[ahdm]

I was prescribed Sertraline (Zoloft) by my doctor at the unit I'm at yesterday. He gave me enough to last until our next appointment. The problem is, I've taken one tablet this morning, and now I'm really not sure I want to be on medication. All I can think about is that tablet diffusing whatever is in it into my bloodstream, up to my brain, and around my body; and that it's messing with my brain, and that it doesn't feel right or natural. I'm not even in counselling/therapy yet, and now I don't know what to do. I don't want to be on medication for months, maybe even years. Can anyone help me please? I need help desperately - if I'm not going to take the meds, I need to call my doctor within the next 3 hours.

Thank you.

[silverleaf]

I'm on sertraline too, and was also really wary about taking it. Taking meds is a personal decision and I think it's natural to have concerns about it if you've not taken anything before.

The way I looked at it was that I wanted to try all the help that was available to me - that's both counselling and through meds. Incidentally when I first starting having counselling I didn't even consider that I would need to go on meds, however I got to the point where I needed some extra help.

Another way I looked at it was that if I had a physical illness then I wouldn't think twice about taking antibiotics or pain relief or whatever it might be that would help me; therefore for me there was little difference in taking meds to help me with mental illness.

Also, my doctor made it clear to me that being on Sertraline wouldn't be a long term thing - although I expect to be on it for about a year, I know that eventually I will be able to cope without it, and at the moment it's like a crutch that's helping me get through. I've just upped my dose to 100mg as 50mg wasn't really doing enough to help me live my life. The main side effect I had was nausea when starting, that wore off after about 4 days.

Why don't you call your doctor anyway and ask for his advice?

[LibertyBelle]

"All I can think about is that tablet diffusing whatever is in it into my bloodstream, up to my brain, and around my body; and that it's messing with my brain..."

This happens with everything in an ordinary banana ice cream split also. The medicine has to get in your brain to do it's job. Better a tablet diffusing then a jab with a needle.

[ahdm]

Originally Posted by silverleaf

I'm on sertraline too, and was also really wary about taking it. Taking meds is a personal decision and I think it's natural to have concerns about it if you've not taken anything before.

The way I looked at it was that I wanted to try all the help that was available to me - that's both counselling and through meds. Incidentally when I first starting having counselling I didn't even consider that I would need to go on meds, however I got to the point where I needed some extra help.

Another way I looked at it was that if I had a physical illness then I wouldn't think twice about taking antibiotics or pain relief or whatever it might be that would help me; therefore for me there was little difference in taking meds to help me with mental illness.

Also, my doctor made it clear to me that being on Sertraline wouldn't be a long term thing - although I expect to be on it for about a year, I know that eventually I will be able to cope without it, and at the moment it's like a crutch that's helping me get through. I've just upped my dose to 100mg as 50mg wasn't really doing enough to help me live my life. The main side effect I had was nausea when starting, that wore off after about 4 days.

Why don't you call your doctor anyway and ask for his advice?

Thank you for your reply.

I'm not sure if I want meds. I haven't even started therapy yet, so I don't know if I'll need them once I start that. It just freaks me out thinking that it's controlling my brain and changing it to do something by unnatural means. I'm not comfortable with that. I don't even want to be on them for 6 months, never mind a year. To me, a year is a long time, and I don't want to be on them for that long, but with having to wean off them, I expect I'd have to. I'm not sure how I'd tell him that I'm not comfortable with the meds and that I'm not sure... I agreed yesterday that I'd like to try meds. I don't want him to think I'm messing him around.

[ahdm]

Originally Posted by LibertyBelle

"All I can think about is that tablet diffusing whatever is in it into my bloodstream, up to my brain, and around my body; and that it's messing with my brain..."

This happens with everything in an ordinary banana ice cream split also. The medicine has to get in your brain to do it's job. Better a tablet diffusing then a jab with a needle.

I know. But it makes me feel sick when I think about it, because it's an unnatural (in my eyes) way of controlling the brain and making it do something it wouldn't normally do.

[Altered Moment]

Is depression and anxiety a normal brain function? Or is something askew? Is diabetes a normal function of the pancreas? No it is not. A normal pancreas produces insulin. An abnormal pancreas stops producing insulin. This may happen by natural means but does that really matter? If you inject insulin is that natural?

If depression and anxiety is what your brain naturally and normally does is that ok with you? It may be. Maybe you are fine accepting it as a natural part of you and can live with it.

Sounds like you want to change it. Maybe therapy alone will do the job and you don't need meds. I have been taking meds for 20 years and I don't think they have harmed me or caused my brain to be unnatural. The idea is for them to make your brain function better. Unfortunately for many people they don't do that good a job. They don't really understand it all enough and meds do bring up a set of problems. Many people will say they were a life saver.

If you don't want to be on meds then you don't have to be. It is a personal decision. Maybe therapy is all you need. I wouldn't be afraid of them though. My opinion. Others may say different.

[eeyorestail]

Originally Posted by ahdm

It just freaks me out thinking that it's controlling my brain and changing it to do something by unnatural means.

Just remember that the meds can't take away who you are; they can't take away your free will. You are still you.

I would recommend at least giving it a chance.

[ahdm]

Originally Posted by krminnj

Just remember that the meds can't take away who you are; they can't take away your free will. You are still you.

I would recommend at least giving it a chance.

I know that they can't change who I am. But it's the fact that they are altering what is being produced in my brain that is freaking me out. I'm paranoid, and I get anxious about even the slightest things going wrong. Right now, I'm scared about what effect it will have on my brain when I eventually come off them, if I take them and don't need them after a while. Whether they would affect my brain's 'normal' functioning. I think I'm annoying a lot of people with this, and I'm sorry if I am. I know a lot of people just think 'oh just shut up and take them, it will be fine' but it's not that simple for me. I can't access a phone today, so I can't tell my doctor that I'm going to stop taking them, and because I'm paranoid, I don't want to stop taking them without my doctor knowing first. So I'm thinking that maybe I could carry on taking them until Monday, and then call him to tell him I'm going to stop. Or I could just carry on taking them and 'accept it'. But I really don't know what to do.

[eeyorestail]

Originally Posted by ahdm

I know that they can't change who I am. But it's the fact that they are altering what is being produced in my brain that is freaking me out. I'm paranoid, and I get anxious about even the slightest things going wrong. Right now, I'm scared about what effect it will have on my brain when I eventually come off them, if I take them and don't need them after a while. Whether they would affect my brain's 'normal' functioning. I think I'm annoying a lot of people with this, and I'm sorry if I am. I know a lot of people just think 'oh just shut up and take them, it will be fine' but it's not that simple for me. I can't access a phone today, so I can't tell my doctor that I'm going to stop taking them, and because I'm paranoid, I don't want to stop taking them without my doctor knowing first. So I'm thinking that maybe I could carry on taking them until Monday, and then call him to tell him I'm going to stop. Or I could just carry on taking them and 'accept it'. But I really don't know what to do.

I don't think it's an annoying question. I try to think of it like, "I take Tylenol when I have a headache and that affects my bloodstream/brain...so why shouldn't I take something for my depression/anxiety?" But I realize it's not quite as simple as that! Psychiatric medication's effect on the brain can certainly be scary, and even though I've accepted I need to take meds, it can be intimidating, if that's the word I'm looking for. My mom was on psychiatric meds as well before she died, and I know she struggled with these kinds of questions every day.

I agree that you shouldn't stop cold turkey without being able to talk to your doc--I've had bad experiences trying to do that myself. Have you addressed these particular concerns with your doc? Maybe you could tell him/her about them on Monday. Do you like/trust your doc?

[Altered Moment]

If taking them causes you more anxiety then not taking them then maybe it is not worth it.

[ahdm]

Originally Posted by krminnj

I don't think it's an annoying question. I try to think of it like, "I take Tylenol when I have a headache and that affects my bloodstream/brain...so why shouldn't I take something for my depression/anxiety?" But I realize it's not quite as simple as that! Psychiatric medication's effect on the brain can certainly be scary, and even though I've accepted I need to take meds, it can be intimidating, if that's the word I'm looking for. My mom was on psychiatric meds as well before she died, and I know she struggled with these kinds of questions every day.

I agree that you shouldn't stop cold turkey without being able to talk to your doc--I've had bad experiences trying to do that myself. Have you addressed these particular concerns with your doc? Maybe you could tell him/her about them on Monday. Do you like/trust your doc?

Thank you

I've tried to think like that - that if I have a headache, I'll take painkillers, but it doesn't feel like the same thing to me. It feels like they are two completely different things.

I haven't told my doctor how I'm feeling about this, no. That's mainly because he only prescribed them yesterday, and I told him I was fine with it. So I've only taken 1 so far. I guess I could tell him, although I'm not sure whether I would actually be able to speak with him personally - I might have to speak with one of the nurses there instead. My doctor is alright - I've only seen him 3 times. I can't really 'open up' with him as much as he'd like me to.

[Greenmyrtle]

I don't have an iron in the fire for what you decide, but just noticing that your anxiety level is so very high right now, and the anxiety is focused on the meds, and the catch 22 is that anxiety might be one of the problems you are trying to address with meds, but it's the anxiety that might stop you from trying them.

I totally relate to the weird feeling about taking meds. I've never had to take more than headache pills, and then I was diagnosed with prediabetes, and I'm looking at 2 pills a day for life. I get so anxious of trying any pill I've never had before: what is it doing to my body and mind? So it was a huge hurdle to begin drugs. Now I've been on them a few weeks, I know how my body reacts, I'm in the swing of taking them and I know I can't address potential diabetes by myself without drugs. So I'm starting to feel better about it.

But I really get that feeling of polluting your body with a foreign substance!

Good luck whatever you choose!



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