Meds... your opinion? Have they worked?

Everyone was telling the OP she shouldn't feel like a failure for taking meds. Isn't this invalidating the OP's feelings about taking psych medication?

I didn't feel like a failure as much as very anxious about being dependent on antidepressants.

I spoke to people who had "brain zaps" and other horrible symptoms when coming off of antidepressants. I found this out a few days into taking antidepressants because my primary care physician did not discuss side effects or withdrawal symptoms, and so, yes, I did go off them within two weeks based on new information.

Many studies suggest antidepressants should be only used short-term, and the person needs to augment the use of antidepressants with therapy and lifestyle changes. But I know several people who have been taking antidepressants for decades, and don't do therapy, and are not actively engaged in exercise, a good diet etc. They take the antidepressants because they are afraid to come off of them.

In truth, in all these decades it has not even been determined how antidepressants work. It is unknown.

As the pharmacist was handing me my antidepressants he said that they would return my zest for life, creativity, happiness etc. I now think it was unethical for him to make these statements. It wasn't his place to be making these kinds of promises. The pharmacist made antidepressants sound like miraculous happy pills. No one told me that antidepressants are only helpful to about 30% of the population.

Why does the responsibility always fall on the patient? If the antidepressant doesn't work the patient is told they didn't stay on it long enough, or didn't properly weather the side effects. My side effects were severe such as not sleeping for days, ratcheted up anxiety, and suicidal ideation. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.

This isn't like other disease processes. I take synthroid medication for my thyroid. It works. In 20 years I have had only occasional minor dosage adjustments. I can depend on my thyroid medication. I take it every single day, it works, and there are no side effects, except that it does what it is supposed to do which is to keep my hormones in balance.

I may be one of those people who doesn't like taking medication so what the OP said struck a nerve with me.

I do believe in the importance of lifestyle changes, and everyone can make time for healthy lifestyles. It is true we live in a fast food culture...but it has been proven that poor nutrition can contribute to MI, as well as smoking and not exercising.

If the antidepressants help the OP than for her the choice to take them is positive.

And then there are the people like the writer/blogger Therese Borchard (look her up, she writes for this site and on her personal blog). She has bipolar disorder. She is a strict exercise fiend, runs marathons, eliminated all gluten, sugar, processed foods & alcohol from her diet, she sees a homeopathic doctor, a psychiatrist & therapist, and she *still* has debilitating episodes and almost found herself in the hospital again this year (according to some recent blog entries).

I don't like taking medication either. But I am a monster if I don't.

You don't need a therapist to do something for yourself, to change your life, to discover spirituality, to excerice or meditate. You can do a lot for yourself.

I think that implying only meds and therapists can save you and if meds don't work and you don't have money blow on therapy, then... well, too bad, ((((hugs))))), is very dangerous.

Yes, I regularly read Therese Borchard and like her. I had no choice with taking thyroid medication. I resisted it at first and became quite ill, so your point is taken. But again, many people have problems with psych medication. I have a friend who is on antidepressants and she is suicidally depressed all the time. I don't know if her medications don't work properly. She said they just make her feel numb and that is about all. Sigh.

You don't need a therapist to do something for yourself, to change your life, to discover spirituality, to excerice or meditate. You can do a lot for yourself.

I think that implying only meds and therapists can save you and if meds don't work and you don't have money blow on therapy, then... well, too bad, ((((hugs))))), is very dangerous.