I'm trying to decide if I should try going on anti-depressants. My counsellor seems to think it may be a good idea, but we've only talked a few times (he is by and large the best counsellor I've ever had, for all three times that I've met with him) Anywho, going through my depressive phase, this one I usually get during winter (leaning towards a self diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder here), not too terrible yet but sometimes, particularly on grey days, I've been feeling really down. Like, don't want to get out of the house down. Problem is, it's kind of unpredictable. Plus, depending on the severity, some solutions will work and others won't (like going to see friends helps with milder forms, but when it hits hard it's really goddamn hard to get out of the house) So, a little random with no reliable methods of dealing with it thus far. I think that's basically why my counsellor is recommending pills for me. But they make me nervous for a few reasons. My mom has very odd biochemistry and I have similarly odd (though not as bad), and when she was on them before I was born she could barely operate normally, they clouded her mind so much. I'm worried about losing my sex drive and my creativity as well, my clarity of thought. That makes me very nervous. But I'm also really fucking sick of being unable to get out of the house, of contemplating self harm and suicide, of simply being miserable. So, I'm basically wondering what you guys think about the whole thing. No I'm not relying on you for the sole decision of medication or not, but it might be good to hear some alternative perspectives.
i'd continue talking to your councilor about taking antidepresants. tell him your concerns about taking them.. i'm in a somewhat similar situation. before leaving school (i'm taking the semester off) i talked to a councilor at school a few times. she says it might be a good idea to take some SSRI, but that i should find a councilor around my house to talk to before that. i'm not sure i want to take meds, but the councilor says i should. because i do tend to seclude myself in my room all day - its what i did at school for the 1st few days i was there, until i forced myself out to see my friends. but sometimes seeing my friends doesn't help either. it'll be great if others can give other perspectives too, this is all new to me too and i don't know what to think right now. i hope everything gets better for you ihmurria, i really do
In my opinion, medication is needed when one has trouble functioning. I have bipolar disorder and I can't function without being medicated. I develop odd thought patterns, sometimes paranoid, like people talking about me. These thoughts are very hard to shake and when I take medication, the thoughts rarely occur. Medication helps inhance my life and doesn't change my creativity, but rather changes the output. My poetry has been enhanced by medication, although I do randomly get wild creative streaks. I recommend medication to peoople who have trouble with the little things in life. Like getting out of bed in the morning, being alone, being around people, etc. Not everyone requires medication but some people do. w/o medication, I am 10 times more likely to commit suicide, which is one reason I stick to my meds. One thing is finding the right meds. The first meds fucked me up b/c the doctors misdiagnosised me. I ended up dropping out of college and going to jail. Once I got a doctor who treated me for bipolar disorder, I'm back in college and doing well. That's why it's called practicing medicine. Anywho, I hope whatever decision you make works for you. I wish you the best of luck! Peace and love
Ihmurria sweetie, if you think it will help you, then I see no harm in trying it whatsoever. Obviously you're having a difficult time right now, and sometimes chemical imbalances can be to blame, no matter how much talking you do. Just keep an open mind, discuss your thoughts with your doctor, and go from there. Hugs and healing...
In your situation, I would think medication could be a good thing. Generally, I prefer a "talk" therapy over medication when it comes to most mental health matters, but sometimes a pick-me-up is needed so things don't seem too futile. Do your best to keep an open mind when dealing with meds... sometimes they take a while to work, sometimes the side effects make things ...difficult, and it can take a few tries to find something worthwhile. I went through horrible side effects on Paxil and Zoloft, called my doc and made him call in a new prescription both times, and finally saw the light when I took Effexor. That spark was all I needed to actually apply myself and turns things around.
Well, I have to disagree with a lot of the people here. From what I have read in this post it doesn't seem like you need meds right yet. I'm not saying don't ever try them. I am an advocate for anti-depressants as they have saved my life (as well as making it a living hell at another point). I am saying that the way you describe your depression as coming and going (yes I've studied SAD, thought I had it before) and how other things can help, I think that perhaps you could benefit greater from some different environmental stimuli first. If in fact you do have SAD, I think you might fare better with the lamps. Honestly, what I did and I don't necessarily recommend and I know everyone here will jump all over me for it, but fuck it: I went to a tanning bed 2 times a week. I just went in for 15 minutes and took a little cat nap while the lights did their magic. But let me tell you how wonderful I felt afterward ever single time. Mind you tanning beds are bad for you, and I do not go to them any more, but my point is, that there are other methods besides medication that I think might be a better option to try. Are you feeling suicidal right now? I mean honestly how bad do you really preceive it to be? Is it something that perhaps a change in diet or exercise or just surroundings could help? I know people are rolling their eyes at me right now, as I used to back when I thought the only answer was meds. But it really does make a difference. And hey it is worth a shot right? I mean eating healthy and getting exercise sure can't make you worse right. Hell what do I know, I up and moved someplace where it doesn't snow, and I'm still on anti-depressants. I'm just saying if you are afraid, you have good reason to be. Some medications are really bad (I would stay completely away from Paxil I don't care if you are jumping out of a building it will make you worse) and some are just what someone needs. There are side effects to all of them, but some worse than others. Like others have said it will take time to find the right one. But just don't forget that talking to your therapist is going to help you a lot as well. You can't rely on just the medication. You still have to get things out to maybe get to the root of everything and start healing from there. And you are quite lucky to have a good counsellor. Do a little more research, that might help to ease some of your concerns. It helped me when I decided to go back on medication after being off of it for 3 years. Take care and I wish you all of the best.
im on anti-depressants and let me telll you, i was the same way, wasnt sure, felt kinda weird about it, but it makes a world of difference, it changed me, and im a lot happier
