[hangingon]

I wanted to know if any of you know of someone who got through depression without meds.
I am more into organic products, taking vitamins, and even using organic body products.....so taking meds would be a huge step for me.
Am I really fooling myself to think that I will advenutally come out of this depression in time without the use of meds?

I just so worry about the side effects or even the prospect of having to stay on them for a long time. I think I know a little too much about the intereaction between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies to really completely trust in meds. This makes me so hesitant...

Hanging on

[(JD)]

Short answer? Yes. Earlier studies have shown that the efficacy of drugs versus talk therapy is about the same by the 6 month time slot. Recent studies have shown that anti-depressants generally only work if the patient believes they will. Talk about a placebo effect! So, now that you know you can fight this depression without them, you can do it! But you do need the support system, and having a therapist is a good thing. TC

[Brian37]

every time I stop taking them I go into a downward spiral

my psychiatrist is well versed in all the aspects of medications for
mental illness and I disagree with Sky's assserstion that anti-depressants only work if the patient believes they will....

can you do it without medication?...........yes...anythings possible

everyones chemical makeup is different......some people need more
some less....some can do it without

Im learning that myt depression can be overcome with therapy, however the medications give me another tool to help cope....

[(JD)]

I forgot to give the link to the information, it's quite new. http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/08...ants/1131.html

[hangingon]

Thanks Sky,
My therapist has not pushed it. But my college counselor and psych teacher really would like me to take them because I had a drop in grades. I feel the need to keep pushing regardless, though, yes at times it is very rough.

I just figure whats the difference, I am going to either struggle with side affects and having to change drugs etc, or I can just continue struggle with feeling down for awhile and hope to get through it.

It has been a few months but I do still work and go to school, it takes me a more time to complete assignments, so it is more work on my part.....but my brain is certainly capable of producing the lovely neurotransmitter serotonin on its own, I just picture it in a bit of a struggle now, since I am dealing with some heavy issues is counseling. My theory anyways

Hanging on

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
I wanted to know if any of you know of someone who got through depression without meds.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">Hangingon, I have had good success against depression without taking meds. Psychotherapy has really helped me a lot. When I was in the middle of major depression, and barely functioning, I went to a CBT therapist, and after about 6 months of working with her, I think my depression had decreased by about a third. (She had refused to treat me if I took anti-depressants, so I just followed what she wanted me to do.) The two most helpful things I did with her were to work intently to increase the amount of sleep I got and to build up my support system (friends and family) outside of therapy. I then got stuck and she couldn't help me anymore.

Later I went to another therapist and was "cured" of depression within about a month. He did something really simple: he gave me hope that I could surmount my life circumstances, which were the cause of my depression and my altered biochemistry. Stress provokes longlasting biochemical changes, which can lead to depression. (Depression is actually a response with adaptive value in some circumstances.) Hope is so important. I still see my therapist regularly. He was willing to go to the core of my issues with me and help me deal with them. (I found the CBT approach more aimed at dealing with symptoms rather than causes.) We continue to work on my life problems. Therapy and life are not easy at times, but I have hope and confidence that I can survive. Things get me down at times, but I hope to never fall into major, clinical depression again.

Although I never sought out meds for depression, I am seeing a practitioner next week for possible meds help with another issue (ADHD), so it's not that I'm against meds. I think they are one more tool for people to consider when determining what approach they want to take.

Do you feel your therapy is not helping you with your depression? If so, could you try other techniques in therapy? (I found with my first therapist, that she didn't have too many tools at her disposal, just the standard CBT techniques, and once we had exhausted the limits of her skills, it was time to move on.)

Best of luck.

[Fuzzybear]

So far when I've stopped taking them I've spiralled down. (grrrrr) But that's just me, wishing you much luck!

[hangingon]

Sorry Fuzzy, I am sure that is very frustrating and dissapointing at times.

Sunrise.....I have been in counseling for close to 4 months now. My therapist is trained in psychoanalytical and cognitive therapy, she uses both with me.
I had felt a little worse, as we are dealing with some really hard issues, however, we stopped talking about them for a bit and dealt with other issues, as my schooling was suffering from the anxiety. That helped, I take my last final tomorrow, then we will get back to working on one of the roots of the problem.

I have days when I am up and days when I am down. Some are really hard, but then I just tell myself tomorrow will be a new day.

I too have been working on getting more sleep, as far as stress, well I am in a very intense nursing program, unfortunately stress can't always be avoided. One of the main lectures told me that it is an intense program and that some students actually take anti anxiety meds to help them make it through. I just wasn't into that.

Hanging on

[stefano]

Yes, you can. Just the same way you can come out of an infection without antibiothics. And exactly the same way, you reduce your chances.

I would forget the fuss about pharmaceutic companies. They surely are nasty, but the pills have an effect anyway. Find a serious and competent doctor, and accept advise.

I take meds form 6 years. They are decreasing my pain, and allow me to function even when I have downs. They allow me to focus more efectively on therapy, to try to change patterns in my life. I'm ok, and not feeling guilty at all.

Hope to be of help. The best of luck

[PsyChris]

In most cases you can bring yourself out of depression without medication.

Many people choose medication because they are not aware of alternatives or think that therapy will somehow be discovered by friends or family. In reality therapists take great steps to ensure privacy.

There are some types of depression that may not necessarily be in your control. If you have some type of neurological functional impairment or hormonal disorder your depression may be moistly biochemical. It might not be possible to bring yourself out of depression.

Remember that your brain naturally produces it's own "medication." There is very interesting research that has been centered around the power of thought to change the processes of the brain.

I also recommend CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) in treating your depression.

[hangingon]

Thanks,
I am going to therapy, she is uses both cognitive and psychoanalytic approaches.
I am still going to try to battle the depression without meds....Just wanted to hear some personal stories of others who may have taken that route. You know, if its possible.

I think it can be really easy to become dependent on them because for some they do make you feel better. My first psychology teacher actually told me that there is alot of concern in the community as to an individuals brain not being able to produce enough serotonin on its own after the use of SSRI's, that alone along with research I had done, makes me weary..
I really believe that alot of it has to do with the way I am thinking right now because of things I am dealing with.

[sunrise]

Best of luck to you, hangingon. Give it a try. It can be done! (Not by all, due to the diversity of individuals and depression, but by some people, yes!) If it doesn't work for you, you can always change your approach later. I think relying solely on the advice of your mental health providers isn't the way to go. You need to educate yourself on the options, which it sounds like you are doing. Some mental health people will say yes, do meds. Others will say no, don't do them. (My first T would not treat me if I went onto ADs.) So you can get many opinions on this topic among the professionals.

I agree, the SSRIs are a little scary to me. They change the brain chemistry to prevent serotonin reuptake into the nerve cells, so that results in more serotonin in the synapses. The brain adjusts to this abnormally high amount of serotonin by downregulating the number of serotonin receptors, so when you do stop taking the meds, now you are left with low serotonin AND a low amount of serotonin receptors. Ouch!!! That is why people are advised to go off the meds slowly, so that their body has a chance to readjust and make more serotonin receptors so they don't feel so awful when they first go off the drugs. So, yeah, these drugs are serious stuff, and deserve our respect. Your caution is understandable.

[(JD)]

Please do note that for those severely disordered, there is improvement on the anti-depressants. There are many members here who function on herbs, and talk therapy alone.

Outlook and possibility thinking helps just as much, or more sometimes.

Yes, going through hard issues in therapy does cause a bit of a downturn. Make sure you do this slowly, so as to be able to manage it.