Take one-half tablet by mouth every day for mental health. That’s what it says on the plastic pill bottle with the childproof cap. So those of you, who have been waiting all of these years, finally have your smoking gun. Maybe this is one of those things you’re not supposed to put on Facebook so it doesn’t come back to haunt you.
It’s call sertraline; an anti-depressant and I got a prescription for 25 MG a day. It’s a mild dose so I guess I’m only mildly off my rocker. At least it’s not an anti-psychotic. Did I just add to my own stigmatism in an attempt to downplay it at the expense of others?
I have what is called labile mood. My emotions are very close to the surface. This is common in stroke victims. I also have a history of depression. I was depressed at least all through high school, maybe into my late forties. I remember a Thanksgiving dinner at my friends, the Sutherland’s, and afterward feeling very strange. It drove me crazy for two weeks until I figured out what it was. What was wrong was there was nothing wrong. I had had a good time, a foreign concept for me during a holyday.
Anyway, I’ve been crying at the drop of a hat, flying off the handle with my wife. A few days ago I got what I can only describe as hysterical. I’m not saying there were not significant things going on to trigger it or I was unemotional before the stroke. I am saying the stroke has defiantly compounded the matter in such a way I’m willing to give pharmaceuticals a try.
The doc at the VA said there are about thirty different anti-depressants out there and sertraline has proven particularly effective with stroke victims. He said I’d start noticing a difference in three weeks. I’m a bit worried how this will affect my writing, if it will hurt the emotional integrity of it. Please let me know if you notice anything different. I’m also not so sure how I feel about getting my mental health out of a bottle. Beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.
It says on the warnings it may effect my ability to drive or operate machinery and I should be cautious until I get used to it’s affects, so I’m afraid I’ll cut off my finger if I go down and work in my shop. I’ve got a call into the doc to see what he thinks.
The doc also recommended I see a psychiatrist, another first for me. I’ve seen therapists before, but now I’ve made the big time.
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Mike, you have joined a not-so-exclusive club of about 25 million Americans, nearly 1 in 10, who have been prescribed an anti-depressant. It's nothing to be concerned or embarrassed about. I can get you some referrals for some good psychiatrists, if you like.
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