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I was wondering if I should try taking a doctor prescribed anti-depressant until I have some more of the program to build on. I try to stay away from prescribed drugs when possible but I'm feeling really down and it's starting to affect me physically and spiritually. Any experience anyone can share?
I have taken them off and on. They really helped me out during my divorce because I was just falling apart. That was not good for my career or for my relationship with my daughter. However...I still do not like taking the drugs. They make me feel blah and they cause sexual dysfunction and apathy. I tend to tolerate more crap from others than I would normally while on anti-depressants. So...I just quit taking them this month. I feel a little down now and then but at least I can feel again and I am making decisions that I was not able to make while on the drugs. Like dumping a boyfriend who was not treating me with the respect I know I deserve.
I have tried a few anti dep. they work for the short term but you still need to develope coping skills. Once you come off them all the same problems are still there. therapy i found work the best for me.
Know that it's okay to ask for help if you need it. Years ago, a single mom with four sons under the age of twelve. I had so child support, I didn't even realize I was slipping into depression. I was a bartender, I worked from 3 til 3, then slept, got done what I could when I could, but I was miserable. When I went to my doctor he asked me "why did you wait soooo long?" I told him, I thought I could do it all....LOL he smiled and assured me that just because I needed a prescription now didn't mean I had to take it for the rest of my life. They have helped me when I needed it the most. Hang in there, remember if you don't take care of you....who will?
I have been on an antidepressant for about six months. It has helped me tremendously.
I started taking it after I broke up with my boyfriend. My therapist had been recommending it to me for months, but I was very hesistant. My boyfriend was drinking to cover up his feelings, and I was so against that. But, it was okay for me to take a pill to make me feel better?
I read a lot and learned all about seratonin deficiencies in your body. I am on a low dose, and it has done wonders for my depression and anxiety.
I was also worried that I should be in the program for a while before starting medication. I found that the medicine helps me concentrate and focus on what I need to do (not obsess about other things) which has actually helped me grow and learn in Al Anon.
I just wanted to add that some anti-dperessants do not cause weight gain and sexual dysfunction like others... Wellbutrin is one that does not. Speak to your doctor. I have been prescribed medication for my anxiety. It helps me tremendously. Unlike an anti-depressant, I do not have to take it everyday only when needed.
Medication is only a part of the solution, however. It will assist you in dealing with things better. I firmly beleive that medication should not be taken without therapy. Just my opinion.
I am a firm believer in anti-depressants for those that need them...including me. I actually went on meds about a week prior to joining Al-Anon. I also believe wholeheartedly that you should be in therapy of some kind while on the meds or at least until you learn new coping skills (i.e. Al-Anon) I used to feel like such a loser because I needed "drugs" to function when others "seemed" to deal with "so much worse" than me. What I have come to understand is that, for me at least, taking this medication is no different than the insulin I take for my diabetes. I have clinical depression and I have diabetes I am extremely lucky that both of these can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes( i.e. Al-Anon). No they are not a cure but they enable me to continue on my journey of recovery and that is my purpose in life right now.
It is an individual decision and no two people are alike. Also remember that you are not obligated to do anything and you are not obligated to remain on the meds forever. However also keep in mind that no one should stop taking anti-depressants without a physician's approval. In most cases you need to be weaned off. Stopping cold turkey can be dangerous.
I'm a little biased on this subject. My wife who's an addict, took different kinds of these for many years. She thought that they helped her, but what they really did was numb out her true feelings and helped her cope with things using a mood altering drug.
If you start taking them, you will be more likely to continue taking them for a long period of your life. When you do try and stop taking them, the effects will be worse, due to the physical and mental addiction that will follow. When you start feeling true feelings again, it will be overwhelming. Then you will have to re-learn how to deal with real life situations again without numbing out the feelings.
All drugs have side effects. Each person will have at least one in some shape or form.
Like I said, I'm biased on this subject. Seeing what prescription drugs have done to my wife is obscene.
I truly wish you the best of luck. I hate to be the negative one. But I have seen the effects of such drugs.
i have been on antidepressants for four years. i have clinical depression so i have to take them. the ones im on have no side effects and never have. they are very low dose. and i want to say loud and clear THEY DONT STOP YOU FROM FEELING. i have tons of emotions. it just levels out the chemical imbalance i have. i dont get as depressed or anxious as i was before. it just makes the little things that used to overwhelm me so much not matter so much anymore.
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stay in the now...dont look forward, dont look back....your life is what you make of it
