in the past, i’ve been on a wide range of antidepressants, i was about ready to give up when i was finally prescribed something that works. Effexor! it is really nasty to get off of (your doctor will taper you down when you are ready to quit taking it), but it is an antidepressant that actually works without you ‘turning into a zombie’. it also seems to get into the system faster than other antidepressants. i have been around several people (i’ve been in several institutions in the past) who from my recollection preferred effexor over all that other trash. it gives you actual energy and motivation, along with the traditional emotional pick-me-up.
even better, in my experience and others as well, is Wellbutrin (this is also cheaper if your insurance sucks/doesn’t cover Effexor). i was even at a point where i took both. wellbutrin is also fairly quick acting compared to other antidepressants (such as zoloft, prozac, paxil, lexapro, etc) and provides an even better energy/motivation boost than effexor does.
there is also stuff like Pristiq (basically a ‘new’ effexor, not really any better or worse though) and such.
also, try some behind-the-counter/OTC/etc self-medicating until you can obtain one of the above drugs from your medical provider. sometimes when i start slipping into a depression, being as how i have stopped taking effexor/wellbutrin and other prescriptions, as my underlying issues have largely subsided – i still need something every once in a while when i get particularly low in mood or experience an abnormal amount of anxiety.
for depression, try behind-the-counter primatine tablets, which contain ephedrine. ephedrine is basically an instantly acting medication that for the most part is comparable to wellbutrin, only you don’t need to take it for several days before you notice effects – you notice effects within 30 minutes or so. try 1 pill at first, because ephedrine can be pretty strong to a new user. the recommended dose is 2 pills though. keep in mind that ephedrine is indicated for asthma, it is not approved for other uses such as depression as it is strong and there is an increased ‘risk’ of getting addicted compared to actual antidepressants. this does not mean it won’t work for depressive symptoms though. just be careful with it.
another ‘off the label’ (so to speak) piece of advice is that anxiety medicines such as ativan and klonopin can help loosen you up comparable to alcohol and may or may not help your depression…but fioricet, an easy to get medication for tension headaches…or “tension headaches”… is a barbituate combined with a little caffeine and tylenol. fioricet more closely resembles alcohol in its effects, without the direct toxicity of alcohol. it is also a little more ‘mild’ and more appropriate for using at work or whatever. you would just have to try and see if one of these medications help your depression.
of course, weed is great, provided you don’t get drug tested at work or whatever. preferably you live in a state where it’s legal anyway, but either way, it is very cheap and can get you out of a slump
