Help Is medication worth it? (SSRIs)

[leloyon]

I have been struggling with depression and SI for as long as I can remember. Recently, my mental state has seemingly been getting worse. I often feel like screaming and attacking things for no reason, or self harming, as well as feeling agitated and on-edge. These episodes come out of nowhere and I have been straight edge my whole life (no alcohol, tobacco, drugs etc.) so it is not anything drug-induced. I have thus considered going to the doctor in the hopes of getting medication, knowing my country's healthcare this would likely be SSRIs. Both of my parents take SSRIs due to depression (hooray for genetic predisposition) but I am questioning if they are really worth it. I know they can be addictive and I don't want to get hooked on drugs that may not help me.
Any advice? Are these gonna do anything?

 

[TransilvanianHunger]

Don't know the details of healthcare where you are, but normally you don't go straight to a doctor to get meds. The process I'm familiar with involves an evaluation by a psychologist, who can refer you to a psychiatrist if they believe medication could be helpful for you, and you go from there.

Now, whether they do anything will depend on the specifics of your situation. The genetic predisposition aspect makes me thing SSRIs could actually be helpful, but it's all heavily dependent on each individual, which is why a psychiatric evaluation is required. The addiction aspect shouldn't be too much of a concern if the treatment is done correctly, with proper dosage and follow-up. So, my advice would be to reach out to a mental health professional to get an evaluation and possibly a referral. There are very few certainties with meds, but it's worth giving it a go if your mental state appears to be getting worse.

 

[HopefulSleep]

The medication they used to try to fix me was sertraline, lithium and abilify.
Sertralin is an ssri, the first months I got it prescribed I felt nothing or at least it was placebo but when I got it prescribed again some months ago it made me feel worse and wanted me to die more which is a bad feeling if I can't ctb right away.
With lithium I think I felt slightly better but you have to draw blood every week so it doesn't kill you if the dosage doesn't get adjusted.
Abilify is an anti psychotic and was the worst, I had insomnia, nothing felt real, I had a panic attack for hours, I was very tired but couldn't lay still, it hurt so extremely much in combination with the base problems I already have and the surrounding situation I was in.
In my opinion anti depression medication is pretty useless at best and painful at worst.
Sadly no drug will fix you probably.
If you still want to try drugs cause you are feeling mental pain I would rather try weed, I think it's effects are relaxing and euphoric at first but I don't do it anymore cause when I think about traumatic things while being high on weed it feels worse but besides from that I like the effect, but then again no guarantee that it will help you and in the long run probably won't but in my opinion this is a much better potential anti depressant than ssri's.

 

[endofafoxtwo]

I agree with above, if you are going to do anything you are best off smoking pot. It actually works and wont leave you braindamaged.
I had to stop because I couldnt stand the taste or the smell of it anymore sadly, but I still recommend it if you desperately need relief.

 

[uniqueusername0]

There's a lot of variability when it comes to meds. Personally, taking SSRIs was what led to my bipolar diagnosis. While it may have worked for others, it made me hypomanic. That aside, there's going to be a lot of trial and error if you ever do start taking meds. You really need to communicate with your psych about your concerns (side effects, etc), and they need to be willing to listen to you. In my case, I was incredibly affected by the weight gain side effects. I told my psych I wanted something else. They told me that it wasn't a side effect of the med. I ended up quitting on my own due to worsening body image issues. Lo and behold I lose the weight without even trying months later. The thing is, some will listen, while some will just keep on pushing meds on you. So, if you need to, don't be afraid to switch doctors. Look for someone who will take your concerns seriously.

 

[LittleJem]

you could try lithium orotate first. It really helped me for two weeks the. I gave up, but you are actually meant to give it 6-8 weeks to kick in…here's an article about lithium in general…I'm currently taking lithium carbonate which is the prescription stuff which is blanking my mind (an improvement for me) but lithium orotate is potentially as effective and less risky:

Lithium may provide answer to antidepressant shortcomings

NEW ORLEANS — In a presentation here, S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH, of Tufts University School of Medicine, discussed shortcomings of antidepressants, as well as the promise of lithium at low doses for suicide prevention in depression.“There is not much treatment-resistant depression, really,”...

www.healio.com

 

[leloyon]

I talked to the doctor… no luck anyway. Still, thanks to everyone.

 

[Valky]

I talked to the doctor… no luck anyway. Still, thanks to everyone.

What? Whyyy?

Meds and Therapy is what got me back up on my feet. It wasn't always easy and it took time to find the right meds for me but now I am doing so so much better :)

 

[Ended-up-Failing241]

I tried SSRI's and did not get better on them. Currently on Bupropion (Wellbutrin) and I feel great. Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant and does not work on serotonin. Have not felt depressed after about 3 weeks into using it. I was browsing these forums daily since last year and ever since I got on Bupropion I have decreased it. Anti-Depressents work differently for each person.

 

[LittleJem]

OP why did doctor not help you???
Which country are you in?

 

[leloyon]

OP why did doctor not help you???
Which country are you in?

UK.
I've been working with a mental health team already but they haven't taken me seriously at all and consistently disregarded all my concerns. I was advised by a social worker (not affiliated with this mental health team) to speak to the doctor and he said because I'm already working with this team his hands are basically tied and it's their call first.

 

[Pengu]

I have been struggling with depression and SI for as long as I can remember. Recently, my mental state has seemingly been getting worse. I often feel like screaming and attacking things for no reason, or self harming, as well as feeling agitated and on-edge. These episodes come out of nowhere and I have been straight edge my whole life (no alcohol, tobacco, drugs etc.) so it is not anything drug-induced. I have thus considered going to the doctor in the hopes of getting medication, knowing my country's healthcare this would likely be SSRIs. Both of my parents take SSRIs due to depression (hooray for genetic predisposition) but I am questioning if they are really worth it. I know they can be addictive and I don't want to get hooked on drugs that may not help me.
Any advice? Are these gonna do anything?

I think sertraline is the drug of choice for depression. i used to take it myself and i can tell u it works! But it made me really sleepy so i switched to paroxetine 25mg as i also have ocd. Honestly it doesn't help much with suicidal thoughts. My doctor also gave me propranolol for anxiety but it only helps with lowering my physical symptoms..... :((. i don't like taking so many medicines and i think i am getting too dependent on them. I would advice you to go for psychotherapy as well don't be an idiot like me :^)

 

[leloyon]

UK.
I've been working with a mental health team already but they haven't taken me seriously at all and consistently disregarded all my concerns. I was advised by a social worker (not affiliated with this mental health team) to speak to the doctor and he said because I'm already working with this team his hands are basically tied and it's their call first.

It appears I may have spoken too soon.
Got a call just now from that mental health team, they're sending someone else with their usual person and they plan on giving me some questionnaires relating to depression and anxiety. Appointment is on Tuesday, so we shall see how it goes.

 

[LittleJem]

UK.
I've been working with a mental health team already but they haven't taken me seriously at all and consistently disregarded all my concerns. I was advised by a social worker (not affiliated with this mental health team) to speak to the doctor and he said because I'm already working with this team his hands are basically tied and it's their call first.

GPs are giving SSRIs out to so many people that it makes no sense that they are not trialling you on them. I just find this quite strange. Are they worried that you have a diagnosis other than depression or that meds will make things worse? If so, that is a risk for anyone going on meds, and especially under 25s. But surely they should tell you this...and give it a try with you. Are they making you wait for a CAMHS psychiatrist because you are younger?

I found that as a mh patient I was never listened to without another person in the room - whether an advocate, a psychologist, a key worker. Here is info on advocates who can speak up for you when you are not being heard:

• https://www.mind.org.uk/information...pport-and-services/advocacy/what-is-advocacy/
• https://rethink.org/advice-and-info...-and-restrictions/advocacy-for-mental-health/

Try contacting Rethink Mental Illness to ask how you can access medication in your situation. Ask them if there is any kind of advocate you can get to help you be heard (if you were under section you would definitely get one, but maybe you can get one also in your situation).

Rethink Advice and Information Service
Telephone: 0808 801 0525 (9:30am – 4:00pm Monday to Friday except bank holidays)
E-mail: [email protected]
Webchat: www.rethink.org/about-us/our-mental-health-advice (10am - 1pm Monday to Friday except for bank holidays)
Website: www.rethink.org

As for being 'addicted' to meds. This torture is not worth not being on meds. If meds can help, they are totally worth it. They are worth the risk if you are being tortured by your mental health. I had one morning off depression this morning and now it is back again. I cannot describe the relief this morning and the misery this afternoon. I hope you find a med that helps you. The sooner and earlier you treat depression the better. I left my mental illness untreated twenty years and it just continues to ruin your life and is bad for the brain.

I've even now decided to brave the side effects of my next med and the weight gain of the subsequent med.

Are the SSRIs helping your family a little or a lot?

It appears I may have spoken too soon.
Got a call just now from that mental health team, they're sending someone else with their usual person and they plan on giving me some questionnaires relating to depression and anxiety. Appointment is on Tuesday, so we shall see how it goes.

Good to hear that. Ask them about if they are booking you in with a psychiatrist or if your GP can still prescribe you meds (I don't understand why the GP is not trying you on meds - surely a mistake by the GP?)
Here's one more bit of info on advocacy. Like I said, I don't know if you are eligible, but if you are not being heard then worth looking into:

Someone to speak up for you (advocate) - Social care and support guide

Find someone who can sit with you in assessments, speak up for you and help you fill in forms.

www.nhs.uk

 

[SewerslideHoliday]

I can only speak from my experience, and yours or anybody else may have a more positive experience, but for me SSRIs are a nothingburger. They don't really do anything at all for me, good or bad. I've been prescribed doses so high there were warnings of possible heart problems and it still caused no change whatsoever. If you think it might help don't let this discourage you, but that's my experience.

 

[picklemick]

I've only gotten more fucked up since I started medication 4 years ago.

 

[UseItOrLoseIt]

I've taken them for 10 years. Didn't help in the long run. Maybe made me worse. The combo I was taking sure did. Venlafaxine (SSRI) and quetiapine (antipsychotic). I was numb and neurotic. Don't know on which to assign more blame.
Addiction was not a problem. I've tapered off them easily in a 3 month span.
Nothing changed.
My concern is that these type of meds, after decades of consumption, must leave a mark on the biochemistry of the brain. I'm not an expert in theory. But a lab rat I am. And I feel they've damaged me, cognitively, hormonaly, they've affected my sleep. I felt chemically altered. That's why I stopped taking them. But I still feel it.
Your best course of action is to proceed with caution. Try them. For a while...

 

[TheSpookyNameGuy]

Citalopram worked great for me the first week and turned me into a numb zombie afterwards but atleast i wasn't crazy anymore.

That stopped real quick and gave me extreme constipation which only cleared up after i quit myself, they though i had cancer..

Sertraline i think has broken me, I'm utterly unstable now, though I'm entirely aware of that fact, i can explode just from dropping a pencil.

Keep this in mind and if SSRIs give you extreme affects, get off them because plowing through them like i did can be a disaster. They might work perfectly for you though and be what you need.

Weed can relax you, for me it gives me extreme panic attacks.

I'm treatment resistant but you might be fine to try them.

 

[helicoptero]

It depends on the person. Everybody reacts differently to the same medication, I know it because I have a lot of personal experience with these kind of meds.
Some may help, soy may not. It's trial and error, as tedious as it sounds. But it could help.
Some may give secondary effects, but it varies from person to person.
I wish you the best of luck. It doesn't work for everyone but some do recover.

 

[tora]

I have been struggling with depression and SI for as long as I can remember. Recently, my mental state has seemingly been getting worse. I often feel like screaming and attacking things for no reason, or self harming, as well as feeling agitated and on-edge. These episodes come out of nowhere and I have been straight edge my whole life (no alcohol, tobacco, drugs etc.) so it is not anything drug-induced. I have thus considered going to the doctor in the hopes of getting medication, knowing my country's healthcare this would likely be SSRIs. Both of my parents take SSRIs due to depression (hooray for genetic predisposition) but I am questioning if they are really worth it. I know they can be addictive and I don't want to get hooked on drugs that may not help me.
Any advice? Are these gonna do anything?

you should definitely try them. it can be a long journey of trying different drugs until you find one that works, but since there's a chance they could help it's definitely worth it.
and not all of them are addictive! there are some that can be, but your doctor should tell you if you're being prescribed one that is.
I personally haven't had severely negative side effects from any antidepressants or antipsychotics I've been on; they either do nothing for me or they work. it's important to be aware of the specific side effects of the ones you're prescribed so you know exactly what to look out for.
good luck, and I hope you find a treatment that works

 

[leloyon]

I feel I might as well give an update.
They gave me a questionnaire about depression when they came to visit, I filled it out honestly to the best of my ability and they have referred me to a psychiatrist to analyse me for depression. Which is a start. Only took at least two years? of working with me where I constantly stated that I'm depressed and suicidal for them to come to the conclusion that I may be depressed, but okay. They also told me to have a blood test to see if that's the cause of me being lethargic (not sure their point, as even the health reasons that I could see may have caused that have been caused by depression or other mental health problems).

GPs are giving SSRIs out to so many people that it makes no sense that they are not trialling you on them. I just find this quite strange. Are they worried that you have a diagnosis other than depression or that meds will make things worse? If so, that is a risk for anyone going on meds, and especially under 25s. But surely they should tell you this...and give it a try with you. Are they making you wait for a CAMHS psychiatrist because you are younger?

I have an autism diagnosis from when I was 13 as well as the fact that I have been going through a stressful/traumatic life situation for about three years now, so they have either blatantly ignored any symptoms I have expressed, blamed it on the situation despite these symptoms existing before it or just blamed them on autism. I remember once they wrote down that they felt I was "fed up" due to the current situation but not depressed, when I have a history of suicide attempts, threats and ideation going as far back as my childhood. It honestly feels that this whole time they've been extremely dismissive of the possibility that I have any problems rather than autism automatically, not even considering the possibility that maybe I have other illnesses and brushing off whatever I have to say that does not fit this narrative.