Venting My beef with meds

[erdbeeren]

Specifically ones for treating mental illnesses and disorders.

When I take them, I feel either feel numb to everything or become irrational and think that my situation in life isn't all that bad.

When I don't take them for even just one day, I get so overwhelmed that it's exhausting to move any part of my body. I also start experiencing severe derealization and depersonalization.

Sometimes they serve as a catalyst for even more distress. I used to be rather skinny, but prozac made me gain so much weight that I still have to this day!

 

[TheBestUsernameEver]

Specifically ones for treating mental illnesses and disorders.

When I take them, I feel either feel numb to everything or become irrational and think that my situation in life isn't all that bad.

When I don't take them for even just one day, I get so overwhelmed that it's exhausting to move any part of my body. I also start experiencing severe derealization and depersonalization.

Sometimes they serve as a catalyst for even more distress. I used to be rather skinny, but prozac made me gain so much weight that I still have to this day!

'Emotional numbing' is a common side effect of some antidepressants. I experienced it when I first started taking sertraline.
My advice is to continue taking your meds.

 

[Onthe29th]

That sounds pretty amazing. I would love to kill my emotions like that.

 

[Hollowman]

After six psychiatrists 25+ medications over thirty years I gave up. I quit my meds three years ago with no serious withdrawals. I'll never go back to those quaks again. I was very naive to think they knew what they were doing. Never again will I line their pockets.

 

[Feeding Pigeons]

After six psychiatrists 25+ medications over thirty years I gave up. I quit my meds three years ago with no serious withdrawals. I'll never go back to those quaks again. I was very naive to think they knew what they were doing. Never again will I line their pockets.

Yep. I was last on prozac, still suicidal, psych told me we tried all the meds and the only option was ECT so I fired him. Stopped taking prozac. Ta-dah, still here over a year later, still suicidal.

Oh here we're going to give you something that could have wild side effects and worsen your depression, check back with us in a month. Fuck off. My fucking drug dealer works with me more than my psychiatrists did.

 

[-FrozenRobot-]

That sounds pretty amazing. I would love to kill my emotions like that.

I thought of the same until I was forced to start taking meds. I couldn't even cry if I want to and it is frustrating.
But yeah, taking meds is completely your choice.

 

[eryu]

When I don't take them for even just one day, I get so overwhelmed that it's exhausting to move any part of my body. I also start experiencing severe derealization and depersonalization.

withdrawal symptoms
survivingantidepressants.org has a lot of good info about this.
You might want to consider doing a slow taper.

 

[Feeding Pigeons]

That sounds pretty amazing. I would love to kill my emotions like that.

It isn't. Don't say that. You don't know what you're asking for.

 

[Onthe29th]

I thought of the same until I was forced to start taking meds. I couldn't even cry if I want to and it is frustrating.
But yeah, taking meds is completely your choice.

It isn't. Don't say that. You don't know what you're asking for.

Well if you say so, I was prescribed ProZac but I never took it because I planned to ctb before it would take effect. I think I'm resistant to a lot of medications too so I had a feeling it wouldn't work and they'd have to raise my dose. I was put on Zoloft and that didn't work for me at all.

 

[erdbeeren]

That sounds pretty amazing. I would love to kill my emotions like that.

It makes it hard to be motivated to do anything. If I didn't have to deal with the people (society) then it would probably be pretty nice.

 

[demuic]

I would never take any depression related medication ever again. They either do nothing or give side effects that never completely go away. We are basically just the lab rats of psychiatrists.

 

[L-L]

If you're going to take an SSRI, I advice you to insist upon using one such as Escitalopram - research suggests it's one of the more effective ones, whereas Prozac has been in court for it's lack of efficacy.

The issue is the poor use and prescription of drugs, and education around the topic. Educate yourself as much as possible on the mode of actions and side effect profiles as much as possible before making a decision. Make the most informed decision you possibly can on your care, and do not be hesitant to direct your practicioner even if you're not paying for your care or are vulnerable.

 

[Kristicide]

'Emotional numbing' is a common side effect of some antidepressants. I experienced it when I first started taking sertraline.
My advice is to continue taking your meds.

I had that feeling when I was given Venlafaxine for the first time in the psych hospital. I actually kinda liked it. But after I left the hospital and I took the medication (a new script written and filled at my local pharmacy) it felt completely different. I know outside the hospital I got a generic version and maybe in the hospital I was getting a brand name but of course I can't be certain. Or maybe the hospital was giving me a stronger dose or a completely different med than what they told me (though I'm sure that's illegal and not likely). I could never figure out why the meds felt so different in the hospital vs what I was getting outside. I may have stayed on it if that emotional numbness continued.

 

[TheBestUsernameEver]

I had that feeling when I was given Venlafaxine for the first time in the psych hospital. I actually kinda liked it. But after I left the hospital and I took the medication (a new script written and filled at my local pharmacy) it felt completely different. I know outside the hospital I got a generic version and maybe in the hospital I was getting a brand name but of course I can't be certain. Or maybe the hospital was giving me a stronger dose or a completely different med than what they told me (though I'm sure that's illegal and not likely). I could never figure out why the meds felt so different in the hospital vs what I was getting outside. I may have stayed on it if that emotional numbness continued.

The emotional numbness does pass in due course and is not expected to last. This may be the reason it stopped for you.

 

[8AEM]

My beef with meds is that some of them are basically equivalent to a placebo (antidepressants).

 

[PursuitofWonder]

The numbness with SSRI's is really unpleasant, the numbness gets better over time. But for me at least, even after a year it was only half better, still unpleasant.

As for the irrationally thinking your situation is better. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding but it sounds more like a problem not exactly created by the meds. I've had what I think you mean and, the point of meds is to make you feel that things are better. But if you've been depressed so long, things seeming better can feel fake when you're so used to understanding the world a certain way. Your brain kind of rejects the positivity. Again maybe that's not it but it's something I had a few times. Overall I am confused why we need 30 different SSRI's and am not a big fan.

 

[myopybyproxy]

My fucking drug dealer works with me more than my psychiatrists did.

accurate.

and yet all the anti-drug propaganda about how self medication is bad and you ought to see a psychiatrist fail to take this simple fact into account. then they never prescribe the shit that works and call you drug seeking or contrary if you try to speak up for yourself. I'll stop buying my meds illegally when the psychiatry industry gets their shit together, which will be never.

My beef with meds is that some of them are basically equivalent to a placebo (antidepressants).

but placebos don't make corporations any wealthier.

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

I've had good meds and bad meds. Some failed spectacularly and others I take to this day.

My advice would be to never, ever let your primary care physician prescribe pysch meds. Unless he or she has a specialty in psych, they just don't know enough. They can't possibly keep up with all of the newest literature for all the body systems they deal with.

I'm also a big fan of finding a psych you can work with. The great ones I've had were never the first one I saw in any location. (We moved a lot for while.) I realize this isn't possible for everyone, but if you have a choice and you're not being helped, try somebody else.