Considering Medication For Depression...

[Briellewannabe]

After a really bad weekend and slight nudging from my therapist and boyfriend, I think I'm going to try medication to help deal with the depression and suicidal thoughts. Therapy alone has not been sufficient, and some days it gets really bad. I'm about to graduate with my B.A... I can't keep living this way, and if I'm stuck here, I should probably make the most of it.

I'm wondering if any of you have experiences with medication for depression? How'd it go? Good/bad? How difficult was the process insurance/finding a psychiatrist-wise? Did you have to experiment a lot? Did it make it worse or better? I'm very anxious and hesitant in starting medications, so anything information, both good and bad, will be helpful. Thank you.

 

[Deadman]

I tried several meds before I found one that worked for me. Some had side effects that kept me from doing what I needed to do. Others seemed to have no effect. None of them made me feel worse. It took patience from my psyc and myself to get to the one that worked.

Unfortunately there is currently no way of easily finding the best med for you beyond trying what seems appropriate to your psyc.

Some people worry that the meds may be addictive but I never found them to be.

 

[Deleted member 28942]

I was concerned about taking antidepressants but they really helped. Getting prescription is easy (your MD can do it) and they are relatively cheap with or without insurance. They did help me get out of a really bad place where I felt as if I am going crazy. The main side effects for me has been a loss of sex drive but it doesn't bother me much because previously I was promiscuous and also I am not in a relationship. I've used only Prozac and it works for me. I've been on it for two years and now as I am getting better I am starting to lower the dose. I started with 20mg increased to 40mg and now I've decreased it to 30mg. Soon I'll decrease it to 20mg. Therapy in combination with medications has helped a lot.

 

[Needavaca]

I've been on Lexapro since the fall and it had been extremely helpful. I still suffer from depression sometimes but when it hits, it does not hit as hard or as long and I don't usually go down that horrible downward spiral of depression like I used to before the medication. I was really nervous to start on meds as well as I have severe anxiety about side effects of medication but lexapro's side effects wore off after about a week, which was something I could handle. Hope you find something that helps you!

 

[Isobel Wolf]

I really bad reactions to everything I've tried in recent years. They can take about 6 weeks to level off and for intial wacky side effects to go away. A lot of people don't make it to 6 weeks the side effects are so bad.

 

[erigby]

I too was concerned about medication.
You have to give it a shot.
I was so far gone with SI I was hospitalized.
It was trial and error but my current medication seems to be working well.
By working I mean...giving me that leg up to work through the issues in therapy and on my own.
The emotions aren't as overwhelming. I can sort of talk through the difficult thoughts.
The medication has helped me think clearer...less fog.
The first med. I tried was horrible. So stick with it.
A good Psychiatrist will see you every 2 weeks, at a minimum, as you are trying a new med.
Please try medication to help you.
I fought this shit for 6 months before being on meds.
If I had it to do all over again...I would have started on some sort of meds to give it a go a long time ago.
Meds. aren't the total answer. They can give you some space to work through the more difficult parts of your depression.
SI was at my front door.
I am glad I went to the hospital.
Consider medication your friend.
A helping hand to give you a leg up as you wade through the shit.

 

[ladee]

I have been very fortunate with the only two I've been on. No side effects with either.
I'll be on them for the rest of my life. I'm ok with that. It beats being at the bottom of the put and having no way out.
I still get depressed. But things are solved faster and I am getting to deal with the problem at hand and not have the Big "D" clouding solutions.
Hope you find something that works for you.

 

[LadyZane]

I've been on bupropion for almost 5 years and I finally have a life for the first time, like ever. I do recommend for people with complex issues like ours--not just regular "i'm well adjusted but i can't shake being sad about a big letdown i had" or something--it's worth springing for a psychiatrist rather than going through your MD. It can be hard to find one that takes your insurance or sometimes any insurance, but it's worth the price of at least an intake appointment. Mine was $250--ouch--but I just kept thinking, would I pay $250 for the chance that my life will stop being this endless cycle of depression and pain and stagnation? The answer was definitely yes.

I had good luck with the first thing I was prescribed, although at first my dose was too high and I felt realllllly "cracked out." I called my psychiatrist a few days into it and she recommended I lower my dose. I waited until a Saturday to do it so I could work out the weirdness at home instead of at work, and it did feel a little weird for a few hours, but since then I've been doing really well. I actually have a career and a savings account and a marriage, three things I never thought I'd be able to manage. I had to raise my dose after about three years, but it's now been the same for two and I'm happy with the results.

At first I thought, "I feel great! I'm cured!" Only lately have I been able to start sorting out what was clinical depression and what was actually the abuse. I feel like if I weren't on this medication, I'd never have gotten to a place where I could even begin processing any of this at all, much less feel safe doing it. It definitely doesn't take away all the problems of dealing with abuse and CPTSD but it makes it easier to see and understand what they are and feel like it's possible to have them and still live a real life.

 

[Briellewannabe]

Wow, thank you all for your thoughts. There's a lot of really good information that is helpful. I appreciate it.

For those on medication, do you mind me asking if you went to your regular doctor or a psychiatrist? Money is slightly an issue as a undergrad, but I'm wondering if a psychiatrist would be better in dealing with my PTSD?

 

[Needavaca]

I just went to my regular doctor for the meds and I see a psychologist for my therapy.

 

[LadyZane]

Wow, thank you all for your thoughts. There's a lot of really good information that is helpful....

I do think a psychiatrist is a better bet. Having worked in a healthcare-related field for a while I know that general practitioners just don't have the time to become experts in everything, and I feel that even the ones with the best of intentions are not likely to be up to speed with all the latest research, potential side effects, off-label uses, etc. A psychiatrist has a greater breadth of knowledge and experience treating people with complex issues.

 

[Toriplays]

After a really bad weekend and slight nudging from my therapist and boyfriend, I think I'm going...

Wellbrutin and Ritalin were a life saver for me. I went on and off meds for years. I just didn't like the stigma of taking medication for the rest of my life. My psychiatrist asked me that same old cliche question that happens to be true. Lol! If you were diabetic would you take insulin? If you had cancer would you go through chemotherapy? Well, yes. He said guess what? It's the same damn thing. We are treating a condition. You're not going to fix this. I know a lot of people who are anti-medication. I really wish I could manage my life without pharmaceuticals but I can't. It's just too hard and makes life so much more difficult then it has to be.