Those people I know who take depression drugs have to take another one for the side effects, then another one for the side effects of that one…usually they are taking 5 or 6 drugs.
Hi, guys, this is iampunha’s mother. He said I could post under his name, because I don’t have a logon and don’t really want one.
I’ve been depressed for probably 35 years. (I’m 44 now.) The depression was finally diagnosed a few years ago. My doctor recommended Zoloft. (Sounds like an ad, huh? Not.) I didn’t want to go on it, because I was afraid that
a) I would be a zombie-like ever-cheerful Pollyanna
b) I would lose my quirky edge
c) I would get hooked
However, feeling that I would rather be dead than alive and having crying jags wasn’t much fun. So when I hit a really bad depressive cycle (well, really bad for me), I went on 50 mg. of Zoloft a day. I’ve been on it for a few years.
Wanna know how it feels? It feels like nothing. I feel like myself, only not miserable most of the time. I don’t feel like a zombie. I don’t look forward to taking Zoloft – unlike iampunha, I didn’t feel it immediately. I felt a gradual lessening of the depression.
Then one day I realized that it was gone. I felt as if I had come out of a deep fog. I could look back and see the fog, and I remembered what it was like to be in it, but I wasn’t in it any more. Gradually, I realized that I had been in and out of that fog for all of the life that I remembered. So maybe I’ve been depressed since I was 4 or so. Family stories do support that.
Anyway, it isn’t addictive, and it doesn’t change one’s basic self. It just helps one to think better and lifts a lot of the depression.
In me, at least. YMMV. IMHO. MOUSE.
But I’m telling you, do not self-medicate. Don’t try to get your hands on Zoloft or Paxil or whatever. Go to a psychiatrist. Not just your family doctor. If you don’t like that one, find another. Get a referral from a therapist or a depressed friend or your family doctor or somebody.
Don’t let your depression go untreated. Studies have shown that untreated depression can lead to long-term physical health problems, notably heart attacks. Makes sense, when you think about it.
Oh, and the SSRI stuff I posted as the subject? It’s selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Iampunha is smart, but not as smart as his mom.
(Love you, honey!)
iampunha’s mom
Everyone can ignore the bit about me not being as smart as she is. And I now regret letting her on my username (btw, this is once again iampunha).
Crucial thing she left out, which should restore people’s confidence in me:
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A psychologist is someone who puts pu a sign saying they are one.
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A psychiatrist is a doctor who can prescribe medicine.
Ergo, if you want meds, go to the psychiatrist, not the psychologist.
BTW, Kimkatt, if you don’t mind I’m adding you to my prayer list as well.
It’s been a couple of days, folks, and I’m in a better state of mind than I was in last week.
I want to thank you all again for all of your input. I have gone to see my GP, and have the prescrip for Paxil. He was very helpful in giving me a lot of information, and in his advice at starting out on the drug slowly so as to avoid the side effects caused by the sudden introduction of a new substance into the body. BTW, for those who mentioned it, yes it was on the recommendation of a qualified therapist.
My state of mind has actually improved to a point which has me debating leaving off with the Paxil for now. I know this is not the drug taking effect - it doesn’t kick in that quickly - but I am sticking with it for now to avoid relapsing back into that awful state I was in last week. It doesn’t come through here. One of the things that is great about the message board for me is that when I am really down I can be here, without having to make the incredible efforts that I would have to make in real-life conversation.
Thanks again to those who have offered information and support.
Stick with it, KimKatt. Your improvement in mood might be due to you knowing you’re taking a positive step towards treating this. Worked that way for me.
One thing you might want to keep in mind is that, like Needs2know said, it does have withdrawal symptoms, certainly more so than any other drug I’ve taken. In my case, they were quite unpleasant. Even when I only forgot to take it once, the next day I would wake up with a stomach ache and a deep depression, which made my whole day very difficult to get through. When I stopped taking it altogether, I felt awful for weeks afterward. Although of course mileage may vary, I would suggest being careful before stopping the doseages cold turkey. If nothing else, you should be prepared for any adverse effects that might occur.