[Maria]

Hi Lyssie,
I am actually very interested in the topic of mental health. I was an RN/NP during my career and stayed out of the Mental Health field. I think it was a bit too close to home for me (probably more of a depressive neurotic personality) tho recently I have seen many people come under the dx of bipolar (what used to be called manic depressive) and also borderline personality. I think often there can be overlapping symptoms and therefore diagnoses.

Do you find that the medications to treat your mental health are at all helpful for any of the back pain symptoms?

When I was severely depressed after failed back surgery (2nd one) I was told that the meds used would help the back pain. I think the only way that might have been true was I was in a haze but the back pain was ever present and so killer that I was even more depressed or so I felt at the time.

One of the meds that was tried on me for depression really created horrendous probs for me and the shrink at the time wanted me to stay on it 2 weeks which I just couldn't do because I realized how off kilter I was.. I mean I was sooo bad....

It's just such a fine line we go thru some times and sometimes the meds can really help and sometimes a medication can severely exaccerbate a certain very negative situation.

How're you doing now? What's going on w/your spine? I hope I'm not too inquisitive. My apologies if I seem so..