Can someone please give suggestions: Chinese Medicine --> Depression & ADHD

[UCDAlumni]

Hi Chinese-Forums.com community! So excited to have found this site, and I hope I'm posting this in the correct forum, 'food' seems sort of related to medicine, so if it's the wrong forum, I apologize. 

 

I've been diagnosed by a western doctor with chronic depression and ADHD and am currently receiving Focalin and Zoloft medication. I also am heavily using nicotine (20-25mg/day) and moderately using caffeine (400-600mg/day) as well.

 

Before starting treatment I also heavily abused alcohol (blacking out practically every night) and was using about a gram of caffeine a day. The Zoloft seems to have kicked the alcohol out the door (which is something I'm unbelievably happy about). 

 

Before Starting Medicines:

- Chronic alcohol abuse (gone now)

- Drug abuse (gone now)

- Sought out abusive relationships (where I was abused)

- Extreme creativity (gone now)

- Very happy all the time (gone now)

- Pleased with my life, high self esteem (gone now)

- Love being with people (almost gone now)

- High appetite

- Loved sleeping

 

After starting Medicines:

- Feel like a furry blanket was draped across all my senses

- Creativity is squished

- Have become very reclusive

- Low sex-drive

- Low appetite (however, I now have a much increased interest in extremely healthy foods like carrot or kale juice)

- Sleep less than 7 hours a night

 

---------------------------

 

And this brings me to Chinese Herbal medicines. I found a website, <Admin Note: Link Removed> and on it they say that there are three things that must be supplemented: Jing, Qi, and Shen in order to promote a balance of Yin and Yang. Their website has a ton of different herbs and tonics on it, and they have recommended one of each of these three categories, but I have no clue what to choose from. 

 

Does anyone have a recommendation they could make to help me?

 

Thank you so much! I really appreciate any responses to this. 

[Yorin]

Hi,

 

if you choose to believe in Chinese Medicine, I'd recommend that you go to a legitimate doctor who's been trained in it. It's better than to ask people on the internet to diagnose your problem from afar and then order stuff from some website.

I have no idea on how to identify a legitimate doctor of Chinese Medicine, maybe someone else can help with that.

 

No matter what you do, remember that some of the changes that you've described above may rather be the effect of you stopping to abuse drugs and alcohol all the time, and not a direct effect of the medicine that you're taking. E.g. it's perfectly normal not to be super happy and creative all the time, but your body and mind might need time to adjust their view of what's "normal".

 

You could try to find some new activities and hobbies (sports, learning a language etc.) to keep your mind and body occupied and fill that gap. Mastering new skills can also help with your self esteem. I used to be rather reclusive. Now after learning Chinese for a few years and getting increasingly good at it, I'm able to put that skill to use to help Chinese students and other people on a regular basis. I've made a lot of contacts and friends and I'm getting invitations for dinner or some other activity from left and right. Self esteem (the natural kind, that isn't induced by medicine or drugs) doesn't come out of nothing. You have to work on it and build it up.

 

Wish you all the best!

[Angelina]

Self esteem (the natural kind, that isn't induced by medicine or drugs) doesn't come out of nothing. You have to work on it and build it up.

 

[Flickserve]

See a chinese medicine doctor.

[Shelley]

When you say you are

heavily using nicotine (20-25mg/day) and moderately using caffeine (400-600mg/day)

 

Does this means you smoke cigarettes and drink coffee?

 

Interesting that you include these in your list of abused/used substances in this way.

 

I agree with everything Yorin said.

 

Do not attempt to do this on your own over the internet.

 

I personally would not try any more medications at this stage.

 

Work on getting completely clean of anything. Do not add to your problems by taking more substances, especially ones that you don't really know what they are.

 

You will only successfully give up substances, what ever they are, when YOU want and not for any other reason.

 

You will most likely need to change your lifestyle drastically, move to a different place away from these things and take up a new lifestyle.

 

You don't say how old you are, not that you have to, but you will need to pick age appropriate hobbies/activities. If you are fit and well otherwise, you might want to take up running or swimming.

 

Exercise has been shown to be very helpful with depression.

 

Take up a new hobby, learn Chinese

 

Keep you mind and your body active.

 

I hope you find what you need.

 

 

 

 

[abcdefg]

Their website has a ton of different herbs and tonics on it, and they have recommended one of each of these three categories, but I have no clue what to choose from.

 

You are barking up the wrong tree.

[Sarpedon]

First, talk to your doctor about your symptoms.  If you aren't happy with the side effects, he can adjust your medications or try an alternative prescription.  Secondly, if you haven't quit drinking alcohol, cut back.  Thirdly, quit smoking.  Don't cut out caffeine because I wouldn't say that's a bad habit.  I'd also recommend getting into an exercise routine.

 

I used to be in the same boat as you, drinking to drunkenness nightly and smoking a pack a day.  Since I quit smoking and cut back on alcohol, I've lost 25 pounds and look and feel better than I have in years.  I've also been exercising 3-5 times a week.  It's astonishing how much my mood has changed.  I haven't been taking medication thankfully, although I probably could have benefited from it.

 

Don't adjust your own dosages or stop taking your medications suddenly, that's a recipe for disaster.  Your doctor will be able to help you out on that front.  However I would start making some life changes which will assist you in getting off the medication if that's your end goal.  I remember wallowing in misery daily after waking up hungover, working a 10-hour day, stopping off at 7-11 for a 6-pack of Asahi or Carrefour for a bottle of Jameson and going home and getting smashed alone in my apartment if I wasn't going to be out with my buddies at a bar.  My blood pressure skyrocketed and I felt like utter shit every day, worthless and depressed.

 

Take care of yourself but do it the right way.  Talk to your doctor about your options first!

[Angelina]

Secondly, if you haven't quit drinking alcohol, cut back.

 

I don't think cutting back on alcohol can help with substance abuse. At least not with extremely serious cases. 

 

 

my apartment if I wasn't going to be out with my buddies at a bar.

 

be careful who you are making friends with 

[Shelley]

I don't think cutting back on alcohol can help with substance abuse. At least not with extremely serious cases.

 

I have to disagree with you here, alcohol abuse is one of the worst substance abuses there is IMO and you are best off without it.

 

Get a clear head and a clean body. Look at the world from that point of view and it will be worth it.

 

But you should seek help from medical professionals, don't just stop taking prescribed meds and get help to detox from alcohol.

[Angelina]

I was talking about cutting back, as in lowering the intake of alcohol, without quitting. If someone has a very serious problem with alcohol, like my dad had, trying to cut back a little bit will not be enough, it can cause relapses. The only possible way to save your life is to not take ANY alcohol. Withdrawal can be a nightmare, there is no other solution though. It's either you survive, or you don't survive. 

 

I'm not a medical professional, but there was no one else around. It's obviously better to have someone more professional help you. 

 

Another problem is society, people will be offering you a cup because they don't know what you are dealing with. Then there are others who will call you boring because you 'don't know how to have fun'. Choose the people around you, spend more time with those who make you feel happy and confident. 

[geraldc]

They shouldn't have prescribed Zoloft if you're drinking. They get in each other's way. Your doctor sounds dodgy. 

 

http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/zoloft-alcohol#Overview1

[Shelley]

@Angelina  Oh I see what you mean - just cutting back is not good enough, you need to stop all alcohol intake. Yes this I agree with.

 

In fact they say an alcoholic must never drink again once they stop.

 

You need to change your life drastically if not completely.

[Sarpedon]

Going by my only personal experience, I was able to cut back without going off 100%.  Of course, every case is different, but let's be realistic, for an expat in China who is used to drinking all the time, cutting it off 100% is going to literally be impossible without severing all current social links.  OP doesn't abuse drugs anymore at least, which is a start.

[anonymoose]

Sever them then and make some new more constructive links. Solved.

[imron]

OP doesn't abuse drugs anymore at least, which is a start.

I strongly suspect OP didn't abuse drugs in the first place and is a marketing shill for the website that I removed from the main post.  If the thread didn't already have several replies by the time I first saw it, I would have just deleted it entirely rather than just the link.  OP feel free to come back and prove me wrong.

[Angelina]

Sever them then and make some new more constructive links. Solved.

 

Exactly. 

 

 

I strongly suspect OP didn't abuse drugs in the first place and is a marketing shill for the website that I removed from the main post.  If the thread didn't already have several replies by the time I first saw it, I would have just deleted it entirely rather than just the link.  OP feel free to come back and prove me wrong.

 

Well, if OP is scamming people, OP does have problems with their mental health and might find our advice useful after all. 

[Shelley]

OP does have problems with their mental health and might find our advice useful after all.

 

Or anyone else with similar problems.

 

is a marketing shill

 

My eyes are opened I just don't think of these things, my trusting nature makes me take it all as real. Suppose that's why you are admin and I am not