Hi there,
I know many people have mixed views on anti-depressants with some recommending them and some just not getting on with them, i would like to hear your experiences?
I'm in a bad place right now and i really need something to help me. I know therapy is a choice but with the waiting times and my personal bad experience with it i'm a little wary.
I know that medication doesnt work like this but i just want a magic little pill that makes me feel happy again.
Hi MaisyMay2
You really do need to go & see your GP! Have you ever taken any antidepressants? They are not the ultimate happy pill!
I have taken antidepressants for a number of years, do I like taking them 'No'! Do I need to take them 'Yes!' Unfortunately!! I hate taking pills especially antidepressants, and such like!
They don't work for everybody, I had to go through ultimate hell for a number of weeks trying & reacting, and a number of years to finally find one that worked for me and had a positive effect & lightened me & my moods!
I understand where you're coming from totally, and that you need just a little something to lift you from where you're at! There are So many questions to ask, and Im sure you'd like the answers to!! And I know you want to really hear others opinions! But unfortunately all you will hear is what experiences other people have had with various types of medications they have been given to try & the hell & high water they have been through trying to get one that has worked for them!
I'm sorry if I sound harsh, that's not my intention, I'm just trying to be realistic, open and honest with you!
The only way you'll find out is to go to your Dr & tell him how you are really feeling & to tell him what you are going through at the moment & that you need something to help you get through where you're at now, as there is a long waiting list for therapy!
Good Luck MaisyMay2 Warm Wishes & Blessings spykey 🤗
Hello Maisie, I'm not a doctor but have taken a wide range of ADs over a period of 40 years with as far as I am aware no side effects and have always come out of my spells of depression after about 6 months. So they are certainly not fast acting , and of course I don't know whether I would have come out of the depression anyway without ADs . However when one is in a bad place it does help to know that one is doing all one can to recover and ADs do at least make one feel as if one is doing every thing one can to recover. Human beings don't like to feel helpless in any situation and taking ADs does at least make you feel you are doing something positive ,and therefore less helpless.
That said,because the medics never know how one would have progressed without ADs at all then the evidence they help is not clear cut for any one individual. Also it appears that finding the right AD or mixture of ADs for any one individual is to some extent a matter of luck. So finding a little magic pill that instantly makes you feel happy again is unlikely, as you suggest.
IMO very few people have the inner resources to successfully combat depression without medical help so my advice is to try them and hope your GP has made a wise choice of AD for you. If you get unacceptable side effects or if you feel that they are doing nothing for you after say 3 months then you have to pester your GP and try an alternative AD.
Whatever your decision it is almost 100% certain you will feel happy again with or without ADs but on balance I think this will happen more quickly with ADs. I hope that its very soon. I have never found therapy of much help but I know that it helps many.
Olderal
Hi MaisyMay2
Go on to the Internet and research knowledge is power. I was depressed I get SAD so I made a garden. It has helped me so much. Find something that you are good at immerse yourself in that, go for walks, join a club. If you can find an incredible edible community garden near you volunteer. Hope this helps. X
Hi,
I'm afraid I have to agree with spykey on this one, the decision is ultimately up to your gp or a psychologist if you end up seeing one, anti depressants are only ever used for those suffering from clinical depression, which is a chemical imbalance in the brain, so you have to be showing all of the symptoms of this before they will prescribe you it, and it is by no means a quick fix. I have been on them for three weeks now after being admitted into hospital for attempted suicide and I would say they're helping me to cope with still being alive really, they only really put a blanket over all of your dark thoughts so that you can at least go about your day without feeling too emotional. I'm still going through a lot of symptoms of depression and have experienced a few side effects that are not very pleasant. They affect people in different ways so there is no way to tell what kind of effect they'll have on you until you are on them. Nowadays they will also combine medication with therapy of some form as this is the best way to prevent a relapse once you come off the antidepressants, because they only treat the symptoms not the issues behind them. I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with therapy before but it is a little bit of trial and error because therapists and counsellors are still people at the end of the day, so they have different personalities, so there will be ones you won't get along with. I was very lucky that the first counsellor I saw was very compatible with me and I have a good relationship with her. There are still times when I don't look forward to seeing her because I know I'll have to talk about some really intense thoughts I've been having which makes me uncomfortable, but a good counsellor should create a safe space that you feel completely comfortable in.
Take care and I hope you get back on your feet soon.
I personally recommend anything that helps/works including medication. It may take time to find the right one. But if it helps then i don't see a problem. Unfortunately there isn't really a magic pill; i wish there was! cos thats how i feel, that i want a magic pill! In saying that, i found Prozac to be very good, though the effects seem to wear off after a time; I might go back on it myself. But its not for everyone; there are many antidepressants you could take. Go discuss with GP/Psychiatrist xx
Hi sweetie, they can be useful at certain times in our lives but they are not a cure. They simply help you to cope better for a while!! Putting aside any side effects they can give you some respite from a tormented mind. You have to get to the bottom of why you feel like you do in order to try and fix it. It's your choice in the end and if you do decide to take them and you don't like how they make you feel then arrange with your GP to come off them. Nothing ventured nothing gained as they say. They work for some people and not for others. Good luck with what you decide to do .
Do not take any pills because they will make you feel like a vegetable.
I have been dealing with depression and anxiety and I did not take pills .
Hello. The ultimate issue is no one knows why depression happens. Various theories have come about through the decades and the most popular is the 'chemical imbalance'. It could be correct but there has been no research to back this statement up. In effect docs are treating a non existent medical condition m, which is very difficult indeed.
Lots of people find relief with anti depressants. Yes, lots of people take them but I believe this is partly down to our changing attitude to mental health, education that people recognise when they feel depressed, not themselves etc.
There is evidence that antidepressants are not that useful in milder depressive illness, but really benefit when depression get to a moderate/severe level.
Personally I do recommend them. They have helped millions of people worldwide. No body likes taking medicine but if it helps us live better, avoids us feeling like c**p all the time then I think they are a good thing.
Everyone has their opinion on them, some positive, some negative.
Only the individual can know and understand how they are feeling at that time, and whether they need a little help.
They are not a magic pill but can help a lot.
Best wishes ❤️
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