medications for depression?

[404 Not Found]

i'm no expert either. however, from what i do know, there are psychologists/psychiatrists (forget which ones can prescribe medication) that are more apt to prescribe right off the bat. i think that in some cases, depression stems from a chemical imbalance in the brain, and in those cases medication can help restore the balance. i don't know that this is the case with the girl you mentioned though.
i agree that cases should be treated individually and that medication is not a miracle cure.

 

[melon]

There are lots of different medications, depending on the brain chemical she may be lacking. A psychiatrist would be best equipped for something like that.

Melon

------------------
"Still, I never understood the elevation of greed as a political credo. Why would anyone want to base a political programme on bottomless dissatisfaction and the impossibility of happiness? Perhaps that was its appeal: the promise of luxury that in fact promoted endless work." - Hanif Kureishi, Intimacy

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Medications for depression are, in most cases, designed for short-term use. If someone is severely depressed then they are unlikely to be able to benefit from counselling or therapy because of their depression. Therefore if they take an anti-depressant medication their depression should be alleviated enough to let them participate in counselling and so deal with the problems which are causing their depression in the first place.

However, there are also some people who need to be on anti-depressant medication long-term. There's a difference between people who are depressed simply because they're predisposed to depression, and those who are depressed because of an event or situation in their life. Both cases lead to an imbalance in brain chemistry which can be treated with medication, but in the first case it's more likely to be a long-term problem, and in the second case it's more likely that medication will only be needed for the time it takes the individual to work through what's causing the depression and learn how to cope with their depression without medication.

Sadly too many doctors don't recognise this, or find it easier or cheaper to simply prescribe an anti-depressant rather than referring someone to a counselor or therapist who will be able to help them with their depression. I completley agree with your point about treating each person as an individual, it's just that sometimes medication is necessary for that individual.

 

[zonelistener]

General practice doctors often prescribe anti-depressants (sp?). They often will prescribe it for a period of time (it usually takes a month to work). They will also suggest counseling too. It should be a two step process for mild depression.

 

[Lilly]

Originally posted by melon:

Melon

*waves* hey melon, haven't seen you in a while.

Anyhoo...yes, what zone said.

The tricky thing about medicating depression is that it first has to be diagnosed correctly. A disease of the soul? Well, sometimes. A melancholic soul is not something that should be confused with someone who actually has depression. See, there are 'happy' enzymes and 'sad' enzymes in your body that float around your cells generally keeping an equilibrium, or at least recovering within a few days. What happens with people with clinical depression is that the sad enzymes are produced in larger quantities than the happy enzyme. So, the happy enzyme is outnumbered and can't make a comeback so easily. It influences the individual to think negatively about themselves no matter how handsome or beautiful or intelligent or nice they really are. What the meds do is train the happy enzymatic cells to make more of themselves faster. With this comes an influx of happy...which is what hampers some from taking these drugs. But these drugs are for short term use and after the individual is off them, the enzymes go on like normal and everything remains in balance. This does not, however, take away the ups and downs that someone has. That's the job of counselling. Which is a very important step to take.

-end bio rant-

------------------
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel so I learned to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

 

[popkidu2]

I'm going to use part of a paper I wrote last semester on this topic as my reply, because I just wrote a paper and I can't be bothered to type anything else right now....

Went to see D.O.E. doctor, Dr. Abrahams. I told him I was depressed. He told me he was depressed. I told him that my life was meaningless, that my ambitions remained unrealized. He told me that his dream was to become the Queen?s gynecologist by the age of 44. I asked him how old he was. He told me that he was 45. Poor old git. He gave me a prescription for my depression. I asked the chemist if there were any side effects.
She said, ?Well, there?s lack of concentration. Your physical movement may be reduced. You?ll notice an increase in heart rate. There?ll possible be sweating and tremors, constipation and perhaps difficulty in urinating. Bit depressing, really, isn?t it??
I agreed with her and tore the prescription into pieces.
-Towsend - Andrian Mole: The Lost Years

Part I: Depression
Depression is an issue that all of us face at one point or another in our lives. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), seventeen million adult Americans suffer from depression in any given year (APA, 2002). It is an inevitable part of being human. Now and then everyone feels ?blue,? a general melancholy sadness that can be triggered by a multitude of possibilities: a death in the family, an alcoholic parent, failing out of school, moving to a new town, or a divorce. Central to these events or situations that trigger depression is the concept of change. At some level when we are faced with this change we feel threatened, much like anxiety. Unlike anxiety, however, depression is an act of survival.
Depression can be a healthy, normal reaction to life situations. It is a defensive maneuver that is done to maintain intrapsychic equilibrium at the expense of the external environment. Like a snail when it is picked up from a rock, the human withdraws into itself when danger appears. The depression helps to protect the individual, allows them to maintain their psyche when situations press them. Depression is an adaptation to anxiety. It cannot be present with anxiety. If a person recognizes the depression, it can serve as a signal that dealing with the anxiety is better than their current situation (Hebert, 2001).
However, clinical depression is not that simple. It can be addictive and comforting as much as it is harming. While ?normal? depression can serve a useful purpose, clinical depression becomes hostile. The individual turns against themselves, indulging in self blame. Their inability to get out of the depression is only more reason to be depressed. They see themselves as worthless, pathetic and stupid. They feel lonely and alienated from the world, and believe that no one can understand how they feel. Nothing gives them enjoyment, and even the simplest tasks require extreme effort. Often, depressed individuals feel a great sense of loss. Sometimes this loss is very real, in the case of a death of a loved one. But often this loss is not so tangible. It is as if they have lost their soul. They are filled with despair and even thoughts of suicide.
With adolescents, this feeling of loss and the grief and depression that accompany it can be very real as they move from childhood to adulthood. As they make this transition they have to give up their childhood self, but may not have established their adult self yet. This may cause them to feel empty, not knowing who or what they are anymore. They may become anxious over this issue and experience depression.
Suicide is a very real threat with depressed patients, especially adolescents. Statistics show that eighty-three percent of adolescents who completed suicide suffered from depression (Hebert, 2001). It is the eighth ranking cause of death in middle schools and the third ranking cause of death overall for children. Children and adolescents are developing their sense of self and are very vulnerable during this process. For those who suffer from depression, low self esteem, anger, grief and hurt can make suicide seem like a very attractive option.
Part II: Implications For Counseling
Assessment of suicide lethality is a key component of treating depressed clients. Counselors must be willing to engage clients in honest discussions early on about their attitudes and feelings towards suicide. One of the major issues that needs to be explored when assessing a client who may be suicidal is if they have hope. If a client has hope, then they see that there is another way out. The feelings that they have will end and they will experience a life without depression. Without hope, the client has nothing to live for. While lethality assessment and contracts are important parts of treating potentially suicidal patients, exploring the issue of hope is also extremely important.
There are a wide variety of theories about why depression occurs and how it can be treated. One of the current possibilities being investigated is that depression is at least partially a biological occurrence. There are two major theories concerning a biological cause for depression (Stahl, 1996). Both have to do with monoamine neurotransmitters in the brain. The first theory states there is a deficiency of these neurotransmitters, the second believes that the receptors for the monoamine neurotransmitters do not function normally. Current anti-depressants work to either boost the number of monoamine neurotransmitters, or work to overcome the abnormal functioning of the monoamine neurotransmitter receptors.
There seems to be evidence that anti-depressants do help to relieve symptoms of depression. Two-thirds of all patients put on anti-depressants respond positively (Stahl, 1996). However, many feel that any use of anti-depressants should be integrated with other forms of treatment. Kraus (1990) examines the three major treatment styles for depression (psychodynamic, interpersonal, and cognitive/behavioral) and suggests ways for integrating any medication in with the treatment. One of the major advantages that Kraus sees to combining traditional forms of therapy and medication is that it will make the client more engaged in the therapeutic process by reducing their anger and apathy.
If treatment for depression is moving towards a more integrated approach, what does that mean for the therapist? At what point does medication become a part of a patient?s treatment plan? How can medication be seen as an adjunct to the therapy, and not the solution to the depression?
These are only a few of the issues that therapists will face as anti-depressants become more and more popular for treating depression. Like Ritalin and ADHD, anti-depressants may be used like band-aids, covering up wounds without ever allowing clients to properly understand their depression.
As Martin notes in his book The Zen Path Through Depression, ?We create many problems for ourselves in depression through our efforts to beat it back or manage it. But if we instead make an effort to simply be aware, to simply watch it, rather than fighting or giving in to it, we may find the peace, energy, and joy that lie just behind it (Martin, 1999).?
Depression is not an easy disorder to recover from. It is a long process for a client to reach a point when the are able to, as Martin puts it, ?...to simply be aware, to simply watch it, rather than fighting or giving in to it...(Martin, 1999).? This requires the client to be able to step outside of their experience for a moment, to see what they are doing clearly. Once they are able to understand their depression, what role they play in the depression and what purpose it serves, only then can they make a conscious choice to find better ways to handle their problems.

 

[pax]

And what about self-medicating depression? Specifically I am thinking of St. John's Wort; has anyone here tried it?

I know that my mom had clinical depression for years; she was in the hospital a few times because she tried to kill herself. Thankfully, she got the help she needed and has been off meds now for a few years. But she was on everything in the book at different turns: Prozac, Depakote, Paxil, Lithium...

------------------
Well, the God I believe in isn't short on cash, mister. --Bono

But a day will come
In this dawning age
When an honest man
Sees an honest wage.
--The Edge

 

[BabyGrace]

I'll start out by saying I know very little about the world of medicine, or psychology. I do feel however from friends, and from some reading I've been doing, that medications are way overused in treating depression.

There are some cases of more acute mental disease where no other options are really available I suppose, but I believe depression, in most cases, is like a disease of the soul, and in each person the causes are perhaps similar, but the situations are very unique. So wouldn't it make more sense to treat each person as an individual? I guess that is done with counseling, but I look at the way they've put this girl I know straight on medication, and there's nothing wrong with her...she's just painfully shy, and because of the horrible way kids treat her she has trouble dealing with everyday situations. I don't think she should be on medication. I think she should be moved to an environment where she can learn to cope and then perhaps gradually she can try tackling normal things again.

I don't know, this question may be incredibly stupid, but as I said, I am not knowledgable in these areas. There is just a lot about the mental condition of people that fascinates (and scares) me.

 

[BabyGrace]

wow thanks popkid. I was hoping you'd come around since you know a lot about this stuff. I guess you pretty much explained a lot of what I wanted to know. The reason I'm worried about this girl is because she was quiet and reserved before, but now that she is on medication, she's totally apathetic. She just sits there and stares, and it's really worrying to see something like that. I wish I could help her but she doesn't let people reach out to her, and she's also a good three years younger than me, so I'm leaving pretty soon and I will probably never see her again. I don't know much about her background except that her family is intact, though her mother is extremely overprotective, and she is continuously abuse by kids who make fun of her. It's horrible.

lol Lilly, Bio really has a tendency to do that to you doesn't it?? a year later and I'm still explaining all this ridiculous stuff to people too! what I meant by a disease of the soul was melancholy, you know what teenagers get, but long term. I think popkid did a great job of explaining that about the change thing.

anyway, I've also been reading literature that deals with depression (Sylvia Plath's stuff as I've said elsewhere) and it's really making me question my own normal bouts with depression and the more serious clinical depression I see in some kids around me. I just feel like it's a problem we could solve (not get rid of but learn to deal with) if we learn enough about it (says she who knows nothing about it whatsoever

)
anyway, thanks again guys.

 

[Not George Lucas]

I've been on medication for depression since 1993, I believe, and I'm a much better person for it. Depression isn't as mental as you'd think. While it does effect the mind and can be caused or triggered by mental anguish or other such things, the disease itself is very much physical, and it should be treated as such. I'm not saying psychotherapy is useless, of course. I think psychotherapy is very important, but it's not the only thing there is.

The most prominant argument that I've encountered against medication for depression is that it somehow changes a person, that a person becomes someone else and loses a part of his or her identity. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Depression is an illness, not a personality trait. It's like saying you don't want treatment for your diabetes because a diabetic is what you are, and you don't want to change that. The truth is that medication is helpful. I'm living proof. Without medication, I assure you, I would be dead right now.

------------------

Truth is offensive.
I'm morally opposed to rape, and I would never rape anyone, but I think, ultimately, it's up to the rapist and no one else.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I completely understand what BabyGrace is saying about her friend's apathy. Here's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 16. I had stopped eating, I felt nauseous all the time, I hated being around people, I refused to be social, and I was pretty much miserable. After seeing several doctors, a pediatrician told my parents, not me, that I had depression. Next thing I know, here, take this pill. You've got to start eating again. (disclaimer: I did not have an eating disorder, I just stopped eating. You know how it is when you are really stressed and upset...no appetite.)

Anyway, here I am on this medicine because my parents are forcing me to take it. I start my junior year of high school at a boarding school for academically advanced kids. No therapy, no more doctors visits, just keep taking the drugs until...? I started eating again, but that was the only thing the medicine did for me. It also got rid of my mood swings, which was awful. I didn't feel sad, but I never felt happy either--total apathy. My grades went from As to Ds and Fs. Not to mention all the cool side effects, like not being able to pee, for instance. I got to the point where I would take anything sharp and stab myself with it just so I could feel something. Needless to say, this caught the attention of my dorm-mates, and finally the school authorities. I was sent to therapy and had some very useful sessions with a doctor who talked to me and really seemed to care. He ordered me off the medicine, saying I didn't need it. What I needed was to address a nagging problem I'd grown up with, in addition to learning some ways of reducing my stress.

Coming off the medicine was absolute hell. My body felt disgusting and achy. There were nights where I never slept because I was so nauseous. I'd just lay there, listening to my walkman, praying to live and hoping to die at the same time. Once I was over the medicine (it took about three months, after being on it for about 12 months), life as a high schooler was way more fun, I had less stress, and things were as "normal" as high school life can be for a teenager.

Why, you ask, am I drudging up my personal life for all to see? To make a point. When I was diagnosed, the solution was to throw some drugs down the hatch and everything would work itself out. Only after talking to a professional psychiatrist did things work themselves out, and only after things got a thousand percent worse. Now that I'm a pretty well-adjusted adult, I'm always curious to learn more about the medicine I was on. The last article I read pretty much confirmed what I suspected, namely that no one is really sure how the serotonin-enhancing drugs work their magic, the long, long term effects are not fully known, and way too many people are taking them for problems that could probably best be solved otherwise.

Looking back at what I've written, I hesitate to post this stuff, but I think people should consider that anti-depressants are not the miracle drugs that many people believe them to be. During graduate school, when I was really having a tough time, my mother-in-law, among other people, suggested that I go see a doctor and get on "one of those new anti-depressants." Just like that! My mother-in-law takes them for menopause, by the way. Needless to say, I'll stick with yoga, U2 music, and the occasional dose of counseling to help me deal with whatever life or my body throws at me.

Hope all this blabbering is useful to someone. It just pains me to see or hear about other people who might be in the same situation I was.

 

[popkidu2]

Originally posted by Not George Lucas:
I've been on medication for depression since 1993, I believe, and I'm a much better person for it. Depression isn't as mental as you'd think. While it does effect the mind and can be caused or triggered by mental anguish or other such things, the disease itself is very much physical, and it should be treated as such. I'm not saying psychotherapy is useless, of course. I think psychotherapy is very important, but it's not the only thing there is.

The most prominant argument that I've encountered against medication for depression is that it somehow changes a person, that a person becomes someone else and loses a part of his or her identity. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Depression is an illness, not a personality trait. It's like saying you don't want treatment for your diabetes because a diabetic is what you are, and you don't want to change that. The truth is that medication is helpful. I'm living proof. Without medication, I assure you, I would be dead right now.

Don't get me wrong George....I'm on Zoloft myself.

I do not for one moment discount the power that medication can have, but there is a tendancy to just throw drugs at people and not get at the real issue.

I was having a conversation with one of my teachers recently who is a school/child psychologist. He was recounting stories about physicians who prescribe Ritilan and Anxiety/Depression medication without having the kids diagnosed. And this isn't an isolated case, it happens all the time.

No two people is the same. Each individual responds to treatment differently.

 

[popkidu2]

For those who are interested....

Here's the conclusion to that paper (The paper was on Anxiety, Depression, Nurosis and Implications for Counseling). I've also included the bibiography if anyone is interested in reading some of the professional literature...

There is an image of a man in a cell. He stands at one end of this small, dark, barren room, on his toes, with arms stretched upward, hands grasping for support onto a small, barred window, the room?s only apparent source of light. If he holds on tight, straining toward the window, turning his head just so, he can see a bit of bright sunlight barely visible between the uppermost bars. This light is his only hope. He will not risk losing it. And so he continues to strain toward that bit of light, holding tightly to the bars. So committed is his effort not to lose sight of that glimmer of life-giving light, that it never occurs to him to let go and explore the darkness of the rest of the cell. So it is that he never discovers that the door at the other end of the cell is open, that he is free. He has always been free to walk out into the brightness of the day, if only he would let go (Kopp, 1981).

Conclusion
This image, so profound, is an excellent image of the client who walks into the room seeking answers. Whatever the problem, the issue, they expect the therapist to ?fix? it, to wave their magical wand over them and take away those things that distress them. Like the man in the cell, the client is desperate and afraid. Their pathology is the sliver of light that they hold onto. Unable to control the anxiety and fear that exists within them, they have retreated behind neuroses in hopes of controlling the world around them. Seeking shelter, they have hidden themselves in depression, waiting for safety. So fixated on survival, on simply keeping afloat, the client is unable to see that the very thing they wish to escape, the fear and anxiety, is only furthered by their current behavior. What they are unable and unwilling to see is the fact that those things that evoke anxiety in them cannot be left behind. The darkness of the room has to be explored. Somewhere on the other side of that room, beyond their fears, is a door waiting to be walked through. Tell the client this and they will not believe you, will not trust you to walk with them as they explore the room, searching for that door. Only through trust, encouragement and perseverance can you finally convince the client to let go, to feel safe enough to examine the darkness that haunts them. Never is it the role of the therapist to tell the client ?There, right there is the door. Walk through it, go on!? Not only is it a fruitless endeavor, but also counterproductive to the therapeutic journey. The client must find that door themselves. Giving the client the ?answers? means nothing because without actually experiencing the self-discovery, the client cannot fully understand what is happening.
The client-counselor relationship is paramount to the success of any therapy. Carl Rogers understood the important of this relationship. ?If I [the therapist] can provide a certain type of relationship, the other person will discover within himself the capacity to use that relationship for growth, and change and personal development will occur (Rogers, 1961).?
For Rogers, a positive relationship marked by genuineness and empathy on the part of the therapist was the key to a successful outcome in counseling. If he was able to be with the client, to truly understand what the client was feeling, to create an atmosphere of realness in the relationship, and to sit with the client without judging, only then could self exploration take place. By being genuine with the client, Rogers felt the therapist could create a situation where the client would be willing to be real with themselves. Every individual has the innate drive to move forward, to be growth orientated, to seek self actualization. As Rogers notes, ?This tendency [towards self-actualization] may become deeply buried under layer after layer of encrusted psychological defenses; it may be hidden behind elaborate facades which deny its existence; but it is my belief that it exists in every individual, and awaits only the proper conditions to be released and expressed (Rogers, 1961).?
The view that it is not the role of the therapist to give the answers to the client, to fix their problems, is nothing new. ?We do not change or fix,? writes Diane Shainburg, ?but over time get to know the patient as he actually is and lives. In this way, we facilitate his getting to know himself more clearly, at which time he feels increasingly ready to change (Shainburg, 1983).?
When a client comes to us for help they are scared. They may not appear scared, but they are. The last thing they want to do is look inside at themselves and see themselves for what they really are. They will beg and plead and fight to get the therapist to support their view of the world. Sometimes they will even walk away when the therapist does not succumb to their demands. We must always remember, whether the client suffers from depression, a neurosis, or some other disorder, is that they are suffering inside. They are unable to deal with the challenges that we all face in life. They do not see the world as it actually is, but as they think it is. Their view of both the world around them and their own self is distorted. As therapists it is our role to help them to readjust their view of the world, to see things more clearly, and to help them realize all the things they can accomplish if they would simply let go and experience life.


Bibliography
APA. (2002). How Psychotherapy Helps People Recover From Depression. http://www.helping.apa.org/therapy/depression.html

APA. (2000). Diagnostic & Statistical Manual IV Text Revision. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

Barrett, P. M., Dadds, M. R., & Rapee, R. M. (1996). Family Treatment of Childhood Anxiety: A Controlled Trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 64(2), 333-342.

Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression. Causes and Treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Bryson, B. (1998). A Walk In The Woods. New York: Broadway Books.

Chambless, D. L., & Gillis, M. M. (1993). Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 61(2), 248-260.

Coelho, P. (1998). The Alchemist. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.

Fong, M. L., & Silien, K. A. (1999). Assessment and Diagnosis of DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders. Journal of Counseling and Development. 77, 209-217.

Frankl, V. E. (1984). Man?s Search For Meaning. New York: Washington Square Press.

Gabbard, G. O., & Kay, J. (2001). The Fate of Integrated Treatment: Whatever Happened to the Biopsychosocial Psychiatrist? The American Journal of Psychiatry. 158(12), 1956-1963.

Hebert, D. J. (2001). Lecture Notes: EDUC 924. Durham: University of New Hampshire.

Horney, K. (1991). Neurosis and Human Growth. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.

Karen, R. (1998). Becoming Attached. New York: Oxford University Press.

Karasu, B. T. (1990). Toward a Clinical Model of Psychotherapy for Depression, I: Systematic Comparison of Three Psychotherapies. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(2), 133-146.

Karasu, B. T. (1990). Toward a Clinical Model of Psychotherapy for Depression II: An Integrative and Selective Treatment Approach. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(3), 269-278.

Kopp, S. B. (1981). If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him! New York: Bantam Books.

Lee, R. M. & Robbins, S. B. The Relationship Between Social Connectedness and Anxiety, Self-Esteem, and Social Identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 45(3), 338-345.

Leonard, M. (1997). A New Way To Make Children Feel Better. The Boston Globe. 25 May.

Liggan, D. Y., & Lehrer, D. S. (1999). Integrating Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy in the Treatment of Anxiety. Chapter in Vandecreek, L, & Jackson, T. L., Eds. (pp. 33-47). Innovations in Clinical Practice: A Source Book. Volume 17. Sarasota: Professional Resource Press.

Martin, P. (1999). The Zen Path Through Depression. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.

Papolos, D., & Papolos, J. (1997). Overcoming Depression. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.

Rogers, C. (1995). On Becoming A Person. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Schreiber, F. R. (1973). Sybil. New York: Warner Books, Inc.

Schulte, J. J. Jr. (1998). Integrating Psychotherapy and Pharmacological Treatment of Depression. Chapter in Vandecreek, L., Knapp, S., & Jackson, T. L., Eds. (pp. 5- 15). Innovations in Clinical Practice: A Source Book. Volume 16. Sarasota: Professional Resource Press.

Shainberg, D. (1985). Teaching Therapists How to Be With Their Clients. Chapter in Welwood, J., Ed. (pp. 163-175). Awakening The Heart. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Stahl, S. M. (1999). Essential Psychopharmacology. New York: Cambridge Press.

U2. (1991). Achtung Baby. Chappell & Co. (ASCAP).

White, J. R. (2000). Introduction. Chapter in White, J. R., & Freeman, A. S. (pp. 3-17). Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy For Specific Problems and Populations. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

 

[U2002revolution!]

i'm on Paxil actually.....for depression & social stuff (i'm really not that shy, atleast like i used to be). Its weird 'cause sometimes its like WHY exactly do I feel this way? & i just need to "snap outta it" & then other times i feel like everything & anything is wrong and whats the point of living and then i come to the conclusion there is none.
alot of times its like, damn, why can't i just be "normal"
.....its a weird feeling. i rather not be on the meds but my dad wants it and the doc recommends it so i say whatever. i'm just tired of dealing w/ it.
life is ok right now. but i'm scared of the future. . .
i'm comfortable in the place i am right now and the ppl around me and i don't want to lose contact w/ them, they have gotten thru to me and help alot (two teachers particularily)

------------------
' I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name. . .'
.:. U2: Rock's Unbreakable Heart!

Love is...cold steel/Fingers too numb to feel/Squeeze the handle/Blow out the candle
Love is blindness.../A little death/Without mourning/No call/And no warning...

I dreamed of different times, and tried to find my way
Ooooh all the darkest lies, cloud my world today
I'm not unbreakable, although I might pretend
It's not unthinkable that I could feel again

[Thanks Coach P]

....i have a long sig just to piss you off!...

[This message has been edited by U2002revolution! (edited 05-16-2002).]

 

[senrab]

I'm on Paxil too for exactly the same reasons as you mentioned. I have been on it for 3 years, but only recently has my dosage changed (increase). The side effects are a pain, but I hope it is beginning to work.

I do not believe any of these medications for emotional/psychological difficulties are silver bullets, but they do help in giving you that "push" to get over the hump.

Originally posted by U2002revolution!:
i'm on Paxil actually.....for depression & social stuff (i'm really not that shy, atleast like i used to be). Its weird 'cause sometimes its like WHY exactly do I feel this way? & i just need to "snap outta it" & then other times i feel like everything & anything is wrong and whats the point of living and then i come to the conclusion there is none.
alot of times its like, damn, why can't i just be "normal"
.....its a weird feeling. i rather not be on the meds but my dad wants it and the doc recommends it so i say whatever. i'm just tired of dealing w/ it.
life is ok right now. but i'm scared of the future. . .
i'm comfortable in the place i am right now and the ppl around me and i don't want to lose contact w/ them, they have gotten thru to me and help alot (two teachers particularily)

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

Originally posted by paxetaurora:
And what about self-medicating depression? Specifically I am thinking of St. John's Wort; has anyone here tried it?

I have tried St Johns Wort but I didn;t really think it made a difference for me. It make the Pill ineffective ladies so use caution if you are taking it.

Mental illness runs in my family. My grandma was given electro shock therapy because she was diagnosed with a cronic pain disorder that doctors could not find the source of. She was also depressed because no one believed her pain was real. The EST helped a little. She also tried a number of other drugs.
My mother has clinical depression. She let it get so bad that she became a manic depressive. I hated her for not wanting to get help for herself. Finally my father got a recommendation from a coworker and made an appointment for her. Her doctor could not believe she was on such a low dose of antidepressants. Since she's started seeing him she's gotten better. Her manic episodes has ceased and she takes her medication as perscribed. I think she has to take the medication for the long haul because of genetic issues, I don't really know though.
I am terrified this will happen to me. I've been depressed but not abnormally. Like I said above I've tried St Johns Wort and it didn't work for me but others swear by it. I wouldn't be opposed to taking some sort of medication if I needed it though.

 

[Diane L]

Late last year, I was diagnosed with "double depression." That meant that I had developed a full-blown depression on top of a low-grade depression that had already existed.

I was on Prozac at first, but it made me do impulsive things, i.e., quit a job. Granted, the job had gone from bad to worse within a few months, but still...! I was switched to Celexa, and I have found that this medication works far, far better for me. I am far more patient, say, when waiting on a line...life's little annoyances don't bother me as much. And I'm happy to report that, contrary to popular belief, I can still experience great highs in my mood. I'd heard this type of medication kept you from experiencing highs as well as lows, but I haven't found that.

I am also in therapy. I have a wonderful therapist who really is helping me a lot. Next week I am switching into a group therapy session. I still have my depressive moments, but they are easier to overcome than without the meds.

The one thing people really have to watch out for on meds is that you don't get too much distance from life. It's been explained to me that anti-depressants help you get a little distance, so you can more easily look at your problems objectively and figure out how to solve them. I've known people who have gotten too much distance from meds, and who live in a happy little fantasy world while their real world is a disaster. I've asked my friends and family to let me know if I seem to be acting this way, and so far, I seem to function okay in the real world.

Anti-depressant medication might not be for everyone, but I know it's helped me.

 

[BabyGrace]

gosh I didn't expect this much or these personal stories, thank you guys for having the courage to share all of that. From what I read about your personal experiences, the scenario is really very different for every person. It is just something I have an interest in, probably because I am afraid of depression myself, and the way that you become so emtionally involved in it that it has a way of screwing up the facts.

but thank you all of you, that probably took a lot of guts for some of you.

 

[Discoteque]

BG, I'm not trying to push drugs here, honestly...but after months of thinking I was literally going insane, and changing my diet, exercising, using sleeping pills, St. John's wort, etc., nothing worked. I know depression runs in my family, and I knew I wasn't 'myself' and needed help. My Dr. put me on a very low dosage of Zoloft and I CAN'T TELL YOU what a relief it has been. I'm back to my former self: more 'even keeled', happier, more stable, less anxious, less stressed out, less WACKED OUT, I don't cry at the drop of a hat, little things don't upset me any more....it's been a Godsend. I have absolutely no side effects from the stuff either...even my family has noticed the difference.

Don't jump right into anything immediately, but talk to your doctor in depth about how you are feeling and what might be right for YOU. Godspeed! (((hugs)))

 

[whammy]

My father was a manic-depressant resulting from his tour in Vietnam.

The V.A. (Veterans Administration) had him on Thorazine and Lithium for over 20 years.

He passed away in '96 at the age of 46. His death resulted from heart failure but he had chronic cirrhosis of the liver.

He was not a drinker.

What am I trying to say?

Our livers are filters for all the impurities we put in our bodies. I know that the medications they use these days for Depression are less harsh on the liver but,.......I would do some investigating!




[This message has been edited by whammy (edited 05-21-2002).]

 

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

Originally posted by FizzingWhizzbees:
Medications for depression are, in most cases, designed for short-term use

My mom has OCD and depression. She wasn't herself. Things gradually started slipping away...her job, daily chores, etc. Celexa brought her back somewhat. It gave her less anxiety.

Unfortunately, the doctordoesn't think that she'll be able to function w/out it. She tried Prozac but it made her moody and anxious. Her medication IS NOT for short term use...not if she wants to function like a normal person. She attends counselling twice a week, but not everything can be corrected by talking to a psychiatrist. Talking will never make my mother stop having teh urge to check things over and over.

While I hate taking medications...and hate long term use, Ithink that this is the only solution. Some people can clearlynot function without them. Trust me. It's very easy to say "Stop taking those. Just live with it," but I've seen it tear someone apart...driving them insane.

Medications are used to treat diseases.

 

[meriphew]

If I were someone who was habitually depressed, I would rather make DRASTIC changes to my lifestyle, and to my spiritual state, before I resorted to being medicated 24/7.

 

[Bonochick]

I suffered with depression for a long time. It seems I've finally gotten things on the right track though. I never got meds though. I know some folks on meds, and it just fucked them up even worse.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

While I hate taking medications...and hate long term use, Ithink that this is the only solution. Some people can clearlynot function without them. Trust me. It's very easy to say "Stop taking those. Just live with it," but I've seen it tear someone apart...driving them insane.

Medications are used to treat diseases.

I know that - it's why I said "in most cases" anti-depressants are designed for short-term use. I take long-term medication myself so I'm definitely not about to tell anyone else to stop taking their medication.

I was commenting on the tendency of some doctors to give patients who are depressed a prescription for anti-depressants and just keep giving them a repeat of that prescription every month for year after year, instead of taking the trouble to get them the help they actually need - ie counselling, referal to a doctor specifically trained to deal with their problems, and yes, in some cases, long-term anti-depressant or other psychiatric medications.

 

[Klodomir]

If I were someone who was habitually depressed, I would rather make DRASTIC changes to my lifestyle, and to my spiritual state, before I resorted to being medicated 24/7.

That's a nice idea, but one of the problems with depression is that it tends to render one unable to make such changes until the condition is treated successfully.