Running out of options for depression / anxiety treatment

[AJRC323]

I guess I'll start by listing my mental health problems. I have "major depressive disorder", social anxiety, GAD, and panic disorder, but that can't possibly be all. No.... I have been deemed treatment resistant. I have taken.... well, let me put it this way: my psychiatrist recommended electroshock therapy. SSRI's don't work. SNRI's don't work. I don't know what Wellbutrin is, but that's not working with Lexapro, which is the combo I'm currently on. On top of that, I'm basically immune to benzo's. I shake constantly, especially my right forearm and hand, and when I say my hand shakes, imagine one of those vibrating massage things you can get at a drug store, except it's in my hand and it's much more powerful.

My depression however has made me a non-functioning person. I can barely get out of bed, and I wind up going back up to my bed within a few hours of getting up and just laying there, feeling like I got hit by a truck. I don't enjoy anything anymore, and haven't for around a year now.

My question is, what other options do I have? There's no way in hell I'm doing electroshock therapy. I've been burying my emotions for so long that I can hardly ever explain to my therapist why I'm anxious or depressed, and I feel bad for him, because I know he's good and he's doing everything he can, but I've just tossed my emotions out of my mind for so long that it's pretty much automatic now. We're slowly making progress at least, but I want to be able to function in the meantime.

So doc, can you recommend other treatment options and possibly give me some medical websites with information about them? I would greatly appreciate it.

[skydivediva]

I hope that Dr. Forster's suggestions and link give you some other avenues to pursue, AJRC323. I've had severe major depression since 5th grade and I'm 51. It is very difficult and painful. Everyday is difficult for me, but some are harder than others and I struggle with the whole get out & stay out of bed thing on those days. I've tried multiple (and some experimental) antidepressants with no effect. I thought I'd exhausted all of my options, too, and started thinking about electroshock therapy. One of the patients I cared for at a nursing home underwent it and it seemed to help her. I'd read, though, that it can cause memory loss which is why I chose not to pursue it. Being depressed and a pessimist at baseline, I figured---"sure, I'll do electroshock and it'll erase the good memories I have and leave the bad ones." You having the courage to ask the question, and Dr. Forster taking the time to answer it, let me know I haven't tried everything yet. I hope that eventually you get the right combo that allows you to feel happy and well again. Take care.

[Peter Forster]

There are a number of reasonable options. In fact so many that it would be hard for me to list them. It doesn't sound as if you have tried the non-antidepressant augmentation strategies (Abilify, lithium, thyroid, etcetera, etcetera). You also don't list all of the antidepressant options (EmSam, MAOI's, Remeron, etcetera). Then there are non-prescription augmentation strategies such as light therapy (one of the fastest and best options in my experience), exercise, mindfulness, yoga, etcetera...
Try looking at this site -
http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/