[rainbow8]

It seems like mostly I read horror stories about meds because of the side effects. It makes me not want to try though I told my T I would. I've never needed them in the past, but she thinks I might feel less anxious and more positive. But, honestly, it sounds like a nightmare. Does anyone take a low dose of a drug that actually helps without changing their personality or giving them awful side effects?

[ECHOES]

rainbow8, do what you think is right for you

[SingDanceRunLife]

I was very resistant of taking meds at first, but then I realized (that for me personally), it would be better to take meds and have to deal with some of the side effects than to walk around barely functioning and not being happy at all while also making others suffer with me from my behavior.

It's definitely a personal decision, but I wouldn't necessarily discount meds just because you're afraid.

[googley]

Hi Rainbow.

I am on meds and have been for the last ten years. Some have worked and some have not. I think a lot of the time people share their stories of what hasn't worked more than what has because they want support. It doesn't require the same type of support when things work. Just like there tends to be more posts in the psychotherapy forum when people are asking for support or ideas than when things are going well. So just know that for everyone that has had a bad reaction to a drug, there are many others who have found them helpful. But know that the final decision is up to you.

If you decide to try meds, find a pdoc you trust. Then know that just because you go and meet with the pdoc doesn't mean that you have to take meds. You can go and find out his/her suggestions and talk about the benefits/costs to taking them and then go home and decide later. you don't have to decide when you go into the appointment.

Also know that if you do try a med, and find that you don't like it for whatever reason, you don't have to continue taking it (though always consult with your Pdoc when you are changing/discontinuing a medication for their advice on how to do it safely).

If you start a med, your Pdoc should start you slowly on it. Remember that depending on what you are taking (especially Anti-depressants) can take time before you notice effects from them.

Take your time. You have time to think about it.

We all post when we need help or have a concern, so it can come across like we only have problems with them. I can say that I've been helped a lot by meds in my life....even with the side effects that come with them. specific ones are different for everyone - you have to be comfortable taking them and you and your pdoc have to come up with something that's right for you. Definitely take your time, and maybe we can have a thread about how meds have helped people...

[rockgal]

Hello. Yes, absolutely they help me. My personality isn't changed - it just removes some of the burden of depression and anxiety that mask the regular me. Yes, I have side effects, but they are not extreme, and I live with them because to be honest, the effects of depression are many times worse than the side effects of medication.

Taking medication is a personal decision that you will be better able to make once you've discussed your concerns with a psychiatrist and gotten all the information you need.

And I definitely second everything that Googley wrote.

[Fresia]

Mostly the posts are for support due to concerns for issues or for help when something isn't going well. This isn't necessarily representative of what happens all the time. "Yeah!, my meds are working", does not happen often because sometimes we overlook the fact that they are working just as we often overlook many of the positive things in our lives, discounting them. Meds can help in some cases, is why they're prescribed, and when done responsibly as Googley describes above can be beneficial.

Sometimes it takes a trial or so to find the right ones, but like me, the ones I have now have helped, with side-effects that are beneficial, and for decades. My personality is the same, that has not changed, it only helps with my anxiety and mood swings (different diagnosis). However who I am personality-wise is still there, fortunately and unfortunately.

Talk with your doctor, do your own research on how meds might help or not affecting your anxiety, research other treatments as well that might influence anxiety, and research several meds he/she might be considering, so you can make an informed decision for your care.

Meanwhlle, it can be difficult struggling with anxiety. I wish you all the best as you look for and find the right treatment for you. Best wishes.

None of the meds I have been on have changed my personality (and I've been on a lot). Meds help lift the depression, stabilize my mood. My it a bit easier to function. I haven't struggled much with side effects - nothing that wasn't tolerable anyway. It sometimes takes trying a few different meds to find the right one.

[splitimage]

I've been on meds for years & they work for me. They haven't changed my personality, just make it possible for me to live depression free & manage my anxiety and do the therapy necessary to recover from PTSD. I do have some mild side effects that are slightly annoying, but it's way better than being depressed all the time.

I do other stuff too to help with my mood, Vitamin D, Omega 3, eating a proper diet, and meditation, and therapy. But honestly I couldn't function without meds.

I did have some nasty side effects when I first went on them, but they mostly went away after a couple of weeks.

Research different meds, and remember that everyone reacts to meds differently. And definitely discuss your concerns with a psychiatrist.

--splitimage

[pgrundy]

Meds make my life possible and make me feel normal, not drugged. If you need the meds, they can make an amazing difference.

I don't take a low dose either, I take a high dose of Effexor XR and also Seroquel XR at night. I think it's a misunderstanding of meds to think a low dose is better than a high dose. Actually a low dose could be worse--you need the dose you need. It's like if you were diabetic--would taking 'just a little' insulin make you less diabetic? No, it could send you into a coma.

Psych meds are like that. If I were you I'd ask for a medication evaluation with a good psychiatrist. It will cost a bit more but it's worth every cent.

Good luck!

[Perna]

I don't know how you are defining "personality". Drugs cannot change personality but perhaps you are including energy levels in there (make one a "zombie") or other side effects that would have unintended effects on your sense of how you are.

Meds for depression do not make one "happy" or even "feel better", they can take away the depression so one is at "ground zero" in a sense. It's similar to when you have a headache and take an aspirin and the headache goes away. You don't necessarily feel "good" but you don't have a headache anymore! There's no "attention" on the headache, how you feel physically doesn't take as much of your whole focus anymore.

If I were afraid to take, had questions about psych meds, I would not take them because I would also worry about later compliance. If I had a symptom I did not like, I would stop taking them and that would mean they could not work, whether they might have or not. No matter how helpful they could be, if what is "wrong" with me, what I want the medicine to help, is less of a problem to me than possible med symptoms, I don't take the med?

On the other hand; I think taking psych meds is very similar to taking any other meds. A year ago my medical doctor (I see him every 3 months) said my Vitamin D levels were low. I had read up on Vitamin D and saw that it might help my energy levels, sleep and my asthma so I knew a bit about Vitamin D and when the doctor gave me a prescription for it, I gave it a try, giving it my all. Now I buy my own Vitamin D and take it according to my own schedule. I am not great at how I take it but I haven't seen such a great difference that I feel it is that "important" and I think I see a side effect in myself that I do not particularly like. While one cannot do that with many psych meds, the point is that I tried what my doctor suggested to get first hand, personal usage information for myself and to help me make better decisions in the future.

I would maybe try a low dosage of a med for a significant period, see how I felt, if there were side effects I didn't like, etc. and then make a more informed decision for myself of where to go then? If the side effects aren't too bad, maybe raise that dosage if it is not working well yet or wean off and start again with another med or add a med, etc. I would try not to get too "broad" in my thinking that I got too all-or-nothing in my thinking; I would set a defined time period to try X med (after reading about various and talking to the doctor about what he recommended) and go for it. If it has any side effect at all that you don't like, that isn't worth, to you, its possible benefit with your mental health, then have the doctor taper you off that medicine! I don't take Aleve even though I accidentally bought a huge bottle thinking it was Advil because I tried it and it gives me dry mouth at night and I already have too many problems with my sleep and can take Advil and have it work well.

There are lots of things that benefit mental health, anxiety and depression, and I know you are working hard in therapy to help yourself! It's all about you and what you want!

[online user]

I can echo what some of the others have reported: I do not perceive that psych meds have changed my personality. I have taken a lower dose for 20 years. Now have a severe depression and have gone to a higher dose of two different meds. Very necessary--I was suicidal. I have some side effects--dry mouth at times and sometimes excessive sweating. But I put up with those for feeling better psychologically. Much happier person, less tense, anxious, less irritable and angry. But still, basically the same person I was before. Just don't get as upset about things, take them more in stride and deal with them as I choose to. Do get a good pyschiatrist and work with him/her to find medications that work for you.

Heya,

The meds for me did change who I was, because it changed how I functioned. They made me lethargic and slurring my words ever so slightly. So slightly that people have noticed now that I have come off them but didn't know what to say when I was on them.

I think meds definitely have a place in society. They can accomplish much good. Like I've said in other posts apart from the negative side effects, the shaking hands and stuff, they took away the hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, and the major depression. They did leave a low grade depression mainly due to the lethargy that I felt whilst on them. Without the meds now, the lethargy is gone, my energy is up and I'm not feeling the low grade depression.

I can't say that quitting meds is a good idea, it's not without the help of your doctor. Ultimately you have to make the decision for yourself. Best of luck,

Love and Hugs,
Tara