Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

rydellen,

You brought up some very interesting and important points. You assumed that your depression was from your fretting about not getting better. You also commented about getting stuck in the looping thoughts.

These are two very big causes of depression. The brain, especially after a brain trauma, can be easily overloaded. This constant thinking or fretting about "when will I get better" or "why haven't I gotten better" points to a common problem in the concussion community.

Doctors, especially GP's, PCP's, Family care, etc. often over state how fast and complete our recovery should be. They also dismiss us as psychological problems without any basis for their diagnosis. This can lead to the premature prescribing of anti-depressants.

It would be much better if there was more support within the medical community for the concept that a concussion or other brain injury needs two things to help recovery.

Time and patience. Those who recover quickly are fortunate and not to be compared to those of us who don't recover quickly, if at all.

There are no quick fixes for our brains. They will recover only when given the opportunity to be free of stresses, both emotional and physical.

The frustration of these doctors when they do not see us recovering as they expect with their limited understanding should not be dropped on us. A simple, "I don't know how long it will take for you to recover. Everyone is different." would be a big help.

Instead of dumping it back on us, they could direct us to help that can teach us how to live with our current condition while we patiently wait for time to take its course.

Instead they say, "You should have recovered by now. There must be something else happening." This leads to the anti-depressants.

Do they make a difference? The research tends to be inconclusive. They may help us be less anxious. But do they hamper true physiological recovery?

A number of researchers believe that SSRI's SNRI's, Tri-cyclics, and MAOI's cause or put us at risk of long term damage.

We need to stop being so compliant and taking the anti-depressants without challenging the doctors. Many of us have challenged them, but more need to. Big Pharma needs to know that we will not roll over and play dead to their push to medicate us.

I am taking the maximum dose of Paxil, 60 mg. Have been for 9 years. I need it because my brain condition leaves me with a brain that gets stuck looping on mundane meaningless things, like the spelling of a word, a license plate number, a stanza from a song, and other stupid and annoying thoughts. I have never had the frets and worries common to OCD even though that is my diagnosis.

I am waiting for an alternative. I have tried a lower dose but the looping come right back. The looping can last for hours, even days. It is exhausting.

The side effects of the Paxil and the long term risks are also scary but that is a problem for the future. At least I can live day to day.