Are Medications Side Effects Worse Than What They're Treating?

I have been doing really good lately. I've been able to function pretty well and haven't had any bad thoughts. I've been crediting it to the medication. Then yesterday, I was teaching at school and felt light-headed and had blurred vision. I tried to take a step but was so weak I just sat on the floor instead. I had a student to go get the school nurse. By the time she came back, the homeroom teacher came to pick the class up... so thankfully none of the students saw what followed next. The nurse asked me if I could get up and walk to a chair and I tried but couldn't. She brought a rolling chair over and I sat down. She took my blood pressure and said it was very high. The assistant principal came in and said they'd get someone to cover the rest of my classes and that I needed to go home. She asked who I could call to come pick me up and then from what they said, I fell to the floor and passed out. They said I was unconscious for a minute or two. When I came to, I started having a seizure. Now, I had never passed out or had a seizure before. The a.p. then made the call to get an ambulance. When EMS arrived I was still seizing and by that time, I could not speak. They put me in the ambulance and they said I was hyperventilating. They gave me oxygen in the ambulance and I calmed down some by the time we got to the hospital. The doctors did chest x-rays and a cat-scan. The test results did not show any problems. All the doctor could say is "We're not clear on why you passed out or had a seizure." So they sent me home. I am still very, very, very weak. I'm thinking that it is the result of the combination of the 5 medications I'm taking which includes Lexapro fro depression and Buspar for anxiety. I have an appointment with my family doctor Monday who prescribed the medications. Now, don't get me wrong, like I said before I am a fan of medication for depression. If it can make me feel normal again, then I'm all for it. But now, I'm believing the side effects are catching up to me. I did my own research, which I'm sure the doctor will hate, but in the medications I'm taking, it listed that side effects could be the symptoms I experienced and some included fainting and even seizures. So how do we fix that? I hope the doctor knows. Cause let me tell you, I don't like these side effects I experienced yesterday.... I was scared to death... I thought i was gonna die. So are the medications side effects worse than what they're treating?

Medication Or No Medication?

Medication or no medication? That has been a big issue among some about dealing with depression. Remember Tom Cruise's and Brooke Shields' debate? Yes, counseling and other things may help but medication can too. I was leery myself. I didn't want to get started on depression medication and be on it for who knows... the rest of my life? I didn't want to feel like I was drugged all the time. I didn't want it to change who I was. Well, the fact was I was not me at that point anyway. Yes the medication can bring about changes in you, especially when you first start taking it. After watching TV commercials and hearing the radio ads where the side effects seem to be worse than what you start with sometimes, it's no surprise that there will be some adjustments to be made. And it does take time. Unfortunately, you're not gonna start taking it when you really need it and be 100 percent better. Even after taking it for weeks, months, or years, you may not feel like yourself again. It's each person's choice. If the medication helps you function as you're dealing with the depression, then take it! Medication or no medication... I say medication!

Do You Have A Support System?

Everyone's so busy... everyone leads different lives... everyone has their own issues they're dealing with. So you kind of feel guilty when you share your problems with others; therefore, people experiencing depression keep things inside many times instead of sharing with others. I am guilty! I kept things so deep inside... a smile on the outside and pain on the inside. When I finally did seek help from doctors and counselors, I heard over and over that a support system is very important... from family and friends that is. And I kept getting asked by doctors and counselors, "Do you have a support system?" Honestly, at that point I did not feel like I had a support system at all! Well, I hadn't really shared what I was going through with too many people... so I thought how could they help and support me if they don't know? I told myself "That's a very good point!" The thought of actually following through with it is scary though... I guess it's the fear of rejection, maybe even the fear of shame. But I began slowly letting people around me know what I had been going through and continue to deal with. It got easier and easier. And yes, it does help! Look at me, I'm now sharing it with the world (if they all read my blogs)! So, "Do you have a support system?"