And don't worry bout the Creativity, will probably be even better.

 

Lynn G

Lynn G
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I didn't want to get into it, but yeah... maybe therapy will help, be it a professional or a friend.

 

I think the key is to keep a positive attitude.

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

--from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

My MySpace Space

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Pappy Good Luck.. was on them for awhile.. and when I came off them.. LOOK OUT.. I was an ornary S.O.B. and man if the wind wasn't going in the right direction.. Mother Nature got a piece of mind too.. after about three - five weeks you should start seeing everything really clear and have more energy then a (insesrt animal here) with a fire cracker up it's... well you know how that goes... Best of Luck and as said above.. have someone taking notes of how your day to day goes for the next few weeks...

 

As for your creativity...Look out.. I think we're gonna have a whole new pappy of creativity and it will flood your mind.. so be careful.

 

You know we're all here for ya =) when you got release some thoughts =)

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My personal opinion on anti-depressents is that rather than resolve problems they alter your mind into one which is more numb and is less affected by circimstance or situation. In fact the one I was on made me want to resolve the actual problems in my life less than I did in the first place. Im surprised that you feel you've been more creative with them, heres hoping you will be EVEN more creative off of them. I know its a real bitch coming off the bloody things and ive seen the withdrawel affect some people worse than others, so my thoughts are with ya buddy. Heres hoping it all works out OK for ya... which im sure it will.

 

You can see you're already starting improve with your use of sensible british words like arse and mates :thu::D

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Pappy,

 

Neil gives some good advice there. Try to check in with whoever was prescribing this to you just to make sure you're OK.

 

If things don't go well, you can always tell the doctor you need the meds but can't afford it right now. Often times you can get sample packs for free until you get health insurance again.

 

The drug companies load 'em up with free samples all the time so don't hesitate to ask if you feel like you need to get back on this medication.

 

Take care and hope you get to feeling better.

quote:Originally posted by mdrs:

 

It's pure B.S., and obvioulsy inaccurate. I suspect it is posted for effect, not for accuracy.

 

John Petrucci > Johnny Winter

The Edge > Ted Nugent

Guitar One Mag > Guitarplayer

Slash > Carlton

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Pappy, are there any anti-depressants that are covered by your insurance?

 

I grew up with a Mother who suffered terribly with clinical depression and now my wife has it. I'm familiar with every aspect of this disease and every available treatment. I even had ADD growing up (Not the kind that every bad, misbehaving kid under the sun, suddenly has now a days, but the real kind where you have trouble paying attention in school because you get distracted by other things.)

 

As I'm sure you know, anti-depressants aren't suppose to alter your mood, they are supposed to replace a chemical in your brain that your body isn't producing. (Basically).

 

Because most of the new line of drugs is all in the same family, if one type of drug isn't covered, another type might be. It would still have the same effect but just have a different name.

 

I'm familiar with all of the medications and their side effects. If you want to PM me, maybe I can help you out.

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Good comments all. I too went 2 or 3 years on then off one of the more popular anti-depressants. I don't recall having any trouble coming off of it. I don't know if you have a workout regimen, but it would help to ramp up your excercise to get some of that natural endorphin action goin' on. Good luck. S. :)
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I can relate, only in that the Rock and Roll GirlFriend has been on 2 incredibly strong sleep medicines since we met. She also decided to try to lose the habit, and we spent a couple/three weeks getting her clean from these drugs; and a little longer losing the residuals. (She had been on them for many years). It was rough at first, but now she sleeps well and deeper, though we still have evenings that are tough on occasion. But all in all, she is much happier from having dropped these drugs. She seems healthier, and life in general seems much better for both of us.

 

So I can only offer my 'ata Boy!', and hope that your result turns out as well as hers has. Hang in there.

Thumbs up, Brother!, and know that we all are pulling for you.

 

Bill

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Definately good comments all.

 

My Doctor told me I could try going with out them. I think the circumstances that prompted me to go on the Anti Dep. were situational.

 

I was having like a mid-life crisis and I had a job I hated.

 

I try to work out at least 4-5 times a week. My office has a gym.

 

One thing I noticed about the anti-dep was that it caused me to sweat profusely with mild exertsion. I hated that. I definately like having normal sweat patterns again.

 

Another weird side effect, Alcohol had less effect on me then before I was on the drug. So now I have to be real careful when I drink.

 

Believe me, I have my wife and a few friends watching me.

 

I think I definately deserve it to myself to atleast try.

 

I think I'm OK though. No one noticed when I hit 3000 posts and I did not fall into a tail spin.

 

Oh sure it hurt, but I was able to cope.

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BTW: I was taking effexor. For the most part it had very few side effects. Atleast nothing I couldn't cope with.

 

I was on a low dose, so it just sort of took the edge of any impending drama. Luckily I wasn't numb and could still react appropriately to any given emotion.

 

At the time I started, my life was total chaos and I felt I had no control over anything including the way I felt.

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Originally posted by Pappy P:

One thing I noticed about the anti-dep was that it caused me to sweat profusely with mild exertsion. I hated that. I definately like having normal sweat patterns again.

 

I think I'm OK though. No one noticed when I hit 3000 posts and I did not fall into a tail spin.

 

Oh sure it hurt, but I was able to cope.

Sorry we missed the big 3K; congrats, post-er boy!

 

If you start feeling grumpy and need to rant, you can always vent it here in whatever patter you want!

Go Pappy! Go Pappy!

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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Here are some good questions that a friend sent to me. Hope they help!

 

What am I happy about in my life now?

What about that makes me happy? How does that make me feel?

What am I excited about in my life now?

What about that makes me excited? How does that make me feel?

What am I proud about in my life now?

What about that makes me proud? How does that make me feel?

What am I grateful about in my life now?

What about that makes me grateful? How does that make me feel?

What am I enjoying in my life right now?

What about that do I enjoy? How does that make me feel?

What am I committed to in my life right now?

What about that makes me committed? How does that make me feel?

Who do I love? Who loves me?

What about that makes me loving? How does that make me feel?

 

Evening power questions

What have I given today?

In what ways have I been a giver today?

What did I learn today?

How has today added to the quality of my life or how can I use today as an investment in my future?

 

Have a screwed up problem? ask yourself these questions. How many times have you biggest problems turned into your best opportunities? If youre like me..A LOT!

 

Problem solving questions

What is great about this problem?

What is not perfect yet?

What am I willing to do to make it the way I want it?

What am I willing no longer to do in order to make it the way I want it?

How can I enjoy the process while I do what is necessary to make it the way I want it?

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Good luck with this Pappy. I know you can do it. Find as many things to preoccupy your conscious mind as possible. Before you know it, you'll be looking back in amazement that you ever needed them at all.

 

BTW...That's some pretty serious hair farming you had going on yourself there in that Avatar. Word-up dawg.

 

:P

Kerry
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Originally posted by Pappy P:

I really think my biggest concern is getting rid of the Caffiene Monkey.

Cant offer up any advice there... Im a habitual coffee junkie myself :D Sorry i missed your 3k mate!! I only noticed my 1k after Geoff posted about his 3k :D Thats cool that they didnt totally numb you too, ive seen many family members zombify almost overnight with AD's. Hopefully as they didnt change you too much it will be a bit easier to go without them.
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I really feel for you Pappy, I have a couple of concerns, besides the obvious concern that Pappy has an issue he needs to deal with. I used to think depression was for people who just are weak and like to wallow in self pity. I looked down on people who would just not show up for work or would not get motivated to do anything. I've learned a bit about it over the last few years when my brother was diagnosed with it. He was very secretive about it at first but finally opened up. I then found out that alot of people in my family had been been treated for depression at one time or another including my dad and my sister. My dad says his mother also had problems. I had no idea about all this, I guess people are a bit ashamed, men especially to admit they have this problem.

 

My brothers case was really bad. He would just stop showing up for things like band practice or work. I used to get really angry and yell at him till I found out why, man was I embarrased. He was seeking treatment and was given several drugs that just didn't really work well or had side effects he couldn't live with. Part of the problem was he couldn't sleep nights, he also tried drugs for that. This went on for 3-4 years. He was lucky that his boss was a good friend of his and that wherever he worked he would get my brother a job and let him work his own hours whenever he could. I think he finally found a drug that lets him sleep and seems to be working. He says he still has bad days but not as bad or as often as before.

 

I am saying all this because I am appalled that your insurance company should just drop coverage on a drug. From what I have heard you really need several options on depression treatment to try to find something that works for a particular patient. I would look into legal issues against the insurance company, especially if other drugs don't work for you.

 

On the other hand I have problems with the medical establishment in the way they prescribe drugs and don't really try to wean people off of them when it becomes an option. If you can function without them that would be the best thing long term. I would also suggest no alchohol and very limited caffiene, regardless of if your on prescription or not. I see very little good that can come from drinking in a depressed state.

 

I am serious about taking up this issue against your insurance company, its is hard to find an anti-depressant that works and also has side effects you can handle. Unless the FDA has dissapproved this drug, what gives your insurance company the right to just say sorry we aren't going to pay for that any more. But if you really need it find a way to pay for it. It doesn't hurt to try and wean yourself from it, but you can be the only judge if you need it or not.

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Here,there anywhere you could see stress our gandfathers-mothers don´t suffered. I´m an "expert" in that drugs ¨cause I needed. Abandone an antidepressant shold be done step by step decreasing...I drink a lot of coffee, all that cocktail don´t le us live "normal". Desiring you good luck, be careful and observe your mood, usually friends and family see your changes before yourself. If you start being sad change the technical, should ask a Doctor ,if you are passing better moment in life than you needed pills YOU COULD WIN!!! SMILE & SING.
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Here,there anywhere you could see stress our gandfathers-mothers don´t suffered. I´m an "expert" in that drugs ¨cause I needed. Abandone an antidepressant should be done step by step decreasing...I drink a lot of coffee, all that cocktail don´t le us live "normal". Desiring you good luck, be careful and observe your mood, usually friends and family see your changes before yourself. If you start being sad change the technical, should ask a Doctor ,if you are passing better moment in life than you needed pills YOU COULD WIN!!! SMILE & SING.
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Yeah, for me exersize is definatly the key. Just going for a walk will get me going, its not all that hard to get up for a walk, whereas sometimes its hard to want to lift weights or something strenuous like that.
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Good luck dude!

 

Keep your head up. You know I went through a bout with depression. I took some shit for it for like 2 years, then I didn't feel dpressed anymore so I stopped. It was more of a situational depression cuz my Mom had cancer and she was going through intense chemo.

 

Anyways, my doctor told me a thing that actually made me think (oh my god).

 

Anyways what he said was "look around this room for 10 secs, then close your eyes and tell me everything that is brown in this room". I did this. Then he said, "when you were looking for brown things, what did you see that was blue?"

 

Of course I didn't have an answer because he told me to look for the brown stuff. My point is that you train yourself to see or not see certain things. This makes us think a certain way. We prejudge the moment sometimes.

 

I personally don't believe in psychology. I think it is a scam. I went to some therapists when I was younger and they were all full of shit. They would have a note pad so they wouldn't forget who you were or what your problems were. Total scam. I have friends with 10 times as much insight who KNOW ME. I do believe in psychiatry though because it involves drugs. It is more exacting

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Try to think this way: maybe you shouldn't have taken any anti-depressant in the first place, so the drug was really a mistake and now you are on the right path again, fighting with your own forces. :thu:

After all, we all know that life can be a bitch at times, but problems are there to be solved...

Korg PA3X Pro 76 and Kronos 61, Roland G-70, Integra 7 and BK7-m, Casio PX-5S, Fender Stratocaster with Fralin pickups, Fender Stratocaster with Kinman pickups, 1965 Gibson SG Standard
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