Has anyone here with chronic depression and major depressive episodes returned to feeling normal?

Question

What was your major depression like and did you find meds that got you to a place better than just merely chronically depressed?

I'm now taking effexor which got me out of the horrible dissociation I get with major depression, but I still have no motivation and nothing seems to get me jazzed or feeling genuinely happy. The pdoc wants to add Wellbutrin on top, but mixing meds sounds like it might cause more problems. Is there hope?

Answer 1

I had major problems with depression and I took Effexor and Prozac for over three years. I'm off all of my meds now and doing better than ever!!! Mixing meds worked best for me and in the end helped me get off of them all together

Answer 2

blessings to you. Depression can be awful. It can make you feel as if someone close to you died--but no one died. I have had some results with meds, but after a while it seems to not help and have to start a new prescription. Presently on Paxil. I still do not feel like doing anything, and have other health problems as well. Paxil helps the depression but also makes me unable to cry. My emotions are suppressed. This is good for depression but bad for being able to express and feel emotion. I can now stand up in church and say something if I choose without fear, where before I certainly could not do that without being scared to death and feeling faint. Your doctor is the expert. I would try the added med for a few months. It takes weeks to get into your system well.
And to those who do not understand-- depression is an illness, not something you can talk out, or just get over it, or snap out of it!

Answer 3

I also have had chronic depression for over 20 years, but didn't start taking meds for it until the early 80's. I take zoloft and it has halped a great deal. It has even helped bring me out of myself and not be so shy and introverted around people.

I don't know if I've ever felt "normal." But don't give up on yourself, because there is hope. I used to have Borderliine Personality Disorder, but with therapy and just working on it myself AND with the Lord's help, I no longer have the symptoms of it. It's a daily work in progress. You have to work on it every day.

Medications aren't perfect, but there is nothing wrong wth at least trying it to see if it will help and if it doesn't you just tell your doctor and he should be able to figure out another way to help you feel better.

You will be in my prayers.

Answer 4

Normal-well I don't know if I would say that but functioning is what I call it. It does suck to deal with depression-it is such a secret disease and people don't understand. I am on several different meds and I am coping better than other times-but I do know it takes more than the meds.. You need counseling, a healthy diet and exercise. Work on healthy relationships and have freinds that support you. All you can do is your best every day-and somedays are just the best you can do! Hang in there!!!

Answer 5

I take effexor too and my doc added the wellbutrin on top of it. Honestly, I feel a little better,but I still don't feel like I used to before I had the depressive episodes. People react differently to different drug combos, so it might work for you. And I like to think that there is hope for all of us. Good luck.

Answer 6

I am not a doc, but they way it was explained to me when I was on meds is that wellbutrin is a "mood stabilizer" and the other is an anti-depressant. I took both and I felt better, with the exception of extreme dry mouth. I am off both now and feel pretty good.

Answer 7

Oh yea, I was diagnosed with Manic Depressive Disorder (Bipolar) from these episodes i got. i had to go through about 7 different types of meds, but now im on a mood stabilizer and anti depressant. Zoloft and Depakote. It is always going to fluctuate but you can get rid of that"blah" feeling by simply changing meds. when i took anti-depressant alone i just felt different, like not me, but somehow taking both these has made an adjustment. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 8

Hmm... I wouldn't call them long lasting, but yeah, I've had deep depression a lot of times where I go down in feeling and then up in feeling (happiness). To put it short, I'm Bipolar, but that's not the point. The point is, no I don't take meds cause all they do is make me feel worse. Just... have faith in life.

Answer 9

meds never really helped me, they just caused me to have symptoms of mania that I never had before starting anti-depressants.
so i took myself off all my meds about a year ago.
then i started taking some herbs that only helped some of the time, so i stopped those.
then i started taking flaxseed oil, 6 grams per day... and eating healthy and sleeping on a rigid schedule, and i began to feel better.
the more i work, the less depressed i feel, so that's my cure.
there is hope though... with or without meds.
you just have to really be determined and refuse to let the depression ruin your life.

Answer 10

well i have had chronic depression for years. i have found that most of the medications i have tried have not helped much. i have never really returned to 'normal' i either feel majorly depressed or just a bit depressed.
when i was on effexor for 2 years it sort of numbed my brain so i couldnt think properly or make proper judgements but i could function and i just felt mildly depressed, but never really happy. i didnt really care about anything. then it stopped working and i went back to being majorly depressed. so i dunno, everyone is different i guess. maybe effexor will help u. i know people who are on it who say its really good