A Multitude of Recoveries Through Alternative Mental Health Treatments
I suffered from depression most of my life and was on antidepressants for almost 5 years. This is how my life changed with supplements. In mid 2004 I was having trouble with anger issues. I went to the doctor and he prescribed Lexapro to me. After the initial euphoria that followed, I started having new symptoms which included obsessions about my wife and my sexuality. I became very withdrawn with most other activities. Subsequently I was fired from the job I held for 19 years and another after 3 years for behavioral problems not associated with the initial diagnosis. My marriage of 19 years also ended. While on Lexapro I was diagnosed with PTSD and dysthymia. This was associated with stories that I made up or elaborated from being medicated. I was being told by doctors that I should continue on my medications. I was then prescribed Seroquel to combat the anxiety which I had never suffered from prior to being prescribed any medications. At that point I went to another doctor who prescribed Pristiq. This caused my anxiety to soar so they prescribed another anti-anxiety med. I was ready to end it all. It wasn't whether or not I was going to kill myself but how I would accomplish the task. At this point I decided it best to go back on the Lexapro so at least I could be somewhat rational. This is where my true recovery began. I started to research natural alternatives online, seeking out only reputable information from reputable sources. I weaned myself off Lexapro onto 5-htp supplements. This seemed to help a lot. Upon further research I concluded that serotonin enhancers were the problem all along. Some studies suggest that enhancing serotonin will cause a person to become reclusive. This was a valid point in my case, since I had lost most of my social skills and the behavior I did use was socially unacceptable. My original problem stemmed from cognitive behavioral problems. I began to research this and tried some different things and ultimately ended up with a combination of DMAE, choline, and Acetylcarnitine, along with basic B vitamins. This combination has changed my life. I am now on my way to a better life. I am making new friends and making much better life decisions.