I have GW Induced PTSD

[bamademo]

I finally realize why I've had to take Lexapro for months. I have one long case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder brought about by this abortion of an administration. My Doctor confirmed that he has seen increased amounts of depression and anxiety disorder since Chimpy stole office. Lexapro is a anti anxiety/anti depression drug. Works fine, lasts a long time. :-)

First bout of depression and anxiety: stolen 2000 election.
I wasn't over that when 9/11 happened. Six weeks later, I'm laid off.
I don't find full time work with benefits until 18 months later at a reduced salary. I'm still working below my skill level. Just as I'm about to recover my sense of well being, 2005 hurricane season comes along with Katrina. I'm on the treadmill at my gym, watching CNN and crying along with everyone else at the horror we were seeing in real time. What's going to happen this year? Is this the year we go "nu-cu-lar?"

Thank God for Lexapro. And I'm blessed that I'm one of the fortunate ones that have health insurance and can afford drugs. As I'm watching Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke" again tonight on HBO all I can keep repeating from the bottom of my heart is, "Goddamn you to Hell, you evil SOB, George W. Bush".

Am I the only one that feels like this? I think not.

[Warpy]

1. Nope, all of the above

plus the deaths of my parents, unacknowledged disability due to a bad back, failing eyesight, no health insurance since 1987 with no prospect of getting insurance until I can get my prick of a rheumatologist to acknowledge that yes, the combination of RA and FMS is a disabling one.

I was able to afford surgery on one eye (transplant) with what I inherited.

You want to compare depression?

Just having my country stolen from me along with my hope for the future would have been bad enough.

[Sydnie]

2. No, you're not alone

I admitted to my doctor a year and a half ago that I had a stress level that was off the scale, due to blivet** and a second stolen election. My health has gone down hill since then too. Depression and a helpless feeling of defeat are killers.

There, I said it. GWB, the blivet** in chief, is trying to kill me.

[filer]

3. So it's come down to this?

The mad monkey has driven us to drugs? The bar's open...

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. I don't take any anti-depressants, only because I don't have medical

insurance. I am sure I could benefit from some sort of drugs. These past six years have been pure HELL! Or I could turn repug and live in my own little delusional world. :sarcasm: Seems those people have it easier, what with not giving a rat's ass about the rest of the World. I'd rather sink deeper into depression, than to resort too being a member of that bottom feeder group.

[Olney Blue]

5. Lexapro? Can I have one?

[bamademo]

6. Honey, I send you a virtual one.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

The very first day I took one it was like an internal "Ahhhhhh!". Get them if you can.

[Monkeyman]

7. Don't tell Dr Sally Satel she will bash you

She make a living off bashing people with PTSD and she paid by a replug think tank

[bamademo]

9. I've never heard of her but I hope that bee-yootch gets some karma...

...I don't wish bad things on people but sometimes it's the only way people can experience the things they need to have compassion and empathy for others.

[rhiannon55]

8. Lexapro works well

but I had to switch to generic prozac because my health insurance doesn't pay for medication and I can't afford the $80 a month. The prozac has turned out to work well, too, so it's okay.

I don't know how anyone who's paying attention to what those bastards are doing to the country and the world can function without some sort of mood-elevating drug. Watching helplessly while everything I love is threatened by greedy, callous, short-sighted people who STOLE the power that they're so ruthlessly using against us, is taking a severe toll on my spirit.

I read about a recent study that showed that Republicans are generally happier than Democrats. Of course they are--they care only about their own petty little lives and insular little families and have no idea what's really going on in the world--or what's coming.

Our problem is this: we know too much.

:cry:

[fed-up]

10. Count me in with HIGH anxiety-I need to sell my house before the market

crashes and so far have had only one not very serious looky-loo.

The good news is that my neighbor's house finally closed escrow today, so at least there is something to compare mine with. I am in a unique area and it is a little difficult to set a price since I am not in town.

I will put an ad in the paper in two weeks and try to rent out two rooms to help with my now increasing arm. (long story there)

To top it off this is all happening around the Katrina/911 anniversaries and I just feel like crying instead of working...

[meldroc]

11. With me, it used to be depression, now it's anger.

I always had an angry side, but now it's bubbling to the surface much more than usual in the past few weeks. I'll read something here, about Bush, how he's mismanaged Katrina, or how many people he's tortured & murdered in Iraq, Afghanistan, Gitmo & elsewhere, and get my blood absolutely boiling.

It's showing. I've had to stop & take breaks because I'll be pacing around the office, storming around full of burning rage, and any tiny little thing will cause me to lose my temper and cuss up a storm, or even get me hitting things.

I may have to quit reading DU for a while, so I can regain my composure...

Yeah, a few years ago, I did suffer from clinical depression, though one thing I've learned is that depression is frequently anger turned inwards. I guess it's more healthy for me to acknowledge my anger and get it out in the open, rather than let it burn me up inside and turn into depression.

[readmoreoften]

12. Count me in. I am coming to a point where I need to do something about it.

Being a lesbian in this severely anti-gay culture, living in lower manhattan under terror threats (from who I don't know), losing my job and health insurance because I took part in a labor strike (it was strike or scab), and living under friendly fascism has taken its toll on me. The worst thing is I'm having a hard time concentrating. It's hard to get work done.

[chat_noir]

13. cause and effect

The causes:









THE CURE

[bamademo]

14. Brrr...that's a scary photoshop of Bushitler

Looks totally natural to me. :rofl:

[TahitiNut]

15. I can understand the "TSD" ... I just wish it really were "P".

But, as a Viet Nam vet, I avoid trivializing PTSD. My own "coming home" experience was bad enough, and took a long time to overcome (psychologically) - but it really didn't come close to the emotional/psychological adjustment problems of some other vets with whom I worked.

[bamademo]

16. I certainly don't mean to trivialize your service...

I actually work with a number of Iraqi/Afghanistan vets who have PTSD. They are combat medics, nurses and doctors. I've had a number of conversations with them about their experiences and the only reason I mentioned PTSD is because of the similar meds and anxieties we share.

Thank you for your service. One thing that is so hard for my co-workers with PTSD is the realization that they went through so much hell for a lie.

[marions ghost]

17. oh yeah, it's real

:grouphug: to all posting here.

I think there is severe depression and anger out there as a direct result of the hijacking of the country by rightwing thugs. It is PTSD, because it is a trauma that has hit suddenly and unexpectedly. Like natural disaster Katrina, the Bush induced nightmare has come upon us like a whirlwind. Stress symptoms involve anxiety and/or depression and feeling generally overwhelmed. It can happen to people who have never previously had a day of depression or serious anxiety in their lives. It's real and it
is undermining this country and causing significant medical problems. Who wants to live under a repressive regime? Only the brain dead would truly enjoy it. These are unhappy times.

Anyone who is struggling with this--know that there are others out there who have been hit by the same tidal wave. We are in this together. There is help, of various kinds...but never doubt that there is help. It can take awhile to get over this shock, this victimization. But it CAN be healed. When it is healed you may be stronger than ever before. We are going to need to be strong in ourselves to come together and heal this country.

Bless you bamademo, for telling your story. :loveya: