Do I need meds??

Old 07-28-2012, 11:33 AM
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Do I need meds??

I have a friend and she is a psych nurse. She has been here for me. She mentioned the other day that I might benefit from meds for now while I am going through this. I do have a lot of anxiety and I do believe I am depressed. I cry a lot. At the drop of a hat.
I have been putting it off because I think, am I like my AS taking pills to deal with life.
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Old 07-28-2012, 12:46 PM
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I must add, I have never had to lean on taking meds. I have been through a lot. I just do not know if I can handle this one on my own. I am just looking to see if it is a way to help me deal with my anxiety and depression. Do not intend on staying on meds.
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Old 07-28-2012, 01:07 PM
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When I went through a rough patch years ago I went to my family doctor and he prescribed Prozac for me. It helped stop the depressive state I was in. I only took it six months. I decided I was not going to let my son's life choices ruin my life. I just needed to break the cycle of depression I was in--and not allow myself to fall back in it again. So far so good. It has been 12 years since I stopped taking the anti-depressant.

My doctor also recommended therapy to help me learn healthy coping mechanisms.
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Old 07-28-2012, 01:46 PM
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I went on Prozac once for about a year..I was getting to the place where I was having trouble functioning and I just couldn't" take to the bed!" It helped.. When I came off of it I cried for a month, but it was a good cry!
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Old 07-28-2012, 02:01 PM
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i took zoloft for about a year while i dealt with some pretty tough issues. wasnt a huge dose but it was enough to help me cope. go and see your doctor and discuss it.
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Old 07-28-2012, 02:08 PM
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You don't get high on anti-depressants; it's nothing like an addict taking pills or doing drugs. Depression is a medical condition, just like diabetes. Anti-depressants treat the medical condition; they are not a crutch.

When you suffer a loss, the levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain may fall. This can cause depression. If you continue to suffer from the loss, or you suffer additional losses or major life events, your brain can have difficulty "fixing" those levels. If you want, you can try adding omega-3 fish oils to your diet first (atlantic salmon and walnuts or a supplement) to see if that helps. Exercise is also a natural anti-depressant.
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Old 07-28-2012, 02:25 PM
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Thank you everyone. I think I might need some help getting through this one
@learn2live - When you suffer a loss, the levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain may fall. This can cause depression. If you continue to suffer from the loss, or you suffer additional losses or major life events,
My mom just pasted away last month, my brother last year and my sister a few years before that. I think my plate is full!
I do not think we know when we are depressed. I think I can handle this. It just takes one more straw to brake the camels back and I may be there.
I have been crying all day even while keeping busy. This may be my sign!
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Old 07-28-2012, 02:40 PM
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Originally Posted by octoberrain View Post
I have been crying all day even while keeping busy. This may be my sign!
I cried all the time, too. I lost interest in the activities I liked. I was angry and crabby. The thing that got me to the doctor was thoughts of suicide. I am not the kind of person that wallows in self pity. I generally enjoy life so the dark thoughts got me in to see the doctor right away.

Nearly immediately the medication ceased my stinkin thinking. What a relief to begin enjoying life again.
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Old 07-28-2012, 02:48 PM
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@kmangel, I lost interest in the activities I liked.
I looked around my house and saw how I was letting things go. It hurt really bad. I thought, my house is a mess just like my head! I am not like that. I love my home and take care of it. So I thought today I am going to take care of everything I let go. I did it but I still cried while doing it.
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Old 07-28-2012, 03:02 PM
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Yes, I remember how badly I felt. The one silver lining after my depression lifted was how good it felt to feel like myself again. I remember cleaning out my garage, sweeping the floor. I had my headset on (Walkman era) and was singing away with the radio. I was so happy to feel happy again. There was still the problems with my son going on, but I was not depressed and it felt so wonderful. Then a police car pulled up to my driveway. I thought to myself "Whatever this man has to tell me, it is not my problem. It is Your problem. You take it!"". I was talking to God. I made myself give whatever the policeman had to tell me over to God. I was concerned of course. I thought it was so curious how I had just been singing away in my garage, so happy to feel happy again-- and I was not giving up my serenity without a fight! It was like gold to me.
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Old 07-28-2012, 03:15 PM
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You would probably benefit greatly with an anti-depressant. I honestly believe Prozac saved my life. I couldn't function for crying. Yes, I have been taking it for years now, but my dosage doesn't have to increase. It still works, but it doesn't totally numb me down, which I wouldn't want anyway. I remember the first time I tried it, I didn't take it long at all because I couldn't sleep. Later when things got worse, I tried again successfully. Just give it time. It doesn't make a difference over night.

I suggest you see a doctor. If one med doesn't work well for you, try another. Many are opposed, I'm sure, but there is a time and a place for appropriate medication. Good luck.
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Old 07-28-2012, 03:51 PM
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I am not comfortable taking medications to alter my moods. I prefer to figure out how to deal with whatever life has thrown my way which included my daughter's emotional problems and eventual addiction to heroin.

I spent a heck of a lot of time, money and energy trying to tame the heroin beast within my daughter. I took risks that I never would have otherwise imagined. The more I tried to fix/help/support her, the more broken I became. Depression does not do justice to my emotional state at the time.

In hindsight, it was not my daughter and/or her addiction that were dragging me into an abyss. Rather, it was my own ego and reactions that were killing me. I learned how to save myself from stickies /posts in this forum.
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Old 07-28-2012, 05:19 PM
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Dear octoberrain,
I have suffered from the disease depression all my adult life. I am not a medical professional but what you are describing on this thread about yourself is all VERY familiar to me. Please call the doctor and get evaluated for depression. You do not want to wait until "the straw that broke the camel's back." Please trust me on this. When you untreated depression and you do not seek treatment, it is like breaking your leg and continuing to walk on it. You want to avoid a major depressive episode. I have had at least 3 of these, and I can say with no uncertainty that they change your brain. Once you have one, something happens and you cannot reverse the damage. Just like that broken leg that was left untreated and walked on. You do not have to stay on the medicine for life. You can make a commitment for a certain number of months, and then have the dr take you off them.

Please, if you are crying all day there is something wrong. Please go to the doctor.
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Old 07-28-2012, 05:40 PM
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Another big benefit I had when I started Prozac is I was able to go to sleep easily again. I remember the wonderful feeling of relaxation falling over me when I went to bed after starting the medication. Though it was less than a year I was depressed (or where it got to be a problem) lots of health related conditions changed for me. While depressed I couldn't stop the constant running thoughts in my mind which kept me from sleeping. I have mitral valve prolapse that rarely bothers me, never at night, but while depressed it would act up when I was trying to sleep. My blood pressure was higher than normal--something else I don't normally suffer from. Lots of health issues starting to surface. Once I went on antidepressants all these health issues returned to normal. When I went off the medication and didn't become depressed again, my health issues didn't return. Depression messes with normal health related functions. If I had let it persist I probably would have had other problems surface.
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Old 07-28-2012, 08:18 PM
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I do know the one thing that really helps keep my stress level down a lot is exercise. I would not have survived this long without it. I find that when I come home in the afternoon and I am completely stressed out from my spouse, work, whatever, if I put on my Ipod and blast some music and go for a brisk walk I seem to feel better. I also lift weights, not little pink girly weights (I am a middle aged woman), I mean lift heavy weights, I feel great mentally after a lifting session. It really does change my frame of mind and demeanor.
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Old 07-28-2012, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by octoberrain View Post
I have a friend and she is a psych nurse. She has been here for me. She mentioned the other day that I might benefit from meds for now while I am going through this. I do have a lot of anxiety and I do believe I am depressed. I cry a lot. At the drop of a hat.
I have been putting it off because I think, am I like my AS taking pills to deal with life.
I've considered asking my doc for Lexapro or another ssri. I personally will avoid ativan, Xanax and valium.
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Old 07-28-2012, 09:37 PM
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My suggestion is this sit and think you know yourself do you feel the crying is coming from recent events yet within what most would consider"normal" if not then see your doctor and be 100 percent about everything and let the doctor decide. Have you done or considered any grief counseling?

I can't take antidepressants because I rapid cycle with my bipolar if I do.

We lost my daughters fiancee in December 2008, then in January 2009 my middle AS overdosed thankfully he survived, then in March of that year two girls who were very close to us were killed in a car wreck and then in April my 27 year old brother died and then same year AH in October didn't want the responsibilities of a wife.

When my brother died the doctor did put her on an antidepressant for a short time.
I found and still find that exercise benefits me.
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Old 07-28-2012, 09:51 PM
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My Dr recently prescribed Zoloft but I have not filled it yet. What scares me most is trying to come off any of these medications. I read here that Zoloft withdrawals are hard.

(My Dr. says she still likes prozac or zoloft, but I think I tried prozac a few years ago and didn't like it. I know I tried wellbutrin to quit smoking and had a bad reaction to that too. My friends says Lexipro...gets too confusing!! )
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Old 07-28-2012, 11:48 PM
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LMN i was on Zoloft for a year. i can't remember the dose, maybe one tablet a day, and i came off them on my own slowly, dropping down to half a tablet for 2 weeks, then half every second day for another 2 weeks. i had no side effects and no withdrawals. but everyone is different. my exH is on some form of anti depressant and has never come off them as far as im aware, so he has been on them for 15 years. he's an ar5ehole. so maybe thats one of the side effects of his drug...lol
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Old 07-29-2012, 05:10 AM
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A wise friend once asked me if i would take meds for high blood pressure. Sure i replied.

He asked me to explain why then i resisted antidepressants. He explained my brains chemistry was off. It needed rebalancing. Likely off due to the extreme stress i was under.

I started taking them that day. Relief came within two days. Kindof like someone tuned the lights back on.

I have a script for xanax. Only rarely use it. Its when i get to the point of taking one or likely having panic attack...lesser of evils.

I find it odd my AS is out there accusing me of being an alcoholic and pill popper. I insisted on natural childbirth...med adverse. Didnt want my child born with meds in his system. Ironic, huh?
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