by Crazyguy 63 Replies latest jw friends
I like SNRI antidepressants over SSRIs. From my experience Pros: weight loss, I have the energy to get out of bed, can actually get task done, decrease in anxiety.
Cons: It takes awhile for the medicine to kick in (a few weeks or a month), loss of appetite, nausea, can cause or increase suicidal ideation, in which case the doctor should be notified. Some can make you feel like a zombie with no emotions.
I would only take them as a last resort. I Was in a similar state to you when leaving. My doctor discouraged them, though eventually I did go on some for about 3 months. I was worried about becoming dependant on them for my happiness.
What really worked was an 8 session course with a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. It is a simple concept where your train yourself to see the positive instead of the negative in situations. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
To stop your mind going around in circles, write things down. The issue, the solutions, the outcome etc. That is how jwfacts.com came about.
Well, I can only speak on my own experience. I was on Zoloft for maybe less than a year. The first thing you notice is this sense that certain parts of your brain have been turned down. You feel a bit detached from everything. A little like a dream state of sorts.
The major side effect for me was that I had to make sure I was at home, ready to go to bed, because as soon as I took them, I was out cold for the rest of the night. And don't dare wake up until the morning either--it felt like an electrical storm was frying my brain when I did that once. Definitely do not take that stuff if you're going to be doing any driving or anything else that requires you to be alert after you take it.
The other thing is that they do make you dehydrated, so it's best to drink a lot of water.
But that's just my experience with Zoloft. I eventually just quit them cold turkey because I needed to stay alert on the road late at night, plus I couldn't afford to pay for them anymore. My head was buzzing like crazy a couple of days later, but I got through it with no trouble beyond that and never became dependent on them.
I'd say, divorce is nothing a good comic book and a trip to the movies can't cure. But then, I've never been divorced, so I wouldn't know.
--sd-7
In my case, they do more harm than good. I prefer alcohol and oblivion. The only time I've ever been depressed were times when others were controlling me. Once I got control back, I was fine.
Therefore, I do not believe all depression is organic. Situations can trigger depression. My best perspective would be to examine what is bothering you and change it.
and
I have been on most of the antidepressant/bipolar meds. Some worked, some didn't. Sometimes they work well for a while, then gradually stop working as well. The key thing is to see a psychiatrist for an evaluation if you suspect you are seriously depressed and it lasts longer than a couple of weeks. When you are really depressed, no amount of positive thinking or doing 'fun' things can do much to make it go away. My experience with medications has been mostly positive. But it is a process of TRIAL AND ERROR! You might need to try various meds until you find the right one for your body chemistry. The MAIN thing is, seek help from a professional. Also, talk therapy can be helpful while you are taking antidepressants. If you are totally resistant to taking meds, try to see a therapist, preferably one with a PhD in clinical psychology. That has helped me a lot over the years.
marked
Try talk therapy and see a physician.
All anti-depressants did for me was cause me to sleep far too much, gain weight and some other more personal symptoms. I'm not a doctor, so I don't know if you are clinically depressed or not. As just a person listening to you, you sound more stressed and angst ridden than depressed, which can feel pretty horrible. Some people do well with anti-depressants. You'd have to speak to your health care team about it all to know for sure. I never realized how much anxiety gets mistaken for depression though, until I went through therapy to teach me how to put things in perspective. These days, I rarely feel "depressed". Usually I am afraid of something, when those feelings come on.
Sadness is normal during a marriage break up. Sadness is not depression. Everyone who is healthy feels sad during times of loss. One of the things a good therapist will do is to help you begin to identify your different emotions and to get proper perspective.
There are natural things such as specific herbs that can help, too. I always asked my doctor about them or brought in info for the doctor to get his opinion.
I have had experience and have tried to manage depression since my pre-teens; I was a born-in JW with a very dedicated family. I was diagnosed with "Sub-acute depression" when I visited a Psychiatrist from London who settled in Africa. I was working overseas on a Branch for the WTBTS when things just got bad for me so I went to see some doctors. Within two months of the London Psychiatrist diagnosing me with depression and starting treatment I left the branch construction and went home. I've made a few mistakes in my life, however, to leave the branch construction was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
These are the known anti-depressants that I have taken in the past. I don't remember what I was given from the Psychiatrist from London practicing in Africa, however, it took me hours to wake up from it, literally zombie like. However, I had never slept so well.
Lexapro
Paxil
Cymbalta
Effexor
Wellibuton
Zoloft
Celebrex
Paxil made me very lethargic and slowed my thinking down considerably.
Effexor worked the best, however, the side affect for me was a very strong craving for alcohol. I mean bad. So I ended up the happiest drunk in the world.
Celebrex can help with arthritis.
Wellibuton had the least effect on sexual relations. Many of the others affected sexual relations performance which at the time was a real bummer.
I think I was last on Cymbalta when I had decided to stop; I had "brain zaps" for weeks, just Google "Cymbalta and Brain Zaps". It was like your brain was quivering from withdrawl.
As far as anti-anxiety medications, I've got mixed feelings about them. Xanex and Clonazepam are great for anxiety. Librium is also good. However, being benzos, it is addictive. Even after the stressful situations had passed I was still taking those little blue and pink pills and feeling anxiety. I found that my feelings of anxiety were acutally withdrawl symptoms from not taking the xanex. I found that xanex worked quickly and disappated quickly. So I was also prescribed klonopine or clonazepam which worked slower and lasted longer. So if you took both together with a gin and tonic, you were good to sit through a 5 day District Convention and be happy.
Getting off of the Benzos wasn't too bad, but I went through a withdrawl of about three days basically three days of no sleep.
I will conclude with non-depressing news; I stopped taking anti-depressants after two years of being out of JW's, and am doing well. They can help you get over a hump, and taking them is a decision for you personally, however, they are not the total answer. They put a bandaid on the siutaion. Oh as "friends"erroneously used to tell me, "only in the New System will we not suffer from depression."
