How depressed do you have to be to be allowed anti-depressants?
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Original post by Катя
I got some pretty quickly. Most doctors are very strict on them and tend to just refer people to CBT instead.
They helped a little, but then again, CBT did **** all. It's basically six weeks of "and why do you think this? and why do you think that? and is there any evidence for this belief?"
(which is useless tbh because if a severely depressed person believes everyone hates them, then they'll find evidence to support that, even if a completely healthy and rational outsider couldn't find any)
But that's for another time.
They helped a little, but then again, CBT did **** all. It's basically six weeks of "and why do you think this? and why do you think that? and is there any evidence for this belief?"
(which is useless tbh because if a severely depressed person believes everyone hates them, then they'll find evidence to support that, even if a completely healthy and rational outsider couldn't find any)
But that's for another time.
Even with anti-depressants you won't be able to get any longterm effect (except if you are part of a small minority of people), because anything they do is giving you more power and the will to work on your problems. They don't make you happy. And six weeks of CBT seems not much. In addtion a good CBT is more complex than "Why do you think that?". Anti-depressants are for people who are very depressed and need to get into a stage to be able to do therapy or for a tiny minority who is dependant on them, but to know, that CBT (or any other therapy) won't work it takes at least two years.
Interesting someone bumped this thread. I actually did manage to finally get prescribed anti depressants, 5 months ago. I saw a different doctor that time, so I guess it just depends on the doctor.
its down to the specific doctor really, although they usually look for 'evidence' that your depression is physical e.g. disturbed sleep, eating, weight - but in reality it comes down to what your doctor thinks
for the record antidepressants can take up to 6-8 weeks to become effective, and with some people they just dont work anyway,y our GP is right to try and get you to do counselling first as it is a much better long term solution
for the record antidepressants can take up to 6-8 weeks to become effective, and with some people they just dont work anyway,y our GP is right to try and get you to do counselling first as it is a much better long term solution
Original post by thatbeckygirl
They'll make you talk to a counselling or go to group help meetings and if nothing improved then they'll think about putting you on anti-depressants but it'll take about a year before you can go on them.
You have to be older than 18 and it's the last option because it can have bad side effects :/.
I would really consider doing counselling, they'll find what is wrong. Such as low self-esteem or a loss in family then you can go to a class on it. It helps A LOT. I was lucky and I got analysed a few days after going to the doctor, NHS did me good.
You have to be older than 18 and it's the last option because it can have bad side effects :/.
I would really consider doing counselling, they'll find what is wrong. Such as low self-esteem or a loss in family then you can go to a class on it. It helps A LOT. I was lucky and I got analysed a few days after going to the doctor, NHS did me good.
You don't have to be older than 18, I was 15 when I got prescribed Citalopram 20mg, and continued on various Antidepressants until I was 18.
They just switch you round all the SSRI Antidepressants until they find one that works for you, then they'll switch to other kinds of Antidepressants like SNRIS, TCAS etc ( The big guns - treatment resistant depression type ADs)
My verdict on Antidepressants, they are like putting a plaster over a wound once you find one that works for you. The odds are they'll make you a bit more resistant against depressive lows but it's a very obvious substance type altered state, it's like a fake feeling of not being depressed. Having learnt this over time I don't need them anymore and you can treat your depression equally if not better than before through healthy lifestyle changes and talk therapy - might not be what you want to hear but i speak from both ends of the argument! hope this helps!
Original post by Anonymous
I've asked a couple of doctors for some, but they've always refused and just put me on a long waiting list for counselling. So I'm wondering what is the sort of criteria you need to meet to be allowed them? Do you have to be very low functioning and feeling suicidal or something?
Short answer: you need to meet diagnostic criteria for moderate depressive episode. Long answer: it depends on a lot of things. It depends if your GP stick to the guidelines as some will prescribe for mild depression or even 'sadness' or low mood that is not depression full stop. Some are very reluctant and will only prescribe in severe episodes. Generally speaking GPs will not prescribe for under 18s and if they think medication is required they would refer to CAMHS.
If you are offered CBT or counseling take it. It's much better first line option then medication unless you are unable to get out of bed, self-neglecting, not eating, suicidal and potentially psychotic. That's how severe depression looks like.
I'll just add in here, that CBT really is effective. Like in my opinion it's far better than counseling or even psychotherapy. If you really want to sit down with a shrink and therapist and work through all your past to find out where the route cause of all your pain comes from, then do that, trust me I did, and It's a load of balls. Counseling isn't effective enough, you practically get "How do you feel about that? how does that make you feel?" over and over again, they can't really offer any solutions, therapy is a step up, it's more effective than counseling but it really is just working through all your feelings, which might appeal to you if you have the time and patience.
Sometimes I walked out of therapy thinking, right, i went back in my mind to dark places, talked about them, don't really feel any better about them, and plus I'm intelligent enough to KNOW ALL the route causes of my pain and where they stem from. CBT you walk out thinking, Man, how could I get so worked up over that? It's only me thinking those people noticed that or were looking at me, and then I went and drank myself silly that night and no wonder i felt so **** the day after, man, i'm noticing where I'm going wrong here each new appointment, this **** works!
In terms of meds, I got side effects from them all, and I took Citalopram, Sertraline, Fluoxetine, Atomoxetine, Venlafaxine, Trazodone, Mirtazepine, Buspirone, Propranolol, Ritalin, Imipramine, Lofepramine, Diazepam, Seroquel, Olanzapine, Stelizine, like loads!
you have to give the Antidepressants at least 6 weeks for each before you see a benefit. At the start they did help me, but to be honest, a few of them actually made me really sick mentally, it had a serious backlash effect which i wont go into, bottom line, I'm off them now and really can do without them because exercise and diet and cbt alone are effective but they aint as easy as popping a pill. it's really down to what you want and how prepared you are to make changes!
Sometimes I walked out of therapy thinking, right, i went back in my mind to dark places, talked about them, don't really feel any better about them, and plus I'm intelligent enough to KNOW ALL the route causes of my pain and where they stem from. CBT you walk out thinking, Man, how could I get so worked up over that? It's only me thinking those people noticed that or were looking at me, and then I went and drank myself silly that night and no wonder i felt so **** the day after, man, i'm noticing where I'm going wrong here each new appointment, this **** works!
In terms of meds, I got side effects from them all, and I took Citalopram, Sertraline, Fluoxetine, Atomoxetine, Venlafaxine, Trazodone, Mirtazepine, Buspirone, Propranolol, Ritalin, Imipramine, Lofepramine, Diazepam, Seroquel, Olanzapine, Stelizine, like loads!
you have to give the Antidepressants at least 6 weeks for each before you see a benefit. At the start they did help me, but to be honest, a few of them actually made me really sick mentally, it had a serious backlash effect which i wont go into, bottom line, I'm off them now and really can do without them because exercise and diet and cbt alone are effective but they aint as easy as popping a pill. it's really down to what you want and how prepared you are to make changes!
Original post by TheUKCat
I'll just add in here, that CBT really is effective. Like in my opinion it's far better than counseling or even psychotherapy.
Just one clarification: CBT is Psychotherapy!!! There are different forms of psychotherapy, e.g. psychoanalysis(probably what you think of, when thinking of psychotherapy), conginitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, systemic ... Just because Psychoanalysis is the most known form, it doesn't make it the only way of doing psychotherapy. In general on your way to become a psychotherapist you choose by yourself which way you want to treat and then get trained in that form of therapy. I think, there is also an educational path to become someone solely doing CBT without all the general Psychologic background, but it is still a form of psychotherapy.
Original post by thatbeckygirl
They'll make you talk to a counselling or go to group help meetings and if nothing improved then they'll think about putting you on anti-depressants but it'll take about a year before you can go on them.
You have to be older than 18 and it's the last option because it can have bad side effects :/.
I would really consider doing counselling, they'll find what is wrong. Such as low self-esteem or a loss in family then you can go to a class on it. It helps A LOT. I was lucky and I got analysed a few days after going to the doctor, NHS did me good.
You have to be older than 18 and it's the last option because it can have bad side effects :/.
I would really consider doing counselling, they'll find what is wrong. Such as low self-esteem or a loss in family then you can go to a class on it. It helps A LOT. I was lucky and I got analysed a few days after going to the doctor, NHS did me good.
I was 14 when first prescribed so it's not true that you need to be over 18.
OP - psychology has helped far more than any anti depressant. Anti depressants take the edge off things but they don't magically make you better. They often come with unwanted side effects and you may be on a few different pills at different doseages until you find the one that fits.
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You are so right.
From experience, you have to be close to suicidal to get them But if you don't feel suicidal, please don't lie just to get them. Your doctor may be right in thinking you don't need them, it's for your own benefit. Anti-depressants work differently on everyone and they don't make you happy. They are aimed to correct chemical imbalances in your brain.
You may want to try out the counselling first, I have no experience in this so I can't say if it works or not, again it works differently for everyone. If you really can't wait for the counselling to start and you are feeling extremely depressed/suicidal, tell your doctor, it's possible they will prescribe meds to you.
You may want to try out the counselling first, I have no experience in this so I can't say if it works or not, again it works differently for everyone. If you really can't wait for the counselling to start and you are feeling extremely depressed/suicidal, tell your doctor, it's possible they will prescribe meds to you.
I've naturally felt depressed to the point that i'm used to it, and when people such as family lay so many burdens on me, it adds to the depression and they don't even know I have it, regardless of telling them i'm depressed or not. I haven't had the courage to ask the doctor for anti-depressants but I have no idea what is considered extreme anymore, I sort of get counselling but not for mental support, more for keeping up to date with education which is sort of against what they are meant to be giving me, they are meant to give advice, but they give me excuses.
If the anti-depressants are meant to alter your brain in some way, it might have been some sort of background depression that I have built into my brain which needs to change, as it has caused me to fail my coursework and be in the way of everything in general.
If the anti-depressants are meant to alter your brain in some way, it might have been some sort of background depression that I have built into my brain which needs to change, as it has caused me to fail my coursework and be in the way of everything in general.
Original post by txo
From experience, you have to be close to suicidal to get them But if you don't feel suicidal, please don't lie just to get them. Your doctor may be right in thinking you don't need them, it's for your own benefit. Anti-depressants work differently on everyone and they don't make you happy. They are aimed to correct chemical imbalances in your brain.
You may want to try out the counselling first, I have no experience in this so I can't say if it works or not, again it works differently for everyone. If you really can't wait for the counselling to start and you are feeling extremely depressed/suicidal, tell your doctor, it's possible they will prescribe meds to you.
You may want to try out the counselling first, I have no experience in this so I can't say if it works or not, again it works differently for everyone. If you really can't wait for the counselling to start and you are feeling extremely depressed/suicidal, tell your doctor, it's possible they will prescribe meds to you.
Concerning the suicidal feelings: Anti-Depressants don't make you happy, they just give you energy. Thus one danger of giving them to suicidal persons is, that they get the energy they've lacked so far to actually commit suicide. Thus it will be closely monitored and not be given as the solely measure. (What is of course true, that in that state of depression, they become necessary, because otherwise therapy will be not lasting or simply not possible at all.)
Mental health services within the NHS are currently in shambles, sadly - if you can afford to go private do so.
Going to the GP and asking them to prescribe you a drug is going to get you nowhere, especially with such specialised drugs. Be aware that anti-depressants are known to induce suicidal ideation, especially in youth. They treat the symptom only, not the cause and they come with a wide variety of adverse effects. It's also worth mentioning that, if necessary, you will spend a lot of time finding the correct dose and medication for you. NICE guidelines suggest medicinal treatment for those who match the following criteria,
"Persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms; mild to moderate depression."
Going to the GP and asking them to prescribe you a drug is going to get you nowhere, especially with such specialised drugs. Be aware that anti-depressants are known to induce suicidal ideation, especially in youth. They treat the symptom only, not the cause and they come with a wide variety of adverse effects. It's also worth mentioning that, if necessary, you will spend a lot of time finding the correct dose and medication for you. NICE guidelines suggest medicinal treatment for those who match the following criteria,
"Persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms; mild to moderate depression."
The waiting list for CBT is awful. I've been waiting for it since like, October.
I was pretty depressed when I got my antidepressants. My mum had been going to my GP for years about me, telling her I was so unhappy and didn't leave the house etc etc. Then I finally agreed to see my GP about it when I dropped out of uni because my anxiety was so bad
She arranged an appointment with a psychiatrist(?) who asked me questions and then offered me sertraline straight away. I think it's because I had the history of problems that the GP knew about because of my mum telling her which made the antidepressents be given to me so quickly.
Anyway, haven't noticed much difference after being on two different antidepressants so far. Think I'm on cipralex or something atm. Anxiety is a bugger
I was pretty depressed when I got my antidepressants. My mum had been going to my GP for years about me, telling her I was so unhappy and didn't leave the house etc etc. Then I finally agreed to see my GP about it when I dropped out of uni because my anxiety was so bad
She arranged an appointment with a psychiatrist(?) who asked me questions and then offered me sertraline straight away. I think it's because I had the history of problems that the GP knew about because of my mum telling her which made the antidepressents be given to me so quickly.Anyway, haven't noticed much difference after being on two different antidepressants so far. Think I'm on cipralex or something atm. Anxiety is a bugger
Original post by Maid Marian
The waiting list for CBT is awful. I've been waiting for it since like, October.
I was pretty depressed when I got my antidepressants. My mum had been going to my GP for years about me, telling her I was so unhappy and didn't leave the house etc etc. Then I finally agreed to see my GP about it when I dropped out of uni because my anxiety was so bad She arranged an appointment with a psychiatrist(?) who asked me questions and then offered me sertraline straight away. I think it's because I had the history of problems that the GP knew about because of my mum telling her which made the antidepressents be given to me so quickly.
Anyway, haven't noticed much difference after being on two different antidepressants so far. Think I'm on cipralex or something atm. Anxiety is a bugger
I was pretty depressed when I got my antidepressants. My mum had been going to my GP for years about me, telling her I was so unhappy and didn't leave the house etc etc. Then I finally agreed to see my GP about it when I dropped out of uni because my anxiety was so bad
She arranged an appointment with a psychiatrist(?) who asked me questions and then offered me sertraline straight away. I think it's because I had the history of problems that the GP knew about because of my mum telling her which made the antidepressents be given to me so quickly.Anyway, haven't noticed much difference after being on two different antidepressants so far. Think I'm on cipralex or something atm. Anxiety is a bugger
That's the kind of **** that makes me bottle my own issues up. The NHS is frustrating as **** right.
My doctor got me to answer a questionnaire and prescribed me sertraline then and there. I was not suicidal or thinking about hurting myself at all.
Original post by Anonymous
I'm not sure. I just want something to stop these constant low moods that have taken over me.
I don't know. The counselling service I've been assigned to doesn't seem very reliable, as I have to wait around 6 months for an appointment, and then they often cancel and change the date which is annoying. I guess I'll just have to keep waiting and hoping.
I don't know. The counselling service I've been assigned to doesn't seem very reliable, as I have to wait around 6 months for an appointment, and then they often cancel and change the date which is annoying. I guess I'll just have to keep waiting and hoping.
Anti depressants arnt a magic cure, iv been on them over a year and still struggling with depression more than ever!
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I think different doctors vary on how easily they will prescribe anti-depressants. Some, especially in the private sector, will prescribe them straight away whereas others are very wary about prescribing. Speaking from experience, I had counselling on the NHS when I was 13, saw a psych that diagnosed me with depression but didn't want to prescribe. I then swapped to using private healthcare insurance and was offered medication on my first appointment, then virtually encouraged to increase the dose.
I know you want a magic cure that will take all the problems away, but the truth is that doesn't exist and anti-depressants will certainly not do that. I wish I had never been prescribed them. They mask your problems, and this can be good just to get you up to a level where you are able to engage in the therapy but they far from solve things. At the end of the day, it is the therapy that makes you better not the tablets. And you need to consider that at some point you will have to come off them, and deal with life without them and that in itself can take you backwards. You can and will get better but I would make use of therapy rather than medication.
There is a type of therapy increasingly offered on the NHS, called DBT. It was originally designed to treat borderline personality disorder, but can also treat depression. I found it immensely helpful and would thoroughly recommend it.
I know you want a magic cure that will take all the problems away, but the truth is that doesn't exist and anti-depressants will certainly not do that. I wish I had never been prescribed them. They mask your problems, and this can be good just to get you up to a level where you are able to engage in the therapy but they far from solve things. At the end of the day, it is the therapy that makes you better not the tablets. And you need to consider that at some point you will have to come off them, and deal with life without them and that in itself can take you backwards. You can and will get better but I would make use of therapy rather than medication.
There is a type of therapy increasingly offered on the NHS, called DBT. It was originally designed to treat borderline personality disorder, but can also treat depression. I found it immensely helpful and would thoroughly recommend it.
It really depends on situation and for how severe it is for example if you feel a bit low but it doesn't affect your life he may suggest distraction techniques and lifestyle changes. If your depression effects you moderately then he may suggest councelling or CBT, distraction and lifestyle changes.
If it effects you severely and you have thoughts of suicide/self harm or history of these issues then he will go down medication route.
But if he believes you are in serious risk of hurting yourself has duty of care to keep you safe.
It really depends on risks and physical and emotional/mental symptoms.
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If it effects you severely and you have thoughts of suicide/self harm or history of these issues then he will go down medication route.
But if he believes you are in serious risk of hurting yourself has duty of care to keep you safe.
It really depends on risks and physical and emotional/mental symptoms.
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