Antidepressants

Thought this could be a thread to discuss everyones opinion/experiences with depression and/or antidepressants at any age. Have you taken them? Are you taking them? Whats your opinion?

 

My opinion is people reach for them too quickly, and doctors prescribe too quickly. I have a couple distant family members, and a few friends that are just robots now. I am very against anti-depressants having seen what they did to those friends of mine. I went through low - mid level depression for a few months once my classes began but I got through it through cognitive therapy with my Psych professor, and I went through my own self renewal. I was cynical, negative, and pessimistic all the time and it started to catch up to me. I decided it was time to maybe TRY and be more positive and that changed a lot for me. This story was just my personal account of beating depression, sorry for it being a little long, or egotistical. I'm just proud of myself that I was able to beat that terrible feeling of depression.

IMO, I think some people truly should be medicated, but only those that really need to. As I said before, too many people think they need them, too many doctors give them out too often.

 

yeah, ive talked to my psychologist and i completly agree with her when she says they should really be a last resort, especially in young people

 

...do shit for me. I fucking hate them...it's like a false happiness. I hate 'em.

 

A few years back I went to my doctor after feeling pretty down for a very long time so he prescribes fluoxetine, I cant remember the exact doasge but it was a very small ammount. It was strange because as soon as I was prescribed them I immediately felt better, even before the 2 weeks that they supposedly take to work. Then they actually started to work, my jaw felt weird, I felt numb both psysically and emotionally and just not quite myself. So back i went to the docotor and he prescribed another type (I cant remember the name). So I took one of these and was sick, really quite violently sick so I threw them away and havent felt the need for any since.
They are pretty strange things, and like I said before when they liften my mood before they were supposed to be worked I bean to think that maybe I wasnt so depressed after all.
Some people do need them though, but I agree they are prescribed too often.

 

http://www.hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214125 < My opinion is on post 6

 

I'm on 100 mg of Zoloft daily.

It helps. It prevents the reuptake of n5(serotonin) in my neuron. It helps me want to take care of myself more, and lets me feel more empathetic.

It's not for everyone, but it helps me. I lead a very intresting life, I'm not a zombie, and I have no learning impairments.

 

For some, anti-depressants are simply a matter of life or death. If you need them, if a qualified physician or psychiatrist prescibes them, then use them. It's pretty much a no-brainer if you're really clinically depressed. I haven't seen any real zombies on SSRI's, If you have side-effects talk to the doc...there are lots of different types of SSRI's.

 

I have taken them, but I wasn't happy about it. I don't take them anymore because I figured that if I was going to do it, then I had to do it on my own and not depend on the pills.

 

I've been on and off antidepressants since I was 12, but I've seen a psychologist since I was 8. 4 years of therapy didn't help, so they did the next best thing. I've been on paxil, prozac, effexor, topamax, depakote, all in an attempt to make me less depressed/pessimistic but nothing has seemed to help. I don't take them now, I don't like the way I feel when on them, in most cases I was more depressed on them than off of them. Last time I took anything for depression was when I was 16. Almost 5 years, and I have good and bad days. For the most part I get through and I don't resort to alot of things I did when I was younger.

My mom is on antidepressants Although I don't think that the medicine works for her because she's still depressed but, her doctors keep upping everything.

 

I'm the same. I'm fully functional, emotion capable and nothing feels false.

I've tried a few others that were just all bad news but the Zoloft seemed to hit the right spot for helping me keep myself upright.

 

I went back on wellbutrin today for my adhd. I need it and I just have to accept that. When I don't take it I have no desire to study, shop like crazy, flirt to the point where I just become a tease and a little slutty and get mad at people too easily.

 

I also did do everything right to try and solve it naturally. I run everyday, do yoga, pilates, eat very healthy, layout in the backyard or tan when we have a cold winter. Nothing natural helps me keep my thoughts organized. After showing up an hour early to an interview at the wrong branch, not being able to find an address the day prior and not writting one piece this week...I had to do something or my life is gonna go down the tubes.

 

People with Diabetes don't spend much time questioning the need for insulin, why do people with Depression debate the need to be healthy?

 

Maybe it's more to do with strategy - like keeping a day journal for your appointments. Keeping calenders prominently in view. Get a watch that you can set alarms on. Get a big cork board to pin important pieces of paper on - like a scribbled address or phone number.

Of course, sometimes there's the 'shit happens' factor. Just make sure that you don't be too hard on yourself when shit does happen - 'cause it always will.

 

I have a planner. I even got a blackberry as a gift when they first came out...nothing works. I forget my planner, I can't find my left shoe...just stuff like that. I am a list person and write down everything that needs to get done, what I need to get. When I work I schedule my day down to the minute...but I am still a mess. I don't fuck up often but when I do it is huge and usually always preventable.

 

Zoloft was a lifeline for me when I really needed it. I took only a very small dose- 25 mg- and it helped to lift from a listless depression where I basically got nothing accomplished. On the other hand, I did have the problem of hypomanic episodes before the Zoloft and after the medication I now have more mania so I am looking at trying mood stabilizers. I know one thing for sure- I had deteroriated severely before the Zoloft and while on it I did not feel cognitively imparied or dull- I still felt very much like myself. So it worked well for me, but only for my depression.

 

i see them as a last resort, i think it is sad how fast people accept them and worse how fast a doctor will prescribe them. Years ago, at my first visit to a psychiatrist he prescribed be lexapro, i couldn't believe he had only known me about 45 minutes and was already will to do this. I refused them for 4 years, found a psychiatrist with similar views on them as me. Eventually, after a few scary experiences I did decide to give it a try as a last resort- I also made it clear that i had no intention on taking a medication for the rest of my life, just sort of had the hope it would clear my mind enough to get something done and then work things out on my own-- but-- i had no success and tried SEVERAL, but i am doing much better now as far as depression is concerned without their help

 

I've taken them on and off for the past 6 years. I hate the thought of false-happiness, false emotions, false personality. That fear and hatrid always leads me to going off of them. I'll probably never accept that fact the I need them to function. I feel like that's just a bullshit lie that the system wants me to believe. Happiness and peace of mind have to be accessible through means other than a pill, I just don't know how. Anyways, this thread has brought me to tears...but really, I don't need the drugs..ha.

I've been off anti-depressants, sleeping pills, and mood stabilizers for almost a month now. Interestingly, during my long haul of depression I've also become more aware, so this time I can watch and analyze as I fall apart again. It's like watching a movie full of sick, dry humor.

 

whenever i think of anti-depressants i want to cry....haha. my last experience with them really, really sucked. after i got rid of them they left me with anxiety attacks and a bit of insomnia.

so now i just go with the flow.... lately i've been exceedingly happy. yes i know anti-depressants shouldn't be used for bipolar wasn't my choice yo