[MuddyBoots]

I feel like when I'm manic it's always "you need to go to the hospital so we can put you on a million sedating meds" but for depression it's just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Victoria'smom]

I'm on an antidepressant but it doesn't do much except take my sex drive away. He tells me I need to be in therapy and go out to do things, be around people. He doesn't realize that costs money and he's asking me to be around people who I'm afraid of. I'm back in therapy so they can advocate for me.

[Brentus]

Sadly, I think our system here in the US is a bit behind in that regard-- it seems first line treatment is always,

if manic and warranted =hospitalize.

if depressed and suicidal =hospitalize.

if depressed and not suicidal =well.. there's the issue.

Treatment can be really tricky and I understand that all too well -- there are so many factors to consider and so many personal, unique factors of every person like body chemistry and life stressors and events. I think the problem is there's not a quick solution, nor a easy one-pill to fix anything. Antidepressants take time to kick in after all. And sometimes, with bipolar disorder-- they can switch you into a manic phase-- assuming it works at all. Then there's other treatments like therapy and can also take time and also money.

I get what you're saying for sure. I don't know what your treatment team looks like, but maybe actually having a game-plan would be beneficial, some go-to options when you're depressed, or manic or whatever. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. I know I like to know "if this doesnt work, what's next?"

[*Beth*]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

I'm on an antidepressant but it doesn't do much except take my sex drive away. He tells me I need to be in therapy and go out to do things, be around people. He doesn't realize that costs money and he's asking me to be around people who I'm afraid of. I'm back in therapy so they can advocate for me.

Ha. Yeah. They tell me that shite, too. And "be mindful." "Listen to" blah-blah "music." "Volunteer." Um, my car is a 2002, unreliable, and I cannot afford gas, which is $4.49/gallon.


Bottom line, I feel for you. Good that therapy can advocate for you.

[*Beth*]

I take Zoloft, currently 200mg. and I want her to increase the dose a little bit (as if she'll listen to what I want). That's the only AD I'm on. It's really good, except for causing some stomach upset occasionally.

[Scooter9]

My pdoc has me on remeron and Trintellix. I think she's really trying to treat the depression but I'm treatment resistant so there's not much else she can do at the moment. I'm waiting for ketamine treatments.

[Pinny]

It’s really difficult isn’t it?
My med provider has me on two antidepressants now and an antipsychotic as a mood stabiliser.
I recently had (/still have) a depressive episode and was started on another antidepressant with caution.

My med provider wanted me to be an inpatient to do this but I refused and I’m not unwell enough to be detained involuntarily.

I’ve had years of therapy to try and recognise and cope when I go high and low. But when I go high or low is still really difficult to recognise and cope because of the nature of the symptoms and experience.

If I have another low whilst on two antidepressants, what will they do next? I have no idea.

I reckon when we learn understanding of why depressive episodes have the symptoms they do, we will be able to treat them much better.
Because simply telling someone who is depressed to fight with their depressed mind and just “go out” is frankly unhelpful.

Could you imagine someone with a broken leg being told to will it better or just walk on their broken leg?? It takes time to heal physically, just like it takes time to heal mentally.

[sarahsweets]

Part of the issues I believe is med compliance. I include myself in this. After 3rd child and being told by an ob to stop my meds it was post pardum and mania. I went inpatient for 4 days and they found the magic antidepressant. For me it is cymbalta. SNRI’s in my antecdotal experience are really effective for people with bipolar 2. I know 5 others that have a similar opinion. I was not compliant for a few years with an increase in my geodon and had fugue states that scared my family to death. I finally complied until about 10 months ago when it was determined that i had awful TD, had to wean off rather quickly and start TD med called
Ingrezza

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[Soupe du jour]

Lamictal - One of the best "antidepressants" for me. However, too much can push me the opposite direction. I need to take smaller doses with other bipolar meds. Little increases can be quite helpful.

Seroquel - The XR has been best, but regular works, too. This a funny med in that sometimes increasing it helps with my depression and sometimes decreasing it does. It depends on the depression symptoms. For example, for very low energy ones, decreasing is better.

Latuda - A small dose in the past seemed helpful.

Antidepressants have been off the table for me for years. Again and again they did nothing good.

[UpDownMiddleGround]

I'm on trintellix. It helps some, at least I'm not suicidal now. It's the first antidepressant that i have been on that has not pushed me in the opposite direction. My doctor is trying, my mind is just not cooperating.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm on Emsam which is an MAOI. I couldn't handle other ADs but needed one and so after years of trying various things I went on this. It works well. It doesn't seem to ever cause me to go up although I do lower the dose if my mood is high. It helps depressions in combination with my other meds and I have no complaints. It is very expensive but I get it free through patient assistance. There are some food restrictions except at the bottom dose but it's manageable and there are less restrictions than other MAOIs. I've been on it 12 years and am still happy with it.

[Nammu]

I’m of a mind that there’s nothing in the pharmacy that can help my depressions. However I do think acupuncture is useful for deep depression. All ADs are off the table for me. Western medicine is limited in what they can do for non suicidal depression, yeah it sounds useless but mindfulness is about the only thing they can offer.

[sarahsweets]

My doc also treats my adhd appropriately