Most of the people I know, who either have FTD or are the caregiver for one who does, are on some type of antidepressant. I think all these people should be congratulated that they had the strength to admit to their doctor that they need help and also to recognize that there should be no stigma associated with taking them.
Years ago, I am talking decades, there was a stigma attached to antidepressants. If I remember correctly, most of the problem was that people did not understand how they work. They were nicknamed "happy pills." This esd not a good description at all. These drugs do not artificially make you happy, they merely allow you to be happy. If you think about it, there is a huge difference between the two.
I have been on and off anti-depressants for about 25 years. I first needed to have them prescribed after a tragedy within our family. I was having panic attacks and mistook them for heart attacks. The ER got very tired of seeing me. My doctor got tired of me waking her in the middle of the night. (See how long ago this was, you could actually talk to your doctor during a health crisis in the middle of the night.) There were a few other times during the years when I needed to rely on them as well. I had started on them again a few years prior to recognizing the symptoms of FTD. Now, I see that it was probably due to the FTD symptoms, I just had not yet seen them for what they were.
When I first started having symptoms of FTD, I got the misdiagnosis of depression from several doctors. As soon as they saw my history of depression, they jumped all over it. Fortunately, as I have written before, my family doctor knew me well enough to know this was something different. When I was struggling to get a proper diagnosis and one of the neurologists we had consulted was telling me that my issue was simply depression, I was furious. I looked him in the eye and told him it came down to the old cliche of "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" I went on to ask him if he did not think that he would be depressed if he was facing the symptoms and issues of FTD. Then he prescribed two of the alzheimer's meds and told me there was no need to make a follow up appointment. So, there we had two gross mistakes, not recognizing FTD and prescribing medications that are contra-indicated for the disease.
Since I initially took antidepressants 25 years ago, great strides have been made in the field. There are so many types now, some that I have not even heard of, that address other symptoms associated with depression, such as anxiety. After trying a couple others, my doctor went back to an older one, Wellbutrin, and a very old one, Trazodone. This one isn't even used much for depression anymore because its biggest side effect is excess drowsiness. That, in turn, makes it an excellent medication to aid with sleep disturbances. It was a blessing for me as it stopped me from experiencing the night terrors I had been struggling with. The Wellbutrin had the least side effects of all the ones we tried.
Now, I also mentioned that many caregivers also need to agree to using the antidepressants. With a bit of twisting, it comes back to the question I asked that neurologist, "How can a caregiver not suffer from depression?" It is a 24/7 job with very little reward. It takes its toll on the body and mind, both of which need rest that is not available when you are a full-time caregiver.
It is difficult for most of us to admit we need help for depression. We want to think we are strong enough to tough it out. Many whom I have discussed this with, especially the caregivers, are still reluctant to admit that they need help and are afraid of what people will think of them because they need to use the meds. You know what, I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I know I made the right decision to take them, even way back, 25 years ago. If someone who knows me would pass judgement on me by what medications I need to take, that is not someone I need in my life.
I got tired of bouncing around between lying in bed doing nothing, to having panic attacks, and screaming all the time out of frustration with the disease symptoms. There were probably other signs of depression, but that was seven years ago and I truly don't remember. I just knew that I could not live with myself much less expect anyone else to.
Now, for me personally, I also get great benefit from seeing a psychologist who specializes in dementia cases. She helps keep me on an even keel. For the past couple years, I have been down to seeing her just once a month. Knowing, though, that I can call on her if I need help, or that I can talk to her about it at our next appointment, keeps me from "freaking out."
I was going to write on an entirely different topic this week, but after a couple conversations I had with people struggling whether to take the antidepressant their doctors had prescribed, I thought this might be the time to talk about depression instead.
If you are feeling depressed, don't want to do anything, cannot relate well with others, or even can't find a reason to keep living, please get some help. A good place to start is simply with your family doctor. Why struggle when there is help available. If you are afraid of what someone might think, don't tell them, simple as that. Depression is a disease and is a symptom of FTD, not something to be ashamed of.
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