Anti-Depressants

[LSNP]

What are people's opinion of anti-depressants? I go back and forth and back and forth.

Do they prevent eventual healing? ...or suicide?

 

[cat]

Hi LSNP

Two years ago my opinion was to avoid them at all costs, my GP had done her best to advise me to take them but i was convinced she thought i was depressed & i was afraid I would be given them with no other help.

Then i met my psychologist who explained that i was self harming by not taking them but also worked out my reason for being so afraid of them was the experience my father had on them. Eventually we did an EMDR session on meds, I talked for ages & came to understand that i was also afraid that meds would 'block out' all I was feeling & experiencing. As my psych explained meds would not change my brain just rebalance the chemicals which would calm me & help me to make the first step to recovery.

I now take Citalopram - an SSri, & have found it made a huge difference to my reaction to therapy & allowed me to get back to work full time. I dont feel meds should be used on their own but in conjunction with trauma therapy (not counselling) & as many relaxation therapies as you can manage.

There are side effects to anti d's & it can take a while to find one that suits you. Yes at first they can make your symptoms worse and during that time you need to see your doc frequently to monitor your mood. However once they start to work you will notice a difference, you worry less about trivial things which allows you to concentrate on your healing.

Hope i havent waffled on to much!

Annette

 

[Robert]

Hi LSNP, Been on Escitalopram for 21/2 years, though reluctant to take it at first I can look back now and see that it has helped. It sort of takes the peaks and troughs of the highs and lows, mood is more stable and head is much clearer without the violent swings to anger/guilt/remorse etc. Know that others have had different experiences but those are mine for what they are worth. Hope that is of some use to you.

Regards, Robert

 

[Nighthawk]

I have only been on Anti D's for about seven weeks and after many dosage changes I can honestly say I think they are starting to work. I refused to take meds for several years because of the stigma behind them. It has to be something you choose and that you are open towards.

Good Luck...

NH

 

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I have found my anti-depressant SSRI to be a godsend. They are mood stabilizers really. Cut my symptoms down by 50 percent very quickly and the number of anxiety filled hours way way down. I think they are a must. I have depression and have been told by two psychiatrists prior to my PTSD event that I should be on them for 5 years or so at a time. I was having double vision depression. I highly recommend investigating them as I am angry I waited so long. I am on the max U.S. dosage of Effexor.

 

[PainX2]

I too was against them when I had my mental collapse in July. My T thought I could get by without them but after a month of crying every single day, I decided to give them a try. My dr explained it much the same way... what they do is bring the right balance back to your body because your body isn't doing it naturally. They don't create false moods or anything, just make your chemicals normal. I had some trouble in the beginning with them... no real change but after adding another med to boost the effects, I'm feeling calm and stable for the first time since this all spiraled out of control.

I'm on an SNRI (Cymbalta) and anti-psychotic (Respiridone)

 

[LSNP]

Ok. I'm on Day FOUR - AGAIN! I keep going on and off because I don't like being on them.... but I will admit that, at least, even at Day Four.... I do not feel as if I am going to kill myself, anymore.

I guess that's something, No? :-)

 

[cat]

Well done, LSNP that's good progress.

Stay strong & keep going! those words said to me by my psych when i started meds kept me going, I hope they will for you too.

Take care x

 

[cherryblossom]

Good work LSNP.

Going on and off them will do you no favours. Anti-depressants take 2 -3 weeks to reach their full effect. You should be seen by a doctor once a week, during the first month and contact them if you have any worrying side effects. You will probably have started on a low dose, and after about 1 month, your doctor should review your medication and increase, if deemed necessary/beneficial.

I'm pleased to hear that you are already beginning to feel some benefits. Thats great. Keep it up.

 

[stacey]

I, too, am scared of medications, although I have been self medicating for years with drugs and alcohol. My therapist explained to me that using drugs and alcohol for medicinal purposes is the same, only worse for my health. I have an appointment with a perscriber in a couple of weeks, just to see if it helps. It can't be any worse than what I've been doing to myself, can it? I wish you lots of good luck and peace of mind.

 

[h2o]

Hi LNSP,

I have similiar feelings about anti depressants/meds. I was totally reluctant to take them, and eventually when I got so bad I finally took the citalopram I had been prescriped but I had a serious adverse reaction to them. I then tried sertraline, amitryptiline and mirtazapine but had side effects and stopped taking them.

I guess I haven't found anything which really suits me yet but haven't given up hope. I just need to give my body time to recover from all the different medications and I had such a bad reaction to the citalopram that it gave me some anxiety about trying new ones.

I would love to take something to give me a bit of stability rather than the rollercoaster ride...just gotta give my body time to get ready for the new one. Good luck with your medications and hopefully it works out for you. I think medication can be a highly individual thing which can take time to find the right one. I guess some people get it right straight away and others take some time to find one which suits their make up. If you are feeling better after day 4 then there is some progress there so it sounds like it could be worth seeing through.

Personally I find my whole rollercoaster of emotions from high to low hard to deal with so the fact that you are using medication as a tool to stabilise yourself at the moment while you take care of the other stuff is ok, so go with the flow and if it helps you deal with everything right now and the medication agrees with your body stick with it for as long as you feel yo need it. As cherryblossom said, going on and off them doesn't do you any favours - I learnt that from my own experience. Good luck and hope it works out for you.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Antidepressants make me high. Ever since I started on my very first antidepressant, Prozac, at the age of 16, and doctors failed to realize that I was going manic. It happened two more times. Once again on Remeron, and then again on Remeron. Yes, I was stupid enough to try that one twice. I don't trust psychiatrists because they all know my history with getting "high" on antidepressants yet because of my depressive symptoms, insist that I go on an antidepressant yet again. I simply refuse. I have a mood cycling problem, not so much a major depressive problem. I am now on two mood stabilizers, and am doing much better. I know that antidepressants can help many, but trust your own instincts. Psychiatry is much a guessing game, and you are the guinea pig. Doctors never know how you are going to react to a medication. Hugs.