Antidepressants?

[Kore]

Do they actually work? I have no idea how to stop feeling like this, have never tried any of the pills and have basically only EVER heard terrible things about them. Including bad side effects, addiction/withdrawal if stopped, don't even work in the first place…. Etc.

I doubt there's a magic pill that can make all my problems go away, but if there's one that could help, would like to hear about it

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I personally would not take any of those pills but actually it's a trial and error process. Some people have positive experience some don't. My personal opinion is that antidepressants cannot heal MH issues as MH is too complex to be just treated with a pill in most cases.

I'd say if you are not comfortable taking such meds you shouldn't do it but in the end it's your decision whether you have hope they can help you or not.

 

[Kore]

I guess I'm asking… what do they do? What are the different kinds? Do they just 'numb' your emotions, or do they (some fucking way) actually make you feel happier?

I don't really know anything about them whatsoever, so I'm after a mix of scientific and personal experience answers I guess

Thank you for answering @Praestat_Mori

 

[NumbItAll]

They work by affecting the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. The most common types of antidepressants are SSRIs and SNRIs. Here is an overview of all the different types of psychotropics and what they do: https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-psychotropic-drug

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell how any drug will affect you personally without trying it. It is pretty much a crapshoot. Sexual dysfunction is very common though, so there's that.

 

[Kore]

They work by affecting the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. The most common types of antidepressants are SSRIs and SNRIs. Here is an overview of all the different types of psychotropics and what they do: https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-a-psychotropic-drug

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell how any drug will affect you personally without trying it. It is pretty much a crapshoot. Sexual dysfunction is very common though, so there's that.

That's brilliant, thank you for sharing the info, given me a good start. I know a couple of friends who have been on some form of them, I may ask them for their personal experience on them… though somewhat fear them asking what's up lmao.

In terms of getting them, will a doctor just go ahead and prescribe it to me (after some talking ofc) or do I have to have gone through several types of shit first?..

 

[NumbItAll]

That's brilliant, thank you for sharing the info, given me a good start. I know a couple of friends who have been on some form of them, I may ask them for their personal experience on them… though somewhat fear them asking what's up lmao.

In terms of getting them, will a doctor just go ahead and prescribe it to me (after some talking ofc) or do I have to have gone through several types of shit first?..

I guess it depends on where you are but it should be pretty easy to get a prescription I think. I don't think doctors really know what they're doing so they will hand them out for any reason. Make sure you learn everything you can about the potential risks such as: side effects, adverse reactions, (protracted) withdrawal, tardive dyskinesia and PSSD so you can make an informed choice about whether to try them.

 

[devian]

i personally had to try a lot of them to find what worked. but switching from just depression oriented pills to an antipsychotic/antidepressant somehow helped a lot, i think. wouldnt have gotten as far without them, if you think it's worth it i'd say go ahead and try. just be wary, and don't be afraid to switch medicine up.

 

[mortasum]

Do they actually work? I have no idea how to stop feeling like this, have never tried any of the pills and have basically only EVER heard terrible things about them. Including bad side effects, addiction/withdrawal if stopped, don't even work in the first place…. Etc.

I doubt there's a magic pill that can make all my problems go away, but if there's one that could help, would like to hear about it

Personally, I haven't really had much success. They numb the pain, sure, but they don't actually ease your pain, and there's a big difference. I went up to the max dose of wellbutrin today. Maybe I need time for it to fully work or whatever, but I still did absolutely nothing all day, and I still wanna CTB.

 

[Kore]

Personally, I haven't really had much success. They numb the pain, sure, but they don't actually ease your pain, and there's a big difference. I went up to the max dose of wellbutrin today. Maybe I need time for it to fully work or whatever, but I still did absolutely nothing all day, and I still wanna CTB.

Tbh this is what I'm most afraid of. I already feel numb to life, more with each passing day, and my hope was that there may be some kind of this medication that would… idk, boost my motivation for life, not just numb me even further to it. I think I may call the doc at some point and discuss some options.

Despite the way I'm feeling, in this society if you stop working you lose your job, if you lose your job you lose your home, so I gotta find some way to keep getting through the days..

 

[Bodydysmorphia34]

I've only tried SSRI's but they didn't help me at all, only gave me side effects.

 

[Kore]

I've only tried SSRI's but they didn't help me at all, only gave me side effects.

Mind if I ask what the side effects that you experienced were, and how severe?

 

[Bodydysmorphia34]

Mind if I ask what the side effects that you experienced were, and how severe?

I tried Prozac (Fluoxetine) and Venlafaxin and they both had negative effects on my sexual life: harder to get an orgasm, also less pleasure and sensitivity (I am male but I've read SSRI's had negative effects on female sexuality too). Also, I suffered from diarrhea more often and couldn't do sports anymore. Loss of appetite and sleeping troubles also affected me. Since the medicine didn't improve my mental wellbeing, I stopped taking them. As Prozac is an "established" and thoroughly tested medicine, the side effects are usually manageable aside from the sexual aspects. SSRI's are known for having a strong impact on your sexual life so if that is important to you, you might want to consider something else.

I am skeptical of antidepressants but they might work for you. You just have to take the potential side effects into account.

 

[Kore]

I tried Prozac (Fluoxetine) and Venlafaxin and they both had negative effects on my sexual life: harder to get an orgasm, also less pleasure and sensitivity (I am male but I've read SSRI's had negative effects on female sexuality too). Also, I suffered from diarrhea more often and couldn't do sports anymore. Loss of appetite and sleeping troubles also affected me. Since the medicine didn't improve my mental wellbeing, I stopped taking them. As Prozac is an "established" and thoroughly tested medicine, the side effects are usually manageable aside from the sexual aspects. SSRI's are known for having a strong impact on your sexual life so if that is important to you, you might want to consider something else.

I am skeptical of antidepressants but they might work for you. You just have to take the potential side effects into account.

Tysm for sharing your experiences, that's super helpful!

 

[CandyK__]

Personal account of Venlafaxine (SNRI) they work good for me, I don't feel loss of emotions, numbness or anything. Only slightly decreased appetite, I also experience occasional ticks, which kind of seem tourette-ish, but that's very me specific, and they happen like once a day, and it's just me nodding my head, or looking up. so it's manageable, and they help me get out of bed, and give me energy to actually do something, and have a bit more normal life.

 

[springleaf]

i've started taking a very low dose of citalopram recently (which my psychiatrist will increase after a few weeks, 'cause apparently it's good to get used to it gradually), and so far i have to say that some of my symptoms have gotten better -- though i'm still very tired all the time, i am no longer totally out of energy due to depression, i have the motivation to start excercising a little bit (before i didn't even have the desire, because i didn't see any point in taking care of my body), i actually manage to shower two or more days in a row, and i might even have stopped being as emotionally fragile as i used to be. the thing is, a side effect that might occur in the first few weeks of taking antidepressants is actually an increase in suicidal thoughts -- it's even written on the information leaflet that it might be a good idea to disclose this to your friends or family, so in case this happens, they can help you or something. personally, i would say that my suicidal thought have gotten worse, but that's probably not the medication's fault, because they have been getting progressively worse for quite some time now...
the worst thing for me personally is that my tics have gotten a lot worse (i have a tic disorder that started in my childhood), but i googled it, and it doesn't really seem to be a very common occurence, plus that's probably not relevant to you.
i suppose if you react badly to one type of medication, you can try some other, or you can discuss adjusting your dose with your doctor. for example, my psychiatrist told me that she always wants people to take as little medication as possible, but all doctors are different, so if you're discussing it with one, be sure to express your personal concerns about the side effects and effectivity -- and also be clear and open about your problems, so they don't under prescribe or not prescribe anything at all.
also, while you can't just quit taking antidepressants cold turkey, and you have to remember to take them everyday, or they might cause some mood fluctuations, they are not supposed to be addictive in the traditional sense and you can gradually stop taking them.
i would recommend you try them based on what the alternative is -- if you have any ideas on how to get better on your own, or you are somehow managing your mental health, then, well, think about it, but if you're genuinely feeling desperate and numb, i think trying something is better than trying nothing.

 

[fourstars]

Do they actually work? I have no idea how to stop feeling like this, have never tried any of the pills and have basically only EVER heard terrible things about them. Including bad side effects, addiction/withdrawal if stopped, don't even work in the first place…. Etc.

I doubt there's a magic pill that can make all my problems go away, but if there's one that could help, would like to hear about it

im on a very high dosage of antidepressants, mostly because i have very severe depression - 200mg zoloft, paired with 150mg wellbutrin.
they do help very well for me, although i first was on prozac which did not work for me at all, my current meds have made me feel a lot more stable. i used to be constantly attempting suicide or thinking about killing myself, and those thoughts have, although not entirely gone, decreased significantly. i've also been much happier and much less fatigued or burnt out.
i get being skeptical. i was super skeptical when i was first put on antidepressants, especially when the prozac made me feel more numb than it did make me feel less depressed. but after being put on ones that work, they've helped so much. the worst side effect i've had is with wellbutrin which only gave me drier skin and a drier mouth, which isn't bad at all, but it'll be different for different people.
i'd recommend getting an appointment. although a lot of people have had bad experiences, it may have been because they weren't put on the right medication for them. (also if they recommend prozac, which doctors often do, i'd probably ask them to avoid it. i know a lot of people on antidepressants as well and prozac was one of the ones that worked the least for the majority of them.)

 

[Kore]

@CandyK__ @springleaf @fourstars sorry guys missed the notifs for this thread, tysm for sharing your experiences and info with me! I really appreciate it

I have spoken with my doc before about depression and I'm on a waiting list for therapy, but I never got… diagnosed. I mean I'm 'depressed', no doubt about it, I've been getting progressively lower for a couple years, and recently I've been extremely low for just months on end. Hence currently being on this lovely ctb forum but I haven't gone through any process with the doc about this?

I guess my question is, how does a 'diagnosis' work? I'm worried about asking for medication, cause I've heard of people being put on 'suicide watch' or family/police being notified, etc etc, so till now I've barely disclosed any of my true feelings to the doc. When he asked if I've ever considered hurting myself, I just flatly said no so I wouldn't attract any unwanted attention, but I guess that shunts me into the category of 'eh he'll be fine' and my only help was being put on a waiting list.

To get medication, do I need to disclose my true feelings to the doc? To go through an official diagnosis process or something? Will it result in any of my family/authorities/anyone else knowing the truth? I hate causing drama or fuss, I don't want people suddenly looking at me with the pity that only happy people can show towards sad people. I prefer to pretend everything is fine so all the other people can get on with their day and leave me to mine.

 

[springleaf]

@CandyK__ @springleaf @fourstars sorry guys missed the notifs for this thread, tysm for sharing your experiences and info with me! I really appreciate it

I have spoken with my doc before about depression and I'm on a waiting list for therapy, but I never got… diagnosed. I mean I'm 'depressed', no doubt about it, I've been getting progressively lower for a couple years, and recently I've been extremely low for just months on end. Hence currently being on this lovely ctb forum but I haven't gone through any process with the doc about this?

I guess my question is, how does a 'diagnosis' work? I'm worried about asking for medication, cause I've heard of people being put on 'suicide watch' or family/police being notified, etc etc, so till now I've barely disclosed any of my true feelings to the doc. When he asked if I've ever considered hurting myself, I just flatly said no so I wouldn't attract any unwanted attention, but I guess that shunts me into the category of 'eh he'll be fine' and my only help was being put on a waiting list.

To get medication, do I need to disclose my true feelings to the doc? To go through an official diagnosis process or something? Will it result in any of my family/authorities/anyone else knowing the truth? I hate causing drama or fuss, I don't want people suddenly looking at me with the pity that only happy people can show towards sad people. I prefer to pretend everything is fine so all the other people can get on with their day and leave me to mine.

I've been in therapy for a few months and started taking medication all without an actual formal diagnosis. I am in a similar situation to you, as in I didn't tell the doctor (or my therapist) how bad my suicidal thoughts really are (because... anxiety) -- when my therapist wrote a recommendation for a psychiatric evaluation, she described me as only 'vaguely suicidal'. The psychiatrist asked if I have attempted suicide in the past (which I have not) and if I self-harm (which I do, but very seldom), and didn't ask me at all if I currently have any suicidal thoughts or plans -- HOWEVER, my therapist did before I first started seeing her (but at that time, I was doing much better, so I said no and it wasn't a lie).

After like an hour of a psychiatry appointment, the doctor actually wrote in the conclusion of my medical report that I have an anxiety disorder (which she didn't further specify) and an adjustment disorder, but she didn't even explain to me what that is, so they're not like proper diagnoses.

So, yes, you can get prescribed antidepressants without a formal diagnosis or disclosing your true mental state.

HOWEVER, you might be prescribed a lower dose than you really need -- but the doctor can increase it over time if you say you feel it's not enough for you, BUT ALSO: My psychiatrist told me she doesn't prescribe medication to *very* unstable patients, by which she meant people who have recently experienced some sort of trauma or something like that, because antidepressants ARE going to mess with your brain chemistry, and so it's not always ideal to start taking them without previous treatments like therapy. Though that might not exactly be your case, it is something worth thinking about.
Also, as I've also mentioned, the first few weeks after you begin taking them, you might actually feel worse, which... might not be super helpful, and if you already are suicidal, I suppose it is important for the doctor to know that, so that for AT LEAST the first few weeks, you are monitored by someone, like your close friends or family.

Also, I should probably mention that I live in Czechia (central Europe), so I guess it's possible in your country it might be a bit different??

Anyway, keep in mind I'm not a professional and I'm just sharing my personal experience and what I've heard. I hope you get the help you need without much discomfort : )

 

[fourstars]

@CandyK__ @springleaf @fourstars sorry guys missed the notifs for this thread, tysm for sharing your experiences and info with me! I really appreciate it

I have spoken with my doc before about depression and I'm on a waiting list for therapy, but I never got… diagnosed. I mean I'm 'depressed', no doubt about it, I've been getting progressively lower for a couple years, and recently I've been extremely low for just months on end. Hence currently being on this lovely ctb forum but I haven't gone through any process with the doc about this?

I guess my question is, how does a 'diagnosis' work? I'm worried about asking for medication, cause I've heard of people being put on 'suicide watch' or family/police being notified, etc etc, so till now I've barely disclosed any of my true feelings to the doc. When he asked if I've ever considered hurting myself, I just flatly said no so I wouldn't attract any unwanted attention, but I guess that shunts me into the category of 'eh he'll be fine' and my only help was being put on a waiting list.

To get medication, do I need to disclose my true feelings to the doc? To go through an official diagnosis process or something? Will it result in any of my family/authorities/anyone else knowing the truth? I hate causing drama or fuss, I don't want people suddenly looking at me with the pity that only happy people can show towards sad people. I prefer to pretend everything is fine so all the other people can get on with their day and leave me to mine.

i honestly might not be much help in this, i was really young when i got diagnosed with depression and i can't quite remember. when switching meds, though, sharing your mental state helps them to understand what dosage / what medication u need and most of the time to share your feelings with a doctor, like being suicidal or depressed, as long as you don't say something that would make them think you are in danger of seriously harming yourself or others in the near future (in america, at least. not sure if it's different in your country). also, you typically don't have to tell anyone about it other than your doctors.

 

[greebo6]

They don't all have bad/nasty side effects. A few are actually quite pleasant tom take/use.
But it is kind of trail and error at first. Your doctor will try you with one type and if your reaction was bad the doctor would try you on a different type till you get the one , at the right dose ,that's the best for you personally as an individual. A doctor would not make you continue to take something that had side effects you couldn't handle in terms of anti depressants.
Stopping using them would be managed in a responsible gradual way as agreed by you and your doctor. The key is to do it gradually. This minimises or eliminates 'withdrawal symptoms'.
Not everyone gets addicted to them but as with any other meds/drug it can and does happen sometimes .
There are actually some anti depressants that can be taken for life quite safely.
Don't dismiss the idea but don't feel under any pressure to take them either. They are generally a safe option and might help. Talk to your doctor about it and be honest about your concerns. He/she will understand.
Good luck.