Did antidepressants really helped anyone?

[Lynchian Anomaly]

It was a lot of trail and error with different medications and various therapies but it acted a stabilizing factor and allowed me to get to a really good place. Now I don't need anti-depressants to function as a human being and am generally the happiest I've ever been.

This probably makes the whole thing less of an ordeal than it was to actually live through but it did help. A lot of the side effects were brutal as hell though.

 

[sangreal]

I've never noticed a difference on or off them. I've easily gone cold turkey when out of renewals (or more recently when I forgot them on an extended trip to Europe)

 

[Reverse Giraffe]

Not at all after years of taking them.
I'm going to follow the advice of the guy in the other thread and take up keto.

 

[Prax]

I think it's better to think of anti-depressants as stemming the bleeding or giving you stability so you're not on a constant downward spiral. The rest, the healing and betterment of your circumstances, is up to you, however.

You have to work hard to reverse and heal from all the damage the depression and other lifelong decisions have done to you, and that can take a long time, but the meds at least help you get to a better or more manageable baseline so you can get the work and practice in.
I think dealing with the possibly bad side effects and going through trials with meds to understand how to make "least bad" choices and getting comfortable with making those types of decisions again (which meds/practices gives me the best pros with the least cons? how to not give up because I can focus on the acceptable gains I'm making?) is also an important part of healing.

 

[Deleted member 35987]

For the most part yes. I've had to change a few times to find the "right" one. My advice to anyone considering medication is that you treat it as a medication to help you level out so you can begin to work on any issues you have. It's not really a cure all.

 

[Tugatrix]

They help but a pill can't solve your problems and reshape how you intereact with the world, so meds and theraphy work toghether

 

[Kapryov]

Yes and no.

I know somebody that does a LOT better using antidepressants, she literally cannot live without them.

However, my year on them (I tried 2 different ones during this time) has made me worse off in the long run. I was also seeing a therapist at the time. I wish I didn't proceed with it, and spent a couple of months trying to get off them. Not sure how to proceed from here, as it feels like I lost a year of my life.

 

[Deleted member 14663]

The right doctor and the right medicin did wonders for my wife.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

I'd be dead without them, but at the same time living like a zombie doesn't feel like life.

 

[Voke]

Took trintellx for about 6 months. It helped the anxiety/depression for sure. But it was counterproductive because it made me too lazy to care about my studies, ended fucking up fucking my grades up and now I'm a semester behind.

 

[The Albatross]

My wife is helped tremendously by anti depressants and anti anxiety drugs. Literally the difference between not being a functioning adult and bring a successful human for her. Along with therarp and self help.

She's on pretty high doses of effexor for anxiety and then something for depression I forget what. They work well. The hardest is just taking them regularly, especially when she lapses on effexor. Basically every big argument we have the next day she's like "ugh I feel like shit..." And then remember she'd hadn't take her effexor for 2 days or something.

I can say without a doubt we wouldn't be married or have a child without her medication.

 

[Brent Constantine]

Yes!
I feel like I've been lucky in that I haven't had any serious side effects and my diagnosis hasn't manifested symptoms where I don't feel like I need medication which is also very common.
My meds have been a life changing experience and have made my life richer and more rewarding.
Like everyone has said, these aren't a magic pill to give you happiness and I've supplemented my diagnosis with therapy, exercise, diet, etc - but it's made everything more bearable day-to-day by eliminating the extreme highs and lows. Where I might be at a 1/10 for several weeks and unable to function, I now (occasionally) get down to a 5/10 for maybe a couple hours before bouncing back.
I understand that medication doesn't work for everyone but it has really helped me a lot.

 

[Adam_Roman]

Lexapro made things worse for me. Effexor helped for a while. Wellbutrin helped a lot but made my anxiety worse. The combination of Wellbutrin and Prozac is basically perfect for me. It helps me to be functional but as many have said, it's not a magic fix. You need to put in a lot of work yourself. Find things that make you depressed and change them. I know it's much easier said than done, but the effort needs to be put in to see the result.

 

[Fliep]

Yes, took meds for around two years (first citalopram and then Velaflaxin because I got quite tired from the Citaloprams). I was 18 years old and had a long history of depression and suicidal thoughts. I would say that they helped me but only in combination with therapy (and strong social surroundings, support of friends and family played a huge part in overcoming my sickness).
I don't think you will overcome your depression only on meds and without therapy. Meds can help to a certain degree, but therapy is where the real work is going on. I know people who tried to overcome depression without seeing a therapist, solely on meds - it didn't end well.
But on another note I gotta say: taking antidepessants over a long period of time changed profoundly my brain, mindset, thinking, ego, nearly everything "inside" me. After taking them I was not the same person as before. I felt how it changed me and it wasn't pleasent.
Ten years (and some years after ending therapy) I live a happy life, but I know that I am not 100% the person I used to be.

 

[Vilix]

Oh yes.

 

[Mack]

Thanks everyone for their input. I'm thinking about OMAD diet and regular exercises, but just can't get myself to start. Will definitely talk with my doc about maybe adding some meds to help me be more active.

 

[Supa Necta]

I'm about to take my first anti depressant this morning. Was prescribed Zoloft.

 

[metalslimer]

Thanks everyone for their input. I'm thinking about OMAD diet and regular exercises, but just can't get myself to start. Will definitely talk with my doc about maybe adding some meds to help me be more active.

Click to shrink...

There's not really any meds that make you more active though. I would recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for the motivational aspect.

 

[FILE_ID.DIZ]

Yes.

I remember what it was like before I started taking Prozac: I thought about suicide daily.

 

[banshee150]

Nope. Chemical crap designed to keep you addicted for pharmaceutical profit.

 

[Palantiri]

... Yes. Generally. The state I was in before was very bad and I feel much more stable and consistent now. But I have difficulty getting excited, motivated or staying motivated. I am tired a lot and my sex drive has more or less vanished which has put strains on my relationship. Also, if I am off my schedule by even a few hours I have horrible withdrawl symptoms.

I still feel low sometimes, but it is more passing than it used to be. I just wish I could find the desire to get motivated and more interested - for my own enjoyment, and for the sake of my family.

 

[fanboi]

Yes. It is a must for some.

 

[Thequietone]

I was suicidal before and attempted twice in a span of two months, almost succeeding the second time. Was planning on jumping from a tall building for the third attempt as soon as I got out of the hospital for the 2nd attempt. They thankfully put me on meds before releasing me and it stopped the suicidal ideation by the time I was released. A year later I have some bad days but nothing like before the meds. I'm thankful for everything the doctors and nurses did make me better. Although some parts of life suck the happiness out, I'm not sorry I didn't kill myself.

 

[Isilia]

The only thing that kept me alive through a brutal couple of years

 

[Woffls]

Yep. Been on Venlafaxine for a couple of years now and it helps me get through the day without questioning everything I do. Missing a couple of days is a biiiiitch th

I don't think any can give you a positive outlook, unfortunately. CBT did nothing for me and you just have to hope (ugh) that you find something positive (uggggghh) through regular means to balance out your mental state a little.

Painting Warhammer has been great for me because it's pretty chill and I can see the improvements right in front of me. I have always conceded that I would never be good at it because creativity is reeeally not my thing, and that mindset means I can approach it in a more relaxed manner and still derive a sense of reward.

 

[JVID]

They definitely do take the edge off and if your having issues with depression are absolutley necessary and helpful. I was on a prescription more for the anxiety side of things and wasn't really a fan of the side effects of what I was taking at the time. ie. weight gain, irritability, brain fog, bad reaction w/ any amount of alcohol.

 

[astro]

Yes.

They evened out my extreme highs and lows and made day to day living more manageable.

 

[Deleted member 59803]

Thanks everyone for their input. I'm thinking about OMAD diet and regular exercises, but just can't get myself to start. Will definitely talk with my doc about maybe adding some meds to help me be more active.

Click to shrink...

Regular exercise is so hard to start so I cheated, and I'm just dropping my cheat here in case it's of any help. I started by doing 3 pushups, 6 situps, 6 pushups, 12 situps and then 3 pushups and 6 situps again. I knew I could do those in a non-too taxing and quick way (sub 5-10 minutes) without the NEED for a shower (I did shower though... mostly) and built it up from there.

I find it daunting trying to tackle a new hobby/habit and doubly so for something that requires physical exertion AND mental determination, so I tried to ease the load where I could in order to start, so physical exertion I knew I could handle, and mental determination to do something for 5 minutes versus half and hour/1 hour seemed like a good way to go.

I'm now in month 7 of my exercise routine. It's looks different to what it once was, but once the habit was formed it pushed itself on from there.

As for tablets, I only ever took them for situational depression - and all I can say is they helped get me out of a jam but I'm not sure situational vs non-situational depression really compare.

 

[Kyrios]

From friends that I know that are on them, they say it's to help them cope and get them through the day, they're not some magical happy pill. And you may have to jump around to different anti-depressants until you find one that works the best for you.

 

[25th Baam]

Yes they help a lot, but for me it works best paired together with therapy. Shame I can't do it currently because I'm unemployed :l
I could do without the constant shaming by other people though, it's not like taking pills makes me insane or smt.

 

[Serpens007]

Yeah, they helped me stabilize my emotions, so I could start understanding the shit I was into

 

[Hoo-doo]

They absolutely work. But it's very much not a cure. You need to do the rest yourself or with a therapist to get your life back on track.

Nope. Chemical crap designed to keep you addicted for pharmaceutical profit.

Click to shrink...

What a surprise!

 

[Wilsongt]

Yes, they helped. While I still had symptoms, they weren't the ready-to-jump-into-interstate-traffic symptoms, but more of the "I'd rather be in bed, but at least I am able to complete my work" symptoms.

 

[BebopCola]

They helped me recover from severe suicidal ideations. I'm on bupropion, clomipranine, and vyvanse. They make it actually possible for me to function and feel emotions, whereas before if I wasn't feeling depressed, lethargic, and/or suicidal I wasn't feeling anything at all.

They are only half the battle, though. Therapy, self-reflection, and self-improvement are the second half. Some days it is fucking HARD, but thanks to the medication it is never as hard as it was.

 

[twistofnate]

They definitely work when you find the right ones, and it's not necessarily one, but the right combination. I take Prozac, Wellbutrin and Trazodone now. I've been on others (Paxil, Cymbalta, Remeron) but they didn't help or had terrible side effects. Diagnosed with depression, anxiety, OCD and Tourettes, but I have PTSD flashbacks on occasion and am in therapy for it. I had terrible insomnia caused by anxiety as well.

I wouldn't be a functional person without them. If I took none, I don't think I would be an alive person.

That said, there's still a ceiling that you hit, and only working on yourself in therapy and in other ways will ultimately get you to a place that "feels" better.

 

[Nothing Loud]

Nope. Chemical crap designed to keep you addicted for pharmaceutical profit.

Click to shrink...

There are several antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications that are not habit-forming. You're dangerously misinformed

 

[Agrizzlyadventure]

When i was on them i didnt notice any change and thought they worked as a placebo more than anything.

 

[Cymbal Head]

Talk to me a month and a half ago before I started lexapro and then me now.

It's not a magic pill that solves all your emotional problems, but it can absolutely help you achieve a stable baseline from which to make further progress. Problem is everyone responds differently to different meds, so your mileage can and will vary in a lot of ways.

 

[Mad_Titan86]

They have helped my sister a lot.

 

[MOTHGOD]

I recently had a crazy almost 2 week long episode of having panic attacks as well as wanting to cry all the time for no reason out of the blue around the middle of the month. I can say that I have had issues with anxiety and im assuming depression for a long time but I was literally at the point where I wanted to either jump in front of the train that is literally across the street from me or running into traffic during that time. It took literally all I had in me to not do it and feeling like a scared kid calling my mom to talk to me I was freaking my shit about it so bad.

I went to the doctor at the end of the week and I basically almost begged to go at that point even though I had never felt that way before about seeing a doctor for things like mental health. So I went to see a doctor (for the first time in a couple years and with no insurance) and during that period and he prescribed Fluoxetine. Its only been a week since I was told to take them but holy shit let me tell you it literally took that scary horror movie edge away. I still feel a bit anxious and sometimes I get a sad or heavy gut feeling every now and then and I am learning my triggers.

I have a follow up appointment with the doctor this week to check in and see how the meds are working and if they need adjusting, but its literally night and day from a week ago and the hell that was my mental state a few days before then since I've had the meds.

So yeah, I can say they work even in my short time of taking them. But yeah, even the doc said it isn't some cure to feel happy or instantly better. He said i should see a therapist or do some counseling along with the meds as it has helped other people a whole lot but I can't afford it right now so the meds in the meantime have been a good help.

 

[Doober]

They helped some, but also made me really tired and really hungry all the time.

I hope I never need them again.

 

[KujoJosuke]

I wouldn't be able to function without latuda+trintellix. In 20 something years, its the only combo I've found that works. But it doesn't make me happy, but it gives me the ability to work within myself to become happy

 

[Ecks]

Overwhelming yes, but with an asterisk.

I did CBT therapy, meditation, and regular exercise for years. I had ambitions, but they felt unachievable due to environmental circumstances and often would my motivation for them would completely fade away. Eventually I found the subtler signs of depression like oversleeping, lack of motivation, and etc. were still causing me problems even though therapy and exercise had helped me learn to like myself. So I decided in July of this year to try it. At first I had the "Zombie" effect everyone talks about. I was pretty numb for a week or so. That subsided and I started to gradually feel like myself again. Around week 6 or 7 I was more or less feeling like me, though I'd describe my emotional range as having shifted. If it was a spectrum of 0-100, I'd say I'm now having 50 as my bottom and 80-90 as my top. Not bad all things considered.

That said, I think having done CBT and learning to like myself BEFORE trying medication, is why my medication worked so well. These things work in tandem with each other. The meds don't fix my mindset, but they allow me to use the techniques I learned in therapy more effectively and clear out the garbage in my mind.

I use Effexor XR, which my doctor suggested because I mentioned feeling a lack of energy. I'm happy to report that since starting medication I've had no bouts with depression, and anxiety has been significantly more manageable. And I'm actually achieving many of my goals which I thought were impossible given my environment.

I hope all of you find something that works for you.

 

[Contrite]

I'm also kinda curious about this. My former doctor wanted me to start on them when I specifically asked for a psychologist; I try to avoid pills I don't really need. I've seen what kinds of side effects the literal backpack of meds my mom uses causes, so I'd rather stay away if possible.

The surprisingly common side effects of antidepressants has also put me off.

But anyway, correct me if I'm wrong, but the main 'effect' of antidepressants is keeping you out of the suicidal valleys of depression, right? I mean, I was depressed.. Once upon a time, but now I just feel wholly apathetic. So I struggle to see how antidepressants would help me, when my issue seems to stem more from a totally non-functional reward system.

 

[Pickman]

Wellbutrin and clonazepam got me through one of the hardest times of my life where I was having near-daily anxiety attacks. Pharmacology saves lives.

 

[C.Mongler]

They've noticeably helped my wife a lot. Just taking the pills isn't a cure for depression for most people though, it's simply the initial push to get you to where you can start to climb to a better place. Before taking antidepressants my wife barely could get out of bed every day, she never felt motivated to do anything, and experienced suicidal ideation almost constantly. It's very difficult to start to manage your mental health in a state like that; for her it's like a walking comatose. Once she got on the right dosage for her medication her world started to feel more manageable and she was able to start regularly going to therapy, working out and going to fitness classes, hanging out with friends, etc etc. She's not "cured", but she's made a lot more strides with them than she ever was making without them. If you're taking antidepressants and not doing anything else to better your mental well-being though, it usually just going to cap out at feeling kind of blank.

 

[CaptNink]

They helped me get to a neutral state, which I appreciated. But they won't "cure" anything. Cognitive therapy really helped me.

 

[Punished Goku]

Ehhhh kinda.

 

[Vampirolol]

They healed me back then, yes.

 

[Kayla]

2 years on Prozac has been wonderful for me.