Advice on Anti-Depressants

[Kiju]

I used Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Effexor for when I had it. Not at once though, one after the other when neither proved successful.

They all made me worse off than I was previously, so I cut the prescription, and got better over time.

Depression is a normal part of life; however, there is a...disease, I suppose? that will make it so some sort of chemical that your body runs off of to make you feel happy and content, is completely off. Anti-depressants fill the gap made by this chemical unbalancing, and help you deal with your life a little better. My mother has it, and she takes pills to help her live her life.

First, you should probably determine whether or not you have this disease before you get any pills to help with it. Don't listen to your counselor or psychatrist on that matter. Ever.

If you do have the "disease"? Then get the pills, you'll actually need them. If not, then the pills will only make you feel even worse than you are now.

For once, I can give advice based off of personal experience!

 

[s0m3th1ng]

Most of them actually are addictive, but you're basically safe as long as you listen to the dosing instructions that your doctor/pharmacist give you.

Look up what "addiction" actually is before you hand out medical advice to someone on the subject.
Anti-Anxiety medication such as lorazepam and Diazepam are extremely addictive. In fact it is the worst chemical to withdraw from. However...anti-depressant meds such as prozac and celexa produce no immediate "high", do not affect dopamine levels whatsoever, and are simply too slow-acting to produce any sort of addiction to the substance. Make no mistake...addiction and withdrawal are too entirely separate things.

 

[Jackalb]

That is all.

 

[Sten4sw]

I don't comment on here much, but I just had to this time. I noticed something that I don't think anyone else did, how young you are. You were born a year after me so you're 17? That is WAAAAY too young for some of the problems you're having, but, my life is very similar to yours right now, so I'm going to be your personal depression coach, if that isn't creepy.
First, a little info on me:
I'm 18, and I would say that I've been clinically depressed for about 1.5-2 years, but I've been unhappy for maybe 3.
I do not take any pills, and I do not want to, personally, I feel like I would have problems with admitting that I need them and what that would do to my confidence in myself.
I have never dated anyone, never even kissed a girl, and I am extremely lonely. Rejections from 3 different big time crushes, and the emotional fallout and loneliness are the main causes of my depression.
My dad passed away a couple weeks ago, it hasn't hit me yet, I am generally desensitized from the depression, but also, seeing as I have not experienced many, major tragedies take a long time to hit me.
I do have a job, but it sucks, you're not missing out on much, I don't see why that is such a big deal to you.
My point is that you, me, us... we're teenagers, we are emotional wrecks. I have no friends who are depressed, but they are perfect Christians living perfect Christian lives in their perfect Christian homes, or they are constantly high. My mom was depressed as a teen, though, a lot of people were. So, you seem to have a big, legitimate problem here, the same as mine, and I want to help, as in getting you through this, because even if pills make you feel better, they're not going to fix anything.
First thing I can say now is your ex is the source, that is so obviously clear to me.
But, it's 5:30am where I am and I need to go to bed, but I want you to bring up your concerns to me one at a time, and we will deal with them, on here or in PM, anything from your ex, lack of a job, you mentioned weight loss, self-esteem, anything. And I will attack later using only what I have learned, and still am learning, through personal experience.

 

[EmzOLV]

I'm not really going to say yes or no in a straight blunt way and I'm going to make this as impersonal as possible because for a lot of people this is surely a heated topic.

I can only advise from what I have previously been through - and even then I'm going to gloss over the details because frankly, I'm not one to opening up to it.

I have a rather... messed up history. I have spend 12 years trying to get out of bad habits and trying to work on feeling 'better'. I was always very, VERY good at not showing people anything that was negative, and I basically got taken to the doctor after my mother discovered 'her precious teenage daughter' was doing nasty horrible things to herself. The reasons why I will leave out because, well, why should I tell you lot? haha.

Anyway, they were going to put me on anti-depressants and I refused point blank. I told them if they prescribed me pills, I wasn't going to take them. I then got put on a 6 year therapy and CBT (cognitive-behavoural therapy) course which was more effective.

As far as I'm aware, and have discussed with my therapist, is that there are two 'main' types of depression which basically consist of a) an emotional depression, something I was going through and could be dealt with through a lengthy consultation period of however many years an b) a chemical depression, where my language fails and all I can describe it as is "where something just doesn't go right in your brain". I didn't have this. This is what the pills are meant to help 'control'.

So my doctors first reaction was "she's depressed, lets pill her up, great idea, that'll solve it, NEXT" I would still be in the same bad place as before, but you know... more 'levelled'. I wouldn't have even progressed anywhere, I wouldn't have ever understood why I do certain things, or better yet, have even started to overcome them.

I see anti-depressants as a big, massive NO-NO. I really do. You think that a little chemicals put into your body are going to really change the bad things that happen and how you relax? You want to feel numb?

At the end of the day - do whatever you want to do, because the reality is you've probably decided anyway. This advice, and everyone elses opinion and advice is only really here if you want to listen to it.

 

[thefragboxed]

i haven't had the best run with psychotropic drugs, i've been clinically diagnosed with anxiety and depression for 5 years and have been on and off drugs the whole time and have nothing to show for it.

that being said, i've met a decent amount of people for whom medications have been a complete godsend. night and day difference.

if you do decide to try out meds, just keep in mind that most are very slow acting, and can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a month to get up to therapeutic dose. also, if you have to switch drugs, you aren't supposed to outright stop, as there can be withdrawal symptoms, you'll have to taper completely off before you can start a new drug. patience really becomes the name of the game with most psychotropes.

i'd be wary about using any benzodiazepines. they make you feel amazing but they're highly addictive, you eventually build up a tolerance, and withdrawal from them is quite an experience.

make sure the psychiatrist you chose to go to is someone that you feel very comfortable talking to, because it's real important that he/she knows about ANY changes in your physiology that you notice once you start taking the drug (even the embarrassing ones)

keep in mind as well that the amount of people in the united states that take some form of antidepressant or anxiolytic is staggering. so all types of people have taken them or are currently on them, from lowly line-cooks like myself to doctors, lawyers, CEOs, mechanics, pharmacists, journalists, you name it. so don't let anyone kid you into thinking that they're somehow going to drastically limit your career choices by taking them. and anyone who looks down on you for taking/having taken them is a mouth-breathing troglodyte.

so anyway i would go ahead and talk to your doctor and give them a shot. it may be a total gamechanger for you. as someone who has routinely failed at doing so, i can't stress enough to you how important it is that you follow your doctor's prescription to the tee. no skipping doses, no altering doses etc.

best of luck

 

[WolfThomas]

Not even antibiotics.

Woah, antibiotics don't alter you state of mind (unless you're drinking alcohol but you don't) and they're pretty important for stuff other than a simple viral cold (which I very much believe they're used too often for), a positive attitude and healthy diet still won't cure tuberculosis.

OR help me get better. You missed that part lol.

I'm sorry to have misunderstood whatever you're saying, but you must see that your point was quite amibigious?

Do what i do. Live with the Depression lol. Sorry. I am religious about not taking any drugs or chemicals that might alter my state of mind or help me get better. Not even antibiotics. A good Doctor would tell you that the pills are just a temporary fix and the problem needs to be fixed on why your depressed.

Seriously this could be intrepreted a multitude of ways.

i know that if we continue to become reliant on drugs and vaccines our Immunes systems will start to get worse and worse till the only people who survive a horrible virus are those who didn't take them? Yeah i am a moron. I just have understanding of Biological Warfare and how to maintain a healthy immune system without compromising it with drugs

Likewise this statement is very anti drugs and while it is true that by not being exposed to as many germs etc, we are developing more immuno-compromised conditions, peanut allergies being one of them. But at the same time, that's not how people work evolutionally, we don't just become immune to an infection, a majority dies if it's untreated, a large amount is made seriously ill and few resistant surive untouched. I'd rather we just survived in general.

But straight up Malaria, Tuberculosis, Syphilis, these are just a few of the disease which without modern anti-biotics we'd still be either dying or living horribly impaired lives with. Small pox, without it's vaccination thousands or even millions would be dying also. Yes perhaps drugs are over-prescribed these days, but they are still our friends and we'd be dying like animals without them.

 

[Something Amyss]

I must admit, I was rather dumbstruck to hear my name lol.

Also, I tried talking about it and venting to people, and it used to help, but it's gotten to the point where if I vent, it reminds me of the main reason I'm depressed, and it keeps my mind on it. I refused drugs for so long, hoping to find other things to help me, but it's just gotten worse, and that's the only reason I finally gave in to get meds.

I admit, I only used your name because I was too lazy to go quote and edit another post.

When you talk about venting, do you mean professionally? Just being clear.

...and what makes you qualified to say that? You, yourself, are an Armchair Ph.D.

If you're truly qualified to say such nonsense, scan your Ph.D and post it. Otherwise, stop acting all high and mighty.

Pot, meet kettle. I'm not the one trying to supplant experts. Perhaps you should scan your PHD. Oh, right.

I'm not the one telling him what he does or doesn't need. I've discussed things anecdotally, and suggested both he seek professional opinion and ignore your tripe. Even if I was a PHD, I wouldn't diagnose over the internet, or give actual medical device. You know, the stuff you're doing.

Don't call me out for what you're practicing. It's dishonest.

 

[Tsaba]

Well, try the anti-depressants, if they make you happy they make you happy, if the side effects are too bad or you don't like the way you feel after taking them, stop taking them.

Form your own opinion from your own experience, it's not like they are going to kill you. Personally, I when I took them I had to go to an AA type meeting and that was enough to scare me away from them and I didn't like the way I would feel when I was on them, but, every person is different, try them and find out if its for you.

 

[Dublin Solo]

Your doctor should prescribe the one that's right for you. Different ones do somewhat different things to different people... it's all a matter of what's good for your specific case. I've been on three different kinds.

The side effects are generally the same on each drug. You'll probably have an adjustment period at the beginning where you'll be a little edgy. Make sure you eat when you take the pills otherwise your stomach will hurt.

But even what side effects you'll experience will depend on your specific case... every one is chemically imbalanced somehow and no two people are imbalanced the same way or in the same amount.

I just LOVE the fact that your avatar is Dr. House. That's priceless!

But back OT, indeed, your doctor is the one who will be able to help you with the right drug. People here on this forum will be able to tell about their experience, but what's right for one isn't absolutely right for another. That's also why your doctor will most probably want to hear from you from time to time, even after he's given your a prescription.

 

[EeveeElectro]

They're not happy pills. When I was on Sertraline I didn't feel depressed, but I didn't feel anything. I couldn't be happy, sad or angry. I wasn't crying as much as I used to, but I wasn't doing anything else either.
I may have had just a bad reaction to it though or the doctors got it wrong, it's not the first time doctors have failed me.
They made my skin turn grey too o.o I stopped taking them after a while and 'just got on with it' is the best way to put it.

 

[Woodsey]

I don't think you're allowed to just pick and choose your own.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

I'm on anti-depressants atm, and combined with counselling, they've worked wonders. However, what everyone else said about different pills for different people is true.
Side-effects of most of them include headaches for the first few days, and rampant diarrhoea for the same time period. You have been warned. But still ,worth it in order to start feeling vaguely human again.

But I just am not strong enough to keep dealing with it. Y'know?

My frame of mind when I started taking them exactly. I was against them at first, and then I no longer had the mental strength to ignore the advice to start taking them. You'll feel like utter crap the first couple of days/the first week, but once they kick in, it's fucking magical. You forget what normal life is like after a long enough depression, and I assure you, it's a thing of beauty. I've been on them for 2 1/2 months, and absolutely everyone I know has noticed that I seem more capable of interacting with the world since.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

A few things:

- They're not "happy pills". Ideally, they stabilize your mood so that you still feel all the same things, but things like depression no longer paralyze you. Things like getting off the couch and doing a load of laundry will seem possible instead of overwhelming.

- There are many different medications, all with different mechanisms and side effects. Finding the right medication (or mix) for a person is still more of an art than a science. It's better than it used to be, but still largely trial and error.

- The side effects can include feeling sedated, agitation, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and so on. They'll usually pass within the first two weeks as the medication builds up to a therapeutic blood level, so stick with it.

- Antidepressants aren't addictive. Anyone taking them to get high is a moron. It can, however, be dangerous to go off them cold turkey. Any responsible doctor will taper off your dosage to zero gradually while getting you off of one.

 

[Josh Kurber]

I must admit, I was rather dumbstruck to hear my name lol.

Also, I tried talking about it and venting to people, and it used to help, but it's gotten to the point where if I vent, it reminds me of the main reason I'm depressed, and it keeps my mind on it. I refused drugs for so long, hoping to find other things to help me, but it's just gotten worse, and that's the only reason I finally gave in to get meds.

I admit, I only used your name because I was too lazy to go quote and edit another post.

When you talk about venting, do you mean professionally? Just being clear.

Yeah, like talking to a psychiatrist or talking to friends. Doesn't really help me as it used to. Just sorta brings me down even more.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Soooo... this Wednesday I have an appointment to get some "happy pills" after three years of pretty bad depression.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects. Though, I wouldn't mind some with weight loss side effects, hahahah.

Is your depression caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain? Or is it situation and caused by stuff like not having enough friends, not having a motivation in life, or by stress?

Unless it's the former, I wouldn't recommend anti-depression pills in any case. They get you dependent on them and every time you try to get off them, you end up more depressed than before.

Many causes of depression can be changed by stepping up and changing things in your life, and finding the right people to give you emotional support you in the mean time.

 

[Josh Kurber]

Soooo... this Wednesday I have an appointment to get some "happy pills" after three years of pretty bad depression.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects. Though, I wouldn't mind some with weight loss side effects, hahahah.

Is your depression caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain? Or is it situation and caused by stuff like not having enough friends, not having a motivation in life, or by being unhealthy?

Unless it's the former, I wouldn't recommend anti-depression pills in any case. They get you dependent on them and every time you try to get off them, you end up more depressed than before.

Many causes of depression can be changed by stepping up and changing things in your life, and finding the right people to give you emotional support you in the mean time.

Both, actually. I get depressed by the tiniest of things that don't even make much sense. And there are the main things I am usually depressed about that stay on my mind for months, or years.

I had a depression screening, and it was mild to severe. So my psychiatrist wants me to take the pills the doctor gives me, then come back exactly two weeks after to check up on anything.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Soooo... this Wednesday I have an appointment to get some "happy pills" after three years of pretty bad depression.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects. Though, I wouldn't mind some with weight loss side effects, hahahah.

Is your depression caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain? Or is it situation and caused by stuff like not having enough friends, not having a motivation in life, or by being unhealthy?

Unless it's the former, I wouldn't recommend anti-depression pills in any case. They get you dependent on them and every time you try to get off them, you end up more depressed than before.

Many causes of depression can be changed by stepping up and changing things in your life, and finding the right people to give you emotional support you in the mean time.

Both, actually. I get depressed by the tiniest of things that don't even make much sense. And there are the main things I am usually depressed about that stay on my mind for months, or years.

I had a depression screening, and it was mild to severe. So my psychiatrist wants me to take the pills the doctor gives me, then come back exactly two weeks after to check up on anything.

This changes everything, then. Since a professional has prescribed them, I would go ahead and take them.

 

[guardian001]

Most of them actually are addictive, but you're basically safe as long as you listen to the dosing instructions that your doctor/pharmacist give you.

Look up what "addiction" actually is before you hand out medical advice to someone on the subject.

I'm well aware of what addiction is, as well as that it's technically different from having withdrawals. But if they're going to be hurting for it when they stop, I'm going to tell them about it, and, for lack of a better word, it's going to feel like an addiction, even if it doesn't medically hit the criteria for it.

 

[Continuity]

Soooo... this Wednesday I have an appointment to get some "happy pills" after three years of pretty bad depression.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects. Though, I wouldn't mind some with weight loss side effects, hahahah.

First, if you can manage without them then don't go on them - they are not "happy pills", they certainly won't make you feel happy at any rate, at best they will stop you feeling much of anything. Second, the side effects are significant, even for the selective ones with low side effect profiles. Third, if you do start taking SSRI's i'd recommend (from personal experiance) that you give prozac (fluxatine) a miss, its old and fairly unsophisticated and comes with a fairly large raft of side effects. Personally I found citalopram worked well for me at 60mg (and to a certain degree at 40mg), but unless you want to make your depression 10 times worse make sure you start at a small dose an work up, maybe start at 5mg, then 10, the 20 - don't just start taking 20mg straight away and certainly don't start higher than that.

Lastly look at the dosage range of whatever you're prescribed, if the target dose is 100mg and you're being prescribed 15mg then basically that is just a placebo (unless you're building up to the target as noted above).