To medicate or not

My new therapist (about two months) wants me to go get an evaluation and consultation and be put on meds, which I'm assuming would just be some anti depressant. I have chronic suicidal thoughts, I used to self harm, and my depressed mood keeps me from being productive or socially functional. I'm also extremely irritable and sensitive. This has been going on for about 6 years and my moods kind of change in waves. I'm 18, but still on my parent's insurance so I feel like they need to sign off on my meds. My parents don't agree with medications that "alter your brain" thus my dilemma. Talk only therapy hasn't been completely successful in the past but I also haven't completely dedicated myself to it before. I wish that I could feel genuine happiness for days or weeks at a time. I'm not sure if meds would even help. What made you decide to start antidepressants and not do talk only therapy? If I go to a med consultation, what do I ask?

When prozac first came out and was very controversial I did not believe in going on meds. What happened is that i became bad enough that I didn't care anymore what other people thought. I was so depressed and using drugs that I needed all the help I could get. When they offered me meds I jumped at it because it gave me hope that something would make a difference. I went on effexor. I really think it helped me to get clean and sober. I went to a treatment center and have been clean and sober for 18 years. I have stayed on meds the whole time. They have not been the greatest for me. I have had to switch and try new combinations and they have not cured my depression. For me I don't think there is a cure. In my opinion if you are suicidal then you should see a psychiatrist. Anti depressents are not mind altering in the sense that street drugs are, you don't get high off of them. You can't even tell you are taking them unless you get side affects.

I was also in a bad enough place to not care. Like your parents I was resistant to them. I have been on and off over the years. In hindsight I wish the nutrition, exercise, alternative treatment research was more available to me when I was younger and more resilient. Not that I am that old but it would have been easier. Many if not most people agree the current prescription choices are atrocious and necessary at the same time. I completely understand your parents concern.

The thing is starting meds at 18 could end up as a life time of meds and that is such a long time. There are lots of alternative research going on, the results of which will be available to you.

I can't tell you what to do and I wouldn't try to persuade you but I think it is fair to ask for experiences. My t and I have half joked about the term "med evaluation". I don't think anybody actually goes to one and is advised >not< to take a pill so it is a rather loaded term. I am not trying to turn you off to but perhaps you can find a doctor that specializes in both meds and alternatives. There are more and more such doctors. My own t has started maintaining a list of doctors that she feels comfortable recommending. Many of her clients are "like minded". When you call an office one thing to ask is if they practice "patient centric" care. An enthusiastic answer is a good sign.

In some places family members and t are actually participating in the evaluation. If you are comfortable with this I recommend it, especially if you are living with your parents. They can offer insight to the doctor you cannot always see first person and that really, really helps get it right early on. If s/he were to recommend meds it might give your parents some comfort to know all options are being considered.

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I, too, was in such bad shape I couldn't continue normal life without help of meds. Still can't. I would hate to see how bad my depression would be without meds.

Medication is kind of the last resort... When you feel so hopeless that you will try anything. They're hard to come off of, I'd think long and hard about it before taking the leap. Meds aren't a silver bullet, you would have to switch around to find one that works for you, and even then I would consider them more of a management tool than a solution all by itself. If you still feel terrible while on therapy, maybe attacking it with meds as well might help. Whatever you choose, I wish you good luck.

Your parents don't agree with meds that "alter your brain".....but your brain has already been altered and needs to be fixed and functioning correctly....hence the meds.

I thought I could snap out of it, or outgrow it, but it's been about eight years for me. Without meds, I would be dead.
Personally, I tried therapy and found it to be no benefit.

If you go to a med consultation, they will probably put you on one that has the most success first. Depending on your reaction the dosage will change or you will be switched to a different one. If the side effects are bad, you will know pretty quickly, and can tell them, but remember, you will have to be on most meds for a couple of weeks at least to see any benefits.

I would research a few that seem to do the trick for most people and go in with whatever questions you have. Rxlist has user reviews, too.

Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

Meds do really help, not everyone is equal, so the same meds can work on someone and not work with you.
I've seen two deeply depressed people who get out of it with meds. It could be a thaugh time to convince your parents, but they prefer you beeing depressed or they want you to get out of it?

Please don't take this too personally but I am a stickler for perpetuating myths. When you mention "altered brain"... If you are talking about chemical imbalances that has been debunked by scientist going way back pre Prozac release. The first two studies were flawed and at least two studies tried to replicate. Couldn't because the first two were fundamentally flawed. What they did was find chemical imbalances in people that had already taken antidepressants. The people that hadn't had no imbalance with or without depression. Since then the rumor has stuck.

If you are talking about neurological differences then yes there probably is a connection. However this research is in infancy. There seems to be a connection with neuroplasticity. That is something you can actually change on your own. (Through work.) They really do not understand why antidepressants really work. And they don't work for everyone.

All psychotrophic drugs effect symptoms. None of the "fix" or "cure" anything. I mentioned earlier that meds are atrocious and necessary at the same time. Treating symptoms quickly can be necessary to get somebody going but none of should be thought of as a cure. Since you can become dependent and the meds actually cause chemical imbalances among other things I still have a lot of trouble with an 18 year old thinking they need to enter a lifetime of meds. In contrast there are ways to determine if nutrition is the culprit. An fairly easy example to diagnose is candidiasis. Most "med consultants" will not look for this. That's why I recommend somebody holistic in the area of both meds and alternatives. IMHO.

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We are all entitled to an opinion.

But as I said, and I think it's very very important....I would be dead without them. And that is not opinion, it's a fact.

ETA: I also have a lot of trouble with an 18 year old on ANY meds. But I have even more trouble with an 18 year old feeling as I did.

I do understand. The meds can be necessary as I said. I am on meds so I neither judge nor completely reject them. Please try to understand what I wrote about meds treating symptoms and not a cure is not opinion either. It is fact.

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I'm sorry. You wrote IMHO. That's what I referred to when I said we are all entitled to an opinion.

Didn't mean to confuse you....

As an aside, I gave mine to the OP and you gave yours to the OP and me.
I have no problems with an exchange of ideas, but I have no wish to hijack a thread.
Have a great day.

Like a lot of people, I started meds when I literally was barely functioning anymore. I wasn't doing much of anything. Just sleeping and barely eating. I didn't leave the house almost at all and it just got worse and worse so eventually I realized it was either medication or death. And so I chose to give medication a chance. It got me at least functioning and I worked through therapy to stop negative thought patterns and etc although the meds definitely helped stop the bad thoughts too. And then I bumped up the dosage for school and tasted happiness for the first time in a quite a while. I woke up and wasn't tired. I was in a good mood all day. I wanted to skip and prance in the streets. It was lovely.

I don't believe medication is the answer all the time but I do believe they can really give you a boost when you need it. Yes they alter your brain but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe your body isn't making enough seratonin right now and you need it. So with meds you get back to a normal state of mind. Eventually you can ween yourself off of it but if you need it, then you need it. Living through chemistry is much better than not living at all.

I'm currently taking Zoloft (an SSRI drug that uses sertraline) and am contemplating switching over to Bupropion (it's more active for more energy and etc. Targets dopamine more). Usually, the doctor will ask your medical history and recommend what's best. Generally the best thing is to ask lots of questions about potential side effects and the worst side effects that happen in people. Ask how long it's been used for and how many people it's treated. Etc.

Best of luck and keep us updated!

I have no problems with an exchange of ideas either. I just hate to see people make decisions based on rumor instead of fact. I just like people to have truthful information if they want it.

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Here is a good article about the causes of depression from Harvard.

What causes depression? - Harvard Health Publications

First section of the article.