Here is the next of the beautiful, inspiring, special contributions coming in to the #MandalasForMarinke remembrance project. I am grateful for each and every amazing contribution. You are invited to join; learn more here.
Beautiful Crochet Mandala
Meet the Maker
Maryann in Canada shares:
“I want to share my story about my depression.
My depression led me to alcohol. Alcohol became my best friend from the age of 13 to 35. I relapsed many times but now have 11 years of continuous sobriety. My life had become much better.
However my depression continued to haunt me.
I have major depression and over the years my medication stopped working. This happened again last fall (2014). I gained enough ‘humility’ to go to Emergency at the local hospital two months ago. No sooner they hooked me up with a psychiatrist who lucky for me had 39 years of experience. Then I had to have ‘faith’ that what he prescribed was going to work, and fortunately it did.
During this time of my depression, crochet kept me busy and my mind off myself. It was truly a lifesaver.
I found A Creative Being and Wink through the Internet to make a magic circle. I have enclosed a mandala and wish it to go to someone special.”
Words by Wink
Wink got engaged in November of last year. A few weeks after she announced the engagement, she wrote:
“Thanks to everyone who congratulated me on my engagement last week! I’m super stoked as you can imagine 🙂 We’re getting married some time next year, and it will be boho and awesome and in a forest – and there will come a comprehensive blog post!”
About Depression
One purpose of this project is to raise awareness about depression so each post will end with some facts, thoughts or quotes about depression, suicide and/or mental health. Maryann has mentioned here that her medication for depression stopped working. This is not uncommon and is a really important thing to know if you or someone you know take meds for depression. Sometimes you just need a boost in the dose (this has been the case with me at times) but sometimes you need a medication change.
The term tachyphylaxis refers to when a medication suddenly stops working. The truth is that we still don’t completely know what causes depression or why certain medications help make it better, and we don’t really know why they sometimes stop working.
“Some depressed patients have an efficacious response to antidepressant medication but subsequently lose the clinical efficacy and experience a recurrence of their depressive symptoms despite ongoing maintenance treatment. This condition of losing a previously effective antidepressant response while on adequate treatment is called antidepressant tachyphylaxis and is a form of relapse that may auger an increased vulnerability to recurrent depressive episodes and refractoriness to future treatment efforts. The rate of ADT tachyphylaxis is estimated to be approximately 25 percent of treated, depressed patients, although other causes for relapse while on maintenance treatment (such as medication nonadherence) may be embedded in this estimate.” (source)
Sometimes there is a reason the meds aren’t as effective anymore so work with your doctor to rule out the following possibilities:
- Incorrect diagnosis (particular when bipolar is misdiagnosed as depression)
- Additional medical issue complicating treatment
- Stress
- Aging and the related changes in the body
- Substance use including drinking alcohol
Some of the common options that you have if your antidepressant stops working include; work with your doctor to determine which (if any) of these to try:
- Increase the dose
- Reduce the dose temporarily (or even stop the medication) then go back on it (called a drug holiday)
- Change to a different medication
- Add a second medication
- Begin or increase therapy
- Work with a holistic healer who will consider acupuncture, diet, etc.
All contributions to Mandalas for Marinke are welcome and will help raise awareness about depression while honoring her work in the same way that this great contribution has done today. Details to join here.
I love your story. Thank you for sharing it. Crochet has helped me get through some pretty emotional times myself.
<3
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Glad you have found someone to love. Keep away from the drugs. Choose natural methods and listen to your body. It was telling you something and we tend to ignore the messages it gives us.
Crochet is a wonderful thing. When you lay in bed at night worrying, turn your mind to a new project, plan it, think of the colors the shape and what stitch to use. Push all negative thoughts away with the crochet.
Best wishes from an old lady in New Zealand