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Catalysis
EtherealEngineer

Registered: 04/23/02
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Last seen: 15 years, 6 months
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Thinking of going on antidepressants
#5643640 - 05/17/06 08:46 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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So.. many times growing up as a kid/teenager, shrinks have tried to put me on antidepressants but I have always refused. I never wanted to medicate myself for my emotions and become dependent on a drug with possible side effects. My parents always respected that also.
Now, I have worked really hard to improve my life, turn it around, be independent and secure. I have accomplished all of this, yet it seems like I should just feel better on a more regular basis than I do. On a scale of 1-10, I feel like a 5 but considering how well I am doing now in life, I should be at least a 7 or 8. I think that I have even identified the pathology of this disease in my case.
I consider myself a well integrated person. I have had lots of hard times but I am very accepting of things outside of my control, I don't hold grudges, and I try to maintain a positive outlook on life. The problem is that when bad things happen, you feel bad and grieve for a time and this is natural. However, when many bad things happen in succession for extended time periods, your brain simply doesn't get the chance to recover chemically and I think this is what happened to me.
I am wondering if anyone else here is on antidepressants. If so, what are you taking and how does it affect you? Would you do it again if you could and are there any bad side effects?
Thanks
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TheHateCamel
Research &Development -DBK
Registered: 01/31/03
Posts: 15,738
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Catalysis]
#5643711 - 05/17/06 09:03 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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There are a ton of horror stories about anti-depressant medication and a bunch of positive stories.
Weather or not you want to risk it is purly your call.
Do you maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and socialize?
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niteowl
GrandPaw


Registered: 07/01/03
Posts: 16,291
Loc:
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: TheHateCamel]
#5643738 - 05/17/06 09:12 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Anti depressants can take away your depression.....but only for a short time. They are not a permanent cure.......just a temporary fix.
Look for the reason behind your depression to find the true cure.
Meditation can be VERY helpfull in this.
-------------------- Live for the moment you are in nowDon't be bogged down by your pastDon't be afraid of what lies in your future
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Catalysis
EtherealEngineer

Registered: 04/23/02
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: TheHateCamel]
#5643837 - 05/17/06 09:35 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Do you maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and socialize?
My diet and exercise could be better but its not too bad. Id say better than the average american. I have a problem with socializing. I don't have anxiety or anything like that because I routinely give presentations, speeches, and network when I have to for things like my job. When Im depressed, I just have no desire to interact with anyone because it seems pointless for some reason which I can't understand. On the rare occassions that I feel good, I love socializing.
Quote:
They are not a permanent cure.......just a temporary fix.
I realize that it is an artificial fix but it ssems as though there is nothing left to correct. My life is going well and I am in good mental condition other than this. I meditate frequently. I also always have positive, integrated experiences when I use psychedelics, which is about 3-4 times per year.
This is kind of a big turn around for me because I have always denied that I had any type of depression that needed treatment. Hell, I, like you, never believed that depression is a disease that would even require treatment...but now I can feel when I come out of it occassionaly. I can feel the shift in my thinking patterns and I know that this state of mind hinders me from living as well as I could. It affects me in so many different ways and I feel powerless against it. I am 26 and I have been living with it for a long time. I feel like if I don't do something about it now, then I never will.
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Noetical
Flip Horrorshow

Registered: 11/28/04
Posts: 9,230
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: niteowl]
#5643842 - 05/17/06 09:36 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Take wellbutrin. Its got a stimulating feel to it and you can quit whenever you want with no withdrawls
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Catalysis
EtherealEngineer

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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Noetical]
#5643853 - 05/17/06 09:38 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Noetical said: Take wellbutrin. Its got a stimulating feel to it and you can quit whenever you want with no withdrawls
Thanks. I was interested in something I could try but not become dependent on.
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MushmanTheManic
Stranger

Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 4,587
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Catalysis]
#5643965 - 05/17/06 10:05 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Personally, if you haven't already, I would try giving psychotherapy a shot before going on medication.
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monamine
dork


Registered: 04/28/06
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Loc: Florida, US
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Catalysis]
#5645258 - 05/18/06 05:43 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I'm on Zoloft. It doesn't do much but just even me out a little (had a problem with nasty mood swings) and prevent panic attacks. Good enough for me.
Keep in mind that if you're suffering from anxiety that SSRI's tend to make it worst at first. For some ungodly stupid reason, most doctors forget to mention this, and people often try them for a week or so and get turned off by them.
*waits for lecture about how it's normal to experience up and downs in life and I should just get over it*
Response: Ever had panic attacks so bad you felt like you were suffocating for three days straight? Get back to me when that happens...
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monamine
dork


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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Noetical]
#5645260 - 05/18/06 05:46 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Noetical said: Take wellbutrin. Its got a stimulating feel to it and you can quit whenever you want with no withdrawls
Do not take Wellbutrin if you have any kind of anxiety or obcessive tendencies. It will make it worse.
IMO, Welbutrin=amphetamines with the "fun" taken out
P.S. It does have "withdrawals" but they aren't as nasty as stopping an SSRI cold turkey. It's similiar to stimulant withdrawal. It's "psychological" -you tend to get apathetic and rebound depression.
Edited by monamine (05/18/06 05:50 AM)
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niteowl
GrandPaw


Registered: 07/01/03
Posts: 16,291
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Noetical]
#5645549 - 05/18/06 08:42 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Noetical said: Take wellbutrin. Its got a stimulating feel to it and you can quit whenever you want with no withdrawls
Wellbutrin can cause anxiety attacks.
be warned
-------------------- Live for the moment you are in nowDon't be bogged down by your pastDon't be afraid of what lies in your future
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PoopShooter
Escape Artist

Registered: 01/03/03
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Loc: PNW
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Catalysis]
#5646843 - 05/18/06 03:53 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Here's my anti-depressant story:
I've been pretty depressed, on and off, for the past 5 years or so. At times, it's completely debilitating. In September, I moved out of my parent's house and into an apartment on the college campus. The first 2 weeks were terrible, and I could hardly leave my room. I don't need to describe the effects of depression to you, I'm sure, so I'll leave out the details. I finally decided that I needed to do something about it, so I asked my mom to get me an appointment with our local physician.
When I got to the doctor's office he asked me a total of 10 questions, which all pretty much boiled down to "are you depressed?" He decided to prescribe me lexapro and went to get me free samples. Well, they were all out of Lexapro, so I guess he thought "What the Hell?" and decided to prescribe me Effexor, one of the most controversial anti-depressants. Luckily, it didn't have much of an adverse reaction on me.
So I was on Effexor for about 3 months, and for the first 2 of those months, things were going really well. A lot better than they had been anyway. Finally, in December I started to get really depressed again, and that, coupled with a couple negative side effects of the effexor (chronic nausea and lowered libido)fueled my decision to get off the drug. I weened myself off the drug and started to feel a lot better. Now, 4 months w/o effexor, I'm doing well.
I don't attribute that to the effexor specifically, but to the fact that it did help for a short time and I focused on those feelings. Maybe it was just placebo, maybe it was more. I don't know. In the end, it doesn't matter, but I think that if I had never gone on anti-depressants I might have never known what it was like to not be depressed.
My final advice is this: You know your body and mind better than any of us. The final choice is up to you. It is my opinion, however, that anti-depressants are probably not necessary, but can be helpful. You have the power to change within yourself, if you can't see that, then maybe anti-depressants will help you recognize it.
This emails already long winded, so I'll end it here, but if you have any specific questions, just ask. I still drug with depression, just not on a daily basis, and I'm coming up with ways to overcome it on my own
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niteowl
GrandPaw


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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: PoopShooter]
#5648082 - 05/18/06 10:13 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
PoopShooter said: So I was on Effexor for about 3 months, and for the first 2 of those months, things were going really well. A lot better than they had been anyway. Finally, in December I started to get really depressed again, and that, coupled with a couple negative side effects of the effexor (chronic nausea and lowered libido)fueled my decision to get off the drug. I weened myself off the drug and started to feel a lot better. Now, 4 months w/o effexor, I'm doing well.
This is what I was talking about, meds being a temporary fix.
Once you're no longer depressed........stop taking the meds.
Sometimes your brain just forgets how not to be depressed. Getting on the meds for a while can "re-boot" your emotional state. Getting back off the drugs ASAP is crucial to long term stability.
-------------------- Live for the moment you are in nowDon't be bogged down by your pastDon't be afraid of what lies in your future
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monamine
dork


Registered: 04/28/06
Posts: 1,089
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: niteowl]
#5648707 - 05/19/06 12:49 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
niteowl said:
Quote:
PoopShooter said:
Once you're no longer depressed........stop taking the meds.
: :
With all due respect, that is a horrible idea. Antidepressants are basically an all or nothing thing that usually is long term. You might feel better for awhile, but you'll get rebound depression with a vengeance.
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niteowl
GrandPaw


Registered: 07/01/03
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: monamine]
#5648755 - 05/19/06 01:08 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
monamine said: With all due respect, that is a horrible idea. Antidepressants are basically an all or nothing thing that usually is long term. You might feel better for awhile, but you'll get rebound depression with a vengeance.
Wrong.
For any Dr. to instantly assume that EVERY person who experiences depression has to take drugs for the rest of their life is arrogance and greed, on the part of the Dr.
The only way to know if you have a real imbalance or if it is just a situational thing.......is to get off the meds as soon as you feel better.
Then, if you suddenly fall back into depression, you can get back on the meds.
Never let a Dr con you into believing you have some genetic chemical imbalance.....without first doing some testing. The simplest test to see if your going to "rebound" is to get you back to normal then take you off the pills.
Most people will be able to function normally. Those who cant can get their meds back.
These Dr's get their nests feathered by drug companies for writing Rx.  Bad karma
-------------------- Live for the moment you are in nowDon't be bogged down by your pastDon't be afraid of what lies in your future
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monamine
dork


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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: niteowl]
#5652280 - 05/20/06 03:10 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
niteowl said:
Quote:
monamine said: With all due respect, that is a horrible idea. Antidepressants are basically an all or nothing thing that usually is long term. You might feel better for awhile, but you'll get rebound depression with a vengeance.
Wrong.
For any Dr. to instantly assume that EVERY person who experiences depression has to take drugs for the rest of their life is arrogance and greed, on the part of the Dr.
The only way to know if you have a real imbalance or if it is just a situational thing.......is to get off the meds as soon as you feel better.
Then, if you suddenly fall back into depression, you can get back on the meds.
Never let a Dr con you into believing you have some genetic chemical imbalance.....without first doing some testing. The simplest test to see if your going to "rebound" is to get you back to normal then take you off the pills.
Most people will be able to function normally. Those who cant can get their meds back.
These Dr's get their nests feathered by drug companies for writing Rx.  Bad karma
I see what you're saying about the drug companies and doctors (for the record I HATE psychiatrists), but I honestly feel like I need an SSRI to even function. Before I was on Zoloft, I had panic attacks so bad I didn't leave the house in weeks, and now I no longer get them.
If I felt like there was any other way short of throwing massive amounts of benzodiazepines that would work, I would do it...trust me. (BTW, I meditate.)
There are definitely things wrong with the "biogenic amine" theory of depression and serotonin "imbalances", but a few gaps does not mean it's total bullshit.
And when I was on Paxil years ago, I stopped it a few times and felt fine for a month or two, but always slipped back into depression, so I know what I'm talking about.
SSRI are defintely overprescribed and definetely not for everyone, but that doesn't mean they don't have their uses...
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niteowl
GrandPaw


Registered: 07/01/03
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: monamine]
#5652446 - 05/20/06 06:42 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I never said they didn't have their uses.
Have you ever been to a therapist (not a psychiatrist)? Talk therapy can be VERY helpfull in understanding why you are having troubles.
-------------------- Live for the moment you are in nowDon't be bogged down by your pastDon't be afraid of what lies in your future
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monamine
dork


Registered: 04/28/06
Posts: 1,089
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: niteowl]
#5653114 - 05/20/06 11:56 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
niteowl said: Have you ever been to a therapist (not a psychiatrist)? Talk therapy can be VERY helpfull in understanding why you are having troubles.
Yep. All the psycho babble did nothing but empty my wallet.
I had severe panic disorder. It wasn't triggered by anything I know of besides a totally fucked up brain.
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Psy Baba
That was zen, This is Tao


Registered: 01/30/06
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Catalysis]
#5653163 - 05/20/06 12:18 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I am self medicated because I was on governmental pills that turned me into a vegetable. I currently take 5-HTP and Tyrozine wich help produce seratonin and dopamine in your brain. Also I would recommend getting some Omega-3 fish oils. I just started doing this, but I could tell a difference within a coupe days. Hope that helps ya a bit.
-------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Sit up and meditate, there's no time to contemplate. ------------------------------------------------- I have an international Hitech Psytrance project with a friend: BioChronic I make various form of Psytrance as a solo Project Dendriform
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monamine
dork


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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Psy Baba]
#5653228 - 05/20/06 12:42 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I did the 5-HT and Omega-3 thing. I could tell a difference, but it wasn't enough.
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RandalFlagg
Stranger
Registered: 06/15/02
Posts: 15,608
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Re: Thinking of going on antidepressants [Re: Catalysis]
#5654029 - 05/20/06 05:43 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I am not a medical professional. All I can tell you about is my experience with anti-depressants. I went to a psychiatrist in an attempt to cure my social anxiety disorder. I was also feeling down at the time.
The psychiatrist put me on Wellbutrin and Paxil for a while. It was horrible. The Wellbutrin made me jittery, unable to sleep, and unable to eat. The Paxil just made me feel like a zombie. The month that I was on those pills was one of the worst months of my life. Maybe I could have put up with the side effects if the damn pills did their job...but there were absolutely no positive effects.
I stopped taking the pills after about a month. I went through Paxil withdrawals (not fun...trust me). So, I paid almost 200 dollars to feel terrible. I'll never put another anti-depressant into my body.
Pills don't make your life better....you make your life better.
That's my story. 
P.S. I could not have an orgasm the entire time I was on those pills.
Edited by RandalFlagg (05/20/06 05:47 PM)
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