Depression Survey

[Battyp]

I'm just curious about something.  My son and I were at the bookstore tonight and he found a passage in a book on brains that if you had trauma to the right side of your brain it made you more susceptible to depression.  It specifically stated depression becomes severe and unable to shake it off vs the left side of the brain having trauma. 

So with that being said..How many of you had a right side an and suffer from depression and how many left sided?

I know to some degree we all have bouts of it and I know that some of us are having a much harder time. I'm just wondering if those of you who are really struggling were right side aners.  I took depression meds for 10 years and after having my tumor removed on my left side I'm no longer on meds.  I still have some depression but not to the degree I did before surgery. 

[Karla83401]

Hey Batty,

I co-owned and operated a traumic brain injury rehabilitation center for about 5 years and we saw severe depression in a of our clients. I am sure that a great deal of it was related to the enormous change in their lives since the injury, however we had several clients that had had their injuries for most of their lives and still battled depression. Personally I cannot say that I really noticed a difference in the levels of depression based on the location of the injury. We had several mental health workers tell us that most brain injuries do seem to result in at least short term depression as the brain struggles to regain balance.

Don't know if that is of any significance or not but I also felt so bad as I watched our clients struggle with depression.

Karla

[Battyp]

Interesting...I know there should be some depression after all life as we all knew it no longer exists.  Just was wondering how accurate this book was on their info.

[ppearl214]

I'm left sided AN... no sign of clinical depression... but I have been told I'm wacky!

[Battyp]

You wacky?  Surely they jest! 

[ppearl214]

to the moon, Alice!!!!!!!!

Now back to your regularly scheduled survey!

[Gennysmom]

Batty,

I have a right side 3.1 sm AN that is currently putting pressure on my brain stem.  I have not been diagnosed with clinical depression.  I have good days and bad, but I know that I put myself under really stressful conditions and usually my bad days have to do with overdoing the stress.  I have enough friends who suffer from CD that I don't believe I have that issue.  I will check back after surgery.  I will think about this when I go in, I'm already planning on asking the Dr. about the level of retraction they will need, as I really want to keep any further injury to my brain from happening.  Interesting!

[Kathleen_Mc]

Left side, depression, significant at times and have been on and off anitdepressants since about one year post-op from the first surgery until diagnoses of regrowth...since that time continually on antidepressants.
I was told by my neurosurg. that "opening" the "brain" will cause the neurotransmittors to get unbalanced and cause mood disorders that may eventually rebalance........still waiting.
Kathleen

[thecakes]

  I had a right side AN.  Depression since 5 years before tumor.  I never gave it a thought that maybe I don't need the pills any longer.  I'm affraid to go without them.  I had depression way before I knew it.  I thought you had to be sad and depressed to have depression.  I never was but I never would feel right, kind of always had a headace and tired.  Then one day I was at church and I did'nt feel right.  My heart started racing, it seemed like its so fast and loud and it was going to pop out !/!!!!!!!!@##$%%#@@!!!  I thought I was having a heart attack!  The EMS came {big seen in church}took me to the emergency room.  Then I found out it was a panic attaack{panic??me?} I been on meds. ever since and affraid to go without them.

[Battyp]

Cakes I've had the same thing..the panic attacks.  I remember having one after surgery over not being able to do something. But have been pretty level since then.  I probably would still be on meds but...they didn't give them to me in the hospital so I got weended off and wanted to be off of them so badly at the time that I refused to start back.  My son seems to think I should go back on them due to getting frustrated with not being able to do things I used to but I don' think that's a good enough reason and I dont' feel like i used to with that black cloud in my head feeling.

[Gennysmom]

I've had some panic attacks too, but it's because I've been under so much stress I'm not dealing well.  Take the stress away, and they go away.  Batty, if you're just frustrated, that's probably OK, but if you start to withdraw, and have sleep issues, we'll have to have a talk with you. 

[Battyp]

Heck I withdrew a long time ago. All my gf's are with significant others and I dont' feel attractive engouh to go on dates. I enjoy being home bymyself for the most part.  Heck if some of you lived closer then we'd be talking major trouble!   I've had sleep issuses since I was a kid...love those afternoon naps! 

[Captain Deb]

Whenver I feel depressed I just put my mink yachting outfit on, drape a few diamonds on myself, call the crew and have them ready the 90-foot yacht and off I go--depression gone!

Ha-ha right!

My AN was left-sided and I don't get depressed if I stay on the happy pills!  Been off and on (more on) since 4 months after my surgery, mainly winter months.
Captain Deb

[Battyp]

After today's outburst maybe I should rethink the happy pills  lol

[Boppie]

I don't want to diminish the facts about depression before, during and after AN for some people, but I noticed a decease in depression in my life after menopause.  I don't think depression was there with my AN.  For me, issues seemed to smooth out after the hormones settled down.  I've never taken antidepression meds.  I think my generation invented valium.  My AN just sneaked up on me without any symptoms I can point to except slow hearing loss.  Since surgery I have dealt with some recovery issues, but not depression.