How to know if medication is working

Well, I guess since I take an anti-depressant for anxiety/depression I can post here. At the pdoc appointment he said it sounded like I have a lot of anxiety and some depression and suggested an anti-depressant to help. I've never really thought of myself as being depressed and it took me several months of working with T to realize what anxiety was. I have trouble identifying my emotions. If I don't hardly recognize the depression and still sometimes have trouble recognizing the anxiety, how am I supposed to know if in a couple/few weeks the med is starting to work. I thought about asking pdoc, but it felt weird to ask. A couple days later I had my session with T and asked how am I supposed to know if the med is working in a few weeks if I don't fully recognize the anxiety/depression in myself right now. T's reply, paraphrased, was "maybe one day you'll wake up and think maybe I was a little depressed/anxious before" and "we'll work on figuring out what that means when we talk in here each week." How do you know if an anti-depressant is working?

Everyone's body metabolizes the medications a bit differently on an individual basis. I won't go into details, but it just depends on each person's body dealing with a medication.

Note that I was told that the body interprets the medication as a poison, so that may be part of the reason the differences between side effects or no side effects.

I suppose it is better if the change was gradually beneficial, not at a drastic rate.

You have the insight to recognize that your therapist will be helpful in recognizing when the antidepressant dose is at your therapeutic level. Sorry, I can't be specific, but you should listen to your gut feeling and keep going to your therapist.

I'm going through something very similar right now. I have a very hard time identifying my emotions most of the time, but I have some sense of "I feel good/bad". Years ago I was on 4 different medications and didn't feel any different. I started a different one 2 weeks ago and while in the last few days I can't say "I feel good", I also can't say that "I feel bad" either.

I'm noticing little things are different. The way I'm thinking has changed, I don't get caught up on thoughts the same way. I wake up and want to get out of bed. I've noticed that I'm paying more attention to one of our cats, not that I ignored him before, but I've always considered him "my wife's cat". (omg I am strange!)

Maybe you'll notice little things like me, or maybe your therapist is right and you'll wake up one day and know you feel different. I'm sure if it's working you will see it somehow.

You'll feel it.

When I was on paxil, felt like a switched flicked on.

When I was on wellbutrin, nothing.

I'm currently on geodon, felt like a switch clicked on, but it sedates me.

You may not feel anything on your current med, not all of them work for everyone.

I can very much relate to prior comments Years ago when I was on Zoloft I experienced the "light switched on suddenly" event and I felt reborn. It was unbelievable. It lasted 4 or 5 years, then I had a life changing event call retirement and have fallen into unprecedented depression and anxiety now and am using both Lexapro and Wellbutrin and waiting for some results. The daily wear and tear of continued depression and anxiety are exhausting.

What dosage were you on for the wellbutrin? I have just started, and already feel a little something...I think