Anti-Depressants?

[Maggie Green]

There is a difference between feeling depressed and sad and someone who has a clinical depression problem. For the latter, a walk outside or seeing friends will not help. Unless you have been there, you can't understand it. Do some research about the drug and make sure you know what it is and how it works. I would recommend seeing a psychiatrist to help you get on the right medication, I wouldn't trust my primary doc for this. Make sure you have people you can talk to candidly about how you're feeling so you can discuss any side effects or problems that you may have. While I do believe antidepressants are overprescribed, there are people who genuinely need them and benefit from them. And working out regularly does help boost your mood so give that a try too!

 

[lurkingdirk]

I'm going to step out in a different direction, here.

Get on the fucking drugs. Anti depressants can be life changers. If you get the mix of drugs, exercise, and diet right, you'll be a changed woman. For the better.

Also, posting pictures of your completely naked tits helps.

 

[FreeOnes_Anders]

Also, posting pictures of your completely naked tits helps.

I was curious how long it would take before this came up.

Post #22, I´m impressed!

 

[lurkingdirk]

I was curious how long it would take before this came up.

Post #22, I´m impressed!

Yes, you're welcome to post your tits, too.

 

[xfire]

There is a difference between feeling depressed and sad and someone who has a clinical depression problem.

Indeed, but the treatment isn't all that different. Structure is important in both cases. Medication is necessary only to stabilize a person that has lost control of their behavior and is posing a danger to themselves or others.

 

[sexyjgirl]

There is a difference between feeling depressed and sad and someone who has a clinical depression problem. For the latter, a walk outside or seeing friends will not help. Unless you have been there, you can't understand it. Do some research about the drug and make sure you know what it is and how it works. I would recommend seeing a psychiatrist to help you get on the right medication, I wouldn't trust my primary doc for this. Make sure you have people you can talk to candidly about how you're feeling so you can discuss any side effects or problems that you may have. While I do believe antidepressants are overprescribed, there are people who genuinely need them and benefit from them. And working out regularly does help boost your mood so give that a try too!

Good advice Maggie. Good luck Nikki. I hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Bonezstorm]

You have to make yourself clear that anti-depressants won't change everything. It brings you back on the right way - if you get the right doctor (psychiatrist). But for the rest you have to walk by yourself. Make a speech therapy or talk with others (in RL) who battled with this. I am sure there are a lot of people right around the corner, who you may not know they were/are depressive.

 

[Maggie Green]

Indeed, but the treatment isn't all that different. Structure is important in both cases. Medication is necessary only to stabilize a person that has lost control of their behavior and is posing a danger to themselves or others.

You don't need to have lost control of your behavior to go on antidepressants. Not sure what you mean by that.

 

[twat36975248664224]

Hell no I've haven't used anti-depressants, I mean YOLO :suicide:


But seriously as someone that has struggled with being depressed for years its best to find something that can take your mind off thinking. Were you are just doing something but yet you aren't thinking in your head. Keeping yourself preoccupied is the best medicine also doing things as well (like building things, helping people, cleaning and etc..)

 

[xfire]

You don't need to have lost control of your behavior to go on antidepressants. Not sure what you mean by that.

Have you ever heard the term, "control your emotion or it will control you"?

 

[alkidder]

Well as someone who is currently dealing with clinical depression and has been suffering from it and anxiety in some way, shape or form over the past 12 years I can really only speak from personal experience Nikki and share it with you and everyone else.

I actually started with Paxil on a very low dosage. I found it helped keep my mood in check but I also noticed it increased my appetite and led to a significant weight gain. Graduated from High School looking huskier than I am now. Granted, I have always struggled to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle and try to overcompensate it with workout and and being active. Still I was never heavier than when I was on it. So I made the switch to Effexor and have been off and on it ever since. I was foolish enough to go off it when I felt that things were going alright and I thought I had control of my anxiety and depression. While I use to be on a fairly low dosage, I have since had to almost quadruple it to make up for the periods where I was not on it. I have been using Effexor consistently for the past 4 years which has certainly helped me get through some trying personal issues.

I found that before I went off it the very first time, it did wonders for me. In fact, it made it very difficult for me to become emotional because it chemically provided a balance to my brain that it never experienced before. Things that upset me or made me sad barely registered as a blip as I often felt more perplexed than anything else. I guess like a drug user who needs to keep taking more to reach that same high, has partially contributed to why I have such a high dosage today. Then again, everybody is naturally different so if you have been doing your homework and consulting with a medical professional and talking it over with family and friends, I am sure you will make the most appropriate decision for yourself.

Anxiety and Depression sucks. What makes it suck even more is in its darker stages, you lose sensibility and even rational thought. Can't tell you how many times I have hit that low and basically converted to what you see in the movies or hear about in the news as a person who shuts themselves away from the world wanting nothing to do with anything and anyone. Speech therapy as well as seeing a Behaviourist are certainly worthwhile ventures to consider. I have seen both and it hasn't done much for me but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a try.

I have and still have self confidence issues, coupled with the anxiety and depression. One thing it has resulted in is a selection of me emitting various vocal ticks. It's not Tourette's Syndrome since I do not exhibit any motor ticks but it does affect me prominently. When people meet me for the first time, they often tell me afterwards they never noticed it but I got a whole bunch of them that I have programmed into my central nervous system. I have just started taking medication for that to at least regulate it.

Anyways, sorry for the long and hopefully not too incoherent rambling. Good luck Nikki and hang in there.

 

[gunslingingbird]

After my mom had been in the hospital for 2 weeks after her stroke last year, the doctors wanted to put her on anti-depressants. Paxil, if I'm not mistaken. My dad just went apeshit at the very idea because he knew the side effects. As much as people knock Scientology and say what they will about it, it told him the negative effects of anti-depressants and other shit that the doctor won't tell you. That's why he was so obstinate about not having her on it.

The reason why they wanted to put her on it was a fucking joke in the first place: they said the reason why she wasn't moving much and went she had very little sensation in her extremities was because she was depressed. BULLSHIT! She had recently had a fucking STROKE, a major clinical event in her brain that caused blood to pool in part of her frontal and parietal lobes, and was, at the time, in a nearly vegetative state! How are they gonna know that someone is depressed if the person isn't even conscious?!? Eventually they explained to my dad that some of the common side effects of Paxil were things that could help her condition, so he begrudgingly agreed to a strictly monitored prescription in the lowest dose they could give her. He gave them specific instructions that she was to be taken off as soon as they determined that it wasn't working, which happened 4 weeks later.

So, yeah, that's pretty much the only real experience I have with anti-depressants. I've known a bunch of people who have taken them, and most of them have mostly negative things to say. Lori takes some shit called Trazadone (sp?) to help her sleep because normal sleeping pills wouldn't work on her due to her medical history, and she's found that she's had to increase her dosage from two pills to four pills to get the same results. I think any medication will start losing effect on the body over time because eventually the body just assimilates it and a higher dose is needed to render the same results.

Now, tell me, aren't the responses in this thread oddly similar to our text conversation from last night?

 

[SpexyAshleigh]

I take anti-depressants. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder- basically I stress and panic over every single little thing. I got diagnosed after I spent two years vomiting for weeks on end, and after being put in the hospital for dehydration...they did every test in the book to figure out the cause of my stomach issues and after discussing my anxiety/stress they were like BINGO. They put me on Cipralex (I believe its the Canadian version of Lexapro) and its totally changed my life. I've been on them for a year and a half now, and haven't had one stomach issue since. I'm calm, my anxiety levels are way down, I find myself being able to deal with stress easier and everyone who's close to me says I'm like a totally different person in a good way. I was really nervous to start on medication like this because I always prefer to take a natural approach, but honestly if I wasn't on these, I'd still be suffering. I can live my life now. I think the key is finding the medication that works for you...trial and error is important so if you're feeling like its not working for you, go back to your doctor and try something else. The side effects, especially at first can be frightening, but after the first few weeks they should lessen and then go away. I personally dealt with involuntary kicking of my legs (it was actually kind of wierd) and difficulty orgasming. Both of those went away in time though.

Anyways, if you want any more info or just want to talk about anxiety/meds, feel free to pm me!

 

[eric2136]

So lately I've been battling depression and some pretty bad anxiety. I just recently went to the doctor to figure something out and she prescribed me Paxil which is an anti-depressant and is also supposed to greatly help with the anxiety.. I've never been on an AD before but I really needed something to get me out of the way I've been feeling these last few months..

I know every person's body is different and reacts differently to different things but I'm curious to know if any of you have ever taken an anti-depressant and if so how was your experience?

Thanks guys

There is an old Rich Pryor comedy classic called "Which Way Is Up" , the title of which I think about whenever anyone mentions depression because it is relevant in so many ways to depression. In particular because depression is a resulting condition of not having an epistemology centered apon objective truth.

Think of the philosophical materpieces of the Matrix Trilogy where we first meet a depressed software engineer named NEO. He knows something is wrong but he doesn't know what it is. The story is meant to symbolize the long mental, spiritual, and physical journey toward functioning in the true reality of existance, after one embraces the first initial voluntary step of mental enlightenment (taking the red pill).

Humans naturally crave enlightenment. Denial of these cravings, conciously or subconciously, can cause depression, and many other mental and physical sicknesses resulting therefrom.

 

[bobjustbob]

We all go through shit that looks overwhelming. Some more than others. That's a part of life. Never having been on meds all I can say is do as the doctor says. Take them as prescribed and let them monitor stuff. As said above there are also things that you can do. Get your head cleared. Take a few hours to do anything that takes your mind away from your problems. Don't feel guilty, the problems will still be waiting for you when you come back.

Naturally I go play my horses. I can sink my brain into my scratch sheet and when well cleared, I can go back home and work on resolving my problems. Some have suggested exercising or walking if that's your thing. Doing crossword puzzles or catching up on your books is another way. Go a restaurant or store you always wanted to visit. Silly as it may be, but there is a place that I can play pinball. It's safe and fun. It's harmless "me time" that we all deserve.

Better thinking is done with a clear head. Find a place where you can do that. You know where that is. As far as the people around you? A couple of hours without you won't make a shit bit of difference to them. You will come back stronger than before.

 

[Alyssa Rose]

I've never been depressed, so I may not be the right person to give advice.

But try to have a positive attitude towards life, do physical exercise, because I think if the body is good it has a positive influence on the mind.

You can do it Nikki :thumbsup:

I try to stay positive but sometimes it's just out of my control.. It sucks.. For instance if my boyfriend says something about another girl like, "She's really pretty" What I take from that is, "you're really ugly." Don't ask me why, I don't know why... I know that's not what he's saying but in my head I just automatically have such negative thoughts.. it's rather annoying and I'm tired of feeling that way.

I'm not sure about the Paxil thingy Honey. It worked to a degree for me but it did things to my vision(brain). It was like I was seeing in "strobe" with flickering lights and shit. And it got worse for about 2 weeks when I quit taking it. I let my doctor know about this and he switched me to Klonopin and I don't think I have ever felt better,it worked great. So great that when I told him about it he took me off of them?? Now I take nothing. I don't get it.

That's because Klonopin is a benzodiazepine.. Which is highly addicting and habit forming.. It's basically xanax.. I didn't want anything like that because all a benzo does is MASK whats happening, not fix it.. An anti depressant helps with a chemical imbalance in the brain.. Benzos like clonipan and xanax are for extreme panic attack disorders where you need something to calm you down ASAP, I need something to just prevent the panic attacks in the first place.

I'm going to step out in a different direction, here.

Get on the fucking drugs. Anti depressants can be life changers. If you get the mix of drugs, exercise, and diet right, you'll be a changed woman. For the better.

Also, posting pictures of your completely naked tits helps.

I think I am going to start them.. I have a pretty crappy head cold right now that I'm taking robuttusin for so my coughing stops so I can't start the Paxil until after I get rid of this cold because the paxil and robuttusin have a bad interaction when taken together..
Also, maybe once I'm a bit happier and back to my old self, you might just get those pics

Good advice Maggie. Good luck Nikki. I hope you're feeling better soon.

Thanks

Hell no I've haven't used anti-depressants, I mean YOLO :suicide:


But seriously as someone that has struggled with being depressed for years its best to find something that can take your mind off thinking. Were you are just doing something but yet you aren't thinking in your head. Keeping yourself preoccupied is the best medicine also doing things as well (like building things, helping people, cleaning and etc..)

My problem is that my head is already SO preoccupied.. It never shuts off, I'm constantly thinking and at some point those thoughts turn negative which in turn causes me to become depressed..

Well as someone who is currently dealing with clinical depression and has been suffering from it and anxiety in some way, shape or form over the past 12 years I can really only speak from personal experience Nikki and share it with you and everyone else.

I actually started with Paxil on a very low dosage. I found it helped keep my mood in check but I also noticed it increased my appetite and led to a significant weight gain. Graduated from High School looking huskier than I am now. Granted, I have always struggled to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle and try to overcompensate it with workout and and being active. Still I was never heavier than when I was on it. So I made the switch to Effexor and have been off and on it ever since. I was foolish enough to go off it when I felt that things were going alright and I thought I had control of my anxiety and depression. While I use to be on a fairly low dosage, I have since had to almost quadruple it to make up for the periods where I was not on it. I have been using Effexor consistently for the past 4 years which has certainly helped me get through some trying personal issues.

I found that before I went off it the very first time, it did wonders for me. In fact, it made it very difficult for me to become emotional because it chemically provided a balance to my brain that it never experienced before. Things that upset me or made me sad barely registered as a blip as I often felt more perplexed than anything else. I guess like a drug user who needs to keep taking more to reach that same high, has partially contributed to why I have such a high dosage today. Then again, everybody is naturally different so if you have been doing your homework and consulting with a medical professional and talking it over with family and friends, I am sure you will make the most appropriate decision for yourself.

Anxiety and Depression sucks. What makes it suck even more is in its darker stages, you lose sensibility and even rational thought. Can't tell you how many times I have hit that low and basically converted to what you see in the movies or hear about in the news as a person who shuts themselves away from the world wanting nothing to do with anything and anyone. Speech therapy as well as seeing a Behaviourist are certainly worthwhile ventures to consider. I have seen both and it hasn't done much for me but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a try.

I have and still have self confidence issues, coupled with the anxiety and depression. One thing it has resulted in is a selection of me emitting various vocal ticks. It's not Tourette's Syndrome since I do not exhibit any motor ticks but it does affect me prominently. When people meet me for the first time, they often tell me afterwards they never noticed it but I got a whole bunch of them that I have programmed into my central nervous system. I have just started taking medication for that to at least regulate it.

Anyways, sorry for the long and hopefully not too incoherent rambling. Good luck Nikki and hang in there.

I expressed my concerns about the weight issues with my doctor but she said that my migraine medicine (I take topamax for severe migraines) will counteract any "cravings" the paxil brings on because it's acts kind of like an appetite suppressant.. so I just figured if my topamax cancels out the weight gain and I'm happier all the time I could have my energy back and start being more active which in turn would help with loosing weight.. So I think I am going to give it a try..

After my mom had been in the hospital for 2 weeks after her stroke last year, the doctors wanted to put her on anti-depressants. Paxil, if I'm not mistaken. My dad just went apeshit at the very idea because he knew the side effects. As much as people knock Scientology and say what they will about it, it told him the negative effects of anti-depressants and other shit that the doctor won't tell you. That's why he was so obstinate about not having her on it.

The reason why they wanted to put her on it was a fucking joke in the first place: they said the reason why she wasn't moving much and went she had very little sensation in her extremities was because she was depressed. BULLSHIT! She had recently had a fucking STROKE, a major clinical event in her brain that caused blood to pool in part of her frontal and parietal lobes, and was, at the time, in a nearly vegetative state! How are they gonna know that someone is depressed if the person isn't even conscious?!? Eventually they explained to my dad that some of the common side effects of Paxil were things that could help her condition, so he begrudgingly agreed to a strictly monitored prescription in the lowest dose they could give her. He gave them specific instructions that she was to be taken off as soon as they determined that it wasn't working, which happened 4 weeks later.

So, yeah, that's pretty much the only real experience I have with anti-depressants. I've known a bunch of people who have taken them, and most of them have mostly negative things to say. Lori takes some shit called Trazadone (sp?) to help her sleep because normal sleeping pills wouldn't work on her due to her medical history, and she's found that she's had to increase her dosage from two pills to four pills to get the same results. I think any medication will start losing effect on the body over time because eventually the body just assimilates it and a higher dose is needed to render the same results.

Now, tell me, aren't the responses in this thread oddly similar to our text conversation from last night?

Trazadone is a very strong medication, my best friend was on it for sleep and depression but even during the day she was like a zombie.. plus I hear the weight gain on that is pretty bad.. (And yes I know how you feel about it but I promise I will keep you totally updated)

I take anti-depressants. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder- basically I stress and panic over every single little thing. I got diagnosed after I spent two years vomiting for weeks on end, and after being put in the hospital for dehydration...they did every test in the book to figure out the cause of my stomach issues and after discussing my anxiety/stress they were like BINGO. They put me on Cipralex (I believe its the Canadian version of Lexapro) and its totally changed my life. I've been on them for a year and a half now, and haven't had one stomach issue since. I'm calm, my anxiety levels are way down, I find myself being able to deal with stress easier and everyone who's close to me says I'm like a totally different person in a good way. I was really nervous to start on medication like this because I always prefer to take a natural approach, but honestly if I wasn't on these, I'd still be suffering. I can live my life now. I think the key is finding the medication that works for you...trial and error is important so if you're feeling like its not working for you, go back to your doctor and try something else. The side effects, especially at first can be frightening, but after the first few weeks they should lessen and then go away. I personally dealt with involuntary kicking of my legs (it was actually kind of wierd) and difficulty orgasming. Both of those went away in time though.

Anyways, if you want any more info or just want to talk about anxiety/meds, feel free to pm me!

Thanks Spexy! I have been feeling like you did for a while now and it's just taken over my life. I stress myself out so bad and it makes me feel sick.. Glad to hear that the Lexapro is working for you! I'm definitely going to be patient and give this a try because I know it's not going to be some overnight miracle.

We all go through shit that looks overwhelming. Some more than others. That's a part of life. Never having been on meds all I can say is do as the doctor says. Take them as prescribed and let them monitor stuff. As said above there are also things that you can do. Get your head cleared. Take a few hours to do anything that takes your mind away from your problems. Don't feel guilty, the problems will still be waiting for you when you come back.

Naturally I go play my horses. I can sink my brain into my scratch sheet and when well cleared, I can go back home and work on resolving my problems. Some have suggested exercising or walking if that's your thing. Doing crossword puzzles or catching up on your books is another way. Go a restaurant or store you always wanted to visit. Silly as it may be, but there is a place that I can play pinball. It's safe and fun. It's harmless "me time" that we all deserve.

Better thinking is done with a clear head. Find a place where you can do that. You know where that is. As far as the people around you? A couple of hours without you won't make a shit bit of difference to them. You will come back stronger than before.

The thing is, I don't really have any "problems" I mean I've had problems in the past and I've been out of work for a bit but now I have a great job, an awesome boyfriend, a nice place to live, friends that love me etc etc.. It's not that I'm bombarded by problems.. I just can't feel happy.. Even though I have everything to feel happy about..
As far as going somewhere to clear my head, my head wont clear.. it is constantly on something..

 

[Kingfisher]

I take the generic Welbutrion. (Buprion). It's very mild and low dosage relative to the other meds out there.
actually asked the doctor to put me on it, not the other way around.

They had put me on buspar. Now that pill was total crap for me. It made me a mindless zombie.
The building could be on fire around me and I wouldn't care. It also made me very suggestible.

The Welbutrion though, it allowed me to calm the repetitive thought process and focus in on my work. Plus keep a level head.
I'm tons better after taking it for awhile.

I have noticed though, if push comes to shove the med will "burn off" so to speak immediately and I'll go straight for the throat with a main or kill attitude.
So I find it best to avoid situations.

I will also admit my libido increased once I was on the pill. My friend who is also on it, says the same thing.

 

[twat36975248664224]

My problem is that my head is already SO preoccupied.. It never shuts off, I'm constantly thinking and at some point those thoughts turn negative which in turn causes me to become depressed

When I start to get depressed my mind wonders to death and the fact of not being alive anymore and I'll start to go into a panic attack

 

[Mayhem]

My sister (according to her) had an entirely positive experience with Prozac. I had an entirely negative experience with Zoloft. Anti-depressants seem to be very different from each other. Something to keep in mind.

 

[rivasky]

Beer works fine for me.