LeNubian, Jesse, thanks. For all that I'm forthright about work, I'm not that good at this kind of conversation, so I'll have to psych myself up for it.

And I don't want it to be a big deal, it's just that it's a bit difficult to figure out what he means. I mentioned it to my sister and she immediately responded that there was probably an element of sexism in it--that he wouldn't call a man with my demeanor "bristly". She's probably right, and it doesn't help that this is a military environment...

I keep my nails totally short. They're polished right now, mind.

It gave me crazy rage, Howard Hughes-like social anxiety, and almost a year of insomnia. I am clearly not its target patient. Too much norepinephrine already running around in my brain.

I take it to augment my Celexa, because the dose of Celexa needed to control my anxiety eventually sent me into anxiety-free depression. So I'm on the XL in a low dose to counteract that. It's been working pretty well. Sadly, I still want to eat food. I was hoping I'd get the MEH. FOOD. side effect. (I got that with Vyvanse, but Vyvanse was what started the depression, and it didn't lift completely when I went off it.)

Is that a salon chain?

No, any Salon can have a person trained in Deva Curl. But it doesn't just have to be Deva, if someone specializes in curly hair it's usually advertised. I should have mentioned that I look for Deva curl people because I really dig their products.

Oh, that's good to hear, Suzi, thanks. I am noticing that my thumbnails are feeling almost normal, so I'm taking it as a good sign.

But hey, despite the brain probs, do I appear to be decently functioning to you folks?

I've become convinced that prescribing psych meds is an art, not a science. There are enough meds out there, and the reaction of any person to any particular med unpredictable enough, that it's about 1.5 steps above a guessing game.

My BF from HS is a psychiatrist and she said something along these lines once. What she said was they don't really know what pill X works on Person A, but not Person B and why no pills at all seem to work on Person C. I think they learn more about the brain everyday, but I think it's still so mysterious in many ways.

It is actually mostly a guessing game. It's not even 1.5 steps above. Zoloft works for a lot of people, so let's try that! Oh, Zoloft didn't work? Well, how about Celexa? No luck with Celexa? Let's try Wellbutrin! And so forth. That's neither art nor science; it's throwing darts at a board in a dark room.

I think they learn more about the brain everyday, but I think it's still so mysterious in many ways.

My brother discovered he has a certain genetic condition(?) that makes him basically immune to opiates-his receptors don't. He was wondering why the codeine they put him on recently had no noticeable effect. So he started researching, and lo and behold, there's this fairly rare genetic condition. One which also makes them violently receptive to this other drug that is a mild relaxant/numbing agent in most people. Which he's also had (virtually immobilized him and caused his heart rate to plummet.) It's fascinating. I've never been given opiates, but given it is genetic, wondering if I am also a carrier.

do I appear to be decently functioning to you folks?

Yes.

Also, often very funny.

despite the brain probs

raise your hand if you read that as "brain probes"

Allyson, you seem to function quite well from where I sit. (Please do not probe my brain.)

I totally hear you, Consuela--I get that feedback often. Less, though, now that I only interact over emails and occasional phone calls. It doesn't help that I have very little patience for idiots.