ppl on antidepressants please help
hey guys,
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
Original post by Anonymous
hey guys,
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
Don’t take the antidepressants.... my therapist said that it doesn’t help in the long run.. start doing exercise or work on what you can improve about yourself... the world isn’t nice it sucks being here but you’re not alone .. I can’t write everything that I’d like to because this message would get deleted but .. don’t give up .. I’m stuck here too ... but some say that we find a meaning in things by living sure it isn’t pleasing to work or to study but you made it here because you tried .. if you can’t do it for yourself do it for others ... I don’t know your background but take your time... enjoy the present.. enjoy even eating bread ... it sounds stupid but you have one life so you might as well live it because there’s nothing to lose ... I’m sorry because I’m in your shoes ... I’m sorry that people didn’t reply quickly... but I hope it helps
Original post by Anonymous
hey guys,
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
dont take them
Anti-depressants really helped me and I wouldn’t be here without them. It took a while to find the right ones for me as some didn’t help at all. If you’ve tried other therapies and have found they haven’t helped then you could try the medication but it’s important to remember that once you start them you can’t suddenly stop them as you will get withdrawal effects. I suggest that you speak through your concerns with your doctor as he may be able to offer you support such as more frequent appointments whilst starting the medication to offer you reassurance.
Universities also have counselling that you could access that you may find helpful too so make sure that you explore all your options as medication alone won’t make you better.
Phoenix
Universities also have counselling that you could access that you may find helpful too so make sure that you explore all your options as medication alone won’t make you better.
Phoenix
Unfortunately it's one of those situations where you'll never know unless you try
I wouldn't pay much attention to those saying not to take them, they're only speaking from their own experience and yours may be totally different. I was on AD's for three years and although the side effects were horrible at the beginning, they really helped me long-term. But I'm aware others had had terrible experiences on the same medication that I took - it all depends so much on the individual and how they react, not every drugs works well for every person.
You seem pretty clued up on the potential negatives of taking side effects so it would be a good idea to discuss these with your GP. It may be beneficial for you to start on a small dose with constant monitoring from your doctor and see how you go from there.
I wouldn't pay much attention to those saying not to take them, they're only speaking from their own experience and yours may be totally different. I was on AD's for three years and although the side effects were horrible at the beginning, they really helped me long-term. But I'm aware others had had terrible experiences on the same medication that I took - it all depends so much on the individual and how they react, not every drugs works well for every person.
You seem pretty clued up on the potential negatives of taking side effects so it would be a good idea to discuss these with your GP. It may be beneficial for you to start on a small dose with constant monitoring from your doctor and see how you go from there.
Original post by Anonymous
Don’t take the antidepressants.... my therapist said that it doesn’t help in the long run..
That is a spectacularly unhelpful bit of advice to the OP. An anecdotal remark by a therapist, of all people, being of zero help in this situation.
Original post by rayshow053
Taking meds and doing therapy at the same time seems to be the most effective. You CAN rewrite your brain without them, cbt for example aims to achieve positive thought patterns over what are negative. I think it depends on if you had trauma which way you go because no amount of pills will get you over the underlying cause that you never dealt with. It might just help make your therapy easier.
In some cases, definitely! Not everyone needs medication.
However OP, I think you should give it a try. I totally understand your anxiousness about trying them. I was the same, fearing that it might end up killing me.
I battled with depression, suicide attempts and self harm. It wasn't until my psychiatrist put me on antidepressants that things started to feel better. I think in some cases, the underlying cause can be the fact that your brain cannot chemically produce enough dopamine or serotonin. In such instances, CBT does little help, but medication can be really helpful.
Of course, pills aren't your ultimate saviour. You have to bear in mind that the pills only act as your crutch, for you to lean on when walking. You need to use your strength too, to continue walking without falling. And once your 'broken leg' heals because your 'crutch' gave you a bit of assistance by not putting to but stress on your leg, things will definitely get better.
Original post by Anonymous
hey guys,
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
i've been really depressed and had huge issues with body image my whole life, with bouts of suicidal thoughts and self harm. it has gotten quite bad again recently and my doctor has suggested starting antidepressants.
i've been looking at the side effects, length of time they're taken for etc. and i'm struggling to decide whether or not it is a good idea. my doctor said that they tend to make things worse before they get better which would be difficult for me as i'm about to go on to a new degree as i failed last year due to my mental health, and obviously don't want my mental health to get worse to a point it affects my studies. that being said, i really want to be able to get better.
i've also struggled with drug use which is extremely dangerous to do in conjunction with antidepressants, and of course i think i can stop using drugs however i'm not sure what would happen if antidepressants made my mental health worse.
i'm really unsure whether or not it is worth starting a course of medication or not, anyone with any knowledge or in a similar position please help!! in advance thank you so so much
I would be extremely cautious with taking medication.
Over a population basis antidepressants (specifically SSRIs eg. Citalopram, sertraline, prozac) are barely more effective than placebo.
That doesn't mean that they won't help you, that doesn't mean that they have never helped anyone, but it means that they probably don't help many people as much as they think they do.
Why does the GP want to prescribe you them?
Is it because the GP doesn't want to leave you feeling like you aren't getting any help OR is it because they think that you would actually benefit for them?
A little bit of background context: for many years SSRIs where marketed to GPs as being side-effect less.
Is your GP referring you to therapy? How long are the waiting lists?
Some people have said (I am not sure if there are clinical trials to back this up), that if you start on a lower dose than a normal starting dose, then titrate it up very slowly (compared to normal titration rate) adverse side effects will be reduced, however obviously this will mean that it takes longer for them to 'start working'.
How old are you? For young people (under 25s) there is a higher risk of ADs triggering suicidal thoughts. Obviously, street drugs and suicidal thoughts aren't a great mix.
Also you may want to bear in mind that SSRIs may significantly reduce sex drive. They have even been used, in trials, to treat sex offenders because of this. I don't know if this would be a concern to you.
I had an awful experience with SSRIs, 3 weeks in and I was convinced a monster/ vampire was out to get me and I was going to die a nasty death. Couldn't sleep. Spent hours arranging tables in different orders so I was 'safe'. That's like a worst case scenario reaction though.
I actually love mine but it did take 5 years to find the perfect ones for me and my illnesses. Side effects are only bad if you start on a high dose. You can build your dose up to avoid this. Side effects do include feeling suicidal so id always recommend taking small dose and building up to completely avoid this. Most dont cause weight gain unless you are thinking youll need antipsychotics but they are really for people who have cancer, are manic or major depressive with hallucinations. I disagree slightly with other replies on here. I think they are great. I have been medicated 8 years and due to illness i had to stop mine for 6 months. In that time i was very close to death due to my mental state not being able to cope without them which is how i was before them. Id be in hospital every 6 months. They can completely change your life. Although there are other methods that are good to try too. But if its something you and your dr feel you may need then id suggest calling your gp and asking for a appointment just to talk about it. When i went back on mine after my small break my gp called and met me weekly to make sure i was mentally stable and not harming myself while getting back onto my dose which took a while as mine is quite high. You may also experience insomnia or the opposite and be drowsy and tired and mild waves of nausea. Side effects go within 6-10 weeks x
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