[ouch]

I feel like a fraud - I am feeling better as long as I stay in motion and don't allow myself to think - as long as I'm exercising I'm 'ok' but as soon as I stop... I dip down. Taking antidepressants and know they're helping me not feel so down - why can't I do it alone? I feel like stopping them just to prove I can do it myself, but scared to do it... feel not really all that balanced at the moment.

[PlanningtoLive]

I understand the idea of thinking you can do it alone. I tried it once and just quit taking all my meds because I thought I could handle it. It was horrible. All my symptoms came back and in a relatively short period of time too.

There is nothing wrong with having help from meds to keep things on an even keel. There will always be ups and downs but if you can stay somewhat stable, then it is indeed worth it.

Don't do anything rash without consulting with your doctor. You could have some terrible side effects.

Good luck.

Hi Ouch,
You can't just stop taking your meds. You have to do it gradually.

Think of your body as a rubberband and the meds are a pressure point to the rubberband. If you all of the sudden you take that pressure off the rubberband- then the band is going to go boinging in the opposite direction. Where as if you slowly release the pressure- the rubberband will adjust to the pressure being taken off and will adjust without bouncing all over the place.
I don't know if that's a medically correct way of explaining it but it's how I understand why you can't just suddenly stop taking your meds cold turkey and you have to do it gradually under a doctor's supervision.
Can you ask your doctor to lower your dosage a little and see how you do with that and then go from there?

[Kalamity]

Meds aren't the cure, they are the stepping stone. Perhaps in time you can do it alone, but I would not attempt it without consulting your doctor/T/p-doc.

[Rhapsody]

Sweety please know that you did not get like you are alone, therefore, you will need the help of others and a T to get out of the corner you now find your self in.... and BTW not thinking or dealing with your issues will only keep them around, not free you of them.... you have to deal in order to HEAL!


LoVe,
Rhapsody -

I found medications helped as long as I was taking them because they were numbing me out but in reality that was not helping me because once I was off the medication the problems were still there so I went crashing down again.

But this time I did something different. I took the medication while learning how to handle my problems and learned new coping skills. Then I went off the medication not because I stopped them but because my physician said I could try a three month trial period to see if I have gained enough new coping skills and learned what I needed to by taking depression management classes and working in therapy on the topic of depression and my problems so that I knew how to take care of my depression without having to be numbed out with medication.

I have now been nedication free for just over 2 years. Im not saying I will never have to take medications agaain but I don't see me needing them any time soon and neither does my therapist and my physician.

Check with your therapist. He/she will know of a depression management group and class in your area.

Also I found doing workbooks like The Depression Workbook, The Anxiety Workbook, Mind over Mood and The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook very helpful.

[ouch]

Thanks for calling me sweetie ( : I haven't been called anything really nice in a long time.