can taking anti depressants alter your personality?

Answer 1

Yes most definately it can, this is due to way anti-depressants work on the brain. Changes can vary due to what anti-depressent is being prescribed, the dosage of the medication and also if it is your first time on the medication.
If the latter is affirmative then the correct dosage for that indivdual person will have to be found and monitored extremely carefully although this should actually be done with any-one taking anti-depressants as the serum level builds up due to its moleculular sture and can cause a toxic effect on the person. This, should it occur is easily rectified by a blood test to see how much toxicity is in the blood stream.When this is established ur dr. will decrease the dosage to maintain the correct level of medication for yourself.
Although there are many different anti-depressents avalable "MOST" not all work along the same principal to change your thought pattern. Therefore , for what-ever reason u may have been prescribed them in the first place before taking anti-depressants the underlying problem may have seemed "too much to cope with" anti-depressants allow the brain to funtion slightly differently as a result u should find whatever the problem may be more easy to handle and if used as they should be can help u to see everything from a different point of view.
However, although anti-depressants may be useful short term they have many drawbacks and only mask the underlying problem. Anti-depressants usually take a minumum of 2 weeks to have optimum effect and also present numerous possible unwanted side effects these can be transient (short term, for approx 1-2 wks after begining the medication) or continual therefore it is imperrtive that the advantages are weighed up against the disadvantages beforehand.
Anti - depressants are meant to used short term as they do not cure the underlying problem only mask it as a result when u are weaned off the medication ( ur dose is decreased slowly ) the reason for u taking them in the first place still remain dominant and undealt with.
Unfortunately anti-depressants are so very often used over a number of yrs as a result dependancy arises then the dosage which was originally given is futile as tolererance to to drug has developed and it no longer works. Therfore the dosage has to be increased periodically as tolerance (addiction) becomes stronger. The addiction as with most medication of this type is not only psyical but psycological and the longer u remain on this type of medication the worse it becomes and the harder it is to stop taking. As a result of this withdrawal has to be endured.
So although i have not given u all the facts pro's and con's on taking anti-depressants i hope i have given u enough information to allow u to see that YES ant-depressants do change your personalitity.
Short term maybe u may think for the better but long term for the worse most definately. Should u be asking this question as u are considering taking them i would advise u to take a look at other therapies eg Therapy , this has no drug induced side effects and can help to take control of your life by dealing with the problem, until, what once seemed like a insurmountable obsicle lying in your way now seems like just part of your past and having dealt with it head on u can live ur life without having to rely on medication to get u through the day.
All the best in your quest.

Answer 2

Nothing can change your personality,what does change is the levels of certain chemicals in the brain which assists in alleviating symptoms of depression or anxiety.To begin with when you start taking them then you may experience sleepiness loss of libido and an increase in your depressive symptoms.However these reduce after 2 to 3 weeks and you become less depressed less anxious therefore appear more of a chilled person so that it seems you may have had a personality transplant.You have to keep on them for 6 to 9 months even if you do feel better ,and they arent addictive

Answer 3

What I understand about depression theory is the change in your body chemistry serotonin use or production. Most of the anti-depressants that I'm aware of are called SRIs (Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors). They are designed to slow down your body's absorption of this chemical, which is supposed to level out your mood swings.

My personal experience and what my doctor has explained to me is that it isn't supposed to make you happy or sad, its supposed to bring more stability so that you can take more control of your life. Also concerning the increased suicide risks, his explanation was that some individuals are really down in the dumps and without the medication they'd have no energy to do anything, like vegetative state for example. In their case, the medication leveled out their mood and gave them enough energy so that they would commit suicide rather than be in more incapacitated. I would check out these website for some additional information.

Answer 4

Runningman is SPOT ON.

Keep the hell away from anything -azepine, SSRI, and all the other brew from industrial pharma.

Stay clear, say ten miles at least from the stuff.

Suicidal thoughts, creepy imaginations, aggressiveness and anger alternating with zombie like spells. NO WAY.

Eat better, take good care of you health, eat lots of fish and vegs, drop sugar and all the crud, get lean, take cold showers sleep in the nude...whatever...get in touch with your body mind connection.

Sorry...for being so passionate,. I've seen a few victimized in this area of life...

Answer 5

Sheesh, I took lorazepam for a sleep disorder once, and a week later had all these strange and dangerous thoughts. It's like a door in your mind that is normaly kept closed, the lock is now open swinging freely. I would say that depending on the person they can be VERY DANGEROUS. I wouldn't take them unless absolutle nec. Most doctors don't even know how they work on the mind on a larger scale. that's why they are allways asking you about suicidal thoughts From my experience about a week after stoping them I was not able to stop dangerous thoughts from coming to actions, I was not able to stop my thought to action impulse. i stoped taking them after a VERY life threatening incedent. wouldn't take them again for any reason.

Answer 6

yes they numb most of the bad feelings, they make me thick. I am not how i used to be i miss it that's why i have stopped taking them.

Answer 7

yes, and it is found that most of them decrease your sexual needs, but you feel happier, anyway why use them :D

Answer 8

yes they numb your senses loads!

Answer 9

Isn't that the point?