I just recently lost a loved one and I'm having a terrible

Dear Cassandra,

I am really sorry to know about the tragedy you have endured.

I know that, the void that has been left in your life by the absence of your loved one , cannot be filled.But life moves on and so should you, yes i know right now you must be thinking that how easy it is for me to say all this , when actually how tough it is to do the same. I Agree it is very tough, but you have to realize that you have the reponsiblity upon shoulders to take care of your baby and yourself as well.

In my capacity as a psychiatrist , i will try my level best to help you , but you need to help me so that i help you.

Now, i shall tell you that the symptoms which you are having are typical of Major Depressive Disorder(MDD). But ,we can take care of it , but you need to gather your self altogether and help me in achieving our goal which is to bring you back to your normal life and normal self.

For the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, you need to consult a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

I will mention the drugs required to treat MDD , But you need to discuss these drugs with your doctor , so that the best possible treatment is available to you.

The drugs are ---

1) Anti depressants such as Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and trazadone , these two can be taken in combination which is quite effective , but obviously this should be discussed with your doctor before it can be done. Other alternatives are Flouxetine(prozac), Paroxetine(Paxil) which are also fairly effective drugs in MDD.

2) Anti anxiety drugs are good adjuvants to anti depressants . These include Buspirone and benzodiazepines such as clonazepam , lorazepam.

3) Mood stabilizers such Valproate, lithium, Divalproex, can also be added in Low doses.

4) You may also seek professional counselling , also there are many support groups and self help groups as well, you may enquire about them from your doctor.

A word of Caution , i hope you have stopped breast feeding to the baby as most of the these psychiatry drugs are secreted in mothers milk and can be harnful to the baby.

So, before starting with your treatment, please discuss with your doctor , about the drug doses, their timing of intake, their side effects , and whether they are going to have any effect on the baby if you continue to breast feed the baby.

I hope my answer serves your purpose well and i wish you and your baby all the best in life.

Regards...

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Dear Cassandra,

I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES IN THIS WORLD AND WE CANNOT GENERALIZE THINGS , BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I WOULD SAY YES IT IS VERY COMMON PHENMENA (MDD), OCCURING IN THOSE WHO HAVE LOST SOMEONE VERY CLOSE TO THEM, BUT AS I SAID THERE IS HELP IN THE FORM OF DRUGS AND PSYCHOTHERAPY(COUNSELLING), AND YES DO NOT BE SCARED THAT YOU WILL GET LABELLED AS DEPRESSION HAS BECOME AN INGREDIENT IN OUR LIVES TODAY , ITS JUST THAT ITS INTENSITY VARIES.

Regards..

Please press the ACCEPT button if you feel satisfied with my answer and kindly leave a positive feedback if possible