Would love to hear some positive antidepressant stories

LegacyUser

Hi,

Over the years I have posted some random personal issues here, in hindsight it has become very clear to me that most of those issues were'nt REALLY about the issue itself but more about my own thinking.

I recently started seeing a therapist about issues of not ever being in relationships (Im one of these really sound guys but always single kinda guys where girls quite often ask me "why I dont have a girlfriend").

Anyway so far we've only touched that subject in therapy. I dont mind, Im in no rush and I always had a sneaking suspicion that its about more than just relationships.

Anyway as sessions went on I took more and more of his advice, daily excersise, meditation, joining things and putting in extra effort to be around people etc, but the last time he spoke he suggested antidepressants. This came out of the fact that he established that I dont really get any genuine joy out of life. Its not that Im going around miserable or in bits but its true, I genuinely dont feel much joy the past year or two especially.

It wasnt the first time he had brought it up but this time he was genuinely recommending them for me, the lowest dose possible just to help get out of a mental rut.

I took his advice and the next day went to my GP and was taking my first one by that night. I was pretty down about all this tbh. It was depressing in itself. I guess I never felt I would be the one who need to take something like that.

Anyway, Ive been reading tonnes and tonnes online and alot of it is negative, Im only on them several days now and maybe its a placebo but I think Im starting to notice huge differences, in fact I could have sworn I noticed a big difference the next day tbh (Ive read everywhere it takes weeks).

Anyway, with all the online reading Im doing about this it really puts me off them and making me lose hope that they can really help me.

I know this isnt a place for looking for medical advice, but really all Im looking for is some honest stories from people who can relate to my level of mild depression who also started taking them and whether they helped you or not in the long run?

Neyite

I took them for 6 months during a rough time in my life. They helped a lot by giving me enough of a boost while I was developing strategies with a therapist and a bit more insight for myself to address what I wanted to fix. Basically doing a dual approach like you, which I think is a good one. I had no major side effects from the meds. That was a decade and a half ago for me, and I've been grand since.

They were medication I needed at the time to fix an issue and they did what they were supposed to do and fixed me.

Always take them the way your GP instructs you to. They are powerful, and if you do decide to stop them, discuss it with your doctor first, and then do it exactly the way the doctors say you should.

LegacyUser

Hi op,

I've been on antidepressants twice, the first time they "worked" by making me feel sort of flat... it's hard to explain other than to say they made me less depressed because I was having less of any emotion, other than apathy.

This time I'm on another brand and they've literally change my life, I was like you a few months ago, I remember saying to my mum "I'm just living my life because it's there but I'm fed up not enjoying it". Since going on these antidepressants my outlook has changed. It's amazing, i feel like I am living my life purposefully, I still get into bad moods but nothing like before, best of all I still completely feel like myself - not a zombie.

I was always wary of antidepressants because I felt it was "cheating" but after spending €700 plus on counselling and not seeing an improvement I'm just really happy I tried them. I don't know when I will come off them but for now I'm just going to enjoy it.

ordinary_girl

I think the key thing to remember when you look up anti-depressants online is that the likelihood is people who've had negative experiences on those meds will be much much to post about them in forums than people who've had positive experiences. Just something to bear in mind, OP. Best of luck with it.

jenggg

It really annoys me when people in the media imply that medication doesn't work, or isn't the bee-all, people should use mindfulness etc etc because medication really was the only thing that worked for me. Therapy sessions were helpful in other ways at first but I just felt emotionally flat, no feelings for anything and things weren't getting better month after month. So I started the medication (the lowest dose) and can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did. I had to up the dosage very slightly a couple of months in to feel fully better and I stayed on it for a year and half as I was worried about relapsing if I quit it too soon. I reduced the dosage down and down over that time before finally stopping. I definitely had some side effects that were very annoying like night sweats a lot and I put on a little weight and my mood was up and down while changing the dose but it was worth putting up with these for the end result. I'm off 3 years now and hopefully won't need to go back on them but if I end up having another depressive episode in years to come I would certainly consider them again if I had to. It wasn't that I didn't try other options, it was just none of them were able to pull me out of the emotionless hole I was in. I truly believe I needed the chemicals to change in my brain to pull me up and out. It did take weeks to really feel the benefit but be sure to keep in touch with your doctor over that time. This is just my experience. Best of luck!

Aimeee

Can i ask a question of the people who found medication effective, when you stopped did the low mood/lack of feeling ever return and if so was it worse than the original episode.
Sorry for butting in OP you've asked a question that's been on my mind for a long time.

jenggg

Hi Aimeee
I was really worried about that happening and that's why I stayed on the effective dose for over a year. i think coming off them before 6 months can cause a relapse? After a year I spent another 3 or 4 months tapering down the dosage bit by bit even switching to the liquid version so I could take less than was in the lowest dose in tablet form. I was grand when I stopped and was totally back to myself but I do have off days now and again but that's fine as I know it passes quickly again.

strandroad

I had an episode of very low depressive states and I used both meds and therapy for several months.

Meds helped me immediately - on the very first day - by lifting me from feeling despair/constant sinking feeling to feeling kinda flat but functioning, and allowed me to commence therapy. I was not a bad case, I was very overworked and it triggered some bad memories and states, but if I didn't go the meds route it could only become worse as I wouldn't be able to see any therapy/treatment through. I went off pills soon enough and I have never experienced those feelings again. I learned to manage some fleeting ones with exercise, mindfulness etc. as advised by my therapist.

Please find trusted professionals to guide and support you, and do not rely on online content born of frustration or prejudice. I hope you'll be feeling better soon!

Neyite

Aimeee wrote: »

Can i ask a question of the people who found medication effective, when you stopped did the low mood/lack of feeling ever return and if so was it worse than the original episode.
Sorry for butting in OP you've asked a question that's been on my mind for a long time.

Not for me, but I think there were a couple of reasons for that:
Firstly, I only came off the meds with the agreement of my GP, I carefully followed a very gradual reduction of medication (again worked out by my GP) and with the understanding that if I hit a wall, I was to go back into him asap.

Secondly, counselling had helped me a lot to change things in my life I had been unhappy about. I changed industries, I moved to a new place, made new friends and was actually enjoying myself, so I knew I wasn't going back to the same old grind that got me into a rut in the first place.

Some years later, a bad experience triggered a very low mood for several weeks, but I took up the counselling again, had a chat with my GP and we decided to wait and see if I needed the meds or not, and in the end I didn't need them.

Lux23

I went on them about 11 years ago for just under a year. I suppose I had a purely chemical depression that couldn't be talked through. I can honestly say they totally changed my life and I haven't had any major depressions since then.

I lost my father in December and I think I am suffering a low level depression right now, but that is all normal and I can control it with diet and exercise. But if you really can't cope with how you're feeling than I think anti-depressants can really help.

Aimeee

Thank you for those extremely helpful replies. It's good to hear about the aftemath. It's something I've often wondered about and would have been very anxious about.
Apologies again to OP for butting in.
Best of luck on the road ahead.

celligraphy

Been on mine over 3 years, they have helped me alot I mean I still get down days but they help keep the demons at bay. Overall I have had a good review of them but if I miss one or even two tablets I can get very bad withdrawals , shakes , hot flashes, bad anxiety attacks and nausea

Est28

Just going to throw one thing in here.

Someone has already said how they "fixed" them. I think that's very dangerous advice here and surprised it's been allowed.

Anti-depressants are a drug, some drugs lift you up, some bring you down. These drugs are means to "numb" some of the feelings you have. They don't "fix" anything. They just supress some chemicals in the brain which cause some of the anciety.

They won't "fix" external problems. That is NOT advice from a doctor and really shouldn't be allowed to be given here, sorry, it's VERY dangerous advice.

The only way they work is if you just cannot cope with doing every day stuff. In that case, they work by lifting you enough to get by while you work on the ACTUAL issue.

Like any drug people come to depend on them, they come off them without dealing with anything else and they come crashing down again. It's not good. If it's a temporary lift which allows you enough energy to deal with things YOURSELF in the meantime, then MAYBE it's worth exploring but I hear WAY too many people here bandying about the "depression" label on here as an excuse for everything and not willing to deal with the actual problems.

Sorry, but this is a very sensitive topic to me with people I've dealt with and it just gets my back up the amount of AWFUL advice thrown around here about depression, medication, therapy, etc from people who've never used those things or use them as a crutch.

Taltos

Mod Note:
Est28, while we welcome your opinion please be careful in how you present your advice. The OP has asked for positive stories on using anti-depressants. While you might not like the "AWFUL" advice being "thrown" around here - they are honest experiences of other posters who have used this tool to help them while they honed their ability to deal. Opinions are welcome but there is a line and your post above crosses it in my opinion as a mod here.

If you don't like or agree with the advice and have nothing constructive to say then please don't post. Others here may have had very similar experiences to you but from their shared stories above they have found a positive use here, yes that's not always the case but in posting above you have inadvertently (I hope and assume) dismissed their collective experiences as "AWFUL advice".

Thanks
Taltos

LegacyUser

Hi all, OP here

Thanks very much for the replies, they are far more encouraging than I could have expected.

Not only is it great to hear that they helped people but that it seems many of you were able to come off them too and go on and enjoy your lives. And for the others that are still taking them more long term, it is great to hear there IS something you can take long term where you dont build up a tolerance etc.

Im on them 5 days and I think the initial reaction has faded a little which tells me it may have been more of a placebo, today I was very very tired and not enthusiastic (tough while working because even simple tasks seem difficult). That said there are definitely still differences.

Regarding side effects, Im noticing very little, but still notice them nonetheless. Very mild headaches and subtle nausia for short periods of time (probably so mild that if I wasnt looking out for them I don't even know if Id notice it) and I notice a strange weakness to unhealthy food, I seem to be craving it a little more. Very subtle stuff though, again I dont know if Id notice any of this if I was experiencing it outside of taking them.

Thank you again,

And regarding the last post, in fairness I dont think when the other poster said "they fixed me" that they meant that you can just take a happy pill to make your problems go away. But your post is at least a healthy reminder not to ignore the real issues at hand once Im feeling better.

Hi OP,
on that note, I think this thread is too close to medical advice so I'm going to leave it there.

All the best and I hope things are better for you