Should I take antidepressants? Do they work?!


Question: Should I take antidepressants? Do they work?
For a while now I've been contemplating on whether or not to try antidepressants. I know I need to do something to get out of my depressed state but I don't know if I should take the risk to use them. Lately my depression has worsened and I find myself losing interest in the things I used to love. I pretty much lock myself in my room all day. I can't even bring myself to see my closest friends anymore. My best friend and I just got over a rough patch and we haven't been as close for a few months now and I want to change it but I just can't bring myself to do it. I feel worthless and empty all the time and i don't think this is a phase. I've given up on everything and everyone in my life. My mom tried to pressure me into taking antidepressants but i didn't want them. I feel like they won't change anything. I don't want to be drugged out for the rest of my life but i also don't want to live like this anymore. Do antidepressants work? Will they make me feel drugged out and distant?

Answers:

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Antidepressants work well for many people. The SRI class of antidepressants has the advantage of causing less weight gain and fewer side effects in general.

Only a psychiatrist is qualified to assess you for treatment with antidepressants.

What happens when you first start taking an antidepressant is essentially nothing. However, in a few weeks you begin to realize that you're not so depressed any more.

It's analogeous to taking an aspirin for pain. You take it and feel essentially nothing. Then, in about half an hour, you notice that your pain isn't as bad.

In general, antidepressants don't make you feel drugged, high, or sedated any more than an aspirin does.

Talk therapy can also be beneficial. The most effective remedy in most cases is a combination of talk therapy and medication.

I advise you to do some research yourself using reliable sources of information. There is a large amount of inaccurate "urban-legend" type misinformation circulating about antidepressants.



depends on your definition of them working. drugged out and distant is pretty accurate; alcohol and cigarettes were the antidepressants prescribed by doctors before pharmaceuticals existed. by the way, do you know that one of the side effects of some antidepressants is "suicidal feelings"? have you heard of the paxil / prozac class action lawsuits?



Annabella, one way or another you certainly need help. Start with your family doctor.

Check this great site: http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?



I dont like anti-depressants...unless you are deeply depressed or are psychotic.... I would just find some xanax on the street... and dont get addicted



YESSS

I take 200 mg of Welbutrin a day, it works.



your thinking of like Xanax or cocaine and drugs that alter your brain and make you feel loopy and drugged out. try zoloft.... I used it before! no side effects, it takes a few days to work into your blood stream, so it's not like popping a drug and feeling something immediately. u won't feel anything because it's a different type of thing entirely!
being depressed isn't your fault.
it's a CHEMICAL embalance in your brain, and zoloft works to reduce the amount of chemicals that shouldn't be there. normalizing you back to how your brain chemicals should be, just like your moms and all the people around you who aren't depressed. make sense? it's not going to change you at all! u won't feel a thing you'll just return to a better place :) promise. give it a try.... you'll come to realize what I mean. remember it's not your fault your depressed. just normalize those chemicals the brain is producing. :) good luck! it's really not a big deal at all! trust me. it's bad to stay depressed though. I hated that feeling, esp for no reason.

zoloft!



Aww I'm sorry sweety; I feel your pain of being depressed. It's very sad and lonely and often something you feel you can't get out of alone. It seems like you don't want to take meds so don't if you don't want to. When I was depressed I began to feel hopeless like I was never going to be myself again and then I began to see a psychologist and after every session I began to feel better and better! Now I live a happy life and like all people I have my ups and downs I find my way through it. I reccomend you see a psychologist and not take medication cause meds come along with a bunch of side affects which may worsen your depression. Join yoga and meditate or any activity that helps you free your mind. Good luck hun! :]

I've been through depression..



My teacher .. (Yeah i know.. haha) anyways she always gets off topic and one day she told me how many people in her life who suffered from depression and took anti depressants .. the majority tried or succeeded in committing suicide.
You should go to the doctor .. see what other options you have.
honestly, talking to people really helps. i dont have anyone to talk to and it really gets me down. and when i did have someone a huge weight was taken off.



You should try and fix whats causing the problem and not try to cover it up with drugs. Read some self help help books, but be careful because your susceptible state of being you could easily fall on the wrong path. Make sure that the people that you surround yourself with cause positive experiences for you, and if they don't make new friends. Remember that there are millions of people out there and most of them have gone through the same stuff you have gone through. Good podcast to listen to for some heavy stuff is this http://blog.joerogan.net/# its his website but you can go to itunes and get it there as well. Hope this helped, and keep your head up.




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