well im 15 and my boyfriend of 10 months just told me that he is depressed and has been on different depression meds for a while. in the past i have sorta treated him badly and now thinking that i did that to someone that has some kind of disorder and i feel horribleee. i really really want to be the best gf i can be from now on but how can i help? is there anything in particular i can do to help his depression at all?? i really want to help!!

Chosen Answer:

Well its important in all relationships to be the best girlfriend you can, and you sound like your doing a good job because you care so much! I suffer from depression due to my anxiety and it sucks at the time, but I love it when my husband takes me out. Out of the house. We are only 20 and I’m pregnant so its not like we can go do much as you are 15 either can you. But out to dinner, movie, go hang out with friends, anything that makes him happy. Depression is truly great sadness and if you aren’t experiencing it, it is very difficult to grasp. Even when I’m not feeling depressed it would be hard for me to understand someone who is and I have felt it. Hopefully the medication is helping him, but just being a supportive, helpful girlfriend will get the trick done. My husband doesn’t have to do anything, I know he loves me and that makes him my comfort! Good luck!!
by: Abby’s mommy
on: 14th August 08

Okay well, I think I might have insomnia problems? I am 14 female, I usually can’t fall asleep for around 4-5 hours even if I am tired and the room is silent. Also, I NEVER feel refreshed after sleeping (even if it’s for over 8 hours). I often have other problems too like OCD and I have many fears/phobias which also keep me awake. I do have some stress and lately have been feeling kind of depressed.

Please help!

Chosen Answer:

Insomnia sucks.
I used to have it.
Main things are lifestyle changes. First off, never do anything in your bed except for sleeping. Then your brain associates your bed with sleeping, instead of reading, doing homework, watching TV, you know. Second, an hour before you go to bed, turn of the music, the computer, the phone, and maybe even the TV, or just anything that keeps your mind going. Your mind will shut down, then you can go to bed when your mind is shut down.

And about waking up feeling not refreshed, it’s because you’re getting up too early. Even if you go to bed at 8, and you get up at 4 AM(getting 8 hours of sleep), your body won’t like it. Because of your Circadian Rhythm, at 4 AM, you are still asleep to your body. I’m sure you don’t get up at 4, but if you get up at 6 AM, you are still getting up too early, and I know that sometimes it’s unavoidable. But try to make allowances to allow yourself to get up later. Skip a shower in the morning, instead take one before you go to bed. If you HAVE to have one, shorten it. Also, lay out all of your clothes before you go bed.
Also, just relax. Sleeping is fun.
I hope I helped.
by: bob
on: 6th January 08

Does anyone take BuSpar for anxiety? If so, how are you doing on it?

Chosen Answer:

My husband used to, I think it kind of isn’t that great. I had clients on it, also. Wouldn’t be my choice anti-anxiety med.
by: XXXDirtyDirtyGirlXXX
on: 24th September 06

Can clinical depression and low self-esteem make you feel real confused? Lately ive been feeling I don’t know what my personality is or who I am. Its like I can’t act/behave naturally because I don’t know how. Its like ive lost my identity but the doctor has been reassuring me that it is common to experience these kind of negative thoughts when suffering from depression. Anyone else ever experience this and does it pass when you clear up the derpression?

Chosen Answer:

YES.

If you weren’t depressed you wouldn’t be thinking along the same lines. You would take life as it comes and enjoy it. You wouldn’t need to question everything.

Depression can be painful, and lead to many regrets later on (due to a life mispent) but if you’re young it could just be a natural process. A little depression spint can be character building. Philosophical inquiry and depth anaylsis can really give you perspective. When you strip yourself of your “personal traits” you can see things unattached and ultimately more clearly.

It has been in these times of my life that i have overcome materialism, superficiality etc etc. Perhaps you have a spiritual yearning.

However if the confusion is permanent and you’re only degressing further into a depression from it then you will need professional help.
by: abagail
on: 26th February 08

im not sure if i have some kind of insomnia. i cant maintain sleeping patterns. i have a lot of trouble falling asleep, but i also have a difficult time waking up. even if i sleep for 10 or 12 hours i have trouble waking up. so my question is a: do i have some form of insomnia and what is it called. and b: what are some possible medications/ solutions.

Chosen Answer:

There are three different types of insomnia, each with their own type of treatments.

http://knownhealthsolutions.com/insomnia.html

Make sure you know which one you have, before you waste your money!
by: Dr. Eric J
on: 30th May 08

I have been struggling with insomnia lately and it has begun to affect my ability to work. Are there any insomnia medications that can be prescribed to those under 18?
The thing is Trazidone kind of scares me. I have had friends on that and it has thrown them off so badly. They wake up in a haze and can’t shake it for hours. I don’t want that.

Chosen Answer:

i hate to say it but you’re not going to find a sleeping medication that doesn’t have some sort of hangover effect to it.

trazadone is a good sleeping medication, it’s not addictive and if you take it at the correct time you will not wake up a zombie! they are probably taking it way too late at night.

The other options are melatonin which you can buy at a health food store. It helps you sleep well too, and the hangover is about the same as Trazadone.

Then you have the addictive drugs which are terrible in my opinion. I became addicted to these sleeping meds.

The next ones are addictive as hell! zopiclone is known as IMOVANE , if you live in the united states, it’s known as LUNESTA and the drug is eszopiclone which is really no different than plain zopiclone that we have in Canada.

Ambien is chemically called Zolpidem, it is also addictive as hell and i wouldn’t suggest going on it!

Then there are the Benzodiazepines such as Ativan (lorazepam) and Klonopin (Clonazepam) and many other like Valium (Diazepam) and Temazepam, Dalmane (flurazepam)

These are horrible for you and very addictive and you will probably like the effect it has on you because it relaxes you totally and makes you forget all your worries! it’s honestly harder than heroin to get off of when you are addicted and if you run out of pills and you go into withdrawal you can die from seizures and it’s very likely you will die if you have a significant benzodiazepene habit.

I had a 24mg Ativan habit…..most people take .5mg or 1mg to help them sleep or to help with anxiety… so imagine how much my 24mg was and how messed up I was! I didn’t even know how screwed up i was my family had to do an intervention!

STAY OFF BENZOS and other hypnotics such as AMBIEN and LUNESTA!!!!
by:
on: 20th July 11

I don’t know what is the specific field to see a doctor for Insomnia. I haven’t been sleeping for the past couple of weeks.

Chosen Answer:

Insomnia is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression or sometimes for no apparent reason. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. Soak a tablespoon of mint leaves in a cup of water for an hour, drink every night. Check out http://useinfo-insomnia.blogspot.com/ for more info
by: tomorjerry
on: 8th September 07

I notice that I have insomnia which is something that I have never dealt with before and it is making it hard for me to go to sleep. I have heard that Sleeping pills are bad because they make the body dependent on them later on but I feel like I have a hard time going to sleep.

Chosen Answer:

benadryl (diphenhydramine) is a great drug to help you sleep. It is sold over the counter (OTC) in most pharmacies. The best part is that it is non-habit forming, so your body will not get dependent on it.

Another drug to try is melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. Taking it medicinally can help with insomnia. Do not take melatonin if you have high blood pressure (can raise BP), diabetes (can raise blood sugar), depression (can make symptoms worse), or a seizure disorder (can potentiate seizures)

One more option could be Valerian root extract. This has been shown to help treat insomnia. Do not drink alcohol with this drug, or other CNS depressants because they could increase each others effect in the body
by:
on: 24th October 11

What kind of anxiety medicine works for anxiety? I was diagnost with anxiety and tomorrow i go to my doctor to get medicine for it. I always have racing thoughts, I always worry, I am very irretable and I stay tired all of the time.

Chosen Answer:

That’s the worst s h i t you can ever take. Anxiety is normal, everyone has it. It’s how you deal with it that matters. No medication is going to teach you how to deal with life, overcome fears, deal with worries, stress, etc. Even depression can be a factor with anxiety, and often it’s because of the way we think that ends up in a cycle of depression. How we think ends up in how we feel. It’s the habit of thought process that ends up in the negative emotions. How you learn to deal with your thinking, your outlook, your attitude (positive or negative), your level of faith, confidence, etc. I would far more recommend counseling than medication (even group therapy). Also, relaxation exercises, physical exercise, yoga, spirituality, relaxing music, taking time out, play time, etc. Anxiety medications especially the ones in the family of valium, Xanax, Librium, Attivan, etc are all from the same chemical structure. Once you get it on them, they actually cause a syndrome of anxiety that can increase 10 fold. You’ve heard of housewives that become addicted and end up having psychotic or mental breakdowns. It’s a nasty rebound affect, the medication that was suppose to help in the end is the disease. That kind of stuff is only good for VERY short term. Never stay on it for long term, look for other answers I’m not a big believer in alcohol. But honestly, you would be BETTER off taking a glass of wine 2-3 times a day than taking a valium 2-3 times a day to relax a little. I wouldn’t recommend the wine necessarily either, but it’s a better option than anxiety medication. By the way I was on it from age 16-21 and I ended up with an anxiety disorder and ended up spending 21 days in the hospital to get off the stuff and get my mind back. It took a long time before I ever felt normal again. My boss’s son is in his 30′s and he’s a MESS from Xanax, so is his wife. They wonder why they can’t overcome their anxiety disorder. The mother started it because of travel anxiety. She recommended her son for mild anxiety attacks he would have. Now their both 10 times worse off being on that crap. They don’t realize the medication is what’s crippling them. Millions are going through the same thing right now on the same stuff!
by: Pauly
on: 4th August 08