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Originally Posted by Sultana
Hello madp!
I'm wondering what are the best ways to support a friend going through depression? You previously mentioned that they tend to lack the energy to do things (like exersize) or go places...would it be best to strongly encourage them (i.e., drag em out)? Encourage and then leave them alone? Let them know consistently that you are there for them? Be a source of positivity?
Like many people, I have friends going through very tough times. This one in particular is aready receiving counseling and I believe is taking a prescription for meds. They're doing their part, as far as I can see.
I don't want to get *over-involved*, but I do want to be as effective a support as I could possibly be.
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I think it depends on the severity of the depression, but I think it's always good to maintain the consistency of your friendship (e.g., frequency of phone calls, invitations to socialize, etc) even if they individual is unresponsive to them for a period of time. Obviously, having a steady, reliable friend is a great asset for someone who is going through emotional difficulties. The irony is that people often alienate their friends when they are going through difficulties.
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Originally Posted by raeanna74
Hubby had a siezure as a result of a head injury. About 11 mo later he was struggling with some depression (partly because of his injury) and his physician prescribed Zoloft to help deal with it. When Hubby finally reached the full dosage (he was started on a lower dose and then worked up to the one the Dr prescribed) that same day he suffered a second siezure. This second siezure occured about one year after after his first. What I discovered after reading up on Zoloft online at WedMD and Pfiser's websites was that Zoloft was contra-indicated for individuals who had had any siezures. When I confronted the physician with this information he denied it and said there hadn't been any risk and this was just a fluke. This particular physician has also done other things with members of my family that cause me to question his reliability. What I'm asking is, 'Is the physician telling me stories? Should he have at least warned us that this was a possibility? Are there any other medications that would have been more appropriate for hubby's particular situation?' Unless there was a severe malpractice problem I would not pursue anything but I am asking for my own peace of mind. I'm unsure that I should trust any of my family (parents and grandparents included) to this particular physician.
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Reanna, there is a range of competencies among physicians. Some are brilliant, thoughtful, and thorough, others are completely incompetent and out of the mainstream in the way they practice medicine. Some do a great job with certain types of patients, yet are challenged by treating other types. I am curious as to whether to doctor treating your husband for depression is a psychiatrist or a general practicioner. This can influence how much he/she knows about risks associated with certain drugs.
We have known for some time that certain anti-depressants, while they don't cause seizures, can lower the seizure threshold for patients that are vulnerable to seizures. Wellbutrin is the one most associated with this risk, but Zoloft is not typically considered to be highly associated with this risk. However, the "coincidence" of the seizure occuring immediately after increasing the dose is suspicious in my opinion (meaning, it's something to mull over, but not necessarily proof that the Zoloft is responsible). Also, they specifically excluded individuals with a history of seizures from their clinical trials, possibly demonstrating that there is something about this class of drugs that makes the FDA nervous about using them in seizure-prone patients. This is information that I would definitely share with a patient who has a history of seizures. Some docs are so afraid of malpractice suits that they don't always "come clean" about remote risks associated with drugs when the rare occasion occurs that these risks come to fruition.
Before I can really tell you what I might do if I were in your husbands shoes, I would need more information. First, what types of seizures does your husband have? Second, what medication and dose is your husband on to treat the seizures, and has he tried other medications for the seizures? Third, what other medications besides Zoloft has he tried for depression?
With this information, I can tell you what my thought process would be. From your brief description, I don't believe that anything that could be considered "malpractice" has occurred. However, I agree with your suspicions that your current physician might not be the man for the job considering your husband's unique clinical presentation.