[colin]

I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing 'racing thoughts'=wired all the time?

I have a story to add to your information database in your brain. I was experiencing troubles with coping after returning from a 5 year long travel experience. I went to the doctors investigating depression. I was put on effexor then switched to fluvoxamine a prozac derivative. They both had wierd side affects.

I then suffered a traumatic experience where i was beaten unconscious because i was acting wierd after having a beer and it reacting with the meds. After that i was switched to Lithium as a 'mood stabalizer'.

Well i hated the meds and they hated me. I would never recommend being a guinea pig for the new unproven medicines. But i would never recommend you listen to my recommendations do what you feel is best.

FOR ME the meds added stress to my life, going for blood tests, going to doctors offices, filling prescriptions, living in a fog, feeling dependant and more.

I then self medicated with pot for years, i do not recommend that either but for me it got me through the time i needed until i was ready to concentrate on healing.

I went to support groups and intensive 40 hour a week day programs for ten weeks and learned many coping skills and recieved much support. I also had a chance to give lots of support to others.

Then after that i became a self help book junkie REALITY THERAPY by William Glasser and the SELF MATTERS by doctor Phil were two very good finds out of all of them. The second allows Self Psycho therapy. I don't know about you but i didn't like the psycoholigists or the counsellors i had encountered. But i did trust myself.

The library has many videos to learn from, use what you want and discard what you do not want.

I recently got off of pot all together and am really working hard with the self matters book. It helps me understand and bring out hundreds of buried events of my past and settle them in my mind. Ahh Therapudic nice feelings, lots of work but worth it.

I also found Hatha yoga stretching and breathing to work WONDERS for relaxing. Not the meditation crap just stretching and breathing. Libraries and book stores have dvds and tapes to follow. (sorry to the meditation buffs, it is not for me)

AS FOR YOU, congratulations on considering your relationship with yourself. You are worth it. Yes there is no money in it. Yes the hard work is ahead. If you are ready for it you will never lose by looking within.

Good luck and work hard
Colin