Anti-depressants...

[davidm843]

Taerinn

Yes, that's what I am doing. I'm hoping that I can be free from them someday, but I guess we'll see...

There is increasing evidence that cognitive therapy and behavior modification are much better treatments for most forms of depression. I suffered from severe SAD and moderate depression for years, but I've brought them both under control with diet, exercise and meditation/mindfulness practices.  

[o sunflower king]

Problem, I am too sad to do any of those things when I am not on them.  

[davidm843]

Taerinn

Problem, I am too sad to do any of those things when I am not on them.

The trick is to start doing those things WHILE you're on the meds, so that hopefully you can wean yourself off the meds.  

[Chieftain Twilight]

davidm843

Taerinn

Problem, I am too sad to do any of those things when I am not on them.

The trick is to start doing those things WHILE you're on the meds, so that hopefully you can wean yourself off the meds.

actually, that is a good practice. smile i have noticed that if people rely completely on the meds, and on teh meds alone, it doesn't get rid of the depression. not realy anyway. it just shuts them down, and becomes addictive. then the people either change completely, in a dramatic and damaging way, or they even end up becoming suicidal.

but the meds can be very usefull as a sort of crutch. it can be supportive, if you use it to help yourself not overdo it when trying to repair your dis-ease yourself. if you use them to fight the helplessness, and then motivate yourself while on them to work on understanding why your depressed, and how to battle it, sooner or later you will have recovered completely. smile

we can never truely cut sadness from our lives, but sadness is just an emotion. it isn't who we are. suffering is the imbalance state of mind that regardless of our happiness or sadness we are discontent, depressed, and feel purposeless or meaningless. finding joy is a tough battle, sometimes a life-long one. but it is worthe it.

never give up. fear defeats a person by convincing them to give up. depression is a product of fear. if you are so convinced that you are going to lose anyway, there is no reason you can't fight it anyway. as long as you fight there is at least a chance, but if you give up you will never know if you ever had a chance or not. it is pointless not to go down fighting.  

[GranoblasticMan]

I truly wish you luck. I've tried my fair share of antidepressants of all shapes and sizes, but none of them really seemed to help much for me. confused As others have said, though, it's best to give them a few weeks or a month before you can say whether that drug at that dosage is helping or not. Of course, your psychiatrist or doctor should be able to help you with that as well.  

[summa crusta]

I see a lot of good advice. If I may add, don't stop taking your meds without talking to your doctor first. I did that and I went through heavy mood swings. Communication with your doctor and parents is very important.

I was on Zoloft and Prozac/Paxil (can't remember which of the two) Zoloft made me sleep a lot and I attempted suicide while on the other. Let people know how your meds affect you.  

[Cranium Squirrel]

summa crusta

I see a lot of good advice. If I may add, don't stop taking your meds without talking to your doctor first. I did that and I went through heavy mood swings. Communication with your doctor and parents is very important.

This is true. Many psych meds do have problems with 'comedown' periods, if you're not titrated off them (medical speech for reducing dosage over time). Don't stop taking them if you feel better/believe you don't need them; remember, feeling better is what they're supposed to help with. Talk to the doctor first, and see about getting weaned off the med safely.

Quote:

I was on Zoloft and Prozac/Paxil (can't remember which of the two) Zoloft made me sleep a lot and I attempted suicide while on the other. Let people know how your meds affect you.

Okay, that's a warning everyone should get: Antidepressants may add to suicidality for a bit, and make it an actual risk. This is because once the med starts to affect your system, you get an energy boost you lacked previously. While you may have had suicide ideation before that point, you lacked the will to go through with it. Sometimes these meds give you that will back.

So! Long story short: If you start feeling the urge stronger than usual, or at all, talk to your family, friends and/or your doctor and let them know. They can help you, but only if you tell them. If you wish to remain anonymous and deal with it in a constructive way still, try a suicide hotline. Believe me, no one wants to see you go, and people will help. 3nodding  

[Viceroy Adrian]

I agree with Byaggah: if you need them, then it is fine. When you need something that actually helps your life, it is always a good idea to use it. I to have deep depression [one of my friends thinks it is either Chronic Depression or I am Bipolar]; I have never used the pills, so I do not know at all what exactly they do [sideffects] or anything, but I hear they usually do work; but in very rare cases, people do get addicted [I was told not to use them by people on Yahoo!Answers when I asked if I should seek them]. but really, take them if you need them, bud! No one should go through life depressed, sad, etc.  

[RafiCat]

First off, have you had a medical exam? Is there a physical reason for your depression?

I am strongly opposed to medical solutions for emotional problems. They are an undependable crutch. It's better to deal with the cause instead of trying to stick a bandaid on it.

I'm moderately bipolar. When I was 17, a doctor put me on medication. I hated it! It was so ...flat. I quit taking them, and learned to cope with the bipolar on my own. When it comes to emotions, you should be in control. Know what triggers ups and downs. Find ways that work for you. Make changes in your life if necessary.

Good luck with whatever you choose!