[ColourBars]

Psychiatrist. Doctor. Friends. Everyone.

They are all telling me to go on anti-depressants.

My friends tell me that I should go on them, cause it's easy answer.
My doctor says that it will chemically help with my food, and I will see an improvement soon.
My psychiatrist keeps recommending them to me, so many times.

Are they the only answer? Is it like, "once you're depressed, you will always be forever?"

Like those damaged goods up for grabs laying on the motted grass with a 'for free' sign? However no one ever wants them? -- the ease of just chucking things out are like the ease of poppin' pills every morning?

Are they for life? If so, then what's the point?

Antidepressants aren't an easy answer. Finding the correct med can take a few tries, lots of trial and error, and I don't know too many people who would ever truly call them "happy pills". That isn't what they do.

Most people who choose to take antidepressants do so for a limited amount of time. For some, it may be a necessity for a much more extended period of time. Again, since the reasons for needed antidepressants vary and the severity and types of depression vary, it is not something that anyone here can answer for you.

I didn't go onto antidepressants to get "happy". I went on antidepressants because my depression was so severe that I was unable to function and was suicidal. My plan/hope was that antidepressants would help lift enough of that depression that I could function again.

They did help me. The depression didn't go completely away; no one ever promised me it would. But I was able to get back to the work of life. My ability to participate in psychotherapy was greatly improved as my thinking cleared and I began to be able to feel again. I have been able to continue working and living which is a good thing.

Sometimes my antidepressant medication has to be adjusted or changed completely; that doesn't necessarily happen with everyone, but it is how it has gone for me. Sometimes the depression gets worse; sometimes much worse. But my diagnosis is bipolar disorder so it presents a bit differently than depressive disorder.

I hope you will do some research so you will feel comfortable with whatever decision you make. Educating yourself is really important though.

[Silent_tsol]

They don't have to be forever. Sometimes they help for a short time yo get you into a place where you can benefit from t better. My analogy for that being like goes scuba diver takes an oxygen tank with them on a dive. It gives them the ability to stay under longer without holding their breath.

Taking them doesn't make you less of a person by any means. If you aren't comfortable with the idea though, your doctor should be willing to discuss other options

[SoupDragon]

For depression I think the research backs the use of anti-depressant alongside T as the best outcome. My understanding is that anti-depressants are generally prescribed for at least 6 months then gradually tailed off - so no they do not have to be forever for everyone.

[CantExplain]

Anti-depressants can hold you together while therapy takes effect.
I was on Prozac for about five years. I'm not on it any more, but sometimes it feels tempting to go back!

I think for some they feel using anything outside themselves is givIng up some sort of power. They are not THE ANSWER ALONE. Sometimes taking them for a short while can help lift the mood enough for a good talk therapy to be of help too.

[crazylife]

Only go on them if it's right for you, not someone else. If you don't want to then don't in the end you know yourself better than anyone else.

[WikidPissah]

Originally Posted by ColourBars

Psychiatrist. Doctor. Friends. Everyone.

They are all telling me to go on anti-depressants.

My friends tell me that I should go on them, cause it's easy answer.
My doctor says that it will chemically help with my food, and I will see an improvement soon.
My psychiatrist keeps recommending them to me, so many times.

not sure where you are from, but here in the US pharmaceutical companies are allowed to market to the public, which is why people are always pushing them. There hasn't ever been a study that actually proved a depressed brain to be chemically out of balance.

They do work well for a lot of people, but (as already said) they take some time to work and sometimes you have to try several before you find the right one. You won't have to stay on them for life, but they do have to be weaned off of. (physical dependence). Some of them are much harder to get off of then others, so you may want to look into that with your pdoc before choosing one.

Good Luck!

[missbelle]

The very first anti-dperessants worked for me taking about three weeks to kick in.They do for us what cancer drugs and diabetic drugs do for people with other illnessess. We are not weak. We have an illness. We can be helped.

[sconnie892]

Colourbar -
I think antidepressants can be very helpful for some people. But only you can make the decision of what is best for you. The best thing I can say is educate yourself about the options. My t suggested antidepressants a few times and I did a ton of reading about them. Ultimately I decided against them for now and my t respects that decision. But I know they are always there as an option.

For now I am working with sleep regulation, healthy eating, talk therapy, and exercise. But that was my personal choice. I would not say it is easy by any means. No matter what option you choose, depression is tough to deal with.

[elliemay]

Originally Posted by WikidPissah

not sure where you are from, but here in the US pharmaceutical companies are allowed to market to the public, which is why people are always pushing them. There hasn't ever been a study that actually proved a depressed brain to be chemically out of balance.

I would like to point out, in response to this, that the experience of physical pain is not attributable to an endogenous opiate deficiency either. However, pain is treatable with opiates.

It is entirely possible to elaborate on a naturally occuring system in the body to acheive therapeutic benefit.

[elliemay]

I get a big kick out of people that refer to anti-depressants as happy pills. If only!

My experience with Prozac has been positive. I have very few side effects, although the start up can be a little rough (anxiety!).

There is also an apparent emotional numbing that occurs, which is not an entirely bad thing.

Meds can and often do work. They aren't for everyone, but sometimes you have to ask yourself "if this is a tool that can help me live my best life, then is it worth it?"

only you can answer that question.

[anilam]

Originally Posted by ColourBars

Psychiatrist. Doctor. Friends. Everyone.

They are all telling me to go on anti-depressants.

My friends tell me that I should go on them, cause it's easy answer.
My doctor says that it will chemically help with my food, and I will see an improvement soon.
My psychiatrist keeps recommending them to me, so many times.

Are they the only answer? Is it like, "once you're depressed, you will always be forever?"

Like those damaged goods up for grabs laying on the motted grass with a 'for free' sign? However no one ever wants them? -- the ease of just chucking things out are like the ease of poppin' pills every morning?

Are they for life? If so, then what's the point?

ADs are not the ONLY answer. I felt worse after taking them (and believe me I've tried several kinds)- and I'm surely not the only one- they don't work for everyone, unfortunately. I wouldn't mind to pop one pill every morning and be fixed forever Would be much cheaper than therapy too
It's your decision. Regardless how you'll decide, please remember that depression is treatable and you will feel better some day.

[Perna]

I like your doctor's answer. I would be tempted to try them to see how they chemically help with your food.

I think we often see things as discreet items, a pill here, a meal there, and don't get that we are whole, not a collection of individual parts.

For example, I'm playing with my Vitamin D, my doctor prescribed it and monitors my level but I'm having side effects that I don't like (I keep accusing my husband of beating me in my sleep I ache so bad some mornings :-) I don't know what the answer is but I'm doing a bit of a lot of things to figure out what works best for me (sitting in the sun 15-20 minutes a day; may work in the summer but. . .).

Work with your doctor and psychiatrist and try something? Think up how long you would like the trial to last (3 months?) and get the specifics of what your doctor means by it working with your food, what food, what would he like or expect to "see" (I don't know if you are not eating enough or too much or what he is commenting on) and come up with a plan, your own personal scientific trial If you take control of the trials, decide what you would like to see and how you would like to conduct them, for how long, etc. you can get all the relevant information you want. I see my doctor every 3 months and am always conducting experiments in between to see how best to improve my health issues.

[bluemountains]

Originally Posted by ColourBars

Are they for life? If so, then what's the point?

For me, unfortunately the medications are probably for life, although I battle this thought all of the time. The "point" for me, though, is that I owe it to my children to give them a mom they can count on.
If you can maintain healthy mental stability without any medication, I would recommend that you take this route. For many, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and therapy is all that is needed to feel well.
Good luck!
Bluemountains

[unaluna]

I was sceptical too. I didn't want stuff messing with my brain. if everybody is telling you, they are probably seeing your mood swings (or whatever) more objectively than you are. I wish I had listened to my drs and gotten on meds a lot sooner than I did. money was a factor, but many good meds are generic now. I found out I had a mild form of epilepsy that is now being treated by my meds. I was just saying no to everything, just like my mother always does.

[ListenMoreTalkLess]

Originally Posted by ColourBars

Are they for life? If so, then what's the point?

To me, a recommendation for anti depressants does not mean that they are THE answer. They just might be something that helps.

I think most people go on them with the idea of trying them but not making them a lifelong effect. To check whether the side effects are bearable. To see whether they can help.

About 15 years ago, I tried some version of an SSRI during a period where I was in very intense individual and group trauma focused psychotherapy. I stayed on them for about a year, taping up and down very slowly (I was very concerned about side effects, so my psychiatrist started me out slowly and moved up the dosage very slowly too).

I would not say that it made me happy. What it did do was make my therapy a lot less painful, and I was more productive in therapy and I was more functional in daily life because I didn't feel like I was getting hit with a hammer all the time. So I found using AD's was useful for a short time, both therapeutically and in my mood. Although I sometimes have depression symptoms return, they are at a level where they are manageable with therapy and my own coping skills.

Unless you are opposed to the idea of AD's-- which I think is a reasonable position, as they have a pretty high incidence of side effects and there is something to be said for using alternative forms of treatment, including therapy alone-- you might want to simply try them for a few months to see if they might be useful to you.

[Mom of Jr Sooner]

If friends, family and your doctor are all encouraging you to take the medication, why wouldn't you? If you had cancer you would take treatment. This is no different. Just because you can't see something is wrong (like a broken bone) doesn't mean everything is okay.

[stopdog]

I don't think others get a vote in one's own health. That decision is strictly up to me - not the family or friends and certainly not a dr.

Have you tried exercise and diet first? Particularly the exercise part? Studies have shown in a lot of cases it can be as effective as drugs.
Or you could try it for a controlled period of time and see if drugs help or not.

[Perna]

I let others have a vote; it just doesn't necessarily count

[ColourBars]

Originally Posted by Mom of Jr Sooner

If friends, family and your doctor are all encouraging you to take the medication, why wouldn't you? If you had cancer you would take treatment. This is no different. Just because you can't see something is wrong (like a broken bone) doesn't mean everything is okay.

I do see something wrong. I'm destructive. I'm a bad influence on others. I have this negative aura around me that kicks out any good feeling out of any environment.

I was thinking for a long time either just shut up and take the pills to make everyone happy... or just **** everything and just suicide so they don't have to deal with me anymore.

I'm thinking who would I affect, not many really cause a lot of the people in my life are now "distant" from me. But it's the few people who are still in my life I'm concerned and thinking about.

Which one is easier for everyone else. Also myself too. Thanks for everyone's opinions. I'll keep them in mind.

[ECHOES]

It doesn't have to be the only answer, but it could be part of the answer, for now. Taking meds is temporary for some. Combined with therapy, it can be something very helpful.

It is of course up to you. It must not feel good to have others pressing you to take pills.
Putting that aside, what if you thought of only the affect on you. What if you felt better?

Thinking of feeling better can be a wonderful thought and it can be a scary thought, too. If I feel better - then what? Who am I, if I'm no longer the destructive, negative thinking person? What expectations will others have of me?

You could try it as an experiment and see how it goes. You can always change your mind down the road.

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by Perna

I let others have a vote; it just doesn't necessarily count

good answer!

[WikidPissah]

Originally Posted by elliemay

"not sure where you are from, but here in the US pharmaceutical companies are allowed to market to the public, which is why people are always pushing them. There hasn't ever been a study that actually proved a depressed brain to be chemically out of balance."

I would like to point out, in response to this, that the experience of physical pain is not attributable to an endogenous opiate deficiency either. However, pain is treatable with opiates.

It is entirely possible to elaborate on a naturally occuring system in the body to acheive therapeutic benefit.

hmmm...I really wish you would have used my entire quote. I did say

They do work well for a lot of people

I am not saying that AD's don't work, I am saying the premise the pharmaceutical companies use to sell them is inaccurate.

[critterlady]

I was very reluctant to start AD treatment, but when my doctor and my T continued to recommend it, I had to listen. My T didn't usually recommend meds for depression, but he thought they'd really help me, if we could find the right drug and dosage.

I've been on Effexor for 8 months now and it's made a big difference, along with fairly intensive therapy. Without it, I simply didn't have the energy to do the things that I know can make depression better. Exercise was out of the question before - I could barely get through a day at school. Socializing and connecting with friends was the last things I wanted drag myself out of the house to do. Now I can do those things and routinely do.

I don't intend to stay on them forever, but I'll be on them for a while longer. I'm okay with that, given how I felt before.