Very familiar. So I proved my point by going off my medication then flipping out over a nature program about lions killing antelope. No arguments after that incident. The drugs keep me on an even keel.
After a while, the depressed person will discover that it is better to go on living without the antidepressants. The side effects thereof makes life worse for the depressed. Learning social skills and making life changes go a long way with the depressed. There is life after depression! Thanks God for that!
Sorry to maybe seem rude, but I think the point of this one went over your head. Some people need the medication to live normally or at least do better than they are without. People with chemical imbalances etc. can’t just learn social skills, exercise, get more sun, etc. and expect their issues to resolve. These things can help, but regardless, proposing these things as an alternative to needed medication is a dangerous approach and this way of thinking among the public needs to stop. Not everyone has a ton of side effects, and sometimes the side effects are manageable.
The let me share what worked for me. It wasn’t therapy, diet, exercise, sunlight, or “alternative medicine” (i.e. untested quackery). I spent five years with severe major depression every single day and didn’t start to recover until I was given an antidepressant. It starting to work within hours, and although it wasn’t a cure it prevented the worst of my symptoms. The very minor side effects I experienced lessened over time and eventually disappeared.
That antidepressant kept my emotions on an even keel until I felt I could maintain a steady course by myself, which took about a year. Part of the reason I haven’t needed them since is that I know they are available and effective if I ever do need them again. It’s much easier to keep your balance knowing there’s a safety net.
Everyone responds differently. For some, it takes weeks. I felt a noticeable improvement in mood the first day that I took an antidepressant. Unfortunately, my body responds quickly to medication, but it also adjusts quickly and the medication ceases to be effective, vs. a friend of mine who was immensely helped by staying on the same medication for a year.
Everyone’s different, which is another reason to never give up hope.
First off, no one has proved depression is actually a chemical imbalance. Look at it this way. We know drugs for depression cross the blood-brain barrier because otherwise what’s the point of using them. So actually, if they’re correcting an imbalance, you should feel results from them ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, given time for the drug to hit the bloodstream and travel.
I mean, type 1 diabetes is basically a chemical imbalance, you can’t make any insulin. See how fast insulin works for T1Ds? And that’s an injection, so SSRIs will be somewhat slower but NOT one to two weeks. Try one to two HOURS. At the MOST.
So why’s it take two weeks?
Some researchers now believe that SSRIs work in *some* people not because of their actions on serotonin reuptake but because of their actions on the production of new brain cells in the hippocampus region of the brain. Turns out that a slowdown or stoppage of this neurogenesis process is strongly associated with depression. And it is feasible that it could take varying amounts of time, depending on the patient, for this process to get underway. In some it could be immediate, in others it could take several days.
I mean, it doesn’t even make sense that insufficient serotonin causes depression. Serotonin is a depressant chemical!
But what do I know. I’ve only witnessed an MD, head of an internal medicine practice, tell a drug rep he’d rather put a depressed patient on Prozac than send them to a therapist.
I’ve also heard about depressed people put on an SSRI, and teenaged males especially, who get just better enough to have the energy to carry out their suicidal ideations.
They’re giving these drugs to pregnant women now. They did me. No idea what effects my daughter might suffer. No consideration that I was in a bad situation with no realistic ways out.
No biggie, right?
Do some reading on ACEs and EMDR. Expand your horizons. Knock it off with A Pill For Every Ill and stop yelling at people who suggest there might be a better way so why don’t we pursue it already. What do depressives want–to be band-aided and poisoned, or actually helped? Well, I know what *I* want. I can’t speak for anyone else.
When speaking of neurotransmitters, depressant means that it makes harder for the cell to trigger when it recieves a signal from another cell, not about the effect on the mind. Kinda like alcohol, but more specific. Also, it takes time for the brain to develop new routes for the transmission of signals, so thats why it takes time.
But you’re right in some things, side effects are pretty common and treatment, unless there are greater risks, should always be as non invasive as it can be, so first therapy then, if necesary, chemical.
I took my meds for years in spite of side effects. If they got to be too much I worked with my doctor on med management. I eventually went from 15 meds to 5 to none. Medication doesn’t work for everyone but they helped me get to a place where I could stay safe and do the work I need to do in therapy to learn what my normal is and how I best function. I think people should feel comfortable with whatever supports they need. Let’s not judge each other for choosing supports we wouldn’t choose for ourselves. Mental illness is hard enough without feeling like you are not getting better ” the right way”.
I really feel this one. Just reverse the characters and you have my house. My wife commented that I had been doing well for a few months and asked when I was going to stop with the drugs and therapy. My reply was to tell her that those are the reason I have been doing well and that I know if I stop I will quickly be right back in the pit like before.
This reminds me of the beginning of this commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSw9yVU5dvM (Abilify “Magic Pill” commercial) It shows the antidepressant not as a cure, but as a helping force to nudge someone with depression into tackling daily activities and work and such.
Does chemotherapy instantly cure cancer? No. It takes a little bit for the therapy to start working. It is not an instant fix. And cancer can always come back. Of course, that same asshole would then likely ask “well what’s the point?” for chemo as well.
They’re basically emotional Tylenol. That’s how we need to start thinking of it. They help people deal with the symptoms and pain, but don’t actually fix the problem or cure you of anything. I think most people can understand that better than horribly misguided and questionable animations about cartoon neurotransmitters that they give often times.
I’d be thrilled if the pills worked at all, no matter what I take, If I’m LUCKY its good for about a month, then I adapt and its back to square one. What good are they indeed?
I’ve gone through the same thing over about a year. Right now I’m on a combination of paroxetine and methylphenidate (generic Ritalin), which id’s going well so far. Keep fighting, there’s always hope. Maybe see another provider if you’re not satisfied with your current care.
I used to eat pills too for about 6years…there was help to it, but they made me numb. All the things you are also supposed to feel; nada, not a thing, but the lowest lows still pushed throw the numbness… In the end all conversation therapy was ended (‘cos I was costing too much money to the city) and was left to survive with the pills. And I came to the conclusion that this cannot be a permanent solution. So I stopped taking them. I am Not suggesting anyone stop taking meds with out the consent of theyr doctor, but since I didn’t have one… And now I have been with out them for 4years and doing great! Some much better than before. It was hard getting used to feeling normal things, but I did. I am so much more emotional now days that people who got to know me back then think that I have changed so much: when in reality I’m just back to me. Maybe the meds gave me time to process or reset and helped, but in no way should they ever be an only treatment, and the length of the suitable treatment period is ridiculous to asume is forever. And though the deppresdion is never really gone (I have now lived with it more than half of my life) you can get to a state where you don’t think about it daily and live your life. (I have come to understand my triggering factors and then take immediate action whit methods that help me.) Thought I’d share my point view, maybe for a wider share of thoughts on medication helpfulness.
I’ve even learned that a given medication can be right with one therapist but entirely wrong while under the care of another, even if both therapists are good ones. Therapists are humans and have their biases like everyone else. All parts of a treatment plan affect one another.
I tend to go straight for the dumb-down. I tell them that I still feel everything, but now I have a bigger bucket inside to hold all of my feelings and emotions. With a bigger bucket, it takes longer to overflow.
Treat ’em all as if they are 5 years old, unless they really do care and will truly listen out of a desire to understand.
I can feel her frustration. :[
Being less of an a-hole would also help :/
True, that! Dude needs a different perspective.
Very familiar. So I proved my point by going off my medication then flipping out over a nature program about lions killing antelope. No arguments after that incident. The drugs keep me on an even keel.
Saddest part is. If you actually saved all the Antelope…all the Lions would die. And as savage as Lions seem, humans are worse.
After a while, the depressed person will discover that it is better to go on living without the antidepressants. The side effects thereof makes life worse for the depressed. Learning social skills and making life changes go a long way with the depressed. There is life after depression! Thanks God for that!
Sorry to maybe seem rude, but I think the point of this one went over your head. Some people need the medication to live normally or at least do better than they are without. People with chemical imbalances etc. can’t just learn social skills, exercise, get more sun, etc. and expect their issues to resolve. These things can help, but regardless, proposing these things as an alternative to needed medication is a dangerous approach and this way of thinking among the public needs to stop. Not everyone has a ton of side effects, and sometimes the side effects are manageable.
Ryan Rowland good for them!
Everyone’s illnesses and situations are different, so it’s best not to make generalizations about what works for other people.
depression comix agree wholeheartedly!
I shared what worked for me!
But then again, you made a generalization to start with ?
“I shared what worked for me!”
The let me share what worked for me. It wasn’t therapy, diet, exercise, sunlight, or “alternative medicine” (i.e. untested quackery). I spent five years with severe major depression every single day and didn’t start to recover until I was given an antidepressant. It starting to work within hours, and although it wasn’t a cure it prevented the worst of my symptoms. The very minor side effects I experienced lessened over time and eventually disappeared.
That antidepressant kept my emotions on an even keel until I felt I could maintain a steady course by myself, which took about a year. Part of the reason I haven’t needed them since is that I know they are available and effective if I ever do need them again. It’s much easier to keep your balance knowing there’s a safety net.
“It started to work within hours”
That’s called placebo affect bud
Everyone responds differently. For some, it takes weeks. I felt a noticeable improvement in mood the first day that I took an antidepressant. Unfortunately, my body responds quickly to medication, but it also adjusts quickly and the medication ceases to be effective, vs. a friend of mine who was immensely helped by staying on the same medication for a year.
Everyone’s different, which is another reason to never give up hope.
First off, no one has proved depression is actually a chemical imbalance. Look at it this way. We know drugs for depression cross the blood-brain barrier because otherwise what’s the point of using them. So actually, if they’re correcting an imbalance, you should feel results from them ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, given time for the drug to hit the bloodstream and travel.
I mean, type 1 diabetes is basically a chemical imbalance, you can’t make any insulin. See how fast insulin works for T1Ds? And that’s an injection, so SSRIs will be somewhat slower but NOT one to two weeks. Try one to two HOURS. At the MOST.
So why’s it take two weeks?
Some researchers now believe that SSRIs work in *some* people not because of their actions on serotonin reuptake but because of their actions on the production of new brain cells in the hippocampus region of the brain. Turns out that a slowdown or stoppage of this neurogenesis process is strongly associated with depression. And it is feasible that it could take varying amounts of time, depending on the patient, for this process to get underway. In some it could be immediate, in others it could take several days.
I mean, it doesn’t even make sense that insufficient serotonin causes depression. Serotonin is a depressant chemical!
But what do I know. I’ve only witnessed an MD, head of an internal medicine practice, tell a drug rep he’d rather put a depressed patient on Prozac than send them to a therapist.
I’ve also heard about depressed people put on an SSRI, and teenaged males especially, who get just better enough to have the energy to carry out their suicidal ideations.
They’re giving these drugs to pregnant women now. They did me. No idea what effects my daughter might suffer. No consideration that I was in a bad situation with no realistic ways out.
No biggie, right?
Do some reading on ACEs and EMDR. Expand your horizons. Knock it off with A Pill For Every Ill and stop yelling at people who suggest there might be a better way so why don’t we pursue it already. What do depressives want–to be band-aided and poisoned, or actually helped? Well, I know what *I* want. I can’t speak for anyone else.
When speaking of neurotransmitters, depressant means that it makes harder for the cell to trigger when it recieves a signal from another cell, not about the effect on the mind. Kinda like alcohol, but more specific.
Also, it takes time for the brain to develop new routes for the transmission of signals, so thats why it takes time.
But you’re right in some things, side effects are pretty common and treatment, unless there are greater risks, should always be as non invasive as it can be, so first therapy then, if necesary, chemical.
Please stop deciding what treatment is best for other people.
Please listen to your doctor/therapist for medical advice, not people on Facebook.
And yet, here you are…. Trying to speak for everyone else. Like DCx said, don’t take medical advice from people on FB.
And your Peers.
@dana i hope your comment is turned into a copypasta lmao
I took my meds for years in spite of side effects. If they got to be too much I worked with my doctor on med management. I eventually went from 15 meds to 5 to none. Medication doesn’t work for everyone but they helped me get to a place where I could stay safe and do the work I need to do in therapy to learn what my normal is and how I best function. I think people should feel comfortable with whatever supports they need. Let’s not judge each other for choosing supports we wouldn’t choose for ourselves. Mental illness is hard enough without feeling like you are not getting better ” the right way”.
I really feel this one. Just reverse the characters and you have my house. My wife commented that I had been doing well for a few months and asked when I was going to stop with the drugs and therapy. My reply was to tell her that those are the reason I have been doing well and that I know if I stop I will quickly be right back in the pit like before.
This reminds me of the beginning of this commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSw9yVU5dvM (Abilify “Magic Pill” commercial) It shows the antidepressant not as a cure, but as a helping force to nudge someone with depression into tackling daily activities and work and such.
Does chemotherapy instantly cure cancer? No. It takes a little bit for the therapy to start working. It is not an instant fix. And cancer can always come back. Of course, that same asshole would then likely ask “well what’s the point?” for chemo as well.
I am so, so grateful to have a support network that recognizes my medications as what they are – chemicals, not magic beans.
Does anyone know if, in the history of crime, a person has ever been bludgeoned to death with a toothbrush? Might be time to find out…
Or as I used to say to my family, “do you WANT me to die today?” pills. (as in they prevent that from happening)
They’re basically emotional Tylenol. That’s how we need to start thinking of it. They help people deal with the symptoms and pain, but don’t actually fix the problem or cure you of anything. I think most people can understand that better than horribly misguided and questionable animations about cartoon neurotransmitters that they give often times.
“Will insulin cure your diabetes?”
I’d be thrilled if the pills worked at all, no matter what I take, If I’m LUCKY its good for about a month, then I adapt and its back to square one. What good are they indeed?
I’ve gone through the same thing over about a year. Right now I’m on a combination of paroxetine and methylphenidate (generic Ritalin), which id’s going well so far. Keep fighting, there’s always hope. Maybe see another provider if you’re not satisfied with your current care.
I used to eat pills too for about 6years…there was help to it, but they made me numb. All the things you are also supposed to feel; nada, not a thing, but the lowest lows still pushed throw the numbness… In the end all conversation therapy was ended (‘cos I was costing too much money to the city) and was left to survive with the pills. And I came to the conclusion that this cannot be a permanent solution. So I stopped taking them. I am Not suggesting anyone stop taking meds with out the consent of theyr doctor, but since I didn’t have one… And now I have been with out them for 4years and doing great! Some much better than before. It was hard getting used to feeling normal things, but I did. I am so much more emotional now days that people who got to know me back then think that I have changed so much: when in reality I’m just back to me. Maybe the meds gave me time to process or reset and helped, but in no way should they ever be an only treatment, and the length of the suitable treatment period is ridiculous to asume is forever. And though the deppresdion is never really gone (I have now lived with it more than half of my life) you can get to a state where you don’t think about it daily and live your life. (I have come to understand my triggering factors and then take immediate action whit methods that help me.)
Thought I’d share my point view, maybe for a wider share of thoughts on medication helpfulness.
I’ve even learned that a given medication can be right with one therapist but entirely wrong while under the care of another, even if both therapists are good ones. Therapists are humans and have their biases like everyone else. All parts of a treatment plan affect one another.
Yep. Scenario played out many times.
People are confused that I still suffer from my Bipolar symptoms, they don’t understand how meds actually work.
When they get out of pocket I just say my meds are moderators, they help to control my mood swings so I don’t choke your ass out!
It’s a pain when people don’t understand.
I tend to go straight for the dumb-down. I tell them that I still feel everything, but now I have a bigger bucket inside to hold all of my feelings and emotions. With a bigger bucket, it takes longer to overflow.
Treat ’em all as if they are 5 years old, unless they really do care and will truly listen out of a desire to understand.
this is me and my father.