It seems like the whole country had been pulling for the New Orleans Saints Football team to win the Superbowl this year. Sure, some of us were looking forward to the commercials. Or for the great Superbowl party and food we were going to have. But the overall mood and feeling of the country, seemed to be that they would of liked to see the New Orleans Saints win the championship not only for themselves but for their city, their state, their region of the country.

New Orleans which has been financially, structurally, and still emotionally devastated by Hurricane Katrina was looking for a sign of some sorts to give them hope that the city was moving forward in the right direction. Towards change. Towards progress. Looks like they got their wish as the New Orleans Saints are the new Superbowl champions.

Will this win improve the city’s mood? Will it improve their city? I think so. That is why professional sports are so popular around the world. They have the ability to mobilize and bring together people from all walks of life to support and cheer and hope for the same cause. In this case, this team’s journey to the Superbowl seemed to have brought together many people all over the U.S.

This great win and honor for the city of New Orleans may bring back more tourism. It may bring back more industry. It may bring back or rather increase the already rising spirit of the city and attract people who want to come back and live there.

What New Orleans needed after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was a big emotional lift to get them out of the light of a city who was “pitied” and rather a city who is now admired and one that people are genuinely happy for.

“Please enjoy this excerpt from today’s featured author G.E. Wilson’s book Dying To Live, Confessions of Suicide. If you have ever battled depression or another mental health disorder (or a loved one has), thought about giving up, then this book may hit home for you in many ways. Enjoy…”

Isn’t it time to smile again?

Dying to Live, confessions of suicide.
By G.E. Wilson

“Dying to Live, confessions of suicide” is an ebook offering remarkable insight into mental illness and what can truly push us over the edge.

The book’s title sums up the courageous confession of the author’s plight, together with her triumphant battle to overcome.

Met with challenge after challenge, a mentally abusive father, rejection, the divorce of her parents, homelessness, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, social anxiety disorder, suppression, and a tremendous struggle to live in a world she felt unjust, she finally imploded.

It was a failed attempt at suicide that would eventually…. Shock her world.

Physically she withstood the ordeal, mentally and emotionally proved to be a battle, but one of which she was determined to conquer. A new mission in life was to combat the fears and pain that ultimately led her down the road of despair.
Upon immediate release from a county run mental health facility the author started writing about the journey that spiraled towards self destruction, including time spent in the asylum. A new found wisdom from the wake up call gave rise to a different perception of life. She is now medication and depression free.

This courageous book will open your eyes, as it gradually unravels the power of self help and how we can turn our lives around.

Many books have been written about depression, each educating us on how a specific ailment can be treated, others offering remarkable insight into the phenomenon of our biochemistry. This particular book however, provides an alternative approach to mental illness through the eyes of those who have suffered.

Authors Note: I am bringing this book into the light of day because I have fought hard for something I believe in, having suffered, having communicated with people who suffer, and having listened to their tragic yet empowering stories. Some felt banished by society because they attempted suicide after living a life of hell, others because they were sexually abused as children and are now suffering extreme consequences. There are those who are oblivious and fail to comprehend why, perhaps it is genetic, a chemical imbalance, or it could have been a tragedy, again there is no shame. So let us discuss this “Taboo” subject, and shed some light instead of turning our backs.

Packed with resource; whether you are suffering, know of someone who is suffering, need a source for understanding or wish to gain knowledge….. This book may help.

The Excerpt:

LIVING IN DENIAL

How many of us actually live in denial of our pain, our issues, our problems, our heartache, and our depression? I would suspect a very high percentage considering most of us find it an excruciating challenge to ‘re-live’ our pain. We would rather bury it within our sub conscious and forget it exists, the problem with this is that we will always endure the consequences, we are never truly, or even remotely healed. We will continue to experience the side effects that once hurt us so intensely. We fear the truth of our underlying pain, we fear the confrontation, so we crush it and tuck it away until another pain penetrates us and we crush that also. Eventually we either explode or we suffer with a conglomerated mush of issues we have not dealt with, how can we possibly think lucidly with all that mush floating around in our head?

A woman I once knew had endured the most horrendous amount of pain as a child. The beatings had eventually taken its toll as the fear and pain she suppressed became evident in her bi-polar behavior. She confessed “The pain is too intolerable to bring to the surface.” Instead she suffered every~single~day living in a galaxy of her own alien to any form of happiness. It was torture for me to watch a friend whom I loved writher and accept the pain as a comfort zone.
I could not express to her the importance of unleashing that pent up fear because I was accused of ‘patronizing.’ I incessantly walked on eggshells not knowing when she would snap at me for no apparent reason. If you are one of these people, go and get help. You do not have to suffer for the remainder of your life; you do not have to make your loved ones suffer for the remainder of theirs.

By suppressing and living in denial we are not evolving, we are ignoring, and remaining stagnant, or, we are regressing. It takes strength to confess, even by admitting we have a problem, and this my friends, is the first triumphant step towards recovery.

Eventually with baby steps a gradual peace of mind will prevail, we have to believe that, and above all we have to believe in our ‘self’. Nobody has the ability to cure you but YOU. Strength and encouragement can be gained from others but we have to undertake the work in order to achieve. If we choose not to help ourselves, and are affecting the lives of others mentally, emotionally,or physically, isn’t that a pretty selfish act?

BREAKING THE CYCLE

It is a sad possibility that if your parents beat you emotionally or physically, argued incessantly throughout their relationship, or even molested you; the cycle could well be carried over to you. If your father had patronized you, or you endured watching a parent fall prey to abuse, the cycle could well be carried over to you. A young boy who grew up watching his father strike his mother assumes it is okay to hit women, he witnesses his beloved daddy execute this intolerance so it must be okay, right? Wrong! There is no excuse when you have the resources and ability to break the cycle! It is not okay to physically or mentally abuse another human being. Deal with your issues.

In our parents and grandparents day there was minimal assistance for their behavioral problems, or as I mentioned previously there was way too much of a stigma surrounding mental health. Today however, we are quite fortunate, we have the ability to break the cycle of abuse through receiving the help we need.

The only true legacies one should pass down to their children are love and positive guidance. It takes more than shelter, food and clothing to successfully lay down the foundation for growth.

WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE

Do you find yourself easily manipulated? And if so, do you consider yourself weak for allowing it to happen? Are you aware that inside of you, you have an inner strength so powerful that you have the ability to stop the manipulation?

I once had a partner who was a very clever mind manipulator, it drove me crazy. In fact it became so intolerable that I could not take anymore, even though I was in love. It hurt tremendously to have to break away but I knew I was going regress if it continued. Situations were constantly reversed making me out to be the aggressor, when I had done nothing wrong, yet would apologize nonetheless. I became so confused that I would often question myself, and had no idea what I had said to amplify an argument, and of course it was never explained when asked so I could rectify it or at least understand. A simple sentence was taken out of context and all hell broke loose. Consequently the relationship was on again off again, and was told at one point “I cannot venture any further into this relationship with you because I have failed to see your ‘ugly’ side.” I stipulated that I did not have an ‘ugly’ side, and was met with “Everybody has an ugly side.” So I got to thinking, hmmm! What is my ugly side? It drove me nuts trying to think of one so I asked a few of my friends to assist, all of whom assured me I did not have an ugly side.

So, I had fallen prey to being manipulated because I was in love. I was given a second and third chance and a fourth through a ‘Pass or fail’ test. I failed of course, though somehow managed to hang on to the relationship. I did however eventually let go for the sake of my sanity.

This is where you draw the line; in fact ‘way prior’ do you draw the line. Mind manipulation is one of the most damaging forms of abuse a person can have over us, we really do not have to tolerate it. I was not weak though acted with my heart instead of my head. The manipulator is the weaker of the two because there are underlying and unresolved issues.

What causes another person to assume the authority of manipulation? There is one word, an embedded “Insecurity” It is not you! What is you is that you feel you have to take it.

HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS?

Do I really want to die, or do I just want the pain the end?
If I can somehow erase my pain I would be much happier
If I was not in so much debt and felt like drowning every day, I would be able to enjoy my life.
My life is so boring, what is the point?
If my heart was not broken I would be able to love again.
If I did not feel so sad all the time I would be able to laugh again.
If I did not have a problem with my weight or appearance I would be happy.
If people liked me I wouldn’t be so depressed.
If I wasn’t so ill I would be able to do so much more with my life.
If my spouse didn’t beat or manipulate me I would be at liberty to do the things I want to do.
If my job wasn’t so stressful I could focus more.
If only I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.
If I had time for me and wasn’t so focused on others I would enjoy life more.
I feel suicidal, nobody understands.
If I had wings, I could learn how to fly.

Think about that last statement for a second.

If I had wings I could learn how to fly.

If you identify this as ‘running away’ you are definitely in the wrong mind set. If however you perceive it as having the ability to overcome your situation and soar, you are on the right conscious path.

All of these observations can be turned around to work in your favor, eventually.

Do you really want to die…?
If we could ask those who have died by suicide if they really wanted to die, I wonder what percentage would say in my heart of hearts yes, or no it was more a desperate cry for help. Was it long pre-meditated, or was it spontaneous. If it was pre-meditated could they have been saved? These are all questions we will never know the true answers to, but we do know from some who have attempted that it was a desperate cry for help, a way in which to make others feel and acknowledge their tremendous pain.

If you have contemplated, or are contemplating putting a gun to your head or downing that bottle of pills, truly think about this! You will be ending your life! Gone, departed, kaput. If you do not believe in reincarnation you will not get a second chance, if you do believe you may well have to come back and go through it again, on the other hand, being a suicidal case will you even come back? This is a controversial subject that could be a whole book in itself, which again boils down to our religious preference. Do the untold tests that have led us to break make us sinners? I think not, at the same time my whole purpose of writing this book is to help those suffering to LIVE.

We need to face our untold challenges in order to become stronger wiser individuals. We need to work at overcoming our pain instead of allowing it to eat us alive, and we need not put our friends and loved ones through such excruciating pain because we couldn’t hang. It simply is not fair it is also unfair to deny our soul, spirit and being of happiness in this world. Today is a brand new day. We should….Grasp it, breathe it, live it! It is NOT time to end our life….It is time to repair it!

Erasing the pain…
First and foremost we need to determine what is causing our pain; we can then slowly begin to eradicate it. If you are oblivious as to why you are depressed there’s a chance it may be a chemical imbalance. This is where medication comes into play. Remember 80% of those receiving treatment are treated successfully.

This eye opening book is available to download now as a PDF file for just $8.95. Please visit: www.unveilingthestigma.com
Kindle version is available through Amazon.com.

In a research paper that will be published in the Journal of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, researchers have confirmed that there is indeed a relationship between insomnia and depression, but not exactly what you might have thought.

Many depression sufferers and their physicians have long thought that insomnia was caused by depression. “You can’t sleep because of the depression.” But now that there have been several successful depression medications released and prescribed, doctors are noticing that once the depression is cured the insomnia still remains. So what gives?

Well, the new theory is that insomnia is a contributer to or a predictor of depression. I’m sure many of us know the person who has insomnia, drinks alcohol or takes a sleeping pill to get to sleep, and the suffers subsequently from depression. It’s a pattern seen quite often, especially with women.

Another unique finding of the study is that the group most likely to suffer from their first instance of depression, were those who suffered from “middle insomnia”–that is when you wake up several times throughout the night but then go back to sleep. This of course could apply to any of us at some point in our lives- such as times of severe stress or change.

Doctors consider this finding important because it suggests that if you target and treat the insomnia that you will no doubt either eliminate the chance for a first-depressive episode or speed in the recovery of a depressive episode.

More studies are planned to look into this relationship deeper and to learn how improve sleep patterns of people. If you are battling depression and have sought treatment, but are still suffering from insomnia–talk to your doctor about ways to combat the insomnia. Make sure he or she doesn’t explain your insomnia away as a result of your depression. Treat both separately but simultaneously.

Related Reading:
Say Good Night to Insomnia: The Six-Week, Drug-Free Program Developed At Harvard Medical School
by Gregg Jacobs, Herbert Benson

Have you taken our free depression screening yet?

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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A new government report suggests that therapy–specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy–may benefit some depressed teenagers just as well as antidepressant treatments. And the teenagers that seem to benefit most from this type of treatment plan were from affluent families.

In the detailed study, issued by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), researchers tested the effectiveness of Prozac vs. cognitive behavioral therapy by testing 439 depressed teenagers.

The study found that teens benefited most from the combination of pills and therapy, but that in a subgroup focus–teens from families that made over $75,000 a year, and were taking the placebo pill, were able to benefit more from just the therapy. No one can say for sure why the affluent teens fared better. Some suggestions were that it was due to the fact that these kids had more education and therefore were more open to cognitive-behavioral therapy or that affluent parents tend to seek treatment quicker for depression.

Whatever the case, the study only suggests this difference and researchers have made it quite clear that a teen with severe depression should be on medication and that all depressed teens should be closely monitored.

There has been a long-running debate in the medical community on whether antidepressants are effective for teenagers and if they cause some children/teens to experience suicidal behavior. This debate has led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require pharmaceutical companies to place black box labels (the strongest warning issued) on antidepressants.

It will be interesting to see how this continued pill vs. therapy debate evolves over the next few years. In the meantime, if you have a child or teen that you suspect may be depressed – act quickly. It’s okay to ask for help right away – because a kid with depression can quickly slip into self-imposed isolation, drug or alcohol abuse, or have suicidal ideations. Talk with your doctor so you both can come up with a treatment plan that you are comfortable with.

*sources: FDA & Healthyplace.com

A Black Box Label is the strongest warning the Food and Drug Administration can impose on a pharmaceutical.

This type of strong warning was imposed on antidepressant manufacturers because these drugs may cause suicidal thoughts and/or behavior in some children and teens.

The warning looks like this:
*Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, part 201,

Labeling:
Special problems, particularly those that may lead to death or serious injury, may be required by the Food and Drug Administration to be placed in a prominently displayed box. The boxed warning ordinarily shall be based on clinical data, but serious animal toxicity may also be the basis of a boxed warning in the absence of clinical data. If a boxed warning is required, its location will be specified by the Food and Drug Administration…

This warning can be found on many other drugs that have been approved by the FDA, so its important to understand that this label doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use it, but that you should just be cautious of its side effects.

Some drugs with black box labels or proposed labels include:
1. antidepressants like Prozac
2. prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Celebrex
3. eczema creams like Elidel and Protopic

*source: Food and Drug Administration

In an issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown talked with Jamie Foster Brown about their lives.

In the article, Brown discusses a variety of issues including having learning and mood disorders his entire life. He also mentions that the couple is undergoing marriage counseling, and that they are trying to have another child.

Brown says that he knew they needed help when the police were called to break up a domestic dispute at their Atlanta home during the Christmas holidays. He also says that the couple had a fight after Whitney tried to force him to take his bipolar disorder medication.

In the article Bobby says:

“When I was younger, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, so I know that bipolar and ADD is basically the same thing.”

“When I checked into Betty Ford I was wondering what was wrong with me. I was trying to figure out why was I going through these different changes. I mean, I could be happy one moment and then the next minute I’m like angry. Totally. Full of fire and rage. And I didn’t know what was wrong. I went to the doctor and they talked to me and they did all these tests on my brain and on my mental stability and they came up with the diagnosis that I’m bipolar.”

Brown says that he decided to switch medications and is on one that is better for him and relaxes him.

Learn more about bipolar disorder if you are married to someone with the disorder-Click Here!

Recommended Reading: Adult Bipolar Disorders: Understanding Your Diagnosis and Getting Help by Mitzi Waltz

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Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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Related Articles:
Popular soap actor is advocate for bipolar disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder II?
New Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Traditional Treatments for Bipolar Depression

Researchers at the McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts have found that the magnetic fields generated by a MRI scanner can immediately and significantly improve the mood of patients with biploar disorder.

In their study, there was mood improvement in 23 out of 30 patients with bipolar disorder.

The scientists are planning a larger study, and predict that if this study replicates these results, bipolar patients may be able to receive the treatment during a 20-minute visit to the doctor.

A person with Bipolar Disorder, also known as manic depression, is often defined as a someone who experiences moods that shift from high to low and back again in varying degrees of severity. The two poles of bipolar disorder are mania and depression. It is common for the person to be depressed more often and experience only one bout of mania to be considered for bipolar disorder.

Depression symptoms:
Refusing to get out of bed for days
Sleeping more often
Tired but unable to sleep
Instances of uncontrollable crying
Uninterested in things you once enjoyed
Ignoring daily responsibilities
Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless for a long period
Unable to make basic decisions
Thoughts of suicide

Mania symptoms:
Feeling like superman. Even if it is unsafe or illegal.
Requiring less than normal sleep, but not feeling tired
Living, Spending, or Dressing excessively and lavishly.
Indulging in risky sexual behavior. Increased libido.
Having hallucinations or delusions
Extremely energetic

Consider starting to learn more by choosing our recommended reading selections:

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder : Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementary Solutions, Including: Proper Diagnosis of Depression & Manic-Depressive … (New Hope)
by Jan Fawcett, Bernard Golden, Nancy Rosenfeld, Frederick K. Goodwin

Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder by Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston

*Details of this study were previously reported at WomansDay Magazine 4/2004

Click Here! for help if you are in a relationship or married to someone with bipolar disorder.

** Reprinting of the article above is welcome! **
The article above may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you include the following resource box in its entirety; and (2) you only mail to a 100% opt-in list. Here’s the resource box to use if reprinting the article above:

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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Related Articles:
Popular soap actor is advocate for bipolar disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder II?
Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown Talk Bipolar Disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Traditional Treatments for Bipolar Depression

Most people are familiar with the term Bipolar Disorder a.k.a. Manic Depression. It is when someone experiences moods that shift from high to low and back again in varying degrees of severity. The two poles of bipolar disorder are mania and depression.

In America, mental health professionals use the DSM IV reference book as a source for diagnosis. Therefore in America, we include another diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder II, which involves symptoms of depression and hypomania instead of full-blown mania as in Bipolar Disorder I.

Hypomania is a less extreme form of a manic episode.

Symptoms include:
Feeling totally confident in yourself
Finding your focus on projects
Feelings of extra creativity and innovation
Issues that cripple your during depression, you are suddenly able to just brush off
You feel like you are ‘king of the world’ without feeling too invincible

Sounds like someone you know? Possibly yourself? Well, it could be and the best way to know is to seek help from a medical or mental health professional in your area.

Consider starting to learn more by choosing our recommended reading selections:

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder : Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementary Solutions, Including: Proper Diagnosis of Depression & Manic-Depressive … (New Hope)
by Jan Fawcett, Bernard Golden, Nancy Rosenfeld, Frederick K. Goodwin

Loving Someone With Bipolar Disorder by Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston

*Symptom descriptions are based on the criteria for hypomania as stated in the DSM IV

Interested in Social Security Disability for Bipolar Sufferers
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Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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Related Articles:
Popular soap actor is advocate for bipolar disorder
New Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown Talk Bipolar Disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Traditional Treatments for Bipolar Depression

Maurice Benard is a very popular soap actor on General Hospital (ABC), as the role of the complex character – Sonny Corinthos. In addition to Maurice being a very popular character on this favorite television soap, off-camera he is popular as well – but as a voice in the battle against bipolar disorder.

Unusual for most actors, Maurice has been very open about his personal battle with the bipolar disorder. He has made appearances on television programs such as The View, Entertainment Tonight, and Oprah – and has been interviewed in many print media outlets.

In his most recent interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Maurice revealed how his life wasn’t as “perfect” as it appears to be to most Americans. Although he has a loving wife of 14 years (Paula) and two daughters, Maurice also has had a long-time battle with bipolar disorder– a mental illness which at one point left him suicidal and in a mental institution.

Now that he is winning the battle against his mental illness, Maurice works as an advocate and is currently working with the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) on the Bipolar Disorder: Do You Know It? campaign to teach America the importance of recognizing the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness which presents mood swings that range from blissful to bleak. Another term for bipolar disorder is manic depression, and it is a disorder which presents itself usually during adolescence or soon after.

Click Here! if you are married to someone with bipolar disorder and need help.

Related Articles:
What Is Bipolar Disorder?
New Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
What Is Bipolar Disorder II?

** Reprinting of the article above is welcome! ** The article above may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you include the following resource box in its entirety; and (2) you only mail to a 100% opt-in list. Here’s the resource box to use if reprinting the article above:

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the free GirlShrink Newsletter .

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Related Articles:
What is Bipolar Disorder II?
New Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown Talk Bipolar Disorder
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Traditional Treatments for Bipolar Depression

Types of Antidepressants
Your therapist or physician has recently recommended that you begin antidepressant drug therapy for a whopping bout of depression you are going through. Do you know what you’re taking? Do you know what it does? And do you have options?

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .

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What do they do?
SSRIs are selective because they act only on the neurotransmitter serotonin. Normal levels of serotonin are required to regulate mood and other functions. Slowing the release of serotonin from the brain is thought to improve move and other functions. Benefit: Less side effects than other antidepressants Side effects include dry mouth, nausea, nervousness, insomnia, headache and sexual problems.

1. escitalopram | brand name: Lexapro
2. citalopram | brand name: Celexa
3, fluoxetine | brand name: Prozac
4. paroxetine | brand name: Paxil
5. sertraline | brand name: Zoloft

Tricyclic Antidepressants (tricyclics)

What do they do?
Tricyclics work on two neurotransmitters — both serotonin and norepinephrine. It is thought that they may work on other chemicals in the body as well. Benefit: More research. Doctors have been prescribing these for depression for a very long time. Side effects include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty urinating, worsening of glaucoma, impaired thinking and tiredness and increased blood pressure and heart rate.

1. amitriptyline | brand name: Elavil
2. desipramine | brand name: Norpramin
3. imipramine | brand name: Tofranil
4. nortriptyline | brand names: Aventyl, Pamelor

Other antidepressants

What do they do?
These antidepressants work a little differently than the other two. But it is possible you may be prescribed these or see these advertised. Side effects vary from drug to drug. Check with your physician. Benefit: May work for people when other drugs haven’t worked.

1. venlafaxine | brand name: Effexor
2. Nefazodone | brand name: Serzone
3. Bupropion | brand name: Wellbutrin
4. Mirtazapine | brand name: Remeron
5. trazodone | brand name: Desyrel

MAOI antidepressants

What do they do?
Everything that tricylic antidepressants do plus affect levels of dopamine in the body. These are not as commonly used because they are difficult to use for many patients. There are many food and drug interaction precautions that patients have to strictly adhere to. Benefit: Patients see success in MAOIs when they have used other drugs in the past that haven’t worked. Side effects include weakness, dizziness, headaches and tremors.

1. phenelzine | brand name: Nardil
2. tranylcypromine | brand name: Parnate

Make sure you speak in depth with your physician about what drug would work best for you based on your presenting symptoms and medical history.

Related Links:
Top 5 Books on Depression
Free Depression Screening

Source: Healthyplace