i was just curious as to what people think about antidepressants? i have been taking them for a long time and i have nothing special to say about them…in fact, they have given me complete hell trying to get off of them because of withdraws, and i hate the withdraws, they take forever to get rid of… i have only had bad experiences with them. i have never noticed a difference in the way i feel except that they make me hyper and make my heart rate shoot way up. i keep spending money on these drugs because i don’t want to go through the withdraw, NOT because they actually work. i am stuck. i just don’t get the mathematical reason for these drugs that your body depends on after a while… why would doctors give drugs like these knowing that the body gets “addicted” to them? when ever i have noticed them working is in the first couple weeks-placebo (spelling sucks).
One of the best ways to get rid of an addiction is to have something else to do; what do you do? How do you have money to throw away on an addiction to drugs you don’t even like? You should get an addiction that makes you feel good, like cigarettes. Or promiscuous sex.
If the system’s not working for you but you keep pumping it the same way, you’re abusing the system. This is a self-defeating pattern that probably turns up in other areas of your life. Drugs may not be the answer for you at all if the antidepressants don’t work for you; of course, maybe drugs just aren’t the answer for depression… Maybe you’d be better off seeing someone who really understands what it is that’s causing trouble in your life in stead of getting signed off on a prescription.
It may also be that you’ve been misdiagnosed. Maybe you’re bipolar or you’re not getting enough zinc or something. In any case, it’s clearly unhealthy to keep on going back to something that exists specifically to help you, but doesn’t, because you’re addicted to it.
If it’s withdrawals that trouble you, let me tell you how I got through nicotine withdrawal: I always made sure to keep a few thoughts in mind.
First, my brain wants nicotine and it will be hard at work 24 hours a day trying to rationalize my getting it, telling me to cut down before stopping completely or some bullshit like that. I need to be wise to that and not listen to it.
Second, getting over my addiction and my habit is something I have to do in order to become a healthier human being; there’s no way around it. To become a healthier human being was a specific goal I was keeping in mind- that is, a person who can enjoy life and live in the moment and appreciate what I have.
Third, I’ll feel better, be less distracted, and be able to use my mind more easily after I get over my problem; this was particularly valuable to me because my ability to think well is very important to me. There’s probably something equally important to you that would work out better if you didn’t spend your time in pursuit of the pointless ritual of buying and downing pills.
Fourth, and finally, I won’t feel this way forever. The withdrawals go away and things sort of settle. It happens slowly, in fits and starts, and maybe it’s never quite the same, but it goes away. Keeping these few simple thoughts in my mind helped me immensely- of course, it didn’t make stopping easy. It worked for both cigarettes and alcohol (no cigarettes for over 7 months now, no alcohol since New Years Eve). It also helped very much that I have a close friend actively encouraging me.
What antidepressant were you taking? It varies from antidepressant to antidepressant.
I think the whole idea of taking medication to feel ‘right’ is absurd, unless you have a mental disorder that completely impares you from taking part in your own life. Everyone has problems, be it depression, angst, jealousy…etc. Taking medication for petty problems is the most unnatural thing to do. I suppose you could look at it the way you would to people who never take antibiotics and such. You may say they’re stupid for putting their life at risk, but you can also look at it as building up immunities to petty nuances which can often be exacerbated into devestating situations.
I can’t say I have ever taken these medications… hence my bias. However, I have a close friend currently taking Welbutrin, and while his depression seems to some what dissapear when he is on a good cycle of medication, the day he misses a dose all hell breaks out. He is irritable, sad, etc - all the common symptons of withdrawl.
Just my $00.02 regarding antidepressants.
well I took some about a dozen or so years ago. I only took them for a few weeks, and I did notice a difference, it seemed like it had the effect of alcohol by reducing inhibitions but without the stumbling around looking like an idiot, getting nauseous and puking, having hangovers and other drawbacks of alcohol.
The counselor told me when I started taking them that I would start out with a low dosage and then they would increase it, and I would be on it for 6 months or a year, and then they would reduce the dosage to “ween” me off of it. Of course I just stopped taking them completely after a few weeks because I thought they were pointless, but I think if you have been on them a long time, it’s important to reduce the amounts slowly over time that you take per day, so that it’s not a big shock to your mind like it is when you quit all at once.