JADIII

Hi, sorry for the new threads today but have a specific question. So I've been in a real funk for the last 3 days. I met with a councilor last night who I really enjoyed.

The question is at what point (if you did) did you decide to go on anti-d's. Did you just feel so bad that you had to change something or are you doing what I'm doing and trying to wait it out and let the effects of alcohol wear off and see if things "clear up".

I've read a bunch and it seems like each day/week get's better but with health anxiety, etc., just seems like i'm in a holding patttern.

Thanks for the help.

least

I was diagnosed with clinical depression and prescribed anti Ds. They made a huge difference and improved my mood. I will probably be on them for life, as they level the playing field for me and let me live a normal life.

Abraham

Well depression and alcoholism are two different things. I dont think its recommended to take anti d's for alcoholism unless you happen to be legitimately depressed also. I'm at 10 days but not depressed at all. I would not even think about taking anti d's. If you were/are depressed your doctor will advise you on when to start taking them. Probably wont even prescribe them till they think you should start taking them. All the best.

Guener

There are a number of screening tests that can be given to help a physician determine if you are clinically depressed or not, though they are not perfect. Your mental history will inform them as well. I take anti-depressants, and they help me to keep my thoughts in order, but they do have side effects for a significant number of people, including myself. Nonetheless, I wouldn't be a stable, relatively content person without the medical intervention.

Dee74

Anti d's are prescribed so you really need to get a doctor on board JAD.

I was on antids when I was drinking and I concluded they did nothing because the alcohol negated whatever the antids did.

D

biminiblue

You're on Day Three without alcohol, yeah?

It's crazy in the first few weeks. I just rode it out, but my emotions were all over the place - that's pretty typical for early sobriety.

I've taken antidepressants in the past and couldn't deal with the side effects. The anxiety and spinning thoughts died down for me, it did take a while - like a few months.

D122y

Everything i put in my body causes changes, good and bad.

I quit drinking booze and coffee at the same time but began taking multi vits and a b12 sup.

After this amount of time booze free, I find that I feel the most calm and relaxed in the morning when my body is pretty much purged of all substances.

But, because I am an addict for life, I can't wait to get that first cup of coffee. I usually only have 2 a day. Sometimes I will add an energy drink. I find these make me feel different and mess with my sleep pattern.

The ideal thing is no meds, clean, unprocessed foods. Lots of water. Going straight from being a drunk to being on antid's would have never given me a chance to see what normal felt like.

It takes years to normalize. I am still normalizing.

Suffering is part of getting clean. It is the price I have to pay for all the crazy fun I had.

Thanks.

Grimes

i started taking antidpressants when how the doctor put it, i just didnt care about anything anymore. how do you do your job when you really just dont care anymore.

abgator

I went because I had PTSD from anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction to a migraine medicine that near killed me in my mid 20s. I had panic attacks and insomnia since. I take a low dose of cymbalta now and it's a huge help. I still get depressed and lonely sometimes, but that's human nature. I still function and do my job.

But if I go off of it, I notice. Primarily because I start grinding my teeth again at night, causing painful TMJ. My acid reflux kicks up and causes constant discomfort. I haven't stayed off the cymbalta long enough to see what happens in regards to panic attacks. The physical pain was enough to start taking them again.

But I'll add that if you opt for medication, be patient. There's a lot of different pills out t here and a lot of them have terrible side effects. I went through a few, like paxil, lexapro, etc. before finding one that didn't make me feel terrible.

Anna

I was depressed for years before I began to drink. So, I had to get the depression properly treated before I could recover.