Depression is hurting my recovery
 

I have been sober for around two weeks now from marijuana, hydrocodone, Xanax, LSD, and alcohol. Recently, I visited a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with depression and anxiety and prescribed me with an antidepressant called prozac. I've taken the medicine for about a week now, but have had no luck with it helping my depression. It actually seems to be making me feel numb and lonely and unfortunately that is the same reason I started to take drugs. Most teenagers seem to take drugs for the social aspect, while I took them to escape feelings of guilt, sadness, and hopelessness. I want to stay away from the drugs, but I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to popping another pill or smoking another joint. I don't know what to do. Can anyone else relate to me? Where the depression is just so strong that you feel the need to take harmful substances just to temporarily take away the pain?

Hi :) Prozac usually takes around 3 weeks to kick in properly x

Oh really? Well hopefully it will start to work in the next couple of weeks. Thank you!

I used to take it and it can take 3-4 weeks to take effect

Welcome to SR. Congrats on two weeks.

Did you happen to tell the psychiatrist about your drug and alcohol use and how you were into your first week of sobriety?

The doctor knew I had been recreationally using drugs but I don't think he understand how bad it had gotten. He didn't seem to care about my drug usage. That's the vibe I got at least.

Welcome, Detached.

I think you would be hard pressed to find someone new to recovery who isn't depressed and who wouldn't readily meet the psychiatric criteria for a diagnosis of depression.

Sober time alleviates the symptoms for many of us. A lot of sober time. That may be depression, but it was true for me. I'm a tad older than you, chalked up a few decades of active addiction and was under treatment for major depression for 23 years.

But the worst depression I had was the first year of sobriety and that was while still being on antidepressants.

Antidepressants to take several weeks to be effective. But from my experience and from extensive reading on the subject, face-to-face talk therapy is critical in any depression treatment paradigm.

I strongly urge you to come clean with the prescribing doctor. Don't hold anything back. Tell him of your alcohol and drug usage, tell him you are struggling to stay sober and are considering using to alleviate your depression. Tell him you need help, and that you think you might need more help than a prescribed pill.

Face-to-face interaction with others in recovery and talk therapy with professionals was and remains critical to by recovery three years after taking the last hit from a joint, the last drink, or the last of any mind-alerting drug.

Welcome to SR.

I can totally relate.. I'm only on day 4 and the depression is kicking my ass.

I was on prozac at one time and I didn't like it, all's it did was make me feel numb and gave me night sweats.

I'm on Wellbutrin now, but I'm at a low dose so I don't really think it's helping.

@memphis blues
You have a really good point there. I have suffered from depression for a few years now, but it seems to be worse now more than ever and I think my sobriety definitely has something to do with it. I have been using drugs as my crutch and it soon became the only way to feel euphoria. Now that I don't use any, I am stuck feeling depressed with no way out and it makes me feel hopeless as hell. But I know deep down this is what I need to be doing. I lost my parents trust and my friends think I'm out of control. I need to get my life together even if it means sticking it out through tough times.

I know the feeling. The prozac has been making me feel numb half the time and depressed the other half. There are points where all I do is stare at my bedroom walls and wonder when life is supposed to get better. I hope the Wellbutrin works for you though. I have a close friend who takes that and she seems to be doing better. I guess all anti depressants take a long time to kick in.

some really good advice here detached - I always had the idea that my problems were obvious, but Drs aren't mind readers...

when you add that to that most of us feel embarrassed & ashamed and tend to underplay our situation, he may not have a really good grasp pf the situation at all.

Do come clean - it's in your best interests.

I hope the meds will kick in soon too :)

D