Anti-Depressants

[fstime]

They will make you even more nuts, just like the goverment wants you to be.


Oh, and of course, i'm just talking out of my a$$.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: LoKe
I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore. I think I need to see a psychiatrist(psychologist?), but they cost money. Perhaps I have coverage on my parents end, but I really don't want to talk to them about it...

And you have to talk to them. There is no shame in it. You can't go on living in denile. It makes the way you feel and your problems themselves twice as worse.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: Regs

Originally posted by: LoKe
I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore. I think I need to see a psychiatrist(psychologist?), but they cost money. Perhaps I have coverage on my parents end, but I really don't want to talk to them about it...

And you have to talk to them. There is no shame in it. You can't go on living in denile. It makes the way you feel and your problems themselves twice as worse.

I'm not in denial. I'm obviously admitting I have a problem. I just don't like people thinking I'm weak. =/

 

[totalcommand]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: totalcommand

With all that going on, I doubt anti-depressants would help on their own. Counseling is really needed. Maybe its time to tell the parents.

i'd just like to point out that counseling and psychotherapy are completely different.

the OP needs psychotherapy, not counseling. most counselors have an unrelated masters degree at BEST. psychotherapy requires a minimum of a specialized masters plus a state license, and a "psychologist" needs a PhD. or PsyD. plus a state license.

ok. i was trying to keep my words simple. i agree psychologist is better than psychiastrist.

 

[Regs]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: Regs

Originally posted by: LoKe
I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore. I think I need to see a psychiatrist(psychologist?), but they cost money. Perhaps I have coverage on my parents end, but I really don't want to talk to them about it...

And you have to talk to them. There is no shame in it. You can't go on living in denile. It makes the way you feel and your problems themselves twice as worse.

I'm not in denial. I'm obviously admitting I have a problem. I just don't like people thinking I'm weak. =/

Everybody has a problem or some sort of insecurity Loke. It's how you face your problems that make you different from anybody else.

 

[Kyle]

I tried zoloft for a while-
made me feel kinda zombish, had problems sleeping- sexual sideffects, nausea
I guess I felt less depressed but for me it wasnt worth it- I stopped taking them, increased exercise and forced myself to be more outgoing- eventually it worked much better than the meds.

 

[phisrow]

I'm on Citalopram at the moment. The symptoms at the beginning of treatment, and at withdrawl, are no fun at all; but day to day side effects are pretty minor indeed(in a perverse way, the anti-anxiety effects are something of a negative side effect for me, because I used to be able to use fear to motivate myself, now I really can't). Since going on the drug, my mood has been better, my sleep cycle has been less disordered, I've just been more functional. I went from successfully carrying on a full academic and extracurricular schedule(before I was depressed) to doing literally nothing, not even eating on some days, back to attending classes, and talking to people again(with the drug). It's hardly a quick fix, or a total fix, and I would reiterate the advice of others to use the drug, if at all, along with suitable treatment in person. When it comes to masking organtic problems enough to keep them from screwing up your life further while you try to fix them, drugs are invaluable. They don't, however, solve much by themselves.

PM me if you want to talk further.

 

[badmouse]

The very best reference I know for serious medications is crazymeds.org. Look up whatever it is that you are thinking of taking.

Trust me, I know all about this stuff.

 

[Auryg]

Go on them, and then start to pick your life back together. The only side effect I had was for about 2 weeks my stomach felt a bit nasty in the morning, and it takes me longer to ejaculate. This is on Lexapro, btw.

 

[Chloraseptic]

if you have a chemical inbalance in your brain causing you to feel this way, why wouldn't you take medication to help fix it?

 

[mrrman]

my long time ex was on paxil...made her a bit to herself, not so cheery

 

[Malak]

Anti-depressants don't get rid of your depression. Drugs do not fix your problems. Just think about that before you go off popping pills.

 

[dawnbug]

Originally posted by: LoKe
Need more info. ^^;

I've heard anti-depressants have a tendency to bring about thoughts of suicide. To this point; I've been able to control all such thoughts and avoid it, but I'm not sure how that'd work out with "the pills." Anyone have experience in that department?

I learned in a health class a few semesters ago that part of the reason that a high percentage of people commit suicide right after going on anti-depressants is because they get their hopes up about a medication and if it doesn't immediately work, they sometimes become more depressed than they were to begin with. That said, if you do decide to give anti-depressants a try, realize that it could take awhile to find the right medication and dosage for you.

Good luck with everything.

 

[creedog]

Originally posted by: Chloraseptic
if you have a chemical inbalance in your brain causing you to feel this way, why wouldn't you take medication to help fix it?

Exactly............so many people that I know (and on this board too) like to talk out their asses about things that they really do not know about.

Loke, I would look into finding a counselor, yes. You probably need someone to talk to to get it all out. Sometimes you need to hear yourself say things aloud to make some of the connections that you need to make between how you feel about things and the things that have happened to you in your life.

However, none of that means that you will actually feel better.

We are all wired differently. I, myself, spend most of my teenage years and most of my 20's feeling crappy. I think that I have general anxiety about everything. Never could enjoy the "moment". This fed into general depression.

Taking a small dosage has allowed me to feel a bit better and has given me the chance to try to enjoy my life. Instead of being miserable, as some anti-meds soap-boxers would have you live.

 

[stormbv]

Originally posted by: Malak
Anti-depressants don't get rid of your depression. Drugs do not fix your problems. Just think about that before you go off popping pills.

WTF do you know?

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

I think talking to a counselor is the best option rather than taking meds. It might take some time to find the one that you're most comfortable with. If you've exhausted all your resources to find a good counselor then meds would be fine. My sister took some for OCD and depression and it helped her out quite a bit. She tried Prozac - screwed her up. I'll have to ask her what she was taking that worked but there was one med that didn't make her feel weird and helped with her OCD and depression. My ex takes Zolaft. Seem to help her for the most part but still is up and down. Experiment with different meds because they affect everyone differently.

 

[Triumph]

Originally posted by: Malak
Anti-depressants don't get rid of your depression. Drugs do not fix your problems. Just think about that before you go off popping pills.

People seem to think that anti-depressants are some loopy hallucinogenic drug like acid or something that makes you feel high all the time. They are not. When they work, by balancing out the level of serotonin in your brain, you feel normal. For people who are not depressed, they do nothing. It'd be like you taking cholesterol medication if you're healthy. So really, what is so bad about using them? If someone came in here asking about low blood pressure medication, would you tell them, "Go fix it yourself, drugs are bad mmmkay?" It's the same thing.

When you fix the chemicals that are making you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the things you used to love, then you can fix your "problems." Why wouldn't you want someone to get out of a slump?

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Triumph
When you fix the chemicals that are making you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the things you used to love, then you can fix your "problems." Why wouldn't you want someone to get out of a slump?

The body reacts to it's environment. Balancing it with drugs is not good for the body or the spirit. Ignoring the problems that are causing the depression is not a solution.

 

[dawnbug]

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: Triumph
When you fix the chemicals that are making you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the things you used to love, then you can fix your "problems." Why wouldn't you want someone to get out of a slump?

The body reacts to it's environment. Balancing it with drugs is not good for the body or the spirit. Ignoring the problems that are causing the depression is not a solution.

Depression is generally caused by a combination of factors, including imbalances in brain chemistry. Fixing other problems is a good solution to part of the problem, but anti-depressants can be helpful for fixing the rest of it.

 

[George P Burdell]

I agree with thomsbrain, you need to see a psychologist first. Go for atleast four-five sessions. By that time, the psychologist can determine if you need medication or not. If you do, he'll recommend a few psychiatrists (the people who hand out the pills) and he'll write up his observations, which will help the psychiatrist determine the correct medication and dosage for you.

Personally, I'd avoid medication unless absolutely necessary. But remember, in many cases, the meds are a temporary fix. In any case, that should be a doctor's call, not yours or mine or anyone elses. You need to sit down with a psychologist and work out your issues and get closure. It's hard work, but if you don't help yourself, who will?

 

[Bolvangar]

Not trying to discourage you from taking an anti-depressant.... but I would read about the side effects of them, especially when coming off them. I briefly tried zoloft and wellbutrin and decided neither were for me. I wasn't on them long at all and I can tell you coming off them was miserable. I know people that were on zoloft for a year or 2 and they spent weeks and months of being absolutely miserable.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: LadyBuggy

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: Triumph
When you fix the chemicals that are making you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the things you used to love, then you can fix your "problems." Why wouldn't you want someone to get out of a slump?

The body reacts to it's environment. Balancing it with drugs is not good for the body or the spirit. Ignoring the problems that are causing the depression is not a solution.

Depression is generally caused by a combination of factors, including imbalances in brain chemistry. Fixing other problems is a good solution to part of the problem, but anti-depressants can be helpful for fixing the rest of it.

What makes you think those imbalances aren't natural reactions to your emotional state?

 

[dawnbug]

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: LadyBuggy

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: Triumph
When you fix the chemicals that are making you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the things you used to love, then you can fix your "problems." Why wouldn't you want someone to get out of a slump?

The body reacts to it's environment. Balancing it with drugs is not good for the body or the spirit. Ignoring the problems that are causing the depression is not a solution.

Depression is generally caused by a combination of factors, including imbalances in brain chemistry. Fixing other problems is a good solution to part of the problem, but anti-depressants can be helpful for fixing the rest of it.

What makes you think those imbalances aren't natural reactions to your emotional state?

I guess I hadn't thought of it that way, and I do think that working on the problems behind depression is good. But anti-depressants, especially used with psychotherapy or counseling, can be a useful tool in dealing with depression.

 

[creedog]

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: LadyBuggy

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: Triumph
When you fix the chemicals that are making you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the things you used to love, then you can fix your "problems." Why wouldn't you want someone to get out of a slump?

The body reacts to it's environment. Balancing it with drugs is not good for the body or the spirit. Ignoring the problems that are causing the depression is not a solution.

Depression is generally caused by a combination of factors, including imbalances in brain chemistry. Fixing other problems is a good solution to part of the problem, but anti-depressants can be helpful for fixing the rest of it.

What makes you think those imbalances aren't natural reactions to your emotional state?

Even if they are natural reactions, why should a person waste their life being miserable? Even if Jesus came down from above and said to me that its "natural" for me to feel like sh*t my whole life for no apparent reason, I would give the holy-robed one a big FU and pop a pill.

Seriouly, who's natural emotional state makes them miserable, for no reason, all the time?

My anxiety keep me from ever actually enjoying myself, no matter what I did I could not live in the moment. I hardly belive that to be my true emotional state. Especially since I feel that I have become so much more of a "whole" person since I am not always hindered by anxiety like I once was.

 

[Whisper]

I would definitely recommend talking to someone about your depression before taking medication in an attempt to manage it. Medication might help you--as it does many people--but by itself it's not a long-term solution.

Speak with a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist and let them determine what the best treatment options would be in your case. Also, as others have suggested, feel free to look up information regarding anti-depressant medication so that you can be educated about the effects and possible side-effects, and whether or not that's a particular treatment option that you'd consider exploring.

In the end, curing depression generally involves a mix of various factors, often times including lifestyle changes, the development of effective coping strategies, and the establishment of a strong network of social support. But it definitely is a condition that can be cured, and it's not something with which you have to live.

Best wishes and good luck.