Girlfriend on antidepressants advice

steve2067

Hi I been with my girlfriend a while now . And we broke up going back about 3 months ago for about 5 weeks. Nothing bad I just wasnt happy with the relationship at the time as usual wwhn friends interfere we basically had a third wheel .


Anyway During that time we broke up she tried to take an overdose . I love the girl to bits so I kept in contact to mak sure she was ok. I didnt say anything or show any sympathy to her for what she tried to do and explained that the only reason I was talking to her was because I cared . That it wasnt simply for sympathy or becauae of what she tried to do. .

Were back together and shes now on lexapro antidepressant tablets perscribed by the doctor.

I just want to know what I can do to help her. Or how I can be supportive for her. I dont know much about the drugs or what they do. I want to help her become well again .

My friends tell me dump her n get with someone else but at d end of the day i love her n I will stick by her in these bad times not just good times.


Any advice would be appreciated thanks .

December2012

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Taltos

December2012, please take some time to read our charter before posting here again.

Being a regular contributor here you know how strictly we moderate this forum, if you have no constructive advice please don't post. The OP is looking for advice on how to deal with their girlfriend, nothing more.

Thanks
Taltos

kittycati

Tough one here for you. Where there are mental issues involved, relationships become that more difficult. Great you want to help her, just think you really need to be careful. Break ups are really tough for some and affect some people more than others. Over dose cry out for help, you came back and were there for her and even still you are willing to help. She really needs to talk to someone and sort out those issues.anti depressants are keeping it and bay not really dealing with it . Need to get to the root of her issues either through counselling etc . . And she needs to want to get help and overcome it too. I just think sometimes we put ourselves in situations at times wanting to help and make things better but sometimes its too much for us to handle . I really wish ye the best with this but would Def encourage her to go down professional route asap . Mental illness normally can be something that sometimes can be life long battle .

LegacyUser

A long time ago I did something stupid and was put on lexapro and sleeping pills. It was the sleeping pills which fixed me. two weeks of solid, restorative sleep actually did some restoring. Lexapro made me feel weird. Depression and suicidal feelings, though not written on the front of the box are written on the list of possible side effects inside the box, so keep an eye on her.

Do not let her drink while on them. Alcohol and lexapro do not mix. I can't stress this enough.

Be supportive, lots of cuddles, be a shoulder, and an ear.

Esoteric_

Hiya OP.

Firstly, I just want to say fair effin' play to you. Not a lot of people would stand by a girlfriend with mental health issues, so seriously fair play for that.

Since you don't know much about Lexapro, I'm going to give you an amateur description of what it is and what it does, because the more you know about what you're dealing with, the better.

Lexapro is an anti-depressant, and is a common one. Not only is it an anti-depressant, it curbs impulsive behaviour (like self harm, suicide attempts), which may be why your girlfriend was put on it (although I'm not a doctor, this is just pure speculation!). If an average person has a mood at a 5-7 (out of ten), people with depression would be at a constant 1-3. What the anti-depressants do is bring the person up to a 5 or so, to give them a clear enough head to work on their issues and bring themselves up the rest of the way. So while the medication is great, she'll still need to work hard herself to become better.

If you want to be there for her, just be yourself. Be there if she needs to talk, but don't pressure her to talk. Just let her know you're there if and when she needs you. Sometimes, when depressed, we lash out at the people closest to us, so if she's having a bad day, she may take it out on you. now, you should not accept this, in that you don't just sit there and put up with it, because your own mental well-being is of utmost importance, but let her know in as gentle a way as you can that what she says/does affects you and you just want to help. Perhaps speak to her about counselling, if it's not something she's already spoken to her doctor about, but don't press the issue, let her choose.

All I can add aside from that is that you're a really good person to stick by her. It's not an easy road, and it can be life-long in some cases, but there are ways and means of coping that she can and will learn in time. Look after YOUR mental health, too. You can't be any help to anyone if you're feeling awful yourself, so bear that in mind.

Fair play to you OP, and I wish you all the best.

syklops

Esoteric_ wrote: »

Lexapro is an anti-depressant, and is a common one. Not only is it an anti-depressant, it curbs impulsive behaviour (like self harm, suicide attempts), which may be why your girlfriend was put on it (although I'm not a doctor, this is just pure speculation!).

This is indeed speculation and entirely wrong. Lexapro is an SSRI or Selective Seratonin Reuptake. It basically increases the amount of seratonin available to the brain. Seratonin contributes to feelings of happiness.

It does not curb impulsive behaviour and suicide ideation is listed as one of its possible side effects.

OP, be there for her as best you can. Be patient and wait it out, it does get better.

Esoteric_

syklops wrote: »

This is indeed
speculation and entirely wrong. Lexapro is an SSRI or Selective
Seratonin Reuptake. It basically increases the amount of seratonin
available to the brain. Seratonin contributes to feelings of happiness.

It does not curb impulsive behaviour and suicide ideation is listed as
one of its possible side effects.

OP, be there for her as best you can. Be patient and wait it out, it
does get better.

Suicide ideation is a side effect of almost all anti-depressants. Ssris are known to act as an anti impulsivity aid, according to the several psychiatrists I've seen. However, as I said, none of us here are doctors, so I gave an amateur response, as did you.