i hve a friend who is on the above described medications for nearly 8 years, he has stabalised but i just want to know will he hve to keep takeing them for life or what?
2006-10-25 20:00:03 · 14 answers · asked by the _reporter 1 in Health ➔ Mental Health
for life, they are keeping him stabilized, if he stops taking them he will go right back to his old problems, these pills are brain chemicals that are helping to keep him in balance.
2006-10-25 20:01:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Awhile, probably 1 to 2 years best depending on what is taking place in their life. I took them for about a year and felt better. Ad hoc to set up a routine while I was at a function level. As humans are creatures of habits, it is hoped that the routine sticks, medication can be stopped, and the healthy lifestyle of exersice, time managment, and stress maintinance will be imprinted on a long term basis. Such active lifestyles usually prevent depression from re-occuring. However, you must be careful. I stopped taking medication too early because I was feeling so much better. Thanks to having become informed on the topic of depression I was able to catch the early signs of its on-set before it became full blown, thus creating only greater set-backs. I am on meds for a second full year; mostly because my life is very demanding right now due to a change in atmosphere, the result of a college campus transfer. Best advice, stick with the meds. I was always skeptical of medication as treatment for depression, but after having emotions representative of a low mood while I was in my stop medication phase and everything was going great, led me to believe in some medical/chemical conncection.
2006-10-25 20:08:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have been on them for 14 years. I have had this talk with my doctor who explains it like this. If you had hypertension or diabetis and you quit taking your meds, it could be life threatening. Depression is an "illness" just like diabetis so if it helps us, why would we quit taking it. We have tried to wean me off but I just crash and try to hurt myself. So my doctor says to plan on being on them the rest of my life. Diabetics don't get better..their diabetis doesn't go away and they have to take meds their entire life..So he said to look at my illness as a diabetic would. Others in society don't view it as an illness and ignorant people make rude and unnecessary comments but it doesn't change the fact that it is an illness. People do make me mad with their comments because if I was diabetic or had cancer, nobody would say that it was of Satan or I deserved it but I can't let their ignorance control my health. I have to do what keeps me feeling somewhat normal.
2006-10-26 05:43:28 · answer #3 · answered by chilover 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They take two to four weeks to become fully active. After that a patient can not just suddenly stop taking them. To quit the dose needs to be reduced over a three month period and it takes about six months for them to be fully ineffective. Suddenly stopping can lead to psychosis and suicide.
2006-10-25 20:05:22 · answer #4 · answered by Perry L 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Probably for life if they've been on them this long. Usually taken for 12 months but most times much much longer.
2006-10-25 20:02:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
he might it depends on the person. My dad has been taking them for a long time too. I just think it all depends on the patient themselves.
2006-10-25 20:02:02 · answer #6 · answered by knowssignlanguage 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
it takes anywhere from 2-4 weeks for them to kick in
depends what it is
2006-10-25 20:01:37 · answer #7 · answered by Kelly Bundy 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
People can be on those medications for life.
I love Kelly [above].
2006-10-25 20:01:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
He may need to. People need to take them as long as they and thier doctor feel is necessary.
2006-10-25 20:01:55 · answer #9 · answered by spiritualjourneyseeker 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have been on Zoloft for over two years.
2006-10-25 20:08:59 · answer #10 · answered by Meg 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋