Suggest Treatment For Feeling Suicidal

Posted on Tue, 6 May 2014

Question: I attempted to take my life in may, then had multiple overdoses without the immediate intent to suicide, but with no regard for the consequences. I now am in a different state, where I still feel like I am depressed and can't stop the thoughts of suicide and I still wish I was not hear. But I am and want to make the effort to change the way I am living and feeling. It feels to me like over a year depressed is no longer something you just have to tough out and ride through. It has changed me where I don't think there is an answer and its hard to know what to do next. When I don't think medication is a good answer. I have done 8 weeks in hospital before my attempt . I was seeing my GP and therapist both once a week for a year. That didn't help me and now I don't know what to do.

Answered by Dr. Manisha Gopal (57 minutes later)

Brief Answer: trust me-you want and you can get better Detailed Answer: Hello, I can understand that once the treatment has not helped -the faith in medicines does decline. Along with the this, the depressive disorder itself is a bag of negativity. In depression one is attracted to wards miseries, sorrows and lethargy. In extreme cases even the desire to live is not enough and patient starts thinking of commiting suicide. So, it is not that you really dont want to live (you would never have written this query otherwise), but in the depresisve condition the neuronal chemicals are so altered that nothing looks good in life anymore. You must not give up like this and have courage. Life is to getvup and live even after falling many times. Everyone has some or the other grief, nobody and no family is free of sorrows. But one has to respect this body and life given to us. It is very important that you take care of yourself, please start an anti depressant. There are many good molecules available now a days . Even the personality problem you mentioned colors your thinking and will hinder your judgement. So, please take my advice for your good and start the medicine. They will also take care of the presonality issues. You have not mentioned the meds you took in past otherwise i would have helped you with them. You can get better and really enjoy life like other people. Once you are better we will work towards change in outlook towards life and therapy - for permanent cure. The meds may even stop later. I hope the reply is useful for you Please ask more questions for clarification Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psychiatry

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Manisha Gopal (1 hour later)

Ok well to be honest I think that I may be on the outskirts of the depression, it is nothing like last year when I was acute. I am not normal at the moment but it is something I think I should be able to fix, but to often I am at great danger. I have never liked the idea of meds, because I have always thought it is a matter of thinking etc. I tried Lexapro and it did make a big improvement at around the 4 day mark but then I didn't really notice to much other than the side effects. I did not stop overdosing and my suicidal thoughts did not stop while I was on it ,and I decided that the benefit of taking them was not warranted. Medication is a bit of a sticky area with me because of my overdosing habits. When you say when I get better we can work on working towards a better life. and therapy. When do you make the call that things are better. Because I think that I am at a point that this is it and to get any better I need to start looking at a permanent fix. It has been a year and I consider it to be to long to still be an illness, I feel that for it to have gone this long that maybe I am just getting in the way of allowing myself to get better. Roxanne

Answered by Dr. Manisha Gopal (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer: i prefer little medicine & lot of therapy Detailed Answer: hello Good to see that now you are talking about health and life rather than suicide. Im also not a hard core fan of meds in psychiatry amd very soon in the mangement of my patients- I try to include life style managment techniques. But for initial few weeks meds are necessary to handle and avoid harmful mood fluctuations. Your tendency to overuse medicine creeps from your personality disorder and reflects desire to self harm. As the first priority of a doctor is to safeguard the life, so medicines are of utmost imprtance. I promise you that if you will work hard in lifestyle mangment techniques & not overdose yourself, we can move ahead. Tell me if you are ready for little medicine and lots of therapy i can help you with this illness. Wish you good luck Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psychiatry

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Manisha Gopal (3 minutes later)

Yes, I'm ready. What now?

Answered by Dr. Manisha Gopal (21 hours later)

Brief Answer: take a middle path approach to life Detailed Answer: Hello, The most important thing - I want that you must promise yourself that you will not do any harm to yourself in any form...Take a vow of this thing loudly and storngly. You will take drus as adviced and neither skip them nor overuse them. Now treatment part- First step is that we must start some drug..like- sertraline 25mg after breakfast. This will help in anger, depression and mood irritability. Secondly, you have to try to do the follwing exercise religiously ( they are more like home work for you): 1. whenever you are faced with a situation, dont try to take an extreme stand towards it. Try to stop your regular habit of judging everything as black or white. E.g., if you meet someone, dont try to categorise that person in your mind as either good or bad. Always try to take a middle approach in life. This exercise when done properly will help you develop a healthier personality. We should know that people are both good and bad..similarly, all situations have both positive and negative sides to them. So, try to live in the grey zone or the middle zone of life. This approach lessens the suffering. Even be kind to yourself. Donot react strongly to any news, take time to understand and then react accordingly. I know it is not easy but im sure that when this is practiced daily, you can become a master! 2. start going for 1/2-1hour jogging everyday; will be better if you join a group. 3. if possible, enroll yourself in some hobby class- e.g. dance class. It is a good way to meet people and also feel good about oneself. Start doing these four things mentioned above from today. Im very sure that they will help you develop as a much healthier person. Please tell me if you face any problem pursuing any step. I will try to help you out. Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psychiatry

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar