What made you decice to get on antidepressants?

Question

Did they help with the feelings of isolation, anger/hatred towards others and yourself? Did you feel like living again instead of feeling dead inside. Basically, are they worth it compared to the alternative.

Oh, one last thing, did they make you gain weight.

Answer 1

I'm a minor so my parents made the decision - but I agreed.
I take lithium, which is a mood stabalizer for people with Bipolar Disorder. I feel much stabler on them. My moods don't fluctuate as much. I was more depressive, and now I can say I genuinely feel happy. They helped me get my life back. No more isolation and anger is easier to deal with. Suicidal tenedicies and thoughts were gone. I don't cut anymore.
Also, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE BIPOLAR TO TAKE IT! I wasn't diagnosed as Bipolar until a YEAR after I started it.
IT IS WORTH IT!!!

AND NO WEIGHT GAIN ON LITHIUM! Others do, but this one does not. I am also a recovering anorexic so weight gain was NOT an option.
Ask your doctor about Lithium. It's worth it.
Good Luck. I hope you find a way :)
-Adelaide
And feel free to contact me if you need other answers or advice. Depression runs in my family....I know enough to write a book.

Answer 2

I had to commit myself to a VA hospital due to my depression. When I did that I was there to cooperate, and was put on prozac, which I did not tolerate well.
Welbutrin worked better. That was ten yrs ago, and I have been hospitalized since. Right now I am on no meds, and ok. Exercise helps a lot. Friends help if they understand. Some gain weight because they begin to care about eating again, when really depressed food has no taste, and you care about nothing.
Right now, after this question, I am walking to a meeting of this group:
http://www.dbsalliance.org
Which has local groups and local contact numbers.
Yahoo Groups "depression-anxiety" keeps you from feeling alone and has beau coups good advice on the 100 or so sites under "links".
Make a move, don't procrastinate! Ask for help, it is there!
Lance

Answer 3

I did not want to get up out of bed, I either slept too much or not enough, I had suicidal thoughts, I cried continually for three months and I would not eat or bathe. Paxil worked well for me.

Yes they stop angery out bursts and hatered it gave me a sence of self worth again I could finally stick up for myself and get on with life. I needed to gain weight but no I did not gain when I was on them, but some people do. Yes it was worth it at the time, the more doseage you get the farther away I felt from myself it is a temporary fix, to fix the real problem find the sorce of it. I have been on many different kinds of meds. but Paxil was the best one I found that worked for me. I have not been on any meds. now for 6 years come Nov.
Good luck!

Answer 4

well i have been in counseling since last september and my therapist recommended one for me back in march when we thought i hit bottom. turns out i have found a new bottom so i'm being sent to a psychiatrist for an evaluation for a different or more medication. so my current celexa, 20 mg, has done crap for me. i feel worse actually. i have not gained any weight being on it. if the alternative you are thinking about is suicide i would say at least give medication a whirl before you totally give up. that's like the best encouragement i can muster. i wish you well.

Answer 5

I was angry, and mean. I was sleeping all the time. I would go from screaming at people to crying in less than a minute. I avoided going on antidepressants for a long time because I didn't want to be "CrazY'. I was so scattered for so long, antidepressants helped me tremendously. I only wish I would have gone on them sooner. I hated myself and everyone around me. I have been on them for almost 9 years now, and I feel so much better.

And I lost weight, because I wasn't laying around sobbing all the time. I felt happy and ready to go outside and play!!!

Good luck.

Answer 6

I'm Bipolar II, and the medications I'm taking are VERY worth it. I'm on Neurontin and Welbutrin right now, it doesn't make my personality different like I thought it would, but it takes the edge off life, it brings me towards a more middle ground instead of ups and downs, I'm less angry and much less depressed.

Some anti-depressants make you gain weight, the one I'm on now is making me lose a little weight. Anti-depressants react differently depending on the person.

Answer 7

Basically, I knew that I was depressed & that I needed help & I couldn't do it on my own. I was pretty upset most of the time. So my Psychologist prescribed Zoloft & that has *SORTA* worked for me.

Answer 8

I became agoraphobic from panic attacks, so my doctor said Prozac would help. It has help, and no weight gain.