my sister is on mirtazapine

Posted , 2 users are following.

hello,

i was browsing the net to look for information that could help me help my sister to get better.

she has been on mirtazapine since december and her dose has been uped to 45mg.

my mums really worried so i had a day off today and decided to get some help.

my sister has come out of an awful marriage, and is depressed.

she doesn`t sleep at all, well before she used to wake up 6-8 times a night and it disturbed everyone in the house. In the last week, since her dose is increased she is sleeping better ,but shes still very quiet and distant.

can anyone advise on what we as a family could do to help her?

many thanks

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Has your GP offered any practical help for you all? Has she been offered help from the psychiatric services? Does she have a community psychiatric nurse or somebody at the doctors practice to help her get her life back together? I take it she is not working at the moment? Would her employers be able to offer her some sort of counselling? She probably needs practical help at the moment if she is severely depressed. Somebody taking over the running of the home and cooking the meals and a shoulder to cry on will help enormously. She will probably want to do a bit more for herself when she is feeling better. Are there children involved as somebody might have to look after them for a while if they aren't doing so already. Hope some of this helps. Post to let us know how you are getting on.
  • Posted

    hello pooh, i`m su.my brother added me to this site. hes worried about me.

    no i do not have any children thank god.

    my gp has refered me to a psychiatrist, but i don`t like talking to anybody i feel as theyr laughing at me all the time.

    my husband used to always call me stupid and fat and now i feel like a loser a nothing.

  • Posted

    Dear Su,

    Well done, you are certainly not stupid to have taken the steps to address us on this site!

    Don't be too afraid od speaking with a Psychiatrist, I am sure most of us on this site have already done so, and I WOULD BE AMAZED TO HEAR THAT ONE HAD EVER LAUGHED AT A CLIENT. These individuals have undergone years of dedicated training to help the likes of you and me, take the plunge and try the process out for yourself.

    Medication is not the only route back to normallity, Cognitive Therapy etc etc and just the good old 'plain common sense' of close friends and family can be worth their weight in gold as well.

    It's good to hear your brother encourage you to write as well, he's certainly 'rooting for you', I am sure there are others too. You are taking the first tentative steps, please don't stop.

    Best wishes in your progress,

    Stiofain

  • Posted

    thank u for yr response,its just when i speak with psychiatrists or family i start thinking about what him n his family did to me.then i cant control my anger and then i get upset with myself for being angry. its hard to explain how my head is at the moment.since i`ve been on 45mg of mirtazapine, ive started to sleep better,before i woke up 6-8 times a night, now two times or even just once.

    does anyone have aweful thoughts? everytime i think about what happened i wish i stabbed my husband,just the way he beat me i wish i stabbed him again and again and again,then i feel bad for having these thoughts but i can`t help it.

  • Posted

    Dear Su,

    It's good to hear you expressing yourself so well. Anyone who has had to put up with the threats, abuse and violence that you have, sympathises with your reaction. Personally, I am very glad you din't stab him repeatedly, you would probably have ended up doing 'time' ... that would only have been a victory for him.

    Time is your ally, as it is for most of us recovering from severe depression. Gradually your emotions will stabilise more, and better experiences will come your way, they will help to 'crowd out' the hurt you are feeling right now.

    Take the opportunity to 'open out' to those around you to whom you are close. You will probably repeat again and again what has happened to you, don't worry about that, those who love you will be only too glad to help by listening.

    I have found personally, that negative thoughts crowd in when I first awake in the morning. To get past these thoughts I get up up, tidy the house, make a cup of tea or coffee, and listen to the BBC News. Indeed, I find the BBC, particularly Radio 4 a great asset in staying stable during the day. It's full of 'chat programmes', plays etc etc which helps to keep my mind occupied .. perhaps a music station would be a good choice for yourself.

    Very best wishes,

    Stiofain

  • Posted

    thanks stiofain,

    some mornings i wake up and i feel good and 5/7 days i feel empty and numb.but since i have been on 45mg, and talking more i feel fresher.

    i feel guilty,as my family have to live with me like this.

  • Posted

    hello guys, i began taking 45mg of mirtazapine few weeks agoes and it seemed to work alittle better for me as i wasn`t waking up as many times in the night.

    But i`m finding that after taking it for a while i`m back to normal with my sleep, i can`t sleep and everything just makes me angry,then i get angry for being angry. does anyone else have odd sleeping problems when on mirtazapine? what do you do to help you sleep?

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