Do antidepressants help you?

[musicalpriest]

Hi,

I've been struggling with depression since I was 13 years old -- I am almost 28 now.

I've never been on antidepressants. I have a LOT of ideation, especially since I moved to another state for graduate school, have no support system, and really have nothing to look forward to because of COVID.

This year has just been a shit show for me. I would really like to just stick with the natural way of doing things (exercise), but some people tell me that I should look into antidepressants.

What do you think?

 

[Ghost2211]

They worked for me at first. I had to start taking them for ppd. Over time they stopped helping, and the solution I was offered was increasing the med. I weaned off of it (which sucked), and was happier with it out of my systems. I hated being on them. They made me fairly numb and I had zero sex drive which impacted my relationship. Marijuana works so much better for me.

It's up to you if you want to try meds, but look at like a bandaid not a solution.

 

[Racon]

There is a possibility that they could work. What have you got to lose by giving them a shot?

 

[musicalpriest]

There is a possibility that they could work. What have you got to lose by giving them a shot?

I'm afraid they might mess me up or something -- I've read some posts from people who say that they regret taking them. As much as I think about ctb, I don't think I could go through with it. But the constant ideation is getting to me, as well as my ability to relate to others, probably.

 

[Racon]

I'm afraid they might mess me up or something -- I've read some posts from people who say that they regret taking them. As much as I think about ctb, I don't think I could go through with it. But the constant ideation is getting to me, as well as my ability to relate to others, probably.

They aren't dangerous meds. Particularly the first line meds like the SSRIs. Side effects are to be expected and most will disappear after a short time.

 

[Dakota]

Didn't really do much for me, but at the same time I didn't really give them a chance.

 

[Worthless_nobody]

Honestly no they didn't help me. They help some people but I wasn't one of them. It was being forced to use them in my early teens and prolonged use that messed me up. I have permanent anhedonia from an ssri. It was just a shame drs hand it out like candy and can't be honest about side effects on a young developing mind and the possibility for long term damage. I took them for years and have been off for 5 years. (this is just my story though)

 

[mathieu]

I think they help me somewhat but rather than standard depression I have bpd and schizoaffective disorder - bipolar type so they aren't really even approved for my conditions. I think they are worth trying, especially if you're thinking of suicide. Worst that happens is they don't work and you kill yourself like you are going to anyway.

 

[RC90]

Mine do work a bit with zero side effects, didnt affect my sex life either. No gained weight. Thunk it would work much better if I went for a daly walk or something. If any of you wanna know the brand of it PM me.

 

[Regen]

I don't like AD'ss, but they help me. I'm not completely new and full of joy, but this deep pain get away most of the time.

I think try out it. There's nothing to lose for you I think. But maybe you have to try out different meds. If you don't like it you can simply stop taking the medication.

 

[Lupgevif]

Maybe they did, at some point, I can't say for sure. I know right now they don't, though. What they do best is give me abstinence symptoms when I forget to take them.

 

[rt1989526]

They aren't dangerous meds. Particularly the first line meds like the SSRIs. Side effects are to be expected and most will disappear after a short time.

This is not true at all. I have been destroyed by SSRIs with anhedonia and sexual dysfunction.
My advice to OP is to stay away from medications if you can. They are unpredictable with no longer term studies on file having been invented around 30 years ago. My biggest regret in life right now is having gone on SSRIs.

I think try out it. There's nothing to lose for you I think. But maybe you have to try out different meds. If you don't like it you can simply stop taking the medication.

Yeah nothing to lose except your mind and sexuality. Nothing at all to lose.

 

[wonderworld]

yes and no.... it's a weird one, a lot of people think antidepressants cure you and you only need to take one pill and BAM you're cured.

its taken me a lot of different pills to find the one that helps a little... the one I'm one currently only helps me get out bed, it gives me energy and makes my body feel less heavy downside of the drugs I'm on, its slowly destroy my insides because they were invented in 50s

 

[Racon]

This is not true at all. I have been destroyed by SSRIs with anhedonia and sexual dysfunction.
My advice to OP is to stay away from medications if you can. They are unpredictable with no longer term studies on file having been invented around 30 years ago. My biggest regret in life right now is having gone on SSRIs.


Yeah nothing to lose except your mind and sexuality. Nothing at all to lose.

I mean, the OP is on a suicide forum right now. If they are at this point then there is no harm trying them as a last ditch effort. Being one of the minority who are adversely affected by them in a major way is a small risk when you are close to CTB.

 

[rt1989526]

I mean, the OP is on a suicide forum right now. If they are at this point then there is no harm trying them as a last ditch effort. Being one of the minority who are adversely affected by them in a major way is a small risk when you are close to CTB.

Fair enough. I'm just making sure they are aware what can happen from taking these drugs. If you think life sucks now try losing your ability to enjoy the few things you do enjoy now, or losing feeling in your genitals. It's crazy. There was no warning from the doctors, so I feel obligated to do the warning.

 

[tidalwxves]

Hi,

I've been struggling with depression since I was 13 years old -- I am almost 28 now.

I've never been on antidepressants. I have a LOT of ideation, especially since I moved to another state for graduate school, have no support system, and really have nothing to look forward to because of COVID.

This year has just been a shit show for me. I would really like to just stick with the natural way of doing things (exercise), but some people tell me that I should look into antidepressants.

What do you think?

Well, I think you need to gauge your expectations. Like if you need help getting start/finishing things yes they can help lift your spirits enough to do that, but they don't fix everything on their own. They work best in combination with some of the stuff you are already doing, so you might notice a real difference. It would be best to discuss this with a psychiatrist.

 

[jrums]

They aren't dangerous meds. Particularly the first line meds like the SSRIs. Side effects are to be expected and most will disappear after a short time.

Permanent sexual dysfunction and brain damage from SSRIs are the reason I'm here. Will make depression look like a cakewalk. They can be very dangerous meds.
Plus studies show they aren't much better than placebo for depression. They are just numbing agents.

 

[rt1989526]

Permanent sexual dysfunction and brain damage from SSRIs are the reason I'm here. Will make depression look like a cakewalk. They can be very dangerous meds.
Plus studies show they aren't much better than placebo for depression. They are just numbing agents.

That makes two of us. Exactly the same.

OP consider yourself warned: anhedonia and PSSD. Please research these side effects THOROUGHLY before ever using SSRI medications. This goes for anyone else considering them.

 

[Aliali1992]

From personal experience: Yes they do. They did however absolutly nothing to my social anxiety but simply they just made the difference between life and death. It is not easy i'm on 3 of them with ton of side effects but did not mess my brain.
From research: Yes they do. there was a debate wether they work better than placebo. This is history as it was proven in the largest study that they do work.www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/upshot/do-antidepressants-work.amp.html

 

[Mm80]

It depends whether you are functioning or not as to if they are worth taking.
If you are just unhappy but able to function i wouldnt bother as they dont make you happy.
If you arent functioning well ie sleeping, eating, getting to work, exercising, maintaining relationships,.
They can help.but id only advise them if your really struggling and contemplating ctb.

 

[Sinkinshyp]

at this point you have nothing to loose. I would give them a shot. You will probably have to try a few different ones. Give them 4-6 weeks to build up in your system before you dismiss it as not working. If there are issues with things that have happened- antidepressants along with therapy can help. There are negative side affects to all medications. Look those up and be awake it is possible for certain things to happen as a result of each given medication. I hope you find one that works without negative side affects.

 

[musicalpriest]

It depends whether you are functioning or not as to if they are worth taking.
If you are just unhappy but able to function i wouldnt bother as they dont make you happy.
If you arent functioning well ie sleeping, eating, getting to work, exercising, maintaining relationships,.
They can help.but id only advise them if your really struggling and contemplating ctb.

The thing is that I just don't know if I'm lazy or what. Like today, I did wake up and do what I was supposed to do with (kind of) minimal effort, but I was lolly gagging the entire way when I was getting ready; sort of lying in bed and pretending I was dead, etc.

I don't think at this point I can consider ctb. I worry about turning 30 in a couple of years, though, and still feeling this way.

I think I am able to sort of maintain relationships, but usually the conversations I have end up being pretty negative in nature or about how I'm struggling in life.

My circumstances really suck, though. I just moved to a new town for graduate school, have no friends here, support system, etc, not really sure what I'm doing. I don't know if it's just a combination of things that leave me inclining toward fantasy of ctb, or if it's because I'm lazy, and just am making excuses not to give it my all at school, go to the gym, wake up at 8:00 and make myself breakfast, etc.

I just feel that I really have nothing to look forward to or live for. My inclinations toward depression and extreme thinking have really pushed away some people. I think past disregard for boundaries have really pushed me away from family to the point, as well, that my mother doesn't want to talk to me anymore.

I have a couple of friends back home who care about my well-being, and don't like me being in a place where I consider ctb, but overall; I just have an over-looming feeling that nobody cares, that I'm being left behind, that I'm alone, etc. Which is true...I really don't have any family or significantly close relationships that makes this life worth living.

I would go out of my way to try and build a support system and get better organically, but I think COVID has just complicated that. There's really nobody that is meeting up right now, and I notice when I do talk to people, I'm super timid because of my emotions and I am worried I'll get "found out" for my depression and also the seriously fucked up shit I've been through.

Just, I don't know. I am worried that going on medications could make my physical health worse, and then getting more depressed from that.

 

[voidman]

Used too. Not anymore. Tried almost all SSRI

 

[sufferingalways]

This is not true at all. I have been destroyed by SSRIs with anhedonia and sexual dysfunction.
My advice to OP is to stay away from medications if you can. They are unpredictable with no longer term studies on file having been invented around 30 years ago. My biggest regret in life right now is having gone on SSRIs.


Yeah nothing to lose except your mind and sexuality. Nothing at all to lose.

I was suggested anti depressants years ago. I think I took them for 2 or 3 days and started feeling suicidal so I threw them in the bin. Gp Doctor was a bit puzzled by this but I just repeated that I was scared by how they made me feel. He didn't seem to have a script other than "maybe try them for longer"
I suspected he was talking shit then, and from what some people are saying here regarding the side effects and what they suffer it's even more apparent that he was full of shit. (This was the same sick bag who laughed at me feeling suicidal .. )
Sounds like the drs do what they can to get people on them but when problems arise.. their interest in patient health goes to the gutter (where it seemed to be for my dr for a long time).

 

[rt1989526]

at this point you have nothing to loose. I would give them a shot.

Other than the proper function and feeling of your genitals yeah nothing to lose.

 

[AnotherBrick]

I've been on SSRIs since elementary school (25 now). I can't really compare life off of them. I used to think it was silly when people suggested getting off them, but as I've grown older I find myself wondering more and more what I'd be like if I hadn't started or continued them.

As others have said, they don't make you happy. At best, you feel stable. Which is still a good thing - when it actually works. I haven't had solid emotional stability in years. My psychiatrist has tried an impressive amount of different meds, but none have stuck. I still have emotional breakdowns and it's getting worse. Quite a bit of anhedonia, too.

I won't take a strong stance for or against them, but it isn't as light of a decision as I had once believed.

 

[Sinkinshyp]

Other than the proper function and feeling of your genitals yeah nothing to lose.

I'm not a guy so I cannot relate. I'm sorry it did this to you. I was on venlafaxine and the only boyfriend I had in 10 yrs. It did not interfere with my sexually. Now when they put me on the seroquel 3x a day- my ex and I tried to rekindle but the 3x a day seroquel did make me not want to have sex.

 

[rt1989526]

I'm not a guy so I cannot relate. I'm sorry it did this to you. I was on venlafaxine and the only boyfriend I had in 10 yrs. It did not interfere with my sexually. Now when they put me on the seroquel 3x a day- my ex and I tried to rekindle but the 3x a day seroquel did make me not want to have sex.

Supposedly it affects males worse than females, so I guess that's something to consider.

There is a group of about 5 or 6 users that are here because of PSSD, me being one. Chemical castration is devastating and is worse than any depression I had before I took the pills. I have worse depression than before as a result of this side effect.

If there's anything I'm going to do in my final days it's try to raise awareness of PSSD from antidepressants.

 

[Ghost2211]

I mean, the OP is on a suicide forum right now. If they are at this point then there is no harm trying them as a last ditch effort. Being one of the minority who are adversely affected by them in a major way is a small risk when you are close to CTB.

When someone is already suicidal antidepressants can initially increase suicidality.

 

[Mm80]

The thing is that I just don't know if I'm lazy or what. Like today, I did wake up and do what I was supposed to do with (kind of) minimal effort, but I was lolly gagging the entire way when I was getting ready; sort of lying in bed and pretending I was dead, etc.

I don't think at this point I can consider ctb. I worry about turning 30 in a couple of years, though, and still feeling this way.

I think I am able to sort of maintain relationships, but usually the conversations I have end up being pretty negative in nature or about how I'm struggling in life.

My circumstances really suck, though. I just moved to a new town for graduate school, have no friends here, support system, etc, not really sure what I'm doing. I don't know if it's just a combination of things that leave me inclining toward fantasy of ctb, or if it's because I'm lazy, and just am making excuses not to give it my all at school, go to the gym, wake up at 8:00 and make myself breakfast, etc.

I just feel that I really have nothing to look forward to or live for. My inclinations toward depression and extreme thinking have really pushed away some people. I think past disregard for boundaries have really pushed me away from family to the point, as well, that my mother doesn't want to talk to me anymore.

I have a couple of friends back home who care about my well-being, and don't like me being in a place where I consider ctb, but overall; I just have an over-looming feeling that nobody cares, that I'm being left behind, that I'm alone, etc. Which is true...I really don't have any family or significantly close relationships that makes this life worth living.

I would go out of my way to try and build a support system and get better organically, but I think COVID has just complicated that. There's really nobody that is meeting up right now, and I notice when I do talk to people, I'm super timid because of my emotions and I am worried I'll get "found out" for my depression and also the seriously fucked up shit I've been through.

Just, I don't know. I am worried that going on medications could make my physical health worse, and then getting more depressed from that.

Im sorry about your situation. You sound isolated. Im not sure if your depressed in tbe physical sense though. You defo sound unhappy with your life.
I think its worth bearing in mind some of the stuff said on here. (Although i dont believe they make your genitals fall off) Doctors will give them out like sweets straight way.
When people say that tbey are safe, i often think that they are referring to safe in overdose. No studies have shown long term mind damage but ssris are still relatively new drugs.
Anecdotal reports say that they possibly do fuck you up, not sure if its permanent.
They made me lazy and put on weight.i grew man boobs probably due to a hormonal inbalance that they caused. I found it hard to build strength or muscle. I became reckless and quite hedonistic and less considerate of others. They change your nature slightly. Sexual difficulties, delayed orgasm etc.
But if you were at the point of ctb and have never took one. I would try one as it may save your life and give you a chance of building something for yourself.
To me ctb is the last resort.