Am I swapping one thing for another?
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,432
You make excellent general points MT and the OP should discuss any medication with her Dr.
In my experience though anti-depressant medication was/is not addictive...as I said upthread I sometimes forget to take it at all.
D
In my experience though anti-depressant medication was/is not addictive...as I said upthread I sometimes forget to take it at all.
D
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
Alcohol is not addictive either, for most people. There is just something about me and alcohol. People get addicted to all sorts of things, substances and behaviours. Yet a highly addictive drug is used to help manage withdrawals, usually closely supervised by a doctor.
The more important question, the one that needs an honest answer, is why do I have a condition that requires such medication? It could be a genuine mental illness, though often there is no laboratory test to confirm this. The doctor would diagnose based on what you tell them.
It could be, to quote Jung, " the cause of most mental illness is the refusal to suffer legitimate pain". That is why some of us drank, to escape reality. Would a non addictive substance that would help us do that, really be any good for us in the long run?
A woman 6 months sober shared at a meeting that she was coming off modern anti depressants because she was pregnant. She said that she was feeling all the stuff that goes with early sobriety. She hadn't escaped it, only postponed it.
I don't suggest any particular course of action here, other than to see a doctor who is experienced in addiction treatment. Very few are.
The more important question, the one that needs an honest answer, is why do I have a condition that requires such medication? It could be a genuine mental illness, though often there is no laboratory test to confirm this. The doctor would diagnose based on what you tell them.
It could be, to quote Jung, " the cause of most mental illness is the refusal to suffer legitimate pain". That is why some of us drank, to escape reality. Would a non addictive substance that would help us do that, really be any good for us in the long run?
A woman 6 months sober shared at a meeting that she was coming off modern anti depressants because she was pregnant. She said that she was feeling all the stuff that goes with early sobriety. She hadn't escaped it, only postponed it.
I don't suggest any particular course of action here, other than to see a doctor who is experienced in addiction treatment. Very few are.
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 2,950
The experience I personally have had with anti-depressants is that my desire to drink got stronger. Only I was even more apathetic about things. I wanted the numb feeling, and that's what I got with these meds. And yes, I've tried several. On the last one, I was suicidal, I made two feeble attempts, but eventually I believe I would have gotten more bold if I stayed on the med.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Posts: 28,663
I asked my doc to put me back on A-D's after doing all the test things. Sobriety for me does not make me a happy camper. It took patience and time to get the right a-d and dosage correct. That meant careful monitoring with the GP. Not just getting one and hoping for the best. It also meant seeing a counsellor about my anxiety and causes of my depression. The pills do not magic stuff away- it gives me a level playing field for dealing with life. A-D's also DO NOT work with booze. There is a lot of info, support at SR as well, but clinical stuff is best with a f-f doc, not Dr Google.
Support to you. Keep posting. PJ ( am from Aust. btw)
Support to you. Keep posting. PJ ( am from Aust. btw)
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