QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I found this email address while searching for some answers about depression. I would very much appreciate it if you could help me with a few doubts that I have concerning derpression. I have a boyfriend who has depression. He is diagnosed with "obsessive compulsive behaviour" and is taking Seroxat and Lamictal. Supposedly the Lamictal is only to make the effect of the Seroxat more active. Can he ever get cured from such an illness? Or is it some sort of illness that you have until you die? I'm just not sure on what to expect. Are the medicines just easing his depression, or are they helping eliminate it? I don't quite understand that. Is it true that it's just a very unpredictable disease and you never know if the person will be ok? In other words - can I count on him as my partner for a lifetime - as we are considering marriage, or is it something of great risk that I could lose him anytime to this illness? Can I get depressed by him being depressed?
I'm very confused and would very much appreciate if you could help answer my questions. Thanks in advance, I'm looking forward to your answer.
ANSWER:
Being around a depressed person can cause depression. Only 40% of depressed patients
have only one depression in their life and experience a "cure". Antidepressants
get the brain working better.
The OCPD (obsessive compulsive personality disorder) is genetic and resolves or gets
dramatically better with high doses of SSRI's such as Prozac or Seroxat (Paxil). OCD
appears to be a neurological disorder. It's probably permanent, although the severity
will change over time.
Lamictil is an anti-epilepsy medication that can sometimes benefit those with depression
or OCD. In general it's used for bipolar and sometimes the BPD (borderline
personality disorder).
It's hard to predict exactly what will happen - with him or with people who
don't have these diagnoses.
An excellent picture that shows what the brain looks like depressed and recovered can be
found at
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/hotsci/scandep.htm.
