Should I take anti depressants or should I try therapy? can someone tell me their experience with anti depressants? did they get addicted to it? were they Ok when they got off the medication?
203911
There is nothing wrong with getting help when you feel overwhelmed or depressed. People think when they reach out to a doctor or to therapy that they are weak. It's quite the opposite. Even the strongest of persons need to take a breather from time to time to decompress and get emotionally healthy. \nThere isn't any evidence that suggests just because you may battle depression now that you will later in life. However, I would deal with this issue now, and not wait any longer or you may have problems with depression later in life.  It can greatly depend on where you are in life, what's going on, has there been a death, are you doing poorly in school. All sorts of things can contribute to depression. \nNow to the other question as to whether or not anti-depressants are addictive or not. Physical addiction to prescription antidepressant medications is not possible.  For one thing, today's SSRI anti-depressants are non-addictive in the sense that users do not experience physical cravings for them, nor can you overdose on them (well not very easily anyway). Thus they cannot be considered addictive in that sense, although they might be considered addictive in more subtle ways. By that I mean, you don't want to come off of them because you are afraid you will sink back into depression. HOWEVER, that being said anti-depressants may precipitate hypomanic or manic states. In these states, patients can have mood lability, irritability, and frank psychotic symptoms. In order to better understand all of this mumbo jumbo, go to your doctor and talk with him about what is safe for you to take, and the risks, pros and cons. He is better qualified to prescribe you something that won't hurt nor harm you. You will be glad you did! Good Luck to you!
357247
omg listen to these fools. u've been off them for six months HELLO!!!!\n\nexcellent stuff.\n\nhave you kept a diary of how you felt, functionally (eg no memory relapses and other stuff) before and after taking the drugs?\n\nhow long did the doctor say to take them for?\n\nhow long did u take them for?\n\nwhat is the research which backs up the use of the drugs? \n\nhow many independent replications have been done and how long ago were they done? \n\nwhat was the level of clinical significance chosen for those studies?\n\ngetting off the drugs is the best thing you've ever done.\n\nif something hasn't happened in six months, its reasonable to assume u don't need to waste ure money anymore on some loser BigPharma company that likes to profit off people's illnesses with drugs that barely work and are really intended to maintain diseases at a managable level rather than cure them. \n\nor they specifically target chronic diseases that have a low likelihood of actually being cured by drug therapy.\n\nmakes sense huh? i mean i would do that if i wanted to make money off drugs.\n\nu need to find out more about schizoaffective disorder too. consult ure doctor, and go to a psychologist. avoid believing the psychiatrist without talking to the psychologist (or neuropsychologist) too. then u will get a balanced opinion on ure options.
403246
I dont know about the weaning off effects of antidepressants but you do need to do this gradually, not cold turkey, as you have experienced certain side effects.\n\nIt's much healthier to commit to a support group. I'm sure there are hotlines you can call for the nearest group that meets in your area.  Check those out.  \n\nYou may want to include some form of physical activity into your daily schedule, even if some days you will not carry them out.  Reward yourself when you do with something you like.\n\nThink of some of your positive qualities.  Write them down and stick them in places you can see to read back to yourself, then run them thruough your mind a few times a day, even if you dont feel like it.  You need reprogramming while depressing.\n\nBe selective about tv, stay away from news and others (eg, comedy sitcoms, talk shows, spy movies, ....), music, and be aware of other environmental noise elements so you can either avoid them or else minimise the effects.  Just as well, the Internet is not always so wholesome to be in (info overload).  Whatever it is, you need to examine your immediate environment and remove/minimise anything that bothers you a lot.  \n\nWhen you find yourself analysing stuff too much, find something else to do.  Change the way you walk home from work/school, take a dif route, even if it's longer.  You need to get out from the routine of doing things.  Modify your diet a little.  \n\nThese are just some ways you may reduce the effects of outward routine, so your mind may find dif channels to park in.  Nothing ever changes overnight.  Be patient with yourself and with others.  Laugh a little, cartoons are great for that.  \n\nBless you!   I wish you progress in bits and bites...(if you follow the plan, be sure you will fall right back to depress again, on some days, but, don't be too hard on yourself, get up again just as soon)
122347
Anti-depressant medications work like SSRIs.  Probably cognitive and behavioral therapy are used too.
179208
I was on 20mg anti deppressants for 9 months, which was called Paxil.  I was running out and I had moved 10 hours away from the doctor that prescribed it to me, so I decided to get off of them.  I cut them in half and I didn't feel any different and then I threw out the last few pills I had.  That's when I had withdrawals, which was horrible!!  I've never been through withdrawals with anything and it was so bad that while I was walking to work one day, I had to turn around and go back home because I just couldn't make it.  It lasted for a good week and finally I was off of the pills for good.  I can't say that I'm cured, but truly and honestly I don't want to go back on the pills.  I was told that I did the wrong thing and I should of consulted a doctor before getting off of them, which I think you should consult your doctor before you get off of the pills for good.
552195
My mom takes it , and has for years.  She got off of it for a while because it was hard for her to pay for it, and I offered to pay for her because I couldn't stand to be around her without it.  I think ALOT of people in my fam. take antidepressants.
94450
pl;ease seek help noone knoes what depresson means unless they have gone through it . i have  and i also have had it for 4 yearshow i got throug it was first a visit to the doctor who prescribed antideppresant pills. the first lot didnt work  neither did the second etc. the eightth lot did work thank god.i didnt want to get up in the mornings i lost interest in everything , and i had no reason to as i have a wonderfull supportive husband and two beautifull children. you havent got to have a reason to be depressed it just happens. its easy to go in to it but much harder to come out of it.  you feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel .but belive me ,there is light. please dont sit at home ponderring over your thoughts  go and seek advice . there are people to help you . you can email me if you want . good luck and god bless.
110423
St. John's wort worked for my wife, didn't work for me, but it's a place to start.\n\nI was almost certainly clinically depressed for a while in college and toughed it out instead of getting help, which I've decided was a mistake.  I had a relapse a few years ago and got counseling, but I resisted anti-depressants for over a year.  It was totally irrational, and I regret stalling.  Judging by how I reacted to going on and off the meds, it was obvious I had a chemical imbalance, and being ashamed of them or resistant to them was as foolish as a diabetic refusing insulin.  I did not become dependent and I tapered off after a couple of years.\n\nIf you're opposed because of potential side effects, keep in mind that the arsenal of anti-depressants has increased in recent years, so it's more likely than ever that you can find something without serious side effects.\n\nAlso keep in mind that depression that doesn't go away in a reasonable time is terrible for other aspects of your health, so toughing it out with exercise and comedies can jeopardize other systems in your body.
558094
I can't tell you why you are immune to all anti-depressants, but you do develop a tolerance for them after awhile and need to change the dosage or the medication itself.  I used to use prozac and it worked great, then I tried it again a few years later and it didn't work for long, I tried something else for a year or so and then it stopped being effective and so on.  I have to change to different types of medications.  At one point after a year on one type, I felt suicidal for whatever reason.  Everything seemed to overwhelm me and I was put of effexor.  That has been working for about 18 months now.  Hopefully it will last for awhile longer.  Sorry about your problems, I hope you find something that will help.
588797
well i'm still trying to battle mine...started with antidepressants....but they just made me feel worse...now I just try and focus on the gym, workout as much as possible and talk when I feel sad or emotinal....I might start counseling....but in reality, it won't end until you try to pull yourself out of it....it someitmes takes you to be strong and know that you need to deal and face your issues head on...
371358
I took it for a short time....for depression. I had headaches, and gained weight.  Also, when I stopped taking it...my hearing kept going in and out.  I kept hearing this zzip..zzzip...I could actually feel a strange vibration going thru my head...and that's when I figured out it was my hearing....fading in and out.  Really weird.  And they say it is not habit forming....but, then they say "well, you can't just stop taking it..you have to be weaned off of it."  If that's not an addiction....then explain that one to me!! I ended up just going to a counselor and now I am doing great....I just had to have someone not involved with my life to help me figure things out.
511036
Medicines and therapy go hand-in-hand.  You have to really want to get better, Amber.  The therapists give you the tools so that you don't dwell on things until you want to die.  Then you have to put them into action yourself.  Then you said you tried to kill yourself once, then you said you never have thoughts of hurting yourself?  A LOT of people are addicted to misery.  It's true.  If you've felt this way for years, in a strange way it's comforting to just stay in the negative.  Only you can stop that.
551308
i said the same thing and for 2 yrs . i suffered from depression and it was just getting worse.So i asked for meds. honestly they help. and no one can force pills on u.
111515
Best thing you can do man. I read abit about that before its amazing the results they had.  Doesnt take years like psycho-therapy and you dont have to deal with malicious anti-depresents in you bloodstream. Best thing you can do, highly recomended.
42756
There really isn't a good answer for this.  I was diagnosed about 6 years ago with clinical depression and was given some medication to take.  It really helped me get back on track so that I could focus on what makes me happy.  If you are not already on meds then you need to start taking them.  The first step is to get back to where you can think clearly and then find a psychologist to talk to about your problems.  \nThe most important thing is to get help with the physical symptoms.  Until you do that, you can't work on the cause effectively.   Best of luck to you!
588673
I hope that you discontinued this medication under a doctors supervision. You should never just stop taking an antidepressant without telling your doctor, you can have all sorts of problems; this applies to some other prescriptions medications also. In any case, you should be telling your doctor these symptoms and not asking people on Yahoo Answers. I can tell you that even if you get some good advice you will get a lot of bad advice also, and how will be able to tell which is which?
86510
Personally, I do think that. Some doctors advise depressed patients to excercise rather than prescribe anti-depressants, and sometimes anti-depressants don't even work and can have bad side effects and make you feel worse! If you are depressed you should learn to find happiness and resolve in yourself, not from a drug. If you trust a drug to bring you happiness then will you trust it to reach your own potential or trust yourself?