Do Meds work?

I've been trying to get myself going, take some action, see a doc, get help.

And then I started my "why bother" stuff, specifically cause I've read stories here about people trying this and that med, and not having any effect.

Those of you who are having success with meds, would you post that? Help me believe there's a chance.

I'm not asking WHICH or anything like that, just want to believe that maybe they could help.

Thanks.

Hi, I find that its a process of trying meds until you find the right combination to work best for you. Sometimes you get the right combination the first time, sometimes not, its a bit like playing Roulette. For me my meds help me greatly, but remember meds react differently for everyone. Just because they didn't work for one person doesn't mean that they won't work for you.

They most certainly can..

I had meds that worked very well imo for a year. Then something got messed up.. and they don't seem to work now.... So I dunno if that counts..

But what I DO know counts are the meds I have now which I am supposed to take when "in need"... I take them basically when I feel suicidal. They work great. After half an hour I am much calmer and can sleep and such. They barely give me any side effect too.

I am hoping to get something new for long term or go back to the old ones I had... maybe they work better now..

You know... if a med did work very well that person wouldn't really have any reason to still be on this forum... right? So maybe there are more successful medications than what it seems there are here.

Meds do work, I've had great results in the past. I'm only stuck at the moment because I don't have access to a pdoc to review my meds and get the balance right. The sooner you start taking meds the better their chance of working, so be brave.

But not as well without therapy. If you are on the fence anyway do yourself a favor and at least talk to a t. Every once in a while you just need to hear the right advice. If not then you can still go the drug route.

I am not a fan of cocktails, btw. Others are or think they are necessary. Just a difference in opinion. I have always kept it to no more than three and usually less. If you have good insurance or some cash there are two companies doing genetic type tests to help identify which drugs have side effects that might cause a poor reaction. They don't tell you which med will "work" but they do reduce the trial and error factor. If I were starting that is what I would do. A clinical technician has to take a saliva test and receive the results.

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I was in therapy, long before trying. They've worked for me. [meds]


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Meds really helped me. I actually can't function well at all without them. The part about meds is that finding the right one can be a tiring game. But once you do it is worth it. Talk to someone about it and see what they think.

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My currents meds are working really well. look below to see what I am taking. I have a theory that most people who are doing really well on meds are not usually posting in these forums. So the view you get here might be scewed.

My meds don't make me 'happy' or 'motivated' but they help me keep going in spite of that, they have really helped to take away the pain and anxiety. I know I need to do a lot of work on myself before the rest comes back.

They do take away much of the anxiety and pain if you find the right combo

I definitely recommend therapy!

(not working for me now though.. Long story)

Yeah, I agree... meds have helped me in the past... but like originalme said, can be a case of finding the right ones, the right balance.

The first step though is to give them a go.

I hope your journey with this is a smooth one

I don't know, I was stable with my bipolar for about 15 years on meds, then, despite being on meds, it all came crashing down on me (depression) last August. Since that tine, we've been struggling mightily to find an antidepressant that will pull me out of this. Good luck to you as you explore different meds.

Also, I agree that the answers you receive on here may not be a good representation of reality, since most people on here are really struggling. Again, best of luck.

I have a "unique" opinion on medication because I've never viewed anti-depressant medication to be a long-term strategy. As such, I think that, for me, medication has worked to pull me out of the depths. But if I don't make associated lifestyle changes along the way, then I end up simply feeling "medicated" (e.g. I don't "feel" anything). So, for now, I'm off of medication, not deep into the throes of depression...but still not out of the woods...

LOL, just realized how rude it was of me to not acknowledge and THANK people for their input on a specific request.

THANK YOU!

I have the same opinion about ADs. A low dose for a few months is just about right to enable me to make changes. My concern is even that causes a dependency and rebound effect. There are not a lot of studies on this but I think there should be.

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I agree about the lack of studies on this...I have not had that rebound effect, but then, given my life, I never needed medication or felt depressed until I started in the world of self-employment, and that's unrelated to this thread so I won't hijack it...

Back to the point...medications have worked for me...Lexapro for 6 months pulled me out of a deep depression ~ Cymbalta for 8 months did the same ~ then Effexor for 2 months pulled me back from the brink. Some would suggest that I suffered the rebound depression, but I beg to differ as it was life circumstances that precipitated each return to living life with that cold, gray hand on the shoulder again...

I like the idea of temporary meds.

Just talking on this board, and watching TONS of videos about how the brain works (not touchy feely stuff, but the actual biology) has me starting to get some rational thinking going. Cognitive stuff, fundamental biology stuff..... like an awareness that just sitting here wallowing is not going to help the situation.

If I eat right, and exercise, the brain might function better, and if the brain functions better, I have the chance that A) I'll be more able to think clearly, B) I might be able to experience pleasant feelings and experiences, and C) I might have more energy to take the action steps I need to take for self care.

I'm pretty sure that my depression episodes are triggered by life experiences, basically it's my learned response to certain stresses. Yes, I have the biology to have clinical depression, but it's in remission (can I say it that way?) when I'm taking care of myself.

So I really, really like the idea of temporary meds, to help me weather the storms while I learn to have a better response than hiding in this cave I create.

It's the old chicken/egg riddle, right? I have noticed that when my diet, sleep, and exercise routines change that depression is on the horizon, but do I stop doing the former because of the latter or vice-versa?

btw, I like the "cave I create" image ~ I'm certainly guilty of doing that lately and regularly.

Thats pretty much it for everyone. At my school I was taught that almost no major depression comes soley from biological reasons or things happening in life. For me, I'm quite sure I have a chemical imbalance... but in my head... I just keep hearing "ACTUAL" reasons to why I am sad... the reason I so highely think it's combined with biological things is because I sometimes get very sad for very stupid things. I can know myself that it is nothing to be sad of be still I can't help it..

Simply put.. I don't know when a strong emotion occur if it's mainly due to something biological, to what my head tells me, or something else that goes on in my life.

Although I don't think anyone should have the approach of that they are gonna be on meds for their entire life when they get their hands on some.

<<I just keep hearing "ACTUAL" reasons to why I am sad... the reason I so highly think it's combined with biological things is because I sometimes get very sad for very stupid things. I can know myself that it is nothing to be sad of be still I can't help it..>>

It's definitely biology, sort of by definition. Sadness is an emotion, and science has proven that we have emotions even before we cognitively know why. Just as dreaming is brain activity, just activity, but our Frontal Cortex tries to create a story, or reason for that activity - it makes total sense that if (as people with Depression) our brains fire "sadness" activity, our minds would create a "reason", even if none really exists.

I'm definitely coming out of this current funk. Chicken and egg? As I'd shared, this board has helped me get motivated a bit, and more importantly ACCEPT MY DISEASE. So when today, out of the blue, I got called for a last minute acting audition (I'm an actor), I just ACCEPTED that "I'm not ready", etc. etc. I decided to just be me, and not apologize for or overcompensate by trying to hard.

I got the part, and that, of course, is motivating to make tomorrow another day of healthy behavior. I'm actually making a list: "Things I could do that MIGHT be fun or make me feel good", and I'm going to just start checking them off.