[Honeysuckle]

I realize this is kind of a vague question... but I was wondering how big of a difference antidepressants actually make for people. Is it a drastic change (like it makes the depression go away) or more subtle (like you're still depressed but the moods aren't so overwhelming)? In the latter case, how do you know whether it's due to the antidepressant or to some other factor (placebo effect, life is less overwhelming, etc.)? I welcome responses from people who are taking antidepressants for other things as well.

[VickiesPath]

If you understand the pharmochologics of antidepressants and the neurotransmitter action in the brain, you cannot question that antidepressants must have a significant effect upon depression. It involves the transmission of messages from one neuron to another neuron and the neurotransmitters that assist in that transmission. Antidepressants as well as other psychotropic medications have any number of actions upon these chemicals that enhance the communication capabilities of these neurons and alter whether or not a person develops or continues to suffer several mental illnesses. I cannot think of a single antidepressant that can be accused of contributing to a "placebo" affect. I've taken antidepressants since they were first developed up until the present day. My first prescription was written in 1978.

[ECHOES]

You can't tell where feeling better comes from. Even those like me (former AD taker) who rely only on therapy feel better but can't point to exactly why.
But if you wanted to pinpoint it, I suppose you could do a process of elimination.

[deliquesce]

Originally Posted by jb28

I realize this is kind of a vague question... but I was wondering how big of a difference antidepressants actually make for people. Is it a drastic change (like it makes the depression go away) or more subtle (like you're still depressed but the moods aren't so overwhelming)? In the latter case, how do you know whether it's due to the antidepressant or to some other factor (placebo effect, life is less overwhelming, etc.)? I welcome responses from people who are taking antidepressants for other things as well.

i was on antidepressants for 4 years and it didnt make any real significant change. maybe there was a subtle difference (and certainly the 12th medication i tried helped me feel more energetic), but i cannot say that the medication itself helped my depression lift.

however - onto number 13th (oh gosh) and the depression literally started to lift within 72hrs, and was practically gone within 2 weeks. i have had depressive symptoms since then, but the meds have certainly made my depression easier to manage.

i do agree partly with what vickie says. of course antidepressants have an affect in your brain. the question really boils down to whether depression is caused by those chemicals being impaired in some way. there are massive flaws in the chemical imbalance hypothesis and i for one am very wary of believing the hype.

in terms of lasting change, psychotherapy (CBT and interpersonal therapy, for depression) actually has more of an effect than antidepressants. like echoes, i'm in therapy and i find it incredibly useful in managing my depression. i am still on medication at the moment because i really do need all the help i can get, but my hope is one day to be able to stop them.

i know i've gone on a bit of a ramble . in terms of your question: some antidepressants have a drastic effect for some people, some antidepressants have a mild effect for other people, and there is also a certain subset of people for whom antidepressants can have a clear negative impact (increase in suicidality, or switch to mania if there is an underlying bipolar disorder). i know that is a very vague answer, but it also the most truthful one in terms of what scientists know at the moment.

[phoenix47baby]

Originally Posted by jb28

I realize this is kind of a vague question... but I was wondering how big of a difference antidepressants actually make for people. Is it a drastic change (like it makes the depression go away) or more subtle (like you're still depressed but the moods aren't so overwhelming)? In the latter case, how do you know whether it's due to the antidepressant or to some other factor (placebo effect, life is less overwhelming, etc.)? I welcome responses from people who are taking antidepressants for other things as well.

For a lot of people an antidepressant can mean the difference between life and death and the taking of one's own life. That is how wonderful they are. They can also be the difference between spending the day in bed, no shower, no food, no nothing or having a normal life!

[VickiesPath]

I suppose I should qualify my assertion. I have had therapy. I have also used self-discovery self-help aids probably to the nth degree. But the most "qualifying" part of what I have said is, I am bipolar. My depression is probably 95% biochemical. To be fair, the therapy I have experienced and the self-help techniques I have benefited from have all helped me. But without medication, I would be dead.

[polarsmom]

I started taking meds because it got to the point where I couldn't stand myself! LOL.... The meds seemed to even things out. I still feel the same stuff, the emotions aren't as overwhelming. Tolerable. So that helps make various situations that bother me easier to deal with. The depression is still there. There definately is a difference before and after medication.

[ECHOES]

After a few other meds I ended up on Prozac. It was very fast that I felt like I had walked out of a fog. Everything looked and felt different. It was a good thing at that time. I stayed on Prozac for years but then wanted to know what I was like without it, bare nekkid kinda. Figured I could always go back on if I need to. But I was really feeling very flat, dull emotionally. I wanted to experience more. It was quite an adjustment, but I'm fortunate to have found a great therapist and a diagnosis that fits better than just depression, or depression with anxiety.
I still (like now, yikes it is so bad I'm thinking meds again which is why I was reading here...) have times of heavy and tenacious depression, but with enough therapy I can do okay. Right now I can't see her as often as I need to. Very hard.

[shadow2000]

In my case, taking the right antidepressant (enteric-coated Nardil) completely eradicated my severe anergic depressive symptoms. For once, I had no difficulty getting out of bed in the morning and actually woke up feeling refreshed. I had the energy to take on the activities and responsibilities that I wanted to take on, and I could finally enjoy the things that I knew I really liked but couldn't enjoy due to my depression. I was in treatment for my depressive symptoms for about five years before the Nardil finally brought my symptoms into remission, and in that time I tried some treatments that relieved my depression somewhat (such as Wellbutrin) and others that had little to no effect (such as psychotherapy). I eventually stopped taking Nardil after I received what was probably a bad batch of the medication, and I currently suffer from schizoaffective disorder and am having less-than-stellar results with my treatment. However, when Nardil worked for me, I was symptom-free and able to function to my full capacity (as opposed to being extremely functionally impaired at my depressed baseline).

Tomatheus