Help People who have taken antidepressants, do they actually help?

[CFLoser]

Yes, I have used Prozac 20mg and it worked. I am still on it and it's been generally better overall.

In my specific case it worked right away as the increased chemicals or whatever get upregulated and you just feel more energized and stuff.

My sister is also on it, and it works well for her too, but it took a little longer to start working.

I wanted to update my post.

Prozac is still effective for me, but as time has gone on I better understand how it works and what it turns off in the brain.

For me it seems to be very effective at completely curbing anxiety, which was one of the main things that led to me having depressive episodes.

The downside is that it doesn't really stop me from having weird manic episodes and during those I usually spend a lot of money. (I'm not bipolar I'm just using manic to describe how I get).


As for the emotional dulling, it is real. I think a lot of feelings of love, happiness, etc. are closely tied to anxiety in ways we don't understand, and each of those has gone down significantly. I was never really into chasing happiness though, but the lack of emotions like love is bothering me a lot as I can feel situations where I know that feeling should pop up, but it doesn't.

So really interesting stuff. I'd say its still worth speaking with your psychiatrist about.

 

[SuicideBoys93]

I'm on Zoloft. It helped for awhile but I'm still very much anxious and often create misery that leads me into depressive episodes. I'm to the point now I take it hopes that it doesn't get worse.

 

[Bleak]

Effexor destroyed my life.

 

[Lupgevif]

For me, no. And I've been through lots of them, so the "it takes a while to find the right one" talk is bullshit.

 

[v3nom]

A lot school shooters was taking some psych meds. It's not good ad for them

 

[Josuyo]

I've been struggling with suicidal thoughts for over 5 years. I've never sought out any treatment because I don't want to be involuntarily hospitalized & have it on my record. I've also never admitted these thoughts to anyone, not even to my doctor or family.

I'm considering seeking help, taking medications, & possibly going to therapy before I make the decision to CTB.

In the past I experimented with psychedelics in an attempt to get better. LSD only temporarily took away my suicidal thoughts for a few months.

Everything in my life is going relatively well. I have nearly everything I want & to others my 'future seems great.' I have no reasons to be depressed or suicidal. But I can't seem to find a purpose in life. I also don't want to work for 40+ more years in this Rat-Race life.

Perhaps I have a chemical imbalance that is causing all these thoughts? I want to try SSRIs but I am afraid of the weight-gain that comes with it & possibly getting sectioned if I seek help.

Has taking antidepressants helped anyone feel better? Is it worth it to seek professional help?

I was so scared of taking meds for my condition for years, I thought they would fundamentally change who I was or would become a sort of zombie but I found the opposite. Meds allowed me to be the person I actually was without heavy and overbearing feelings, impulses and emotions taking full control over me. I was able to function properly and not be in a constant low state all the time.

It's worth a talk to your Dr. Usually it takes a few different meds to find the one that works for you. I'm currently off my meds for other medical reasons but I'm looking forward to resume with them, they're really not very much at all (milligrams) but cause a world of difference (in my personal experience).

 

[Fadeawaaaay]

I have mixed feelings. In my 20s I was severely depressed and barely functional until finding anti-depressants. But I've been hooked on them for about 20 years and once you're on them it's quite difficult to get off. It can anesthetize you from "who you really are ". I would try to read up on both sides of the issue including folks who are highly critical. I'm on quite a few antidepressants right now and if I wasn't I would be closer to killing myself for sure. I can barely get out of bed as it is. I don't know whether that's good or bad but they are definitely propping me up.

 

[Disappointered]

In my experience they help so little (once you find one that helps at all, after experimenting for years with a bunch and noticing what the side effects are on you) that they aren't really worth bothering with. They probably won't stop you from being suicidal even if you find one or a combination that have a beneficial effect. But if your problems are mild and could be fixed easily, they could be helpful. As far as therapists go...I have a very low opinion of them and haven't found them to be useful. Maybe some people benefit or maybe they tell themselves they're benefiting over the course of years and years...who really knows. Sometimes it'd be nice to have someone to talk to who could provide insightful support. If you can only get that from a therapist maybe it's worth it but I doubt it will turn your life around.

 

[porhtna]

I've used a few different SSRI for two years now. It might sounds weird but I still don't know if it actually works. Especially now when the "on drug" state is just the "normal" state, I can't tell if me feeling calm is placebo effect, the deeds of the drug, or just me doing well. But once you have been taking it for a while it'd be very hard to get off--the withdrawal hits hard. Yet depression relapses once every few months or even weeks even if I was taking every due dose religiously. I mean I think it does work when you need something to get you out of that downward spiral or constant depressed state, but after that you can't rely on it, nor can you just discard it easily... Maybe antidepressant really is just big pharmas' scheme of getting people reliant on their products lol.

 

[Lifessocruel]

They definitely help and without them I'll be dead by now. I'm on sertraline and took ages to start working properly like 2 months. Problem is they only do so much.

 

[Sherri]

After trying most of them, 2 years ago a new doctor finally got me who worked, I had tried around 6 different anti depressants with no effect. When i was about to give up on pills, he prescribed me a new generation pill of anti depressant. Mine is Called Viorxetine 20mg. I feel better, I mean I'm not jumping for joy, but I feel much more better. Maybe discuss with your doctor this med . Because it can work for me and not for you, so you need to ask the doc. No side effects either, no gain weight, no zombiness if you know what I mean.

 

[RN12]

no they will ruin your body soul and health
it's the reason why i am here. Destroyed my physical body after 8 months use. unbelievable. Can't even walk anymore because of the nervous system damage. Most problems occur with stopping, then severe hell starts because you get physically dependent --> people reinstate and the nervous system goes haywire like hell.
Fuck GSK, karma will find the CEO and her family