[brephi]

I been trying to deal with my situation by not taking my prescribed anti-depressants. I've been on anti-depressants for about 8 months. I've gone without medication for about 7 daysnow and am experiencing crying spells and deep depression. The medications do help when I take them and I will start back to taking them. Now I understand the reason I have been prescribed anti-depressants. I am under the care of a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is compassionate and is a good listener, but I only see her every 2 or 3 months. I visited a psychiatrist once. After that one visit I felt worse leaving than going in. It's not supposed to be that way.

[sunrise]

Which AD are you taking? With certain anti-depressants, when you first go off of them, you feel really bad as your body readjusts to drug-free life. It can take a month or two. It doesn't necessarily mean you are still depressed "under there" but just having a hard time coming off the drugs. So if you really think you aren't depressed anymore, you could ask your NP for a plan to come off the drug. You can taper it off slowly and give your body a chance to adjust slowly, and then give it a couple of months to see how you feel. If you don't feel well after that, you can always start taking the drugs again.

It sounds like you are wanting some more contact with your practitioner, because she is compassionate and a good listener. Maybe a therapist would be helpful to you. Does your NP do therapy? If not, maybe she can recommend a good therapist.

[Mouse_]

Originally Posted by brephi

I been trying to deal with my situation by not taking my prescribed anti-depressants. I've been on anti-depressants for about 8 months. I've gone without medication for about 7 daysnow and am experiencing crying spells and deep depression. The medications do help when I take them and I will start back to taking them. Now I understand the reason I have been prescribed anti-depressants. I am under the care of a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is compassionate and is a good listener, but I only see her every 2 or 3 months. I visited a psychiatrist once. After that one visit I felt worse leaving than going in. It's not supposed to be that way.

.

[MyHeadHurts]

((((( Brephi )))))

No, it shouldn't be that way, but some doctors are too concerned with the symptoms to consider the PERSON underneath. I'm sorry your pdoc was that way.

Hang in there... I hope things get better for you soon.

Hugs,

MHH

[Simcha]

Originally Posted by brephi

I been trying to deal with my situation by not taking my prescribed anti-depressants. I've been on anti-depressants for about 8 months. I've gone without medication for about 7 daysnow and am experiencing crying spells and deep depression. The medications do help when I take them and I will start back to taking them. Now I understand the reason I have been prescribed anti-depressants. I am under the care of a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is compassionate and is a good listener, but I only see her every 2 or 3 months. I visited a psychiatrist once. After that one visit I felt worse leaving than going in. It's not supposed to be that way.

Your still floating because you are stronger than you originally thought.

I would encourage you to continue taking your medication. Why did you stop anyway? If side effects are the issue, you need to call your PNP and tell her. The last time I visited a psychiatrist, I was kicked out of his office, so don't feel so bad. (that's not a normal response btw; my psychiatrist was the one who was off his rocker, not me). All kinds of weird things out there you know. Not all doctors know what's best for a person. Remember, even the lowest ranked medical students can become licensed physicians.

Anyway, some medications you aren't supposed to stop suddenly, as it can cause bad problems. Wellbutrin is just ONE of the AD's that I know for sure you have to ween off of (due to the chemical deficiency it leaves if you suddenly stop taking it) slowly, vs. suddenly stopping.

I really think it's best in most cases to see a psychologist for weekly therapy, in conjunction with the medication. Therapy combined with medication usually has far better outcomes than medication alone. You need to talk about your life and your feelings and the issues you are contending with so that they lose their power over you.

That's what therapists do best--listen to your concerns and have expert skills in teaching you to overcome your problems. They actually HAVE the time to listen to you, and can help you overcome your problems. With therapy, you might someday even be able to stop taking medications altogether.