My psychiatrist prescribed Buproprion/wellbutrin to help with my depression and lack of motivation. I've been slacking in college and my depression has been getting increasingly concerning.. My therapist and psychiatrist are both recommending I start taking antidepressants, but I'm hesitant. I've been starting to use other forms of therapy like exercise and meditation, which have definitely been helping- I'd like to see how these help me instead.
I'm a bit scared of antidepressants- I'm not against them but I don't fully understand how they would help cure my depression? I worry that as soon as I get off of them I'll just be depressed again and then I won't have made much progress. Also, I know my depression is situational and not genetically passed/chronic- so I can take the antidepressants but if my current living conditions don't change, I don't know how much they can really help.
Maybe I'm speaking out of ignorance but I guess that's why I'm asking for input.
Does anyone have any advice or insight? Thanks!
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" Along with psychotherapy, antidepressants are a common treatment for depression. Four out of 10 people treated with antidepressants improve with the first one they try. If the first antidepressant medication doesn’t help, the second or third often will. Most people eventually find one that works for them. Yet many people who could benefit from an antidepressant never try one, often because of fears about them, experts say.
Here are eight common fears about antidepressants, as well as facts that can help you and your doctor decide if an antidepressant is right for you.
1. Fear:Antidepressants make you forget your problems rather than deal with them.
Fact: Antidepressants can’t make you forget your problems, but they may make it easier for you to deal with them. Being depressed can distort your perception of your problems and sap you of the energy to address difficult issues. Many therapists report that when their patients take antidepressants, it helps them make more progress in psychotherapy.
2. Fear: Antidepressants change your personality or turn you into a zombie.
Fact: When taken correctly, antidepressants will not change your personality. They will help you feel like yourself again and return to your previous level of functioning. (If a person who isn’t depressed takes antidepressants, they do not improve that person’s mood or functioning - it's not a "happy pill.") Rarely, people experience apathy or loss of emotions while on certain antidepressants. When this happens, lowering the dose or switching to a different antidepressant may help.
3. Fear: Taking an antidepressant will make me gain weight.
Fact: Like all drugs, antidepressants have side effects, and weight gain can be a common one of many of them. Some antidepressants may be more likely than others to cause weight gain; others may actually cause you to lose some weight. If this is a concern, talk with your doctor.
4. Fear: If I start taking antidepressants, I’ll have to take them for the rest of my life.
Fact: Most people who take antidepressants for a first-time episode of depression need to take them continuously for six to nine months, not necessarily a lifetime. Once an antidepressant gets depression under control, you should work with your doctor to decide when to stop your medication and then decrease your dose gradually. Discontinuing them suddenly may cause problems such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
5. Fear: Antidepressants will destroy my sex life.
Fact: Some antidepressants can have an effect on sex. The problem is usually in having an orgasm rather than a lack of desire. But because depression itself decreases libido, a medication that eases depression may improve your sex life. As with other side effects, certain antidepressants may be more likely than others to cause sexual problems.
6. Fear: Antidepressants are expensive and aren’t covered by insurance.
Fact: Antidepressants are usually covered by insurance plans with prescription drug coverage. The cost of antidepressants varies widely, depending on the dosage, the drug you are taking, and whether it is available as a generic. Even without insurance coverage, it is possible to purchase a generic antidepressant for as little as $4 per month.
7. Fear: Taking an antidepressant is a sign of weakness.
Fact: Like medical conditions such as diabetes or high cholesterol, major depression is a condition that often responds to medication. When depression interferes with your ability to function normally, seeking treatment is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of good self-care.
8. Fear: Antidepressants increase the risk of suicide.
Fact: Studies in recent years have raised concerns that antidepressants may raise the risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors (but not deaths) among children, adolescents, and young adults. For example, a 2009 review in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at 372 studies involving nearly 100,000 people who were taking antidepressants. It found that compared to placebo, antidepressants were associated with a slightly higher risk for suicidal thoughts in some children and young adults, have no effect on suicide risk among those 25 to 64, and reduce the risk in those 65 and older.
In 2004, the FDA required manufacturers of antidepressants to revise their labels to include a boxed warning statement about these risks.
Other studies paint a different picture. A 2006 study published in PLoS Medicine suggests that antidepressants have saved thousands of lives. Data show that the U.S. suicide rate held fairly steady for 15 years before the popular antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) was sold and then dropped steadily over 14 years while sales of Prozac rose. The strongest effect was among women.
The bottom line: Regardless of your age or sex, it’s important to see a doctor immediately if you have suicidal thoughts or other significant symptoms of clinical depression."
First of all, good for you for trying different things to help you feel better. Secondly, if you don't see enough of a "lift", from natural mood enhancers (ie. exercise) then consider the wellbutrin as a "jump start" to your mood so you can try it and after 3-6mo you drop it. It's supposed to help patients 60%. At least that's what my doctor tells me. I too am taking the same thing and it DID help, however, I'm still in need of that extra 40%. My case IS genetics so consider yourself lucky. Your situation is only temporary and so is your living situation. Best of luck.
I take wellbutrons everyday and it's not going to cure your depression the way I see it is it's kind of a Band-Aid it makes you happy it gives you energy and it will help you feel good enough to keep up healthy habits that will lower the depression I don't know what it's like to be off of them but if your doctor recommends you take it then there must be good reason for it so what I recommend is give it a try and if it's just not for you or you feel like you have a better way of handling things then tell your doctor you don't want to take them anymore they can't force you to take something you don't want to take but at least give it a try
I'm sorry to hear you are in a similar struggle. I'm going to take the advice I've gotten and evaluate what I want to do- I think I'll give the wellbutrin a shot if/when the other methods of therapy aren't doing enough for me. Maybe you can try this as well. Best of luck!
Why go to a psychatrist if you won't take his advice? Seems odd to me, not to mention expensive. Psychiatrists have many years of training and have seen many folk with depression.
Antidepressants can help, rather than taking a chance purely than exercise and medication, and they can help buffer you while you find the strength to alter those living conditions.
Thanks for the input! I certainly want to listen to my psychiatrist, but I'm also making sure I'm not blindly listening to his instructions. I want to feel comfortable/reassured about what I'm putting in my body before I decide to start taking drugs such as antidepressants. I appreciate your input and I'll definitely consider this!
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