The Drugs Don't Work, They Just Make You Worse

From time to time, I find myself "borrowing" song lyrics to title my posts. This is in part because I'm not hugely creative and partly because I'm usually listening to music of some sort whilst I'm writing, but mostly because if someone else has said it well before, then there's little chance of me saying it better.

Trying to describe how depression feels is almost impossible. Years and years ago, when I'd never met anyone else who had depression in "real life" and my support network was almost entirely a (sadly long-gone) forum, we used to tell each other "for those who understand,  no explanation is necessary; for those who don't, none will suffice". It's cliched and horribly over-used, but there was an element of comfort in realising that you'd probably never fully make other people understand how you felt, so you were as well saving your energy and not bothering. One particular thread, however, which I recall over a decade later, was entitled "The Sounds of Depression". I don't recall exactly how it started, but we started to share song lyrics (as well as other literary sources) which summed up our feelings. We were unable to express exactly how we felt, but many of our musical heroes did a fine job of it. Years after I first heard them, I find some songs are still better able to describe my feelings than any words I could write. Tonight, I'm thinking of The Verve.

"All this talk of getting old
It's getting me down, my love
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
This time I'm coming down"

Some days, this is exactly what it's like. You fumble through your existence, not ever being entirely sure what the point is. The inevitable drowning that you feel sure awaits means that attempting anything seems like a waste of effort. You won't be able to get out of the bag that encloses you, so maybe it'd just be easier to succumb. Settle down, drift off to sleep and let yourself gradually suffocate. The eventual result will be the same, only with less pain in the meantime.

It's no coincidence that, as well as summing up how I sometimes feel, these lyrics are from a song called "The Drugs Don't Work". Yesterday, I read a very well-written piece by the lovely @katiehodgie about cognitive behaviour therapy and how it doesn't always work, which got me thinking about my experiences of treatment.

I've mentioned this sort of thing in the past, but in different contexts. I described my first contact with mental health services in my post on adolescent mental health. If you happened to read (or hear) the grand round I gave on the same topic, you may recognise it. That's because it was copied and pasted directly from that blog. "Suzie" was, of course, me. I don't mind if people who heard the talk guessed, but I didn't want to just stand and talk about myself openly because it felt somewhat indulgent, and may have detracted from the fact that I wanted to emphasise the importance of understanding mental health for all of our current and future patients, not just myself.

You can see that my first experiences of the psychiatric team were less than ideal. Over the many years which have passed since that appointment, I have had numerous other attempts at treatment. The list of medications I've tried resembles the formulary of a major psychiatric unit. I went for CBT and tried seeing a psychologist. I've met several psychiatrists. Despite all of this, and despite being a qualified doctor, it sometimes takes me by surprise when I remember that depression is a chronic problem. I have to remind myself, and other people, that I might dip again. It's a bit of an apology and a bit of a warning, summed up by John Mayer.

"Suppose I said
I am on my best behaviour
And there are times
I lose my worried mind
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?"

I'm never sure when the best time is to explain that I may be "not myself" for a while. Does it put people off getting to know me? Possibly. Are some people none-the-less shocked by it and unable to cope with it? Absolutely. I think this experience of negativity is one of the reasons I find myself wanting depression to be a transient phenomenon. The idea that friends won't have to "wait it out" again is appealing. Sometimes, I even believe it will happen.

When I am in a "good" phase, I convince myself it was something that happened once before, but something I am now over; a dreadful nightmare from which I have thankfully awoken. When I'm at my lowest, I am like the aforementioned cat, trapped and suffocating in a bin liner wondering when the water will finally wash over and take it all away. But there is a middle ground. The days when I first suspect it might be back. The mornings I wake inexplicably early, feeling anxious about nothing in particular. The evenings I cannot focus on whatever book I try to read. The afternoons where I suddenly feel like going out with my friends later is an insurmountable task. These are the times when I start thinking there might be an answer. Maybe another pill. Perhaps a different kind of talking therapy. Eating better, exercising more, filling my time with positive things. Maybe, this time, it will stop. Sarah McLachlan explained it pretty well.

"Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it OK"

I wonder, during these days, what it will be that makes it OK. I live in a kind of limbo, hoping that eventually I'll find and answer. Someone, somewhere will snap their fingers and it will all be OK.

In my case, the drugs do work, at least a little. The appropriate dose does mean that my eating is under better control. I have fewer binges and feel less compelled to consume everything in sight. Although I have dips, it's a long time since I put myself in any real danger or tried to do myself any sort of major harm. So, they help a bit. The psychological therapies I've tried have given me a better understanding of myself and some of my quirks, but haven't really enabled me to deal with things in a different way or had much impact on how I live my life. I have no doubt that for some people, one or a combination of treatments will actually completely cure them. For most, though, I suspect things help a little, but never make it completely go away.

I sometimes feel like it would be easier if I never experienced the better days. There are times when I start to think happiness is a myth, that I will forever experience the world through a sort of grey fuzz. During these times, I start to accept the lowness. I forgive myself for having no energy and allow myself to wallow. I stop looking longingly at "normal" people and decide that's not how I'm supposed to be. I accept that a sort of ambivalence about whether I life or die isn't too bad.

And then there are the better days. I wake up as my alarm goes off, feeling like I've had enough rest. I genuinely enjoy the simple things - my morning cuppa, a sunny drive to work, chatting to an old friend. The fog seems to have lifted. I put the bad days behind me and get on with living. And then, out of nowhere, the black dog comes again. Happening at times when I can so vividly recall normality makes it all the worse; the sheer contrast with the way things have been is brutal. I'm stealing more lyrics now, this time from James.

"Now I've swung back down again
It's worse than it was before
If I hadn't seen such riches
I could live with being poor"

This is sometimes the worst thing of all. Those good days are reminders of what I'm missing. Without them, I could almost settle into the grey and accept things. It's those good days that make me wish for a magic wand, some kind of switch to make it all go away. Of course I don't wish I didn't have good days, but sometimes I think it would all be much easier not to be reminded that there's an alternative existence out there.

If you happen to meet me on a grey day, you may not notice. But if you do, if I seem distant or like I'm not listening, or if I make excuses not to meet you, please don't take it personally. Bear with me. I'll have another good day eventually. Matchbox 20 explain it better than I do.

"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me"