Riba rage? Any remedies for this? Please help--I have kids.

[Algernon]

Week 8/24. I screamed at my kids last night (they're only 8 and 10--they're good kids who just act like kids).  I'm swearing at the dog.  I'm even angry with the fish--they have to be FED.

I tried a couple of anti-depressants and they made me feel really depressed, mentally and physically.  I don't really feel "depressed" even now.  I'm just way irritable.  

Any advice?  Is there a magic bullet (one that doesn't involve an actual gun...)?  Drugs for this?  I'm doing this treatment FOR my kids, not to traumatize them for life.

[sindog]

Also, I tried lexapro, an anti depressant commonly percribed for HCV tx, and felt the sudden impact of severe depression.

[FlGuy]

As you all have noticed each day there is a 'Today's Quote' that appears at the top of the thread listing. There are several that rotate through the week.  Early on in tx, after having screamed at my wife for something stupid, I read the quote.  To paraphrase its meaning to me...when you hurt someone through something you said it does not help to justify the reason to that person (riba-induced for example), what the person wants and needs is to not hurt and not to be hurt again.  Although not always successful on tx, I tried to adhere to the concept.  In my case I hurt my main support, and she didn't deserve it.  Yes, tx is difficult, but it does not absolve of our responsibility especially to those we love.  It takes a lot of self-control, but like tx 'it's doable'.  Let's be nicer to those we need. Off soap box.

[NYgirl]

Honestly - your family knowing and understanding that this rage is really a MEDICAL cause and it's NOT true inner feelings popping out has helped me TREMENDOUSLY.

I tried to explain it and I think they thought I was looking for excuses.  Once my doctor mentionned it to my mother - well then it was like the Bible and now they just walk away from me and say something like RIBARAGE ACK!  Sometimes when they have really had it...it will be a "oh I can't wait until you are off that medicine" but it HELPS. It helps ME to calm down knowing I"m out of control and it IS the medicine causing it so we both chill out.

It helps so much having a family understand that you are TRULY not able to control this - not even with all of the 'inner strength' in the world.

I've never really been one to "snap" in my life (except in the car hahahahahaha) but now it is something that just happens. As long as they know you love them and it's nothing personal at all - as long as they don't take it to heart it makes it easier for me to work on calming down.

I hate to hurt my family too.  

[can-do-man]

Hi there, Try not to be so hard on yourself. I did shot eight last night. Worse sx's i've ever had. Couldn't sleep, sick, i call it the shot from hell. Took my poison this morning went to work. Big mistake there, with the work i do riba rage is not a good thing to have.

What seems to help me is when i feel it coming, Before it starts rolling out of my mouth i just get up and quickly find a empty room. After some deep breaths and counting to 10 i just set till it passes. Everyone knows when i go that route to just let me be. That way they don't come asking whats wrong. Good luck to ya.

[avidreader]

It might be worth talking to a doctor about a mood stabilizer VS an anti-depressant. Some of the newer mood stabilizers work differently then anti-depressants. You may not experience the same sides and find they help temper the rage. One of my co-workers is a psychiatric social worker with decades of experience and he tells me all of the time that he thinks that regular medical doctors often mistakenly prescribe an anti-depressant when a mood stabilizer would be more appropriate and effective. DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doc and my advice is not that of an expert but now that I'm on treatment and spending most evenings lolling on my couch I do watch ER, House, Srubs and Grey's Anatomy.

[Forseegood]

Avid? Youre not a doc? you mean I went ahead and took out my dang speen on your advice for nothin???? ha ha! hey, knowing that youre no doc ahead of time...what are some of the names of those mood stabilizers youre talkin about? if you know...enquiring minds and all that...hope this finds you well..(arf, arf!)