[ouch]

I am currently taking anti-depressant meds, but am tempted to stop them. Worried that they'll mess up my brain and cause more damage than good. Do we really know the link they have to depression? It's not been truly proven I don't think... Besides, if depression is in the mind, why can't I control it with my mind (and therapy alone)?

[jennie]

psych med use supports the "theory" of chemical imbalances in brain. if a physical abnormality was the cause, then psych meds would be of little use. the question is, how do we know if it's chemical or physical or both? either you have faith in the psych med theory or not.

forutunately, there are other types of psychiatric therapy . . . counseling, behavioral modifications, hypnotherapy, etc. if the problem is physical, maybe we can retrain our brain connections to a more healthier lifestyle.

psych meds are scary to me, too. i'd willing take them if i wanted to hurt myself . . . (no pun intended, i think).

[(JD)]

I answered early this morning... but seems the post dropped. Sorry.

Of course depression really isn't all in the mind, and that is one reason why you can't "just heal yourself." (And even if it was in the mind, because it would be YOUR mind in ill health, you wouldn't be able to heal yourself.)

True depression (not just the blues, etc)is a medical illness too. If you were able to read and comprehend about it (depression makes it difficult to read and understand what we've read, or even focus on a long thread) you would see that brain chemicals are a big part of depression.

Meds help supply what your body either quit making, or isn't using properly.

Don't be afraid... many of us have taken or are on antidepressants for years, and are much better off for being/doing so!

Trust that you can't think through this right now.. trust the doctor to be thinking for you now. TC

[Rhapsody]

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ouch said:
Besides, if depression is in the mind, why can't I control it with my mind (and therapy alone)?

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Depression is of the mind.... in the sense of wounds, chemical imbalances and of negative thoughts, therefore, that is why counseling and medicine are usually both required.

LoVe,
Rhapsody - (((( hugs ))))

[drunksunflower]

For me, at the moment I HAVE to take mine ... I've been trying to avoid them for a long time now (starting and stopping as soon as I feel better, the typical dumb mistake). But I just keep crashing really badly so I am trying to do what my doctor says and take them for six months and then see. I have 4 months to go

Good luck

[Hopefull]

Meds are scary to me too. I posted a while back that I am contemplating the same issue right now. I have noticed that my nephew has inherited my perfectionistic thinking. I have also noticed that my brother is probably a perfectionist and my sister has a high level of self-doubt. So, I am pretty sure there is a biological component.
I have read that a person can try therapy for a while and see how it goes before trying a med. However, my T would probably not be happy with me on that because I have been talking to her regularly with only limited improvement. She wants me on anti-depressants. I found a good book on the subject called When Words are not Enough by Valerie Davis Raskin, MD. She has a clear understanding of the dilemma that we go through in making a decision like this. She also has a good section on side effects. For those on anti-depressants, she also talks about dealing with the side effects. I really liked a few of her comments in the section on the biology of depression because I have a degree in biology. So, I have trouble believing that a disorder that has no biological diagnostic test has a biological component. My advise would be to try therapy for a few months and re-consider the drug option if you don't see much improvement. I will probably talk to my T soon about the subject since I know that she will bring it up again if I don't.

[eskielover]

Many questions I still am asking my psychologist & pdoc.

My anxiety/depression was a situation that occured that caused my problem to start & continue at a level that effected me daily & continued to get worse even to the point where suicidal attempts happened. I don't understand how a situation at my job & then loosing my career could end up changing the chemistry in my brain to the point where psych meds would do any help. Besides the fact was that every psych med that I tried didn't work & I ended up with worse side effects, allergies, & reactions & absolutely no good effects happened. I became very angry because it seemed like nothing was helping....not even talking about it.....I felt like a guinea pig & my anger go so bad I started OD'ing....in hopes I could make it all go away permanently. Then came the problem that the migraines that were side effects to the med became permanent migraines that last 24/7 & were that way for over 5 years before I finally have a pain specialist that has me on a high dose of narcotics that keep the migraines completely away.

I had a pdoc in the medical hospital the other year that insisted that I take an antidepressant to help me with what he insisted was anorexia. It turned out that I ended up having the same side effects again....proving that meds just don't work for me.

I have had this question continuously haunting my for these 12 years. Why did a situation cause such a seveire reaction......Did is cause a change in my thinking or did it actually cause a change in my brain chemistry. Then why after the situation went away or at least became somewhat resolved in my mind didn't the chemical imbalance go away & I would go back to being me again. Why don't any meds help me if it is really a chemical imbalance & why does my body react so badly to every med (even medical ones) I put into it? Then comes the other questions.....why when I seem to be getting my mind back together does something new happen in my life....& then I seem to overact to it......The trauma that I went through when I caught the RN stealing my mothers ID & then the horrible experiences & went through with that ended up causing PTSD symptoms. My pdoc & others refused to realize that my anorexia reaction was my reaction to stress & not the body image that is normal for anorexia. Stress causes me to get so nauseaious that I just can't eat & end up getting sick when I do.

My questions are why if there is really a chemical imbalance don't the psych meds work & why to I have such horrible reactions that scare me because the reactions are dangerous & very extreme. Then why when things seem to be getting better do I have seem to have such horrible reactions to other things that happen & seems to set me off again? Am I just more succeptable to chemical changes when things happen.....when I seem to be able to talk myself through situations.

I am so afraid of meds after the horrible effects i have had with them......from immovable joints, migraines, breathing stopped, parkinson's symptoms (for the length of time it seemes it was real before going away). My pdoc is afraid to even put me on a drug without having me in the hospital to monitor me when trying it.....that is really scarry to realize that I am not safe at home trying something new.

I can relate to your fear of meds....you are not alone.
Debbie

[Meta]

Taking any kind of medication is a serious step. The psych meds potentially have a lot of side effects. You are right to be concerned. I take antidepressant, antianxiety and ADD medication. In the past, I have stopped my medication without consulting my doctor and then felt it necessary to resume the previous medication or start a different medicine. For the time being I plan to take what the doctor prescribed and discontinue or change only with consultation. I am still concerned about long term safety 25 years after first starting psych drugs but I had no quality of life before I took the meds. So I continue to take the risk. It is good to read posts like yours to remind me of what I am doing. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[jennie]

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Meta said:
I am still concerned about long term safety 25 years after first starting psych drugs but I had no quality of life before I took the meds. So I continue to take the risk. It is good to read posts like yours to remind me of what I am doing. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

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Meta . . . you've said it there (above quote)!

Quality of life before taking psych meds, during, and after discontinuation all need to be evaluated on an individual level.

Hey, maybe psych meds may work for some people? Maybe psych meds only *work* by placebo effect? Maybe diet, exercise, spirituality, adaquate rest, some psych therapy, or lifestyle change will be the cure? Who knows?

I personally don't have faith my psych probs were chemical imbalances in my brain. (I did have multiple psych med-induced chemical imbalances though!)

I was depressed because I literally gave up hope. Is psychiatry subscribing to the notion that "hope" is merely a chemical in the brain? (That's another rant or thread, huh?)

I don't believe there's a magic pill(s) out there. I'm paranoid of stuff because I "learned" to be . . . and I've reinforced that behavior and thinking. Thus, my brain synapses flourishes in abby-normal stuff. While med-free, I'm lucky to have a lot of support (counselors available and a stable hubby) to help me if I faulter.