Antidepressant Question

My husband has an imbalance of chemicals in his brain. This is a physical condition. The symptons of this are severe depression. It is not a mindset that he can change without chemical help. Life without his anti-depressant is intolerable, for him, and all of his family. He becomes hopeless, angry, suicidal, and very very resentful. When his chemicals are sorted out, he is back to his normal, functional self. He also exercises regularly and practices cognitive behavioral therapy under the supervision of a clinical psychologist and psychiatrist.

The side effects of his not being on antidepressants is possible death due to suicide, and certainly a complete breakdown of our family unit. The impact of his antidepressants has been a lifesaver for us.

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yes! Zoloft and no side effects I notice. I'm so much more even keeled...

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I had a really positive change in my life when I stopped after being on them for 10 years. The side effects are nasty.

It's all about mindset. In fact, the big pharma's are having trouble proving that anti-d's actually work anymore. Research shows that people who think they are on an anti-D improve just as much as people who are actually on them. Research also shows that exercising 3x a week and getting enough sleep are just as effective as anti-d's.

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yes!! It has helped me so much in the past!

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YES! I have been off and on anti depressants for the past 9 years. I started taking them in college because I had extreme anxiety and after the doctor did some more digging, my anxiety was actually a symptom of some major depression. Started taking Prozac, but I didn't like it to much because it didn't seem to really help. I went off of them for a little while, but I had extreme anxiety, panic attacks, very low states, over sleeping, etc. Then my doctor put my on zoloft and I LOVE it! It has worked wonders for me and and I haven't even needed a high dosage. I took them up until I found out I was pregnant and was weened off. My pregnancy was rough after that as I was hormonal and falling back into depression and then once I got off I started developing post-partum, so my OB put me back on them again, small dosage, and I have been amazing feeling since. I tried to go off a couple of times and tend to fall right back into self-harming and self-destructive behaviors, so I have kept continuing them. They have really helped. However, I will say that I saw the MOST changes when I also found a great therapist. She helped me develop coping skills and the meds helped a lot with invasive thoughts and anxiety symptoms.

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Absolutely! I was prescribed Zoloft for post-partum depression and it made a HUGE difference. I can't even describe how much better I felt. I stayed on it until my baby was a year old and then slowly went off of them. But from that experience, I know that depression is real and physical, not something made up or "in your head." Simply correcting your brain chemistry so it's normal again can make a world of difference.

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Great Question: i would also want to know if certain ones have certain side effects and how long you have to be on them and how bad it was vs being on them. I'll watch your replies and maybe ask my own question. Thanks for bringing this up, it was on my mind.

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I am on Zoloft now for anxiety. My husband and I had major marital problems a month ago and he moved out for 10 days and during that time, I had panic/anxiety attacks for the first time and wasn't sleeping. Because I like to be alert when I'm sleeping I didn't want to take a sleeping pill so my doc prescribed Zoloft. A lot of the stress and anxiety attacks subsided anyway when DH and I decided to reconcile but I'm still taking it because we're really getting hit on all sides with stressful situations and I'd rather not worry about being overcome with anxiety during this time. I haven't really been on it long enough to tell if it's working, but I haven't had any unpleasant side effects.

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More than a "positive change" it is a necessity for me. I started taking Prozac when I was 19 (20+ yrs. ago). I tried a couple times to go off and see how I would do and it never worked -- I always went back into a depression. The only extended period of time I've been off the meds is before & during my 2 pregnancies and while I was breastfeeding. It was rough -- for me and those around me. I have a what would be considered mild to moderate depression. When I am depressed, I feel no motivation to do anything, because I don't get satisfaction out of anything. I also get very emotional and tend to ruminate over things that bother me -- totally unable to let things go or move on. I fall asleep easily (and often), but cannot stay asleep.

I now take Zoloft, which works a little better for me than Prozac. Not sure why. Regarding side effects -- the most noticeable is the lowered libido, but it something I have to live with. (I've heard that Welbutrin doesn't have that side effect.)

If you are hesitant to try meds, I highly recommend this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-with...

For some people, the meds help, but don't alleviate all symptoms of depression, so following the recommendations in the book can be helpful even if you do take meds.

Please don't accept that you have to live with untreated depression. Keep searching until you find what works best for you.

Good luck.

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I tried everything to combat my anxiety. And while some self-help techniques did help, I found myself constantly struggling to relax. I was sick of fighting literally every second of every minute of every breath of my life. I needed some relief. I began taking Celexa and saw an immediate change for the better. I now feel wwaaayyy more relaxed and calm. I don't have to fight all the time. Now when I do have a panic attack it's more of a surprise than an expectation.

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Oh, my Gosh, Yes! I can't function without them. I have been on them for 11 years now. There are so many different ones out there, that you have to find the right one that works for you. Lexapro is what works for me. I have tried about 10 different ones. Sometimes they would work, but the side effects were awful. They do take about 6 weeks to start working.

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Celexa has been amazing for me. I just couldn't fix myself and feel happy again and on the smallest dosage I felt like my normal self within a couple weeks. No side effects. Very, very happy with the results.

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YES YES YES. I lost my job in M. and started to get more and more depressed. I am now taking Wellbutrin and not only has it helped me with my depression (a lot), but I also quit smoking, which I have struggled to do for years. Try it, I think you'll be glad you did.

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I've been on Paxil for about 4 months now and this is the happiest and most energetic I've felt my *whole* life. And my husband and children are happier for it as well. I have the motivation to clean and work out, the chaos of every day life doesn't bother me so much and I've stopped having emotional meltdowns every other day. I was diagnosed with PPD, but looking back at my whole life, I feel like I was living it under a little black cloud this whole time.

The only side effects that I've noticed are drowsiness (so I take it at dinner time and it helps me sleep!), constipation (but a little extra fiber in my diet cleared that up no problem) and if I was up in the middle of the night I get a little dizzy - but I'm also half asleep :o)

If you think you M. need an antidepressant, go and talk to your doctor.

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Yes, I take Sarafem for PMDD. I have extreme mood swings during this time and it helps a ton!

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