Antidepressants - Experiences.. good or bad?

I take a SSRI called Celexa. I would say the effects are beneficial. Without the drug, I feel like I'm naked walking in the middle of a concrete hot road in the middle of heavy traffic - my mind was racing, I felt extremely agitated and moody, paranoid, had bouts of insomnia, worried restless, and the age old abstract psychological pain with thoughts of suicide.

Celexa evened me out, but the cons are that you feel emotionally numb and impenetrable by outside stimuli (a feeling of being trapped inside your head), creativity and thoughtfulness (i.e. reveries) are greatly hampered which is bad for artists and philosophers, sex drive can be low, and when having sex there is far less sensation. Yet the pros outweigh the cons.

Withdrawal from the drug is unpleasant and consists of extreme agitation (e.g. flipping out over not being able to open a pack of cheese or ziplock the ****er back up), headache, feeling hot and feverish, and episodes of strange dizziness that feels like being kicked in the head by a powerful horse.

I'm not a fan of pharmaceuticals, and if you know it's not chronic depression I would heavily advise against them as they do tend to create a dependency. I've heard from multiple sources that omega-3 fatty acids have a beneficial effect on serotonin levels. I've had a few close friends who swear by 2-3 grams of fish oil daily for treating depression, and it has a great effect on your body as well.

I'd suggest talking to your doctor about fish oil supplements, and if she gives you the go-ahead (it can't cause problems but it CAN potentially worsen a handful of already-existing health conditions, so I would definitely get those ruled out first), taking a pill of that along with your daily multivitamin. If you're healthy, the worst that can happen is you'll get healthier.

Cognitive therapy and spiritual philosophies can be a great help!

I took citalopram for a year. At the time I was dead against it - cried for an hour after taking the first one - but I was extremely depressed (situational, some really awful **** had gone down) and I'd reached an impasse - wasn't getting through it, wasn't going to change much. So I took them. During, they helped loads. They dulled things. I didn't feel any extreme emotion - no real joy but no huge rock bottom lows. They enabled me to keep going with my very busy life. I went through withdrawal coming off them which sucked, but I recognise now that I needed them, and 2 years since I got diagnosed I am now back on top of the world.

Some people have a predisposed vulnerability to develop psychological disorders, all it takes to elicit this malady is a stressor of some kind (Diathesis stress model). Whether it be a death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, or even everyday problems ramped up to a great degree, some people will have a "nervous breakdown" or go into a state of temporary depression. For others, it can be relapse and substance abuse.

Some people may even develop a temporary severe psychosis that leads to hospitalization. Deep abdominal breathing, walking, meditation, acupuncture, massage, yoga, self-hypnosis, CB T, progressive relaxation can reduce the stress.Such as defeating irrational thoughts, and using the ABC model (http://www.basic-counseling-skills.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy.html). A huge source of stress is based in our beliefs, namely irrational ones that cause hopelessness.

Conflict resolution would also avail your problems as it seems your relationship is a huge source of stress.

I dont trust them... why? I studied psychology.

Antidepressants wont treat depression... wont cure it... its like taking caffiene tablets wont make you not tired.
When you come off them you will be exactly back where you are now and will have to fight it yourself without chemicals.
I see antidepressants as a way of putting it off. Absolutely anyone who is given anti depressants needs therapy instead it should be law that the only way they are allowed to prescribe antidepressants is along side therapy but unfortunately it is not...

I also dont trust them because noone knows how they work! They cause an increase of serotonin in the synapse we know that but we dont know how they cause that or why that helps depression, whether the cause the body to create more serotonin than can be absorbed or if they keep production levels the same but stop the body from absorbing as much. Now it has been a couple year since I graduated so maybe there has been some huge breakthrough.. but I doubt it..

There also non drug ways to make the body have that build up of serotinin....
Exercise! specifically running. "Runners High"
Yoga
Relaxation therapy/meditation
St Johns Wort they think can...
Vitamin B6
5-HTP - some places do this as a combination with other vitamins/minerals called things like "mood food" usually a combination of this Omega 3 and B vitamins.

Just some food for thought.
My personal opinion would be to try the non drug ways first and use drugs as a last resort sepecially as you seem not to want to take the drugs... negative attitude towards taking the drugs can show to make them less effective, I remember reading a case of a woman with depression who would cry herself to sleep every time she took her antidepressants because she didint want to take them kind of defeats the object... Plus it can be done without drugs I'm living proof... I was depressed, suicidal, and self harming I needed parental concent to get medical help so I did it on my own it took a while, but just keep dooing things, one of the major symptoms of depression is loosing the ability to function, so if you can still get out of bed in the morning you can fight it, take pleasure from the small things and keep going
x

Try speaking to your doctor about alternatives to anti depressants, such as CBT, hypnotherapy, counselling, etc. It's something that can't be taken lightly, and the anti depressants may have a placebo effect on you.

Best of luck

Bumping so I can read it all later plus I want to say that it took my loved one about three different medications till they became the person I knew them to be. Thank goodness for antidepressants!

I took citalopram for a year. At the time I was dead against it - cried for an hour after taking the first one - but I was extremely depressed (situational, some really awful **** had gone down) and I'd reached an impasse - wasn't getting through it, wasn't going to change much. So I took them. During, they helped loads. They dulled things. I didn't feel any extreme emotion - no real joy but no huge rock bottom lows. They enabled me to keep going with my very busy life. I went through withdrawal coming off them which sucked, but I recognise now that I needed them, and 2 years since I got diagnosed I am now back on top of the world.

I took citalopram as well. I'd been resisiting for a few months but my Dr felt I wasn't progressing (I'd been trying self-help cognitive therapy (CBT) sites with no benefit) It takes a few weeks for them to properly kick in, then you have to come off them slowly, but they do definitely help. I was actually signed off work for several weeks, but once the tablets kicked in I was able to go back eventually - though the thing which enabled me to come off them completely was finding a new job! I came off them slowly as recommended and had no problems. I did feel very tired the first few weeks taking them though so make sure your Dr signs you off while that adjustment happens.

I don't think they affected my weight particularly, it was me who did that by eating too much of the wrong thing (because that was something which made me feel "better"). I would also recommend some CBT if you can get it. I'm not sure how much it directly helped but having some time when you focus on things you can do and getting back to enjoying them was helpful. As others have said you have to tackle the cause not the symptoms, but by keeping the symptoms in check they help you to focus on getting out of the black pit.

Feel free to friend me if I can be helpful.

ETA as in the quote, it is now 2 years since I started on them and one year since I came off (almost) and I feel brilliant. Exercise can help lift your mood - I did a lot of walking (but didn't lose weight as I was stuffing my face) and wish I'd tried Zumba then as it would have been a great boost.

Like a couple of the other responders, I've been prescribed citolapram. Unlike the others, I'm STILL on it. I've been on for more than a year. It has had some great effects on me mentally. I wasn't given it specifically as an antidepressant, but more as a mood evener.

I mood swung BADLY, 0 to ***** in .02 seconds sort of thing. After starting this, within 5 days, the moods evened out some. I'm not saying I don't mood swing any more (my husband would call me a liar if I tried), but at least now I have more control over them.

They did help my depression...a little. I'm still depressed, but I refuse to take more than what I am for it. The citolopram has helped me, esp. in the aftermath of a miscarriage last year.

In no way do they dull my emotions, nor is it meant to. As the doctor who gave it to me explained, it helps the neuropathways in your brain do what they're supposed to, helping with the connections or something. And I think it does. I was very skeptical much of anything would help (my mom was on antidepressants for decades), or if anything it would just dull me out. It didn't. I'm grateful for what I'm taking.

That said, the nurse when I went for a checkup a few months ago and I discussed my depression issues, said that citolopram alone really is only about 30% effective, and really suggested counseling in ADDITION to the medication, said that the combination tended toward a 60-80% effectiveness rate.

I used to suffer from depression. I was on medication etc. I cannot tell you that you should or shouldnt go on them, but I can shed a little light on whether or not it would help your situation or not.

Firstly, most doctors will prescribe an SSRI, which is effective for those people who suffer from issues with their seratonin levels. In other words a chemical imbalance in their brain. However, for those people who suffer from circumstantial depression (ie. work related worries, or relationship, bereavement etc) it may as well be taken for a placebo effect as there is likely no seratonin imbalance for it to correct. Anti-depressant will not make you filter your thoughts, You wil still think about the same things and they will cause just as much low mood. At most the way you deal with these emotions might be dampened, but at the point you come off them, they will likely just return.

From your post I gather medication isnt the route you wish to take, so why not go for talking therapy which would not only help you deal with the thoughts causing the problems, but also save you having to go on meds against your will. There are no side effects to talking to someone. It can only improve your situation.

I would recommend basic counselling if your depression is short term, but if its a long term problem, I would highly reccommend CBT. Both are available on the NHS (if you are in the UK). If you are in the US, you can get CBT on your insurance if you just do an online search for those covered by your insurance company in your area. Please do come and chat if you need any help, as I cured my depression myself without the use of medication. To date I take no meds for any of my health or anxiety conditions.

I know people who have been on anti-depressants for 30 years, at a certain point you have to treat the cause of the problem, rather than the symptoms

Really? My mum was schizophrenic since she was 17 all the way till her death at 53 ...what would you have told her to treat? He depression was part of that. Comes a time when people who know nothing OF being depressed should just shhhh.:mad:

I do remember when I went on my last prescribed depressant medication it felt like I was asleep all the time & I would fall asleep (no really I would) at any time I was not moving.

I went cold turkey off them...it's almost killed me but no way I was going to suffer with taking them. It felt like I was being electrocuted constantly when I went off them..... but then even that was better than falling asleep at the drop of a hat.

Been on St Johns Wort for about 6 years now & never looked back. Depression runs in the women in my mothers side of the family.... it's almost a know thing that you will have it if you are a woman on that side.

No need to use them , happiness comes from within . adjust the mind and train it to think positive . I was diagnosed with depression 2 years ago and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone , felt like death , all I can say is that THE MIND IS VERY POWERFUL and we can control our thoughts and lead them in the right direction.