Anti-depressants

J

Juliana F

New member
Like the title says, I am now taking anti-depressants. Wellbutrin XL, is what they prescribed me.

It feels odd taking daily medication, I am a physically healthy teenager. But it got to the point where my depression was affecting my daily life. I've went down the whole "just rub some dirt on it and quit being a pussy" avenue for the last four years, but sucking it up never did anything to help.

Anyone else take anti-depressants? What should I expect? Have they helped you, or any of your loved ones?

I'd just like to be happy.
 
I personally am not taking any sort of medications, but I'll throw in my opinion real quick.

If you've been dealing with a long standing depression than maybe you really do need these meds, but if this is something new that you're going through then you might be jumping the gun.

Simple things such as a change in your diet or activity level can drastically affect the chemical balance in your brain and make you a much happier person. Did you attempt to eat a cleaner, healthier diet and get plenty of exercise prior to resorting to the meds?

Hell, I would even recommend possibly going and seeing a chiropractor. You'd be amazed how something as miniscule as a slightly subluxated vertebra can have drastic effects on the rest of your body.

Also, from what I've noticed about depression, it seems to be a nasty little double-edged sword. People get depressed, and then continue being depressed about the fact that they ever became depressed in the first place. And then they convince themselves that everyone else in the world is happy except for them, and that in turn makes them even more depressed.

Just remember, everyone goes through their ups and down. No one is happy all the time, no matter what bullshit story they might try and feed you.

Pills should only be used as a last resort.
 
I thank you for your opinion, however it's been a long standing thing for me. Funny of you to mention going to a chiropractor, my mom actually works for a chiropractor, I get adjusted every month or so. As for physical activity, while wrestling and cross country have helped me the past few years, they only have worked to an extent.

If it wasn't a big deal for me I probably would have opted to not take them, the idea of being dependent on a substance makes me pretty nervous. It has taken me a while to come to terms with the idea that something might actually be wrong with me.
 
Beginning dependent on a medication is a bit scary at first. While I don't take any antidepressants, about 2 years ago I started having seizures. Enter the pills.
When I first had to start taking them I hated it. I'm healthy in every other way and had the same worries as you about having to take meds everyday. For the first 6 months they made me tired, unfocused, and a bit depressed. So I decided they weren't really necessary. Five trips to the ER later and I now know that I do need to this medicine.
Since this is something you know you've been dealing with for awhile give the medicine a chance. Worse case, it doesn't work for you. Best case, you get to feel like yourself again.
 
Personally, antidepressants made me really agressive. So I had to stop them, because always when I got mad(for really nothing) I couldn't stop my anger and it actually scared me. I took them because of my migraine, but now I'm on betablockers bloodpressure/anxiety medicine. Which are helping.


So first, you could expect some moode changes, because that kind of pills are quite strong. If you feel you can't control your rage you should talk to your doctor. I hope you start feeling good again :hug2:
 
Thing about taking anti-depressants is, you got to do your part as well. The pills won't make you happy unless you make a strong effort to help yourself. Do whatever it takes to make you happy. For instance, medication paired with talk therapy is usually much better than medication alone.

Also, remember that medication takes a while to work. It might take a few tries with different medication to find the meds that work best for you. Be patient, and while you're waiting, get all the help you can get.

pfft, you'd think that I'm depressed or something.
 
I second that notion. Therapy has been studied to be as effective as medication, and it affects the same regions as the meds, plus the orbitofrontal cortex. It is best to have them both, but CBT or schematherapy would be very high in my list.

No need to treat the symptoms if the cause is consistant.

Wishing all the best.
 
Personally... and i will get a lot of crap for it... i think mental illness' like depression and shit are complete bull crap. I think that yes... you feel depressed or unhappy... but its all about attitude. Its about finding what you enjoy and doing it. Perhaps you bottle up who you are entirely too much. I would much rather suggest some sort of talk therapy (and it doesnt mean paying some 'professional' to do it either) vs pills. I would never take pills... it throws your body out of alignment with itself.

If an organ is dependent upon a substance to produce its product... the gland or organ will almost cease to produce it thereby making it impossible to function without pills. I would find out exactly what it is that is making you depressed and just change it. There is always something... always!!

Could be your relationship with your parents... could be the relationship with your gf/bf... could be your lack of fun employment... how you're doing in school... a whole slue of things. Bottom line though, there is SOMETHING you are not pleased with and you're not doing something about it. Thats gonna weigh on your mind... sometimes you neglect it for so long that you just forget what it even was that you got depressed about in the first place.

Do everything for you... make people happy... dont plan all the time... and realize that you live only once. Try holistic medicines. Try chakras... i dont know... try anything other than pills.
 
I share your train of thought on this, but over the years I've come to realize that some people really do have chemical imbalances in their brain and that sometimes there is no good explanation for the reason the imbalance is there. It just is.

I will agree that most depression cases stem from a completely tangible circumstance that can be dealt with without meds, if the person can fathom exactly what it is that is bothering them.

I also agree that being dependent on pills is no way to live and that you should only resort to medication as an absolute last resort.
 
sure someone can be born with a chemical imbalance... but you can make your body produce more of whatever chemical it needs unless it is a completely defective gland (ie doesnt produce any).

I think that maybe the way you can do this differs from person to person, but i think its possible in any circumstance. I think that the healthier you are... and the more in tune with your body you become, the more you can learn to regulate it or use whatever is in excess to your benefit. I'm not saying all medicine is crap... but i think that whatever can't be solved by surgery can be solved by the individual without medication.

We are exposed to so many different chemicals on a daily basis that its ridiculous... we are all effected by them differently. If you find the cause... you can remedy the problem without a pill that will undoubtedly produce another side effect that will need another pill that will need another pill and on and on.

Depression... talk it out with friends or even on wtf. Your attitude about life can also change it. For me... i just said "i dont give a fuck about anything, and the things that effect me i'll take with a grain of salt and make something funny out of it." its different for everyone... which is why im totally against anything that is a universal fix for anything, ie anti-depressants.
 
You know, I really want to agree with you, but there are people out there who are clinically depressed. A lot of times therapy alone doesn't work.

When I was really really depressed, I guess I could have fought for my life and all that bullshit. I guess I could have exercised. But depression doesn't just effect you mentally, it's also a physical thing. And that combination can be severely debilitating. So wanting to help yourself and actually being able to do it are two different things. Sometimes people need help. I tried medication a little, didn't really work, didn't really make much of an effort though.

Then there's the question of whether Bipolar Disorder comes into play. Many people who think they're depressed may have that disease instead, even if they're just depressed all the time, and medication is the only way to totally manage that.

I know someone who as a child went blind in one eye, couldn't play soccer anymore. It was some kind of disease that hurts, too. Her family kept dying right and left. Her 2 year relationship ended. She was fucking depressed as shit. Fully suicidal. Without medication, I'm really not sure she would've made it, and she was on a lot of medication. That's just one example for you. Some people get depressed despite having any problems or not.
 
I have been prescribed anti-depressants and taken them. I quickly stopped once I had an allergic reaction and nearly died. I didn't want to take them in the first place, so, yeah.

If you think it's the thing for you, then go for it. But, if you have even the slightest reservations, I would advise against it.

For me, it was always about being me. Even when I'm sad I know that those feelings are mine, and mine alone. They aren't chemically altered, repressed, or what have you. So, for that reason, I chose to stay away from them.

Once in a while, it's hard to cope with the OCD, the Anxiety, and the bouts of depression. But, then I just think about what I'm doing with my life, where it's going, my friends, and loved ones, and it's usually enough to keep me from going completely over the edge.

Just my two cents.
 
Wellbutrin XL? My dad used to sell that to doctors, and I used to help him prepare pamphlets to hand out at events and shit. I've gotten very familiar with anti-depressants over the years-my dad takes them, as does my sister.

Medication alone is NOT enough, and I don't give a fuck what you think kr8, but they HAVE proven that depression is caused by drastic chemical imbalances. The human body is a finely tuned machine-if one cog stops moving, it WILL disrupt the entire machine. There are proven studies that show medication taken IN CONJUNCTION with therapy is exponentially better than therapy alone or medication alone. I've also seen that first hand. My sister started on anti-depressants several years ago, and she began seeing a psychologist once a week. She went one week without meds and had a break down. A few months later, she went without seeing her psychologist-another break down.

She no longer needs to see her psychologist once a week, she's down to once a month, but she still needs that talking and therapy session to keep her balanced.

Another thing your doctor might not have told you-you MUST stay on your meds until your doctor tells you otherwise. It will take you at least six months before you see any change in your outlook, and several times that before your doctor will allow you to go off the medication. Even if you feel fine, keep taking it, until your psychologist and your doctor agree that you're fully cured. If you go off anti-depressants and then go back on them, pharms have found that you have to stay on them for the rest of your life.

Furthermore, if you experience thoughts of suicide-go to your doctor IMMEDIATELY and ask to change it. I don't know how old you are, but Wellbutrin has been a contributing factor in quite a few suicides of depressed teenagers.

Another thing to keep in mind-depression tends to get a little worse for the first six weeks you're on it, and then you're fine. Don't go off them if you feel worse without talking to your doctor. One thing to keep in mind is you're free to try different kinds. My sister had to switch meds after six months because her old meds made her really lethargic. The only side effect she's gotten from the meds she's on now is, and I quote, "insanely vivid dreams. Like...I can smell things and stuff. It's crazy dood" Her dreams were already vivid, and all the meds have done, aside from what their supposed to do, is allow her to dream in four senses.
 
I'm not really trying to turn this into a debate or anything, but for the record, doctors once thought smoking was a good thing... and they still remain firm on alcoholism being a disease. I'm pretty sure that just by these instances alone and a slue of other instances that im not readily up to date on, we can conclude that just because of a few scientific research panels (more than likely lobbyists) say that its this big ole deal, doesnt really mean that its undeniable fact.

I'm thinking that back in the day... antidepressants weren't the solution to every bad feeling one has. I think that a good diet, physical activity, being social enough, and having a regular dialogue with people can pretty much "cure" the whole depression thing. Saying that someone is born sad is in my mind downright retarded. But you can say that someone is more apt to being empathetic or sociopathic. Its learned behavior so your chemical reactions are subject to change by your environment and your perceptions based upon your environment. These things can be changed and controlled by your ability to perceive them and determine its worth before your brain makes a chemical analysis and decides if or not its a good or bad feeling. I'm sure its harder to change the longer you feel a certain way but... there it is.

I come from a family that is rife with loony's... so i know a bit about it. My father is "manic depressive", my aunt has delusions and paranoia, my uncle had a few psychotic episodes (where he thought he was Jesus incarnate) and Alzheimer's runs in the family. I found that when i just spoke to these people on a regular basis and helped them to find out where their feelings came from they got better. I also found that when i got them away from lots of outside sources (ie, fast food, tap water, beer, cigarettes etc.) they were able to think more clearly.

I would look into the levels of fluoride in your water, and the levels of mercury around you. Its "scientifically" proven that these two things are major contributors to psychologically related episodes. Your individual ability to deal with specific levels will vary person to person and something as simple as getting away from fluorescent light and drinking well water could change your outlook on life completely. Also changing your diet from inorganic to organic (though it will make your farts smell worse) can actually boost the levels of serotonin in the brain.

You have to realize that in today's world of mass farming an production that shortcuts have to be taken, usually this sacrifices the quality of the food and the products we come in contact with. So these clinically depressed people may actually be having an adverse reaction to a pesticide used on their favorite salad combination. Pesticides are widely accepted to have neurotoxins in them and keep the nerve cells from being able to transform tryptophan into serotonin. Its no wonder that in a world with a population bigger than its ever been, and the need to feed them all, that more and more people are becoming depressed.

Furthermore, an antidepressant treats the symptom and not the problem. This is another reason i dont use doctors, and dont trust their judgment in anything non-surgery related. There is no clear cause for why a person is depressed, so they issue a costly band aid and tell you to be on your way. We also can't forget that pharmaceuticals are a multi billion dollar industry in this country. Taking a pill will never fix any problem... never... it never has except in cases of infection (because they know the cause).

Pills are bad... pills of any kind. The reason most people "go nuts" after they get off of it... is because the problem was artificially corrected and was let to go to shit while they simply "felt better".

Your sister and whomever else needs more than just a pill to fix whatever is the matter.

And though i know they regulate dosage, too much sarotonin (especially artificially produced) is really a horrible thing for you. Think of it the way you said "the body is a well regulated machine" and you're introducing an outside influence to correct something that the body is fully capable of correcting on its own (with your help of course).

You put bad gas in your car... first the fuel system fowls up. Then the o-rings start to go bad.. followed by timing problems... etc. If you simply adjust your timing every once in a while (adding an antidepressant) without changing the fuel source... just as soon as you forget to change your timing or if you add the proper fuel... your engine is going to fucking blow.
 
Id like to believe what you were saying was right, if it wasn't for my own experience I would.

I barely have any energy throughout the day, the doctors have done extensive testing on me, they ran me through the gambit, they eventually concluded that my lack of energy, insomnia, weight gain, and a whole slew of other problems were because of depression. Physically I am a healthy kid. As cliche' as it sounds, you wouldn't understand unless you were me for a day. Not saying you haven't fought depression and such, but I really wouldn't turn to meds unless I really felt I needed them.
 
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