How do you explain taking anti depressants to a person that thinks you seem fine!
Question: How do you explain taking anti depressants to a person that thinks you seem fine!?
I'm going on a trip to visit my closest girlfriend tomorrow!. She is one of those "no pill" people!. I take Wellbutrin and a sleep pill, but she thinks this is not a good "habit" and that I never seemed depressed at all!. Is there a good way to explain to her that depression shows up differently in different people!?
She knows I take them, because we traveled extensively together-she had to be aware!.
I would like her to understand that I am fine, as long as I take the pills!. She's acting this way out of concern, but I consider her family and would like her to be on the same page with me!.
Any similar experiences and advice on how to explain all this clearly!?
ThanksWww@Answer-Health@Com
She knows I take them, because we traveled extensively together-she had to be aware!.
I would like her to understand that I am fine, as long as I take the pills!. She's acting this way out of concern, but I consider her family and would like her to be on the same page with me!.
Any similar experiences and advice on how to explain all this clearly!?
ThanksWww@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
You can explain to your closest girlfriend that the reason you seem "fine" is because you take those meds!. You can explain the symptoms of what happens when you don't take them!. Here is what my doctor told me (I suffer with anxiety and take Zoloft): depression/anxiety is often a hormonal medical condition that can be compared to diabetes!. A diabetic must take insulin to regulate the body and allow it to function properly!. With depression and anxiety, serotonin levels do not function properly, resulting in symptoms that often cannot be controlled with therapy, relaxation, diet, and exercise!.
Enjoy your trip, and let your friend know that you do appreciate her concern for your health, however, you are doing what your doctor and you have deemed necessary for you!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Enjoy your trip, and let your friend know that you do appreciate her concern for your health, however, you are doing what your doctor and you have deemed necessary for you!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I think you're on the right way - she must understand that you ARE fine BECAUSE of the medicamentation!.
but how to bring it over to her!?!
it's gonny be a hard piece of work!.
maybe show her some definitions of your depressions - there are a lot of medical books describing them!.
tell her how you felt before the pills, perhaps bring her together with people who know you depressed!.
hope this helps!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
but how to bring it over to her!?!
it's gonny be a hard piece of work!.
maybe show her some definitions of your depressions - there are a lot of medical books describing them!.
tell her how you felt before the pills, perhaps bring her together with people who know you depressed!.
hope this helps!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
tell her that it is under medical supervision and you need to finsh the course!. if you just quit, it is harmful!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Hee hee!. Please excuse the giggle, but I SO get what you're saying, because I have depression too!. I'm a much happier person when I'm taking prozac, and I like to say I don't look like I need them because I take them and they work!. So long as I take the meds, I can throw off the depression!. Since I don't get so anxious or irritated, I'm a lot better at being all the things I need to be-a friend,a wife and a mom!. I'm not the only one who notices the difference either-my husband notes that I APPEAR happier, and I've seemed to have acquired quite a few more friends!.
You can try to explain that the feeling of depression is secondary to some sort of neurotransmission glitch in your brain, that the meds help fix the glitch and the relief of depression is secondary!. This is a very basic explination of what's going on!. Also, as my doctor explained it to me, there may come a time when the prozac will have 'fixed the glitch'-my brain may suddenly get the fact that it needs to work differently to function properly!. If that does happen, it'll take years, not weeks or months-but all the same, it may happen eventually, and I wont need the prozac anymore!. (My doctor mentioned this when I first started on it-I've been on it for about 3!.5 years so I may be fuzzy on the details here-and said that it'll likely be accompanied with a return of side effects-like sleepiness and lethargy-like the prozac dose is suddenly too high!.)
More importantly, remember that your friend does not have to like or approve of your choices-be they medical or personal or both!. It's ok to agree to disagree!. You have a greater responsibility to your mental health than to her opinion!. Your doctor thinks this has medical benefit and you notice personal benefit!. That';s enough!. Your friend's opinion doesn't-and shouldn't-overrule either of those!.
If you're like me, the need for approval is a function of the depression!. it can be hard when you're best friend/close family thinks you're making a mistake!. But that feeling of sadness you have doesn't mean she's right!. if you really are close friends and almost-family, she's going to love you anyway-just like you still love her even though she's overstepping her bounds a bit (after all she;s your friend, not your doctor)!.
Hope this helps!Www@Answer-Health@Com
You can try to explain that the feeling of depression is secondary to some sort of neurotransmission glitch in your brain, that the meds help fix the glitch and the relief of depression is secondary!. This is a very basic explination of what's going on!. Also, as my doctor explained it to me, there may come a time when the prozac will have 'fixed the glitch'-my brain may suddenly get the fact that it needs to work differently to function properly!. If that does happen, it'll take years, not weeks or months-but all the same, it may happen eventually, and I wont need the prozac anymore!. (My doctor mentioned this when I first started on it-I've been on it for about 3!.5 years so I may be fuzzy on the details here-and said that it'll likely be accompanied with a return of side effects-like sleepiness and lethargy-like the prozac dose is suddenly too high!.)
More importantly, remember that your friend does not have to like or approve of your choices-be they medical or personal or both!. It's ok to agree to disagree!. You have a greater responsibility to your mental health than to her opinion!. Your doctor thinks this has medical benefit and you notice personal benefit!. That';s enough!. Your friend's opinion doesn't-and shouldn't-overrule either of those!.
If you're like me, the need for approval is a function of the depression!. it can be hard when you're best friend/close family thinks you're making a mistake!. But that feeling of sadness you have doesn't mean she's right!. if you really are close friends and almost-family, she's going to love you anyway-just like you still love her even though she's overstepping her bounds a bit (after all she;s your friend, not your doctor)!.
Hope this helps!Www@Answer-Health@Com