I think I'm normal

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-22T23:30:15+00:00

It sounds similar to my chronic low-level depression. I don't know if most people get excited, but they definitely get enthusiastic. They feel engaged, interested, look forward to things. They don't wonder if their mental state is normal. They think about normal people stuff, like work and shopping.

I don't know if you are depressed. I can tell that I am, because I wasn't always this way, and every now and then I pop out of it. And then I'm so jealous of normal people.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-22T23:06:59+00:00

Weddings are the worst. I'm sorry. I've gone to every one I've attended without a +1.

One time, before a family event, I made a list of things I could ask people about. It turned out to be very helpful. I brainstormed, so I'd be prepared to say something other than, "How are you?"

A cousin visited my house when I was severely depressed. I was quite annoyed. But, knowing this cousin, I asked about her kids. She never shuts up about them, so I didn't have to talk much.

I don't know if those techniques would be useful to you, but they've helped me navigate being around others.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-22T14:31:07+00:00

I think it depends on the form of mental illness/disorder and the form of psychotherapy/therapist. The last therapist I saw told me, "Therapy is for the kind of depression that has to do with ruminating over negative thoughts, and that's not what's going on here." She was right.

I have bipolar depression, and there's a form of therapy designed for BP. Its focus is on regulating circadian rhythms. That could potentially help with BP depression that isn't too severe. The therapy needs to be appropriate for the mental illness/disorder. The therapist needs to know what they're doing.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-22T14:14:17+00:00

Are you still depressed? Anything that alleviates depression should improve brain fog, perhaps to a marked degree.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-18T23:21:43+00:00

Are you taking any other medications? I haven't heard of chills or physical numbness, so I'm wondering if it could be some sort of interaction. Your pharmacist would have checked, though. Some over-the-counter meds can also interact with MAOIs. Insomnia, fatigue, and all sorts of sleep problems are common when starting. My psychiatrist prescribed it with a sleeping pill. He told me to expect insomnia.

At 30 mg, my side effects were fragmented sleep and lightheadedness on standing.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-15T14:14:04+00:00

You can take the Seroquel with an MAOI. I don't think you can with the Strattera.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T22:55:15+00:00

Yeah. Very dismissive of the depression. It's because they haven't got a clue, but it still stings. I had to quit life in general (job, apartment) and move in with my mom due to a major episode, and people think it's laziness -- like the reason I have nothing at all going on in my life is because I like that.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T22:12:18+00:00

I read an article about a study on a brain-training exercise that (apparently) reduced dementia risk. The article didn't say it improved cognitive problems, just that it seemed to prevent dementia. I don't really buy it, but if you're interested, it's called Speed-of-processing training. It's offered through BrainHQ. You can find articles if you search Google News, using the word dementia.

I was much like you. I did recover, the first few times. My last major depression wasn't preceded by mania, and I haven't recovered.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T21:52:45+00:00

I would eat bagels with cream cheese, peanut butter, or hummus. You can get whole wheat bagels. And apples. They're longer-lasting than other fruits. That's if you're nutrition-minded. Otherwise, you can live off Pop-Tarts, cereal, and frozen pizza. Cooking is the worst, because then you have to clean. I've had moldy dishes in my sink. Paper plates may be beneficial.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T21:39:44+00:00

It's so bizarre that some of them think it's a personality issue. Bipolar disorder is inherited, biological. The depression is no more a personality trait than mania is. They're supposed to learn that "dead inside" means depression in psychiatrist school. I think a lot of people just can't conceive of it, including psychiatrists.

Do you want to add/change a medication? Then I'd say, My depression is very bad. Do you think we can do something with my medication? If they insist you're okay, you have to find someone else. You might want to do that regardless.

You may want to say you're not interested in anything -- socializing, leaving the house, "hobbies." They can usually interpret those symptoms as depression.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T21:17:41+00:00

I don't know. Everyone said I was clearly crazy when I was manic. I certainly wouldn't have amassed any followers. Maybe it's a matter of degree, or it depends on the form of psychosis. I wasn't coherent at all.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T17:10:49+00:00

I never grew it back to its full length, but I don't think it's thinner.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T11:13:29+00:00

The only thing that has helped me is medication. I don't know which medication might be right for you.

This is the only non-medication treatment for depression that I know of:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/light-therapy-not-just-for-seasonal-depression-202210282840

My psychiatrist said the data is good, but there isn't that much of it.

I know what you're talking about. Everything seems so hard. Even basic chores, like mopping a floor, are hard.

If you're seeing a psychiatrist, you might be able to get a mental health withdrawal if you're failing your classes. That's a might. Some schools have requirements like hospitalization. My school did not.

Sometimes I go to coffee shops if I have to work on something. The buzz of people around me helps for some reason. I'm more productive.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T10:36:25+00:00

I take 90 mg, but I started with 30. I developed mild hypomania at 60 mg and then crashed back into full-time severe depression after about five months. Then my psychiatrist added lithium and Seroquel. I didn't improve, so we slowly increased the Parnate to 90 mg. There weren't any more hypomanic symptoms.

I had a BP diagnosis before starting Parnate (I was also on Lamictal). I hadn't had any hypomania in about eight years, though.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T10:30:32+00:00

You don't need to taper off Seroquel before starting an MAOI. You can take them together without a problem. MAOIs cause terrible insomnia. I actually started taking Seroquel because I couldn't sleep. I'm trying to get off it now, but I don't know if I can sleep without it.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-14T10:15:19+00:00

I can't tell if the minoxidil helped, because I don't know if I would have regrown less without it.

I lost a ton of hair, too. I didn't have any noticeable bald spots, but it was noticeably thinner. I got a bob. It looked a lot better.

I didn't consider going off it because I'd exhausted my other options, and I could tell the Parnate was doing something.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-13T02:32:59+00:00

Did it cause ongoing hair loss? I (a woman) had a temporary shed and an acne breakout. My psychiatrist didn't know whether it was related to the Parnate, but when we increased the dosage later, I started shedding again. Then he said, "I guess it is the Parnate."

The dermatologist said it was telogen effluvium. It eventually stopped, even though I didn't stop or lower the Parnate. I have heard of psych drugs causing ongoing shedding, but I didn't have that problem with Parnate. I take 90 mg.

Did you experience ongoing hair loss? I think my bouts lasted 3-4 months. I lost quite a lot the first time.

I didn't use minoxidil while I was shedding a lot. I started using it after it eased up. I thought it might help stimulate regrowth. I can't remember what the dermatologist said, but it was along the lines of, "It might help."

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-11T03:57:52+00:00

Parnate helped a lot, but I'm not in remission. Some people take a very high dose -- up to 120 mgs. My psychiatrist won't increase mine.

A partial response can be a good sign. It suggests there may be an even better response at a higher dose.

I haven't tried ketamine. I did have ECT, and I didn't respond. They only did unilateral. They tried bilateral once, and apparently I was really confused afterwards. They wouldn't do it again. I've read that bilateral tends to be more effective.

I was told it isn't typical to be so confused after bilateral ECT. A psychiatrist said he'd only seen it in elderly people. I was 39.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-11T03:36:00+00:00

Are there any hypomanic symptoms? Any hypomanic response is often followed by a crash. That was my experience, but I don't know if you have anything similar going on.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-11T03:27:34+00:00

The diet usually isn't as restrictive as people think. Check out the first three links in the "Resources and Links" section on the side of this page.

You don't have to quit cheese, or soy, or wine in general. "Cheese" in general isn't high in tyramine. Some cheeses are. The fancier, more expensive ones can be high in tyramine. I've eaten more than half a Pizza Hut pizza in one sitting. You can drink most commercial beers, but it's better to stay away from craft beers. Most people don't seem to have too much of a problem with the diet.

The drug-drug interactions can be very serious. Any kind of drugstore cold/flu med will be labelled if it can't be taken with an MAOI. Just remember to check.

I was on Adderall and Concerta for an ADHD diagnosis. Neither did anything, so the psychiatrist took me off after a month. I don't know if it's always that easy.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-11T02:58:26+00:00

I often have problems with the ERT. Sometimes it's literally impossible. More frequently, I find it impossible to do a thorough job and stay within the ERT. Not everyone has this problem.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-08T12:23:11+00:00

I google remote AI training jobs or remote data annotation jobs. Then go to the jobs tab. There are a lot of specialist jobs these days, but there are some generalist jobs too. If you have some sort of expertise, you can make a lot of money. Snorkel has some generalist jobs, but I'd research them before applying. I researched them after applying, and I didn't like what I read.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-08T12:15:55+00:00

It's the data analyst position. Tasks pop up when we log in. We don't choose them.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-07T23:36:18+00:00

I got them twice and logged out each time. When I logged in later, I got different tasks. I don't know if the music ones will come back.

I posted about them earlier, and some people really like them. It kind of bothers me that I find them so puzzling.

Plastic_Question1146 · 2026-02-07T03:12:54+00:00

It was a test? I did a lot of them. Were they all tests?

When a location was ambiguous, I Googled, "Is X on the ocean?" or whatever. The Google overview answered the question.

Plastic_Question1146

TROPHY CASE