Anybody get depressed while taking an antidepressant???

Lisa,

Talking about mosaic... I used to do ... egg-shell mosaic. You just keep all the shells of the eggs you use around the house, remove the membrane inside (there's a thin membrane inide the shell, just grab it and pull it, tweezers help) and then wash the egg-shells real well with dishsoap and water, rinse and let dry.

Buy from garage sales or Dollar General store crappy cheapo flower vases (they must be smooth, no engraving or models or anything). Have your egg-shells handy near you. With a brush, "paint" the outside of the vase with glue (tac glue is just fine) and then press the egg-shell on the vase, smashing it in an even layer covering the vase in cracked egg-shell. Let dry, then paint it - the best looking designs are made either leaving the natural egg-shell color or painting the whole an ivory-white first,  then with earth-brown and red colors, paint Greek-style decorations (either geometrically or characters). After you are done, and the paint is dry, apply matte (satin, no-gloss) varnish to protect it. It can be done on other objects, not just vases, only if you plan it for something that will be outside,  make sure you use an outdoor varnish, like the ones used for claygarden figurines. The mosaic-like cracked egg-shells make the objects look like they are ancient artifacts.

You can also mix color with the glue (brown, black, beige, ivory-white) and then use various shades of brown egg shells on it. As a tip, you can first cut with scissors shapes in the egg-shell before you break and smash them flat on the object. You can even make mosaic-pictures to hang on the wall, picture frames, jewelry, or use it on various molds and trims around the house, apply copper leaf or antique gold leaf or silver leaf lightly brushed on the shells - to make it look really fabulous. Once you apply the varnish, the objects can be cleaned with a moist cloth.

I don't have any photo to show you, all the ones I made I either gave away or sold. But, here's a few examples of egg-shell mosaic art I gathered for you from online:

Thanks for the ideas, Day.  I think I have tried the eggshell technique a while back.  It takes quite a while because of the tiny pieces.  I especially love the blue mosaic.  Too bad you don't have any photos of your own!  I have a habit of selling and giving away everything that I make but I have tried to start getting pictures.

I'm going to start a new thread on depression and creativity...maybe we can get all kinds of garden ideas and such going there.  Bren, your two pictures of your porch and the watering cans is what made me stay here at this site and post...I was going to breeze on through.  

I'm having a bad day again and need something to focus on.  Will you share more pictures of your garden on the new thread, too?  Let's see if we can create a little cottage of dreams and ideas to keep us going.

Lisa

(aka Bubbies)

Hi Enjoyful .. have been thinking about you ... how's things going??

lots of love,

Bren

I've just been on Effexor for about 6 weeks now but it's been very helpful for me.  I had to have a total hysterectomy and, because of my tumor type, I cannot take any hormones.  My dr. says that a side effect of Effexor is that it helps with hot flashes.  My night sweats were almost unbearable.  Effexor has given me back complete nights of sleep.  I'm taking it without any depression reasons so I wonder if that is why I'm having a better result?!

Hi E .. I never get tired of your joke.  Hope things went well in St. Louis and the trial you are participating in.

I take Celexa 60 mg a day, plus Abilify 5 mg.  This is the most "normal" I've felt in years. 

I hope the Celexa helps you .. I was very afraid to take Effexor, even when the rad onc recommended it.  I had to tell him no and seek help elsewhere.  It seems the onc's like to prescribe it because it doesn't interfere with AI's or Tamoxifen .. but neither does Celexa!

I've been in a lot of pain due to problems with C5-6, and 2 pain pills a day just aren't cutting it.  I find out on Thursday if a scheduled MRI has been approved.  Sure hope we can get to the bottom of this problem.  It's been getting progressively worse over the past two years!  The pain meds don't help my depression at all, and aren't much good for the pain either.

And the weather is bad today ... so no sunshine therapy for me ...  wahhhh.

love,

Bren

E ... checking on you .. hoping you're feeling better!

love,

Bren

EDITED:  Well .. I'm not pain-free today .. have the migraine from hell.  Three pain pills and advil later .. and very little relief.  Maybe it's all the flowering trees I have raining pollen down on me!

I finally got the MRI ... and I lost it the first time in.  It was so tight and they put some kind of thing over my face to stabilize my head.  I've never had one before ... and I should have closed my eyes before he moved me in the machine.  I shouted .. "Get me out, get me out!"  And he did, but I said I'd like to try again, but this time I closed my eyes before I went in.  That did the trick, but I wanted out about 7 minutes before it was done.  I held on ... but I never want to do that again.

Won't get the results until the 19th.  I'm nervous about this .. maybe that's why I have the headache.  The ortho was booked full until then .. so I'm going to call my PCP and go pick up the results from her office as soon as she gets them. 

And while I'm on a role .. I hate cancer.  I hate all cancer .. the one that took my dad and the one that takes my friends.  The one that stole every bit of innocence I had left.  Can't even get a simple MRI test without worrying.

Bubbies .. I really hope you can get some relief soon.  It doesn't sound like the Effexor is effective at all.  In all these years, I only saw one psychiatrist that was worth the trip to the office.  What is with these guys?  I'm so lucky to have my PCP .. she is infinitely more qualified to deal with my depression and anxiety (mood swings) than any shrink.  Adding the Abilify in a small dose has really changed my life.  Even Tim has notice a huge difference in me.  I'm like I used to be when we met years ago.

I worry about you ... don't wait to long on that doctor ... or see a PCP or internal specialist. 

One shrink I saw put me on Depakote and Lamictal.  I told him my SE's, which were awful ... voracious eating, my hair was breaking and falling out and I was shaking so bad, I couldn't hold a fork ... he told me to eat low fat and get a short punk hairdo.  Then I fired him.  And quit taking that sh_t. 

I wish you well ... stay close so we don't worry.

love,

Bren

My sadness has been creeping up on me again .. and thoughts of flight fill my head.  All I can think about is the lovely log cabin I had in the southern Utah mountains ... and no freakin' humidity! 

It is so hot and humid, I really can't do all the things I usually do to keep the sadness from creeping in.

By noon, I'm feeling trapped in the house hiding from the heat.

I have to go to San Diego soon .. and I haven't been there since my dad died last year.  Dreading the trip, but happy to see my son and grandsons. 

Hope everyone is having a pretty good day!

Bren