what's it like to be on antidepressants?

[Bob]

i'm still sort of toying with the idea (i'd explain but there's nothing new to say really), but i'm just kind of curious, what's it feel like? i'm trying to think of what it feels like to have your brain chemicals altered, but i dunno, i don't really have a frame of reference for that kind of thing except for maybe that time i took mushrooms (i bet it's not like doing mushrooms).

explain them to me

[monkey]

it feels like.. nothing. you dont suddenly get happy and you dont suddenly stup being down.
but slowly, you realize that youre not..REALLY sad anymore. and youre not REALLY happy either. things are kinda blah, but at the same time, you have the drive to do things you didnt have the drive for before.
now that's taking for granted that this particular antidepressant works at first. many dont. and many work at first, only to kinda slowly kill you with side effects and other stuff like that.
honestly, i recommend intensive therapy before resorting to antidepressants.

[Bob]

hmm...sounds kind of hard to explain in words i guess...compare it to nyquil

yeah i mean you're probably right, i should probably do it as a last resort but i dunno, it's getting more and more tempting lately. then a little less tempting, then suddenly more tempting again.

[cosmo105]

didn't really help me. works for some people. side effects usually make it a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of thing.

i know i felt like a zombie when i was on them.

[Documad]

I've never taken them.

A few people who are close to me went on them, and it dramatically changed their personalities. I eventually cut off contact with most of them.

Sometimes I don't even realize why I'm distancing myself -- the most recent one was a really close friend who I had known for about 12 years. I spent less and less time with her because she wasn't nice to be around. She didn't express concern for me any more, she didn't seem to care about anything in her personal or public life. She also quit complaining about her job. She was just blank. I didn't even realize she was on the drugs until after I'd cut off all contact. Then I heard that she had gone on antidepressants about 5 years ago. That's when I realized that I hadn't heard her laugh even one time in the last 5 years. She's very successful at her job now though. Antidepressants are perfect for creating hardworking drones. I should also mention that she believes that the drugs stop her from having panic attacks and she feels that she's better off on the drugs -- I never realized that she had panic attacks even though we used to share a job for a while. I also find it troubling that she has many real problems that she's not working on. She's only doing the drugs.

[Bob]

hmm

i don't think i want to go blank.

i don't have panic attacks though, i don't want/need drugs for that. i'm calm, i'm plenty calm, too calm really, i just get depressed easily. i don't get panicked, though. maybe the drugs for whatever i have are better.

[zorra_chiflada]

you should only be taking them if you have a genuine brain chemistry disorder. for me, they enable me to function as a normal person. it doesn't dull my emotions, it doesn't make me happy all the time, it just makes me live like a normal person.

[QueenAdrock]

Well, a lot of people get depressed easily. You only need antidepressants if it's crippling you in some way. I had a hell of a time getting up and going to school/work everyday, all I wanted to do was sleep. The antidepressants didn't make me happy, it made me NORMAL. A lot of people think that they're going to be some zombie with a shit-eating grin on their face 24/7. The way antidepressants are supposed to be used is to boost your seratonin up to a normal level. Depression makes you less than what you are normally, it makes you a shell of what you used to be. Antidepressants are supposed to fill that unexplainable void you have, so you can function. They are supposed to make you normal enough to be able to enjoy life again on your own, they're not supposed to give you some sort of artificial, fake happiness.

[Documad]

The antidepressants didn't make me happy, it made me NORMAL. A lot of people think that they're going to be some zombie with a shit-eating grin on their face 24/7. The way antidepressants are supposed to be used is to boost your seratonin up to a normal level. Depression makes you less than what you are normally, it makes you a shell of what you used to be. Antidepressants are supposed to fill that unexplainable void you have, so you can function. They are supposed to make you normal enough to be able to enjoy life again on your own, they're not supposed to give you some sort of artificial, fake happiness.
I can verify that. The people I know who are on them almost never appear to be happy. The drugs seem to remove the lows AND the highs. But that's better than having your family member kill herself.

[Drederick Tatum]

only known one person to take them. for some reason he got a lot of energy and ended up coming over and mowing our lawns.

[mikizee]

i went on them for a couple of months - didnt like em, so i stopped.

the main reason i got off them was one particularly nasty side effect.... completely unable to orgasm. completely. just would. not. happen. ever.

and that kinda sucked!

[icy manipulator]

i tried them for a week, but then realised i didn't need them. they are handy for curing come down tho. what Mik dog said is completely true too :o (n) :( :mad: :mad:

[Drederick Tatum]

jesus, I'm really surprised the number of people on here that have been on antidepressants. could it have something to do with excessive internet consumption...

[Nivvie]

The effect varied from person to person, the only way to know how they are going to effect you is to try them.

The most common feeling is tiredness, the majority of people say getting out of bed becomes, as someone recently said to me 'absolute agony', but at the same time, he's liking the way his awful job, nagging wife and obnoxious grandchildren no longer bother him in any way. It all washes over him.

Some people act as if their brains have been sucked out and replaced with cotton wool, so there can also be problems with driving or operating machinery, so things like that need to be taken into account. Other people, especially with the prozac family, can become suicidal, so there needs to be regular assessments.


They have their place in the treatment spectrum the same as every other therapy, but should be a step taken after other treatments have failed or been judged as not viable for an individual.

[Tzar]

jesus, I'm really surprised the number of people on here that have been on antidepressants. could it have something to do with excessive internet consumption...
i'd say so.

ps. i never taken 'em - don't believe in that pill shit.

[Drederick Tatum]

I'd think about making some major lifestyle changes before I started taking pills. less internet, more sun.

[adam_f]

My aunt killed herself when she stopped taking antidepressants.

That was a lie.

[Helvete]

only known one person to take them. for some reason he got a lot of energy and ended up coming over and mowing our lawns.
Haha, for that reason alone, Bob should take them.

[Bob]

The effect varied from person to person, the only way to know how they are going to effect you is to try them.

The most common feeling is tiredness, the majority of people say getting out of bed becomes, as someone recently said to me 'absolute agony'

oh wow, really? i can't get out of bed most days as is. i can't tell if it's a depression thing or if i just really enjoy being in bed more than i enjoy being anywhere else in the universe when i wake up....probably a combination of the two.

but if drugs actually make it HARDER, then i don't think i'd ever get up.

[Documad]

JESUS CHRIST BOB! You're in law school! You're supposed to feel like shit! It's a very stressful situation, you're full of self doubt, and you're surrounded by people just like you as well as a bunch of assholes who are pretending to be more important, intelligent, connected than they are. Even if you're not aware of what it's doing to your body you carry it around all the time. I used to feel okay all the way through the term and finals and then right after finals my whole body would give out -- it felt like I'd been clenched for four months straight. I ground my teeth at night without realizing it and had dental problems for the only time in my life. This will all work itself out eventually.

I have a friend who went to a doctor shortly after law school (when she finally got a job and medical coverage). The doctor figured out that she had thyroid cancer. Her thyroid was barely functioning. The doctor said, "didn't you notice that you were tired all the time?" She said, "yeah, but I was in law school and everyone was tired all the time."

[mikizee]

JESUS CHRIST BOB! You're in law school! You're supposed to feel like shit! It's a very stressful situation, you're full of self doubt, and you're surrounded by people just like you as well as a bunch of assholes who are pretending to be more important, intelligent, connected than they are. Even if you're not aware of what it's doing to your body you carry it around all the time. I used to feel okay all the way through the term and finals and then right after finals my whole body would give out -- it felt like I'd been clenched for four months straight. I ground my teeth at night without realizing it and had dental problems for the only time in my life. This will all work itself out eventually.

I have a friend who went to a doctor shortly after law school (when she finally got a job and medical coverage). The doctor figured out that she had thyroid cancer. Her thyroid was barely functioning. The doctor said, "didn't you notice that you were tired all the time?" She said, "yeah, but I was in law school and everyone was tired all the time."

Sound advice.

[abcdefz]

You don't want to take them with alcohol, Bob. That combo either nullifies the antidepressants or screws with them in another way which can be anything from nauseating, mentally/chemically unpleasant, or even fatal.

My experiences with antidepressants was that they'd usually take a couple/few weeks to kick in, and then anything from no real side affects to pretty nasty tingling/sweating,nausea. Then they might even out and stabilize and things would be okay for four to six weeks, then that was it and they stopped working.

I think cognitive therapy is a better way to go unless you have serious, serious chemical problems. Antidepressants are sort of dosed out too readily as an all-purpose panacea, acting more as a bandaid, methinks.

[mikizee]

I'm impressed with your use of the word panacea.

[abcdefz]

I've been listening to Woody Herman. (y)

[abcdefz]

I'm impressed with your use of the word panacea.


You know what? I think "all-purpose panacea" is redundant. Like ATM machine. :(


Shit. Damn. Where's my lithium...?

[icy manipulator]

if you're thinking of taking anti depressants, then dont. last thing this world needs is another lawyer

[abcdefz]

On the other hand, there's always a shortage of smart asses.

[jackrock]

They tried to put me on them last week but, me being barely 10 years old and not feeling ready, declined. I guess I'm not any help, but I'm sorry you're feeling this way Bob.

[icy manipulator]

A lawyer is up in my list of possible career choices.

Downside is I probably wouldn't have much of a life.
you're better off joining Manpower australia or someshit:p

[Lyman Zerga]

i hate being unmotivated and without any energy all the time (coffee and red bull wont do shit for me!)

i dont care about the side effects, i just know i dont want to end up like my mum

[cookiepuss]

you should only be taking them if you have a genuine brain chemistry disorder. for me, they enable me to function as a normal person. it doesn't dull my emotions, it doesn't make me happy all the time, it just makes me live like a normal person.


yeah I have to agrre that my experience is similar. without them I seem to get easily frusterated and cry constantly. with them I can just handle my shit like anyone else does without freaking out and being an emotional mess.

[abcdefz]

yeah I have to agrre that my experience is similar. without them I seem to get easily frusterated and cry constantly. with them I can just handle my shit like anyone else does without freaking out and being an emotional mess.




...so, your meds change your sex?































I keed! I keed! :D

[cookiepuss]

lol. yeah they make me more like a man.


I statred scratching my balls recently.

[abcdefz]

lol. yeah they make me more like a man.


I statred scratching my balls recently.





You're more selfish and unwilling to share, too.