Are you on an anti-depressant?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Are you on an anti-depressant?

  • Yes

    Votes: 16 25.4%
  • No

    Votes: 47 74.6%

  • Total voters
    63

zonelistener

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
May 1, 2001
Messages
14,757
Location
six convenient metro locations
I haved talked a few people who post here who currently take them or have taken them. I have a feeling there are a lot of us.

It is a poll - so it is discreet (meaning, if you don't want to talk about, you can just put an answer in the poll - it isn't an offensive thread then, I think).

I took one for a few months about two years ago, so you know.
 
I'm not, but there are times I probably should have been.
 
I was told by my doctor to go on zoloft, but I am hesitant to do so.
 
I know many people in real life who are. I think they are being overprescribed and are becoming a cover-up for taking care of what's really causing our depression in the first place. You can't medicate away your problems or misery and sometimes it only makes it worse. I have been told I need them (by these people who take them) but I'm not going on them. I'm afraid of what it would do to me.
 
Im not, but I have been previously. I was on Cipramil last year (I think its called Celexa in the USA). The Chemical Safety Officer at my work drew a little diagram to work out its construction and declared it was mostly Ecstasy with a weight on it so I didnt actually get high. Go figure. :huh:

Good stuff though. Im a believer in short term antidepressant use, where necessary :up:
 
Can we not move this to Confessionals? This area gets more traffic. Interesting thread Zoney.

I dont know if I agree with you Lilac, sorry to turn this into a debate :huh: I think we all know people on some kind of anti depressant and I couldn;t honestly say whether it is necessary or not because I am not a doctor. And I mean a doctor too. Not based on a referral from some 2 bit psychologist (no offence to psychologists) to a regular GP who then treats the symptoms. It is my understanding there are 2 types or ways of suffering depression and one is pretty much emotional, while one is clinical, being something wrong with the brain itself. No amount of counselling is going to fix a chemical imbalance. I dont know though, maybe they are over prescribed.
 
:hmm: I tend to agree that they are over prescribed
sometimes seems they are handed out like tic tacs nowadays


but - indeed - if one suffers from a chemical imbalance these anti-depressants are the only way to go
 
I was reading a good article in the newest People Magazine about this very same topic...it seems there is a closet epidemic of kids/adults being prescribed various popular anti-depressant drugs and the chemicals react badly with the person's innate/diagnosed 'problem' and the patient kills themselves.. often due to a chemical imbalance that caused the drug to actually make things worse.

I'm a fairly open person, and am not embarrassed to say that I have a chemical imbalance, too. I am not able to take some medications because of the awful way my 'chemistry' reacts to it, along with St Johns Wart that I tried once at the advisement of a doctor. Well, that created 'bad things' too.. After reading the article in People, I am so thankful that I never sought a prescription to cure my depression woes, because I don't know what would have happened to me, or what I would have done to myself, as evidenced by previous bad reactions.

I'm far better now that I made some drastic and necessary life changes to get rid of things that were prolonging my chemical imbalanced states. It's also always good to have someone around you who loves you and knows how to 'bring you back' from whatever ledge you can't pry yourself away from emotionally.
 
I've been on Zoloft since last November or October...can't remember which. I hope to be off this soon, but right now it is doing me a world of good. For a while there, I was seriously losing my will to live. Not in a suicidal way, but I just couldn't face another day feeling the way I did. To me, if I were to go on feeling like that everyday, then life wasn't worth living. I do agree that stuff like this is overprescribed, but it really does help a lot of people who need it.

P.S. Hi Jeff--remember me? :wave::mad:
 
im not on any medication or anything

but i tell you what

i am sick of psychologists though

what are they doing in there?

im too smart sometimes for them because i already KNOW what they are going to say, and i know the stuff what they are saying to me

feeling miserable is possibly a state of mind, who knows?
 
Angela Harlem said:
No amount of counselling is going to fix a chemical imbalance.

or give you the money to solve financial problems, which is the root of most of my agony, and why I'm depressed :scream:
 
I took some anti-depressants back in high school, but it only lasted a few months. I don't know if they worked, or if I experienced a lot of joy and it wore off.

I agree with so-and-so who said I prefer smoking or drinking.
 
HelloAngel said:
I was reading a good article in the newest People Magazine about this very same topic...it seems there is a closet epidemic of kids/adults being prescribed various popular anti-depressant drugs and the chemicals react badly with the person's innate/diagnosed 'problem' and the patient kills themselves.. often due to a chemical imbalance that caused the drug to actually make things worse.

I'm a fairly open person, and am not embarrassed to say that I have a chemical imbalance, too. I am not able to take some medications because of the awful way my 'chemistry' reacts to it, along with St Johns Wart that I tried once at the advisement of a doctor. Well, that created 'bad things' too.. After reading the article in People, I am so thankful that I never sought a prescription to cure my depression woes, because I don't know what would have happened to me, or what I would have done to myself, as evidenced by previous bad reactions.

I'm far better now that I made some drastic and necessary life changes to get rid of things that were prolonging my chemical imbalanced states. It's also always good to have someone around you who loves you and knows how to 'bring you back' from whatever ledge you can't pry yourself away from emotionally.

Well, I am a pharmacist and that article is not proven. They haven't done enough research on the subject. They haven't really taken into account that, well, teenagers that are on antidepressants are... depressed and pre-dispossed to suicide. As far as the St. John's Wart... it has neever been prooven to work. Herbals are sketchy anyway. The FDA does not regulate them so you don't know what you are getting. Don't take that shit. Stupid doctors!
 
I agree that anti-depressants sometimes be used as a crutch by people who don't want to deal with isses they have, which is why I think a combination of medication and counselling is usually best in most cases of depression. I can pretty confidently say, though, that I wouldn't be here if I weren't on antidepressants. I've been depressed and anxious for as long as I can remember (even as early as 3 and 4 years old). I've tried all kinds of things -- suplements, herbal remedies, prayer, exercise, diet, etc. -- over the years and though these things might be effective for some, they didn't work for me at all (and some led to bigger issues). I've been on four different kinds, and think I've finally found one that works (hopefully....I just had the dosage adjusted a couple of weeks ago). Contrary to what some people think, antidepressants don't just make you deleriously happy and forget about all your problems; they just make you more emotionally stable and more capable of dealing with those problems. If they do make you manic or spacey, you probably aren't on the right medication.
 
I've been on anti-depressants. Celexa and Wellbutrin together worked well for me. But when my prescriptions ran out because I forgot I had a doctor's appointment to have them renewed, I decided to go without them and save the $55 a month (that's with a prescription plan, BTW).

I have been feeling very sad lately and perhaps I do need them more than I wish I did. But I also have found that my mind is clearer without them. On the meds, it was like there was a thin layer of gauze over my thought process. I like the fact that the gauze has been removed.

My advice would be if your doctor prescribes this medication, at least try it. It can make a dramatic, positive difference in the way you feel. It is a wonderful feeling not to feel despondent or hopeless.
 
meegannie said:
Contrary to what some people think, antidepressants don't just make you deleriously happy and forget about all your problems; they just make you more emotionally stable and more capable of dealing with those problems. If they do make you manic or spacey, you probably aren't on the right medication.

I agree with this. I've been on medication for years now, and it is for a chemical imbalance, regarding a lack of seratoin(happy hormone) I never really had any real problems or stress(other than exam stress), but I had severe panic attacks and depression. I don't suffer any side effects, other than if I forget to take a dose, I will have a vivid dream that night.

I do believe that anti-depressants are over prescribed and often wrongly prescribed. My sis was going through a rough patch and the doctor practically threw the things at her. She refused them though, knowing through my experiences that she didn't need them.
 
gherman said:
Well, I am a pharmacist and that article is not proven. They haven't done enough research on the subject. They haven't really taken into account that, well, teenagers that are on antidepressants are... depressed and pre-dispossed to suicide. As far as the St. John's Wart... it has neever been prooven to work. Herbals are sketchy anyway. The FDA does not regulate them so you don't know what you are getting. Don't take that shit. Stupid doctors!

The prescriptions are just as sketchy, particularly when these drugs are prescribed somewhat arbitrarily and the fact that many side effects are ignored.

I take two naturals for depression: phosphatidylserine (PS), to lower cortisol (stress), and 5-HTP to boost serotonin. I was on a prescription SSRI for three days, until I could feel my adrenal glands being overworked; needless to say, it sent me manic. 5-HTP alone also sends me manic, if I take too much of it, while, in conjunction from PS, I have been completely balanced for nearly a year and a half.

And, how funny, Paxil has been under scrutiny for causing people to commit suicide, and they're clueless as to what causes it. But the evidence is staring them right in the face. Studies have shown that misdiagnosed manic-depressives on an SSRI alone get sent into a prolonged manic phase, and, while the archetype is that manic people are happy and shop a lot, it really just means that they tend to be more impulsive, and, especially if the underlying depression isn't solved, these people are more likely to "impulsively" commit suicide. I think that Paxil isn't the only drug that should be scrutinized; the entire SSRI class should be reexamined, as they all, theoretically, can send someone manic.

But psychiatrists....what the hell do they do even? I was, essentially, able to get whatever drug I wanted, if I asked. Their attitude was that it was "trial and error," and, when I brought up the issue of possibly being bipolar, they didn't think I was, because I didn't have those "archetypical" behaviors. Frankly, though, I don't think I am bipolar. I think that there is a frightening lack of research on the effects of cortisol on depression, which, in the few studies I've read, they have generally agreed that there is a possible connection; but, unless someone has full-blown Cushing's Disease, they tend to ignore it. With such a high stress society, though, I don't think this should be ignored.

That is why I am dismissive of psychiatry and skeptical on prescriptions, not necessarily that they don't work, but because they aren't even prescribed properly much of the time. And with all these "inhibitors," what if someone isn't producing enough serotonin or dopamine to begin with? But the only two substances that do either are amino acids, which aren't patentable and, thus, would be a negative development for pharmaceutical companies, if people starting using them en masse.

Melon
 
no, haven't had the need of them....... so far. Menopause is lurking somewhere in my not so distant future, I know that can be a difficult time for some women. HRT may be something I'll have to submit to, I'll have to wait and see.
I know several people who take anti-depressants. For most of them it hasn't been pleasant. Until it settles down and they get the right dosage/type, it seems to make them feel worse. Scary stuff, a lot of people are suffering, one way or another. Good luck to those who do need it.
 
I have been on antidepressants twice. The antidepressants slowed all the crap down in my head, stopped it all spinning and spinning so fast that I couldnt deal with, slowed it down so I could deal with it one piece at a time via counselling. Once I had dealt with it enough that the Drs thought I could cope I came off the drugs, and continued counselling.

The first time I was 'depressed' I spent 3 months in a psychiatric (sp?) hospital and some of the stories I heard from people - honestly I dont think they would be alive if it wasnt for their drugs. Me included.

The people on antidepressants that I know are medium to heavy duty cases. I dont anyone whos on them because of something insignificant, so I cant say whether they are overprescribed.

If it works for you, good, if your not into it, fine. A wise man once said "whatever gets you through the night". :up:
 
My family thinks I should probably seek some help, but mine comes and goes. I've been able to cope with it so far, but I can see needing medication at some point.
 
Every three or so years I need take one for six months, which my doctor says is enough time to really 'get out of it'. I wouldn't take them all the time.
 
ehhh, what the hell, i can say what i want because this is the internet, right?

anyway, i think i may have a chemical inbalance. depression and maic-depression run in my family, so i wouldn't be surprised if i had one of those. i went to counseling a couple times, but my parents' insurance didn't cover much. i should probably consider going back once everything settles down and my insurance kicks in. i was never diagnosed with anything nor was i prescribed anything, which i'm still bitter about. my dad got to take prozac and i got a little therapy. no one got the other side of it, because if it is a chemical inbalance, the drugs won't make it completely go away; you've still gotta talk to someone. adversely, talking and no meds won't help much either.
 
ehhh, what the hell, i can say what i want because this is the internet, right?

i don't know, i just spent the last hour trying to respond to this and i still cant figure out how to say what i want to say...anomyous internet or not.

i can't seem to respond to this, as much as i'd like to, without an absurd amount of swearing and pathetic attempts at jokes (at my own expense, don't worry).

:frustrated:

i'm not on anti-depressants, i've never been, but if i had sought the professional help i probably needed in 9th grade the thing i can't seem to talk about right now would be a different story. playing ultimate frisbee in high school though pretty much is responsible for me being here right now, and i owe a lot of that to my coach (yes, we had coaches. it's a legit sport!!)...and to this one album, but that's another story. it's long, it's drawn out, and it's not a lot of fun to explain.
 
Angela Harlem said:
And I mean a doctor too. Not based on a referral from some 2 bit psychologist (no offence to psychologists) to a regular GP who then treats the symptoms. It is my understanding there are 2 types or ways of suffering depression and one is pretty much emotional, while one is clinical, being something wrong with the brain itself. No amount of counselling is going to fix a chemical imbalance. I dont know though, maybe they are over prescribed.

Contrary (or maybe it's the same arguement, I'm not quite sure)...the worst thing that's happening nowadays is family GPs prescribing meds and giving counselling. THAT'S where the overprescription of meds is coming from folks...Your family GP IS trained in very basic psychotherapy and obviously, can prescribe drugs. However, psychiatrists are the only ones who know how they work and how they'll work for you--it's their job (akin to like, your grocer telling you how to build you house. It's just not right).

I knew a guy, severely depressed, massive anxiety attacks. He couldn't even sit in his car to go to work without panicing. And his family doctor told him he was a) fine b) didn't need any professional help c) gave him so arbitrary drugs. Anyway, he continued like this for over 3 years. Lost his job, etc. One day his family finally dragged him to a psychologist where he started getting the help he needed.

Keep in mind, folks, that a lot of the drugs doctors give out are the ones that've been getting promoted by the drug companies. Docs get free samples/bonuses if they prescribe them all the time.

My mom has OCD--a disease characterized by the chemical imbalance that it causes. And, while she's legions better on antidepressants, she's dozier and has less memory. That said, she's be lost if she hadn't had some kind of counselling therapy.

Really, when you have someone who's afraid to leave the house until they've checked all the light swtiches 8 times, you NEED someone to change their way of thinking and to reassure them that, hey-if you don't check that switch, nothing will happen. Really! What's the worst that will happen? Then what? You'll move on.....(Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). Psychotherapy and counselling services have their benefits too, althought they seemed to be severly dissed in this thread. Not all psychiatrists are bad doctors--there's a very negative stereotype around them. A lot of people have this impression that simply telling your problems to a stranger doesn't help--but psychologists are trained to find the meaning of the problem and to help people get through it. They're not simply just sitting there listening to people babble. No one is that well adapted that they never need advice from others--some people are lucky enough that they can seek their advice from friends and family/others need psychologists.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom