Reply #50: A lot of advice from folks...

[Cybergata]

who have never experienced the horror of depression, or have been ADD.
No one will have the perfect advice for you, but as a person who has lived with both depression and ADD I just want to say a few things.

Exercise is great, but right before I was on the verge of walking into traffic because I felt being dead was the only solution to escape the nothingness I had felt for so long, I had just jogged 3 miles. Exercise helps, especially now, but luckily I decided not to die, rather I went to the doctor. Taking Prozac made me feel normal for the first time in a long time.

Prozac stopped working after 10 years, so I tried Zoloft, which made me twitchy, hyper, and I had a terrible time concentrating. Paxil was the last thing I tried. It worked for me. Some drugs work better for some people. Others for others, but be sure before you try St. John's Wart or anything else, confer with you doctor.

I'm a strong believer that what you eat has a lot to do with how you feel. Depression that has no rhyme or reason is caused by brain chemicals. Food helps, but it may not be enough. I also use herbs rather than drugs for some things. I can't take hormone replacement drugs, so I take soy, evening prime rose oil, black cohash. They work perfectly for me. I take herbs and vitamins to avoid illness, and they have made sure I can teach without getting sick....no matter how little sleep I get. The one thing I can't find herbal replacements for is my asthma or depression, so be careful and consult your doctor.

I almost forgot, for those folks that think quitting cafine helps ADD, nope! Studies find that cafine has a reverse affect on kids with ADD, and I'm sure Adults too.

:hippie: