[melania]

I'm taking antidepresants to be free from benzos but I'm worrying that antidepressants also can be addictive and it would be really hard to get off them.
Now I don't even know what is worse- benzos or antidepressants.

[Altered Moment]

No they are not all addictive. Some have bad withdrawal effects but that has nothing to do with addiction. You don't get a buzz with them. They are slow acting. They are nothing at all like benzos. AD's are way better than benzo's. There are however withdrawal effects for some with some meds. You have to taper off slowly.

What meds are you taking and how much?

I have been on and off many antidepressants. I am lucky and I never have any bad withdrawal effects. I am a recovering alcoholic addict and I have never been addicted to an AD. If I was addicted to an AD I would want to take more than prescribed. I never even think about that. I currently take Klonopin and I think about taking more than is prescribed every day. I don't do it but it takes discipline.

You become dependent on ADs. They can be difficult to come off of depending how long you have been taking them and dose. Some people don't seem to have any trouble at all. The withdrawal stories I hear about Benzos seem much worse but that might not be your experience. In both cases I would recommend reading the links in the sticky. Especially the harm reduction guide.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ChangingMyMind]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

No they are not all addictive. Some have bad withdrawal effects but that has nothing to do with addiction. You don't get a buzz with them. They are slow acting. They are nothing at all like benzos. AD's are way better than benzo's. There are however withdrawal effects for some with some meds. You have to taper off slowly.

What meds are you taking and how much?

Agree with zinco here.. they are not addictive but some are really hard to get off of because of the withdrawal. I couldn't come off Celexa for the life of me because of the withdrawal but I was able to come off Lexapro without issue. Depends on the person and the AD you're taking.

[melania]

Thanks for your replies

I'm taking 10 mg of Amytriptyline (it also has names- Elavil, Endep, Levate etc) 3 times at day. I feel it helps me not to have panic attacks but I still sometimes have anxiety (thanks God not so much and so often) and I'm still really depressed and suicidal. Maybe it's because I'm taking this med for just 2-3 weeks. It's a low dose I'm taking.

I know it's really old med but I can't take SSRI, it's too stimulating even if it's sedative (I have tried 3 of them), at first I felt like on amphetamines and after two weeks fell back in horrible depression.

If you taper off gradually it's not unpleasant at all. The only thing I experienced during withdrawal was something that sounds closest to brain zaps but not at all as bad as some users report. I didn't get the electroshock feeling, I just felt like a rocket swooshed from one temple to another several times in a row but it was a sound more than it was a feeling. In the beginning this happened a lot but faded soon. The only unpleasant thing about it was it was slightly annoying. I'd be in the middle of a thought and this "swoosh" interrupted it, I wished it would shut up already. It was a bit weird trying to fall asleep because sometimes I'd be halfway there and the swoosh would stir me awake again. They're not addictive though, your brain chemistry just needs some time to adjust. Keep taking your meds and try switching if there's no effect, depression sucks the light right out of the years of your life and it's obviously not worth giving up. Something will work, hugs!

[-jimi-]

I don't like the word addiction. There are lot of people who are dependent on benzos just like they are dependent on antidepressants. A lot of people don't use benzos to get high.

For me it is the same. If I miss a day on the SSRI I feel like crap. If I miss the benzos I also feel like crap (although in my case missing the SSRI feels worse because I'm on one with a short half life).

I understand it is a bigger deal if you actually abuse the benzo. Then being dependent on an antidepressant will of course not be as bad as med abuse.

How dependent one gets on the antidepressant depends on your genetics and on the med itself. Some get very dependent, some can taper out without much problems.

So in a way they are addictive. It depends on what you put in the word addiction.

Yep, most AD's cause physical dependence and it is HELL to come off them. BUT if you really need to be on an AD, there's not much choice.

[Stronger]

It really depends on the med (I'm not sure about the one you mentioned). I was in love with Zoloft because it was my miracle drug for 4 years, but then my body got used to its effects and I had to say a painful goodbye. Ok, it wasn't actually painful, I was just sad to see it go. But the other meds I've been on, I didn't feel as if they were addictive.

This guy uses AD'S to help with benzo withdrawal sometimes, I think. I haven't read it but you may find it useful. I tapered from 200mg Zoloft to 100 and then 50mg. No issue to the 50's. I stayed at that dose longer than I thought I needed to. Now I am on 25 and I am feeling withdrawal. Most a headache and dizzy. Something like the zaps but not really. Only been a couple days. I think it is odd that I was fine until I went to 25. Most people would have gone from 50 to 0 I believe.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846

Dr. Shipko's Informed Consent for SSRI Antidepressants [Kindle Edition]
Stuart Shipko M.D. (Author)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ginaaa22]

Originally Posted by melania

Thanks for your replies

I'm taking 10 mg of Amytriptyline (it also has names- Elavil, Endep, Levate etc) 3 times at day. I feel it helps me not to have panic attacks but I still sometimes have anxiety (thanks God not so much and so often) and I'm still really depressed and suicidal. Maybe it's because I'm taking this med for just 2-3 weeks. It's a low dose I'm taking.

I know it's really old med but I can't take SSRI, it's too stimulating even if it's sedative (I have tried 3 of them), at first I felt like on amphetamines and after two weeks fell back in horrible depression.

have you tried welbutrin?

[melania]

Originally Posted by ginaaa22

have you tried welbutrin?

Why do you ask me about this med?
Yeah I was taking this med two days and felt like on strong stimulants,couldn't sleep at all. It wasn't anxiety, I was restless and couldn't even sit.

After a year when I needed energy I remembered about these pills. I smashed pill and held it in my mounth to get fast result. It helped me with anxiety and didn't make me sleepy but after two hours I had horrible panic attack, I was with friends and they were so scared and wanted to call the ambulance but I said it's okay and took Xanax.

I'm scared of Wellbutrin because it's too stimulating and it has effect to dopamine system. Sometimes I have delusions, paranoia and fears and meds which increase dopamine could make it worse. Even cough medicine like dxm and pseudoephedrine made me too active what at first is great but when energy is too much and I can sleep just 2-3 hours, it's hard.

[ginaaa22]

Welbutrin is supposed to make you have energy. Maybe u were on too high of a dose? Did u take xl? I really like welbutrin. Were u taking other meds at the same time? Maybe it was an effect of welbutrin with other meds too??

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by ginaaa22

Welbutrin is supposed to make you have energy. Maybe u were on too high of a dose? Did u take xl? I really like welbutrin. Were u taking other meds at the same time? Maybe it was an effect of welbutrin with other meds too??

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Maybe it is just not a good med for her. I took Wellbutrin for two weeks and that was all I could handle it got me so wired. Now there was a time long long ago when i loved to get wired and used meth. I don't like that feeling in sobriety and it is triggering. It reminds me too much of all I went through with meth. I took a dose of wellbutrin and I could have swore I just did a line of meth. It was to much.

[ginaaa22]

Wow I wish it did that to me im alwats tired

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by ginaaa22

Wow I wish it did that to me im alwats tired

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

With my history your would think I would have liked it because I loved meth. Best antidepressant i ever found. Also the worse depressant I ever found.

The Fetzima I am taking now is getting me wired. nothing like wellbutrin though and I can handle it. Plus I think it will balance out.

[ginaaa22]

At least u found something that works

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[melania]

Originally Posted by ginaaa22

Welbutrin is supposed to make you have energy. Maybe u were on too high of a dose? Did u take xl? I really like welbutrin. Were u taking other meds at the same time? Maybe it was an effect of welbutrin with other meds too??

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

That's true, it increases energy but I have anxiety and problems with self-control.
Last days I can't remember what I said or what happened, I was shocked when my mother told me I said so bad things to her, I can't remember this, I couldn't believe I really could say something like that. It's scary.

I am on antidepressants for a mounth, at first they helped me with anxiety, now it doesn't help me anymore and I am agressive.

My ex psychiatrist told me that I need mood stabilazers, I asked what med exatly, he said- I don't like your self-treating, go to psychiatrist and he will prescribe you some medication. I think my ex pdoc is the best but he doesn't want to treat me anymore because of my suicide attempt on december.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by melania

My ex psychiatrist told me that I need mood stabilazers, I asked what med exatly, he said- I don't like your self-treating, go to psychiatrist and he will prescribe you some medication. I think my ex pdoc is the best but he doesn't want to treat me anymore because of my suicide attempt on december.

Why would a pdoc not treat you because of a suicide attempt? That is all the more reason to treat you.

What is your diagnosis melania if you don't mind my asking? And aren't you still coming off a boat load of codeine and benzos from a hospital stay. I am sure you still have a lot going on with you. Maybe you do need mood stabilizers. Lamictal is helping me and I am not bi polar.

[melania]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

Why would a pdoc not treat you because of a suicide attempt? That is all the more reason to treat you.

What is your diagnosis melania if you don't mind my asking? And aren't you still coming off a boat load of codeine and benzos from a hospital stay. I am sure you still have a lot going on with you. Maybe you do need mood stabilizers. Lamictal is helping me and I am not bi polar.

I'm still taking benzos I can't sleep without them.
I have borderline personality disorder.

At hospital (not psychiatric) they wrote I have Somatization disorder but the doctor wasn't psychiatrist and I didn't tell her I had ever seen psychiatrist, she saw I'm anxious and I said I sleep just 2 hours at night (that's true because I didn't take my own medication at hospital). That's all she knew.
Another psychiatrist thought I have depresion but I don't agree with him, I saw him for just one time and that day I had nervous breakdown.

I overdosed my ex psychiatrist's meds many times and he didn't want to prescribe me meds anymore. He knows I can get it anyway. He always was worried and prescribed me just 10 pills because of my many overdoses. He thinks I'm taking too personal his meds because I'm in love with him.
I don't understand him, I think he maybe didn't want to be guilty if I died. The fact that I need to find new psychiatrist makes things difficult because they always want to put me on SSRI and can't believe I'm going crazy from that meds...

[melania]

I think I may be bipolar but maybe it's just my borderline personality disorder, I have mood and energy swings which is like going to Heaven and falling down to Hell. Sad but I often am in Hell.

[Altered Moment]

I have found that Tegretol and Lamictal were very safe for me to take. No side effects. They are both mood stabilizers. I don't know if you can over dose on them.

Do you have addiction problems in the past? I don't mean the benzo's you are taking.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by melania

I think I may be bipolar but maybe it's just my borderline personality disorder, I have mood and energy swings which is like going to Heaven and falling down to Hell. Sad but I often am in Hell.

Could be rapid cycling bi polar. Usually they prescribe an antidepressant and a mood stabilizer and some times an anti psychotic if the mania causes psychosis.

[melania]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

I have found that Tegretol and Lamictal were very safe for me to take. No side effects. They are both mood stabilizers. I don't know if you can over dose on them.

Do you have addiction problems in the past? I don't mean the benzo's you are taking.

I abused many meds mixed with alcohol but I didn't have real addiction. Sometimes I do it but very rarely.
I also overdosed meds to get high.

Great, now I will go to some unknown psychiatrist and start to tell him/her I need mood stabilazers because my psychiatrist thinks so but can't prescribe me it. Stupid.

[melania]

Originally Posted by zinco14532323

Could be rapid cycling bi polar. Usually they prescribe an antidepressant and a mood stabilizer and some times an anti psychotic if the mania causes psychosis.

I have much different symtoms like- too much energy/loss of energy, anxiety, suicidal/destructive behaviour, problems with memory, paranoia, delusions, restlesness all the time, if I'm not restless I feel so depressive and think- there is no reason to live, also insomnia, problems with self-control, feeling like everything is unreal, seeing known people in unknown people for some seconds which make me very, very anxious and paranoid, I think it's not hallucinations but I can't go outside because I see them everywhere. Sometimes I can sit a week in my room and don't talk to anyone, crying and sleeping all the time, don't eat anything because eating seems disgusting. Sometimes I am agressive. I have obsessions.

I'm just crazy, I don't know what's going on with me. Things that I wrote here it's not happening all the time, just sometimes. The only thing that is all the time is anxiety and insomnia.