i have been on various antidepressent medication for years and nothing seems to help, what should i do?

Question

i have tried various medications for depression. i feel more stable but i don't feel like my mood has improved very much because i cry a lot. i have been on 3 to 4 types of medication for the last 10 years. before that i wasn't nearly as depressed and i didn't cry as much. is this depression in any way age related. i am a 40 year old female. i go to a counselor once a week, can someone please help.

Answer 1

Mind control. Once you learn to control your thoughts by subconscious re-programming, your depression never comes back. It's actually a very very simple concept, and scientifically proven. It just takes longer to master (like learning a new language) than drugs. And most people are taught to believe they have an "illness" so they're skeptical or even afraid to believe they can change-- in fact, you are the only one who can eliminate your own negative emotions. It's all about learning deep mental relaxation, learning to control your thoughts, no longer rehashing every week all the crap that makes you sad.
You're using drugs to change your thoughts- it doesn't work. Thoughts change thoughts. There are various programs available that teach you how to do this-- and like learning to play an instrument or a language or learning a new sport- it CAN be done-- and you never need drugs again.

Answer 2

Maybe you have just not a) found the right medication ( it can take some people YEARS...what I take for panic disorder wasn't even invented 'til 20 yrs ago!)...and b) maybe your counselor isn't a good "match" for you. That can happen too, no matter how much you like him or her.

If you haven't made much progress in 10 years (a pretty long time!) and you're really working on it, I'd start looking for a new med AND a new therapist!

Also, don't let your doctor switch meds on you suddenly, if something is working even partially. Do some research and don't be afraid to ask them WHY they want to switch. Ask around (the front desk people will usually tell you if any SALESPEOPLE have been around lately...that's a dead giveaway that your Dr. has been influenced, as they often are! The corruption in that industry is appalling...and often, sadly, so is the doctor's lack of current info!

Good luck!

Answer 3

ask yourself this- have you ever, for more than 3 days at a time, experienced the following symptoms- more elation than is baseline for you, heavy irritability for no apparent reason, high distractability, the need to get a lot done very quickly, as if by compulsion?

if yes, you may have Bipolar 1 or 2 disorder. Bipolar people need a combination of medicines to feel better. you'll continue to feel like crap if you're taking only one med and you need to take more. also, if you've never had these symptoms, look for cycles- do you have these but go through faster cycles than this? this could also signal bipolar disorder. BP (and depression as well) is becoming more and more recognized. most people with BP start out with a depression diagnosis before it is realized that they are bipolar.

what i'd recommend you talk to your psychiatrist (the one giving you your meds) about is just treating your symptoms and see how that goes. maybe add a mood stabilizer, like lamictal (very good for depression too) to the mix. mood stabilizers aren't just for BP people, even depressed people use them. depression also comes in cycles, just cycles of depression and less depression. suddenly, you may feel this joy! this happiness! you think you're doing very well and you're better for awhile...that could be "hypomania", or the signal of a BP2 disorder.

ask yourself some questions, write down your symptoms, track your moods. go to www.moodtracker.com and use that awesome mood tracking tool. it will help you see patterns that you wouldn't otherwise notice. it traces anxiety and irritability levels too, whichi are important in diagnosing bipolar disorder.

if you do have bipolar disorder, it is nothing to be ashamed of, just like depression is nothing to be ashamed of. it is treatable, and nothing like you see on TV. i'm not some raving lunatic who goes around killing people, i'm not schizophrenic, and i don't have an identity disorder (multiple personalities). i'm a regular person who just needs to take meds to control a mental health condition.

this COULD be why you're not responding to meds. you could very well be bipolar. use that mood tracker and talk to your psychiatrist.

stay well!

VF

Answer 4

ARE YOU GETTING YOUR MEDS FROM A PSYCHIATRIST OR YOUR REGULAR DOCTOR ? AS MOST GENERAL MD'S DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION TO DISPENSE THEM EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. YOU NEED TO START TALKING TELL WHOEVER IS INVOLVED WITH YOUR CASE THAT YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE GETTING WORSE, TRY BEING MORE HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR THERAPIST DURING YOUR SESSIONS ALSO TRY ADDING ANOTHER DAY ALONG WITH JOINING AT LEAST ONE SUPPORT GROUP. IT CAN TAKE MANY YEARS TO FIND A MEDICATION THAT WORKS. KEEP GOOD RECORDS OF HOW YOU FELL WHILE ON SPECIFIC MEDS AND KEEP ALL YOUR DR'S WELL INFORMED OF YOUR PROGRESS. MOST OF ALL DON'T GIVE UP YOU CAN GET WELL AND STAY THAT WAY. I DID ! I HAVE BEEN STABLE FROM SEVERE DEPRESSION SINCE 1997 AND AM NOW LIVING A FULL AND HAPPY LIFE ! KEEP ASKING FOR HELP UNTIL YOU FEEL YOU HAVE ACHIEVED IT !
BEST OF LUCK,
DODA

Answer 5

I to have been this road..I found anti-depressants had the opposite effect...I ditched the tablets and relied more on seeing counselors...ask if you can be weaned off the tablets and up the amount of times you see the counselors..good luck I hope you get off the tablets at get sorted..

Answer 6

Hang in there Baby 'til the Doc's find what works best, it'll happen it's called trail and error. No one knows for sure what "medicinal coctail" will work best until u tell them becuase u r the only one who can really tell the difference, no one else.

Answer 7

Hey Stacey, have you talked to your doctor about the meds not working the way you think they should? Maybe he/she is waiting to hear from you regarding a meds change. I do know that meds need re-evaluating all the time so maybe now is 'your' time.

Answer 8

Change docs - the one that is precribing your meds that is. You may need a combo of meds to help you - like me. One is just not enough. Hang in there- I can totally relate to your story...

Answer 9

Have you tried cognitive therapy? Sometimes drugs can't help what psychology can.

Answer 10

have you tried effoxer