Do SSRIs really help?

Hi,
I'm really low at the moment and i can't shake myself out of it.
My depression is back and pretty severe, i've relapsed with my anxiety disorders that i put in so much work to try and get over..
I'm at the end of my tether,

I've tried SSRIs - they always gave me terrible side effects so i wasn't able to go up to the maximum tolerated dosage. I got up to 40mg of fluoxetine (out of a max 80mg) and 100mg of sertraline..

They never really worked for me at that dose but gave me serious depersonalization... and apathy.

But i'm desperate, i need something as i'm not coping well at all.
For those that find SSRIs beneficial, - do they actually tone down symptoms of anxiety disorders?

cheers,

hi. i avoid ssri drugs. i was on wellbutrin, which i dropped once my mood perked up a bit.

from what i understand, the data on ssri and other "antidepressant" drugs isn't all that encouraging. in severe depression, these drugs--all of them, from the tricyclics to the ssri drugs--show a response. in more moderate cases of distress, the overall response rate (keep in mind; they're looking at response in massive groups of people...) isn't all that great.

apathy is a very real problem with "antidepressants." I cant take ssri drugs for that reason. snri drugs can also cause apathy, and they're more stimulating, and the problems people have discontinuing them can be worse than with the ssri drugs.

having said that, ssri drugs have been shown helpful with ocd-type problems. that's not to say they are --the-- preferred treatment, or even that they're the best option (or even an option...) for you, personally, but they do seem to reduce the intensity of symptoms for a lot of people.

I don't have any advice for you, sadly. The psych drugs have proven to be a big let down for lots and lots of suffering people. There are other classes of drugs for anxiety and depression that might be more effective and/or more tolerable for you. Personally, I did OK on Tofranil, an old tricyclic, for depression. In terms of mood and concentration, it got the job done, but it didn't cause as much apathy as the ssri or snri drugs did (for me...). But...Tofranil is rough stuff, and it can cause cardiovascular problems over the long haul, so I ditched it.

Personally, I wouldn't take an ssri if you've had those problems in the past. That's me though. Some people end up taking additional drugs and benefit from combinations. Sometimes it works, sometimes it drives up costs, adverse effects, and then there are problems tapering.

I hope things get better for you.

Thanks for the your reply still crazy,
That's pretty much my stance on things.. It's the BDD for me that is the worst bit, but then i have such a myriad of issues... - the depression is 'secondary' to my anxiety.
I just get so down with the anxiety and Schema stuff, that i get depressed.

I tried wellbutrin a couple days ago and it made me completely suicidal.. suicidal ideation non-stop, it's still having that effect on me.
I had hoped it'd just perk my mood up a bit so i could deal with my mounting anxiety.

I'm so sensitive to pych meds,, just not in a way that is beneficial to me.
I've tried: Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Mirtazapine, Clomipramine, Escitalopram..
None did anything but make me feel empty and ill... - bar mirtazapine that helped me with depression for a month before it stopped working.
-
Think it's about time i got some more talking therapy.

Maybe you would benefit from something like Latuda. It's an antipsychotic but is used for depression. I take it as an antipsychotic but it helps with the depression as well. No side effects and I take 160 Mgs.
I hope you find something that works for you.

I didn't find that SSRIs helped me in any way. Can't say I had bad side effects. They just did nothing.

Sometimes, though controversial, some Dr's can prescribe you a mild stimulant like Ritalin. In other tougher cases may RX you Amphetamines, like Adderral or Dexedrine.
But sweet heart, you certainly don't want to get yourself into that stimulant game. It's way too addicting.
I've been down that path for 10 years and it was hell to get me out of it.