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The recent thread on depression from Dennis Greene (hi Digger!) and
Marie McNeely (aka chuck bulch) suggests that I share my own experience.
The problem, IMHO, is specialization: Neurologists who may know a lot
about PD and dopamine may not know as much about depression and
serotonin (5-HT). And psychiatrists who know a lot about depression
and serotonin may not know as much about PD and dopamine.

Early on in my course of affliction with PD, my neuro referred me to a
shrink. The latter, after a few questions, prescribed Prozac, and later,
Zoloft (possibly because I was curious and wanted to try them out). But
after only a couple of days on each, I thought: hey, I don't need this
stuff! Sure, I'm upset to learn that PD will cause a major adjustment
in lifestyle: Give up all the strenuous skiing, climbing, and travel I'd
been anticipating in retirement, in favor of more sedentary amusement?
Face relentless progression of pain and disability? But so does most
everyone sooner or later, with or without PD.

Even without any medical training I realized, in my case, what looked
to two perfectly competent doctors like depression could likely be
just the temporary "down" moodswing from running out of dopamine.
And, 5 years later, I can still cope with those terrible "downs" just
by accepting the situation and, to paraphrase that eminent philosopher-
cartoonist of the 1970s R. Crumb: KEEP AWWWWWWWWWWWN TRUCKIN!! Cheers,
Joe
--
J. R. Bruman   (818) 789-3694
3527 Cody Road
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5013