MrsB

I've been on them for 2.5 years now - every time I try and give up - I get the "wobblies" back!!!

Got to try and back off them now - can't be taking these things forever - and they do have side effects - something to do with making "night time activities" a little less enjoyabe - shall we say..........(trying to put it politely).

Sometimes I just think " God its so unfair - why do I have to take these bloody things - and for how much longer!!!"

MrsB

I can fully understand this as well. I've thought about it too - but not sure I'd actually carry it out.

Since living in Australia and suffering depression - I have often told my OH that I wished I was dead - at my very lowest point of course!!

PLANTS

I have felt like that too and I can sympathise with how you must have felt but life does get better, honestly it does, and if remaining on the tablets makes you feel better then surely its worth it.

The "night time activities" you mentioned before I can understand too but in reality if I was off all my tablets I would be a raving nutcase mixed with a jibbering idiot so for me its a small price to pay to feel ok. Just have to get the sex drive back some other way!

Dee_dee

Well, I'm glad I asked the original question now, and thanks to all who've bared their soul, and not felt ashamed (because there's no shame attached of course) to let others know that they're not the only ones in the same situation.

I've never taken anti depressants, not that in my life I've not needed them at some points, but simply because I watched my mother destroy herself with them, so my choice not to go down that road. I totally realise that there are no other options for many, and I wish everyone peace and happiness with or without medication, and I'll leave this thread now for those of you who may want to use it as a bit of a sounding board.

Thank you all again.

king kong

This is a good thread and one which is close to my heart just because of the stigma involved with by the wider community ,it is about time it was REALLY recognised .
It is a most dibilitating feeling and just getting out of bed can be a major up heavel at times .
In my case i think depression runs in the family because as i have got older some how its got worse ,i cant blame australia for it but certainly the stresses it has put on me personally it certainly has made the lows very very low indeed .
The only way i could deal with the stigma was to just think all the time of what the doctor said and that was you basically cant help it due to the serotonin imbalance in the brain ,you need to get your right side conected to the left side because at the moment you are just using the side of the brain that analyzes everthing.
To be honest i couldnt believe how much a little tablet can change my life ,all of a sudden i was creative and not analyzing everything to death,i was more positive too.
This has been my experience only and others obviously have differnt experiences depending on what mental illness it is .

needasmack

I was on effexor for 3 years.... coming off was a trip - but drug free for one year now and holding my own. the side effects of coming off of effexor is brain zats. you get a zipping sound thru your head at random times and hear things that aren't there.

PLANTS

You have my heartfelt sympathy in coming off Efexor and the side effects you suffered. I was only on it for a month and that was way enough for me, never want to go on that one ever again but I can understand how it does help some people get over depression and thats all that matters ah

SarahInTX

That's what I do. Coworkers comment on it. Tell me to just let it go . . .

SarahInTX

I just saw this:

"Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm."

In my case, at least, it seems pretty on target.

PLANTS

Oh yeah. I am guilty of that, analyzing things to death, have to have a complete answer/solution to everything from A-Z, its awful ah.

Plants

Hutch

Other way round for me. Was on Citalopram whilst living in the UK as part of the recovery from a nervous breakdown. Came off them the day I came to Australia and haven't missed them. Also quit smoking five weeks ago with a bit of help from the patches. All I have to do know is lose about 25kgs of excess flab.

Xebedee

Finally broke down and decided to start using those in April.
Depression over many years as a direct result of chosing to live in the US whilst being a relatively sane and normal bloke.

How much were you on? Did you need to ramp up the dosage?

Mine are 150mg's.
Been adding a 75mg pill of late to give it a "boost".

Got any tips?
Apart from use hollow points.

needasmack

The highest I got was the 150 - slow release ones. I found that drugs are never the only fix. I had to make changes in my life and get other help to fix the problems that brought it on. It is a physical disease the is exasberated by mental conflict. The pills can on treat the physical aspect but can't treat it effectively if the mental conflict keeps resuming.

Be thankful in a way that you are currently not having this problem in the UK.
I worked under the Head Psychiatrist in an large mental health trust. He ran the ECT program, which i had no choice but to help administer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroconvulsive_therapy

Get support through care groups as well, it might give the pills a chance.

good Luck - it is a hard place to be - i still fight depression daily.

Tootsie Frickensprinkles

Grayling

Bollocks

Most depressed people in the UK now recieve CBT as the treatment of choice.

ECT is getting pretty rare....why are you posting such crap?