Do antidepressants really work that well?

Question

I hvae had severe depression for the last 6 months triggered by returning home from working in london, i am only getting worse, and less and less talkative and more unhappy, and lost, people keep saying just ot wait for the pills to kick in but i dont like where i am living or my job, i feel pathetic and useless, i have no friends that are close and i just dont htink that these pills are going to make me all of a sudden better? i dont know what to do anymore, it has been too long.......do ant depressants really help that much?

Answer 1

YES! I spent all of my teenager years miserable because people told me "You don't need antidepressants, you just need to go make more friends and be more social." Depression is medical; you can't just make yourself feel better. Medication really helps. Please try it. You'll be greatful you did. It changed my life.

Answer 2

YES!!!

I'm telling you honestly, the right antidepressant can and does help.

I suffered with trauma-induced depression for almost three years, because I didn't want to start taking pills. I tried everything; chinese herbs, St John's Wort, homeopathy, changing my diet, exercising more - the lot. Nothing helped.

Eventually I had to accept that the depression was not going to just go away, and I saw a specialist. The first two medications didn't help, so I was put on Effexor.

For the first month, I felt worse, and wanted to stop the pills. But when I phoned the specialist, he told me to increase the dose, and then to increase it again. On the third increase, the Effexor started working and I couldn't BELIEVE it. For the first time in almost three years, I had an entire day without the depression!

I've now been on this anti depressant for six weeks and so far, so good. Don't listen to people who tell you never to take this drug, or that drug - you need to see a psychiatrist who will evaluate you and give you the right pills.

If you're in London, google BOWDEN HOUSE; these are private clinics with lots of psychiatrists and you will get help there.

Answer 3

I've been on anti-depressants for 2 years. I was against taking them at first because I didn't think they would help. But, with therapy I realized that the medicine, over time help regulate the peaks and valleys of everyday life.

I also learned that in order to fix or face the issues causing you to feel this way, you need to be up on a peak. From up there you can see the issues from more than one perspective.

But it does take time, a few weeks at least, to start to fully realize the effects. I would think about my issues and be like, why was that such a big deal before?

This month, actually is my first month out of therapy. I'm still on the medication but I'm in so much better of a place than i was. I don't think I could have gotten this far with out it. I plan to eventually stop taking it, but that will take about a year (probably different for each person depending on dose). It's a goal I work towards every day.

But- I've been there, when you just feel like doing nothing, and not sure if you should care. It sounds dumb, but journaling really helped me. Some days I only wrote a sentence about what was bothering me. I would also recommend a therapist or psychologist. Without the therapy I would be on a much higher dose and not able to deal with what was causing my anxiety and triggering my depression.

You are taking the first step towards figuring this out... Good luck!

Answer 4

Depends. Most people feel improvement within two-to-four weeks, or that particular medication is just not working. So, stay in touch on a regular basis with your doctor or psychiatrist, especially when you are trying to stabilize. You may have to try several different types before you find one that works for you without a lot of side effects. You may also have to use two or more in combination (rare).

Also, you do have to be moving in some kind of positive direction. Depression is not going to be helped by continued high stress, conflict, and/or disappointment.

You are correct. The pills are not going to do it all. Good talk therapy along with the medication is critical, in my opinion. Without friends, your job sucks, and you live in a bad neighborhood...not positive. You need to make some alterations in your daily life. You can start tomorrow working in that direction.

Answer 5

Hi:

Yes, I believe that they do help me. The treatments for depression unfortunately are not overnight cures. Although I know we all wish that there was.

So the next best thing is medication in conjunction with therapy/counseling. The unfortunate facts with anti-depressants and they need to build up you blood levels and that usually takes any where between 6 and 8 weeks
Or is this particular medicine right for you? Is your body trying to work with it or against it?

Sometimes you may require more than 1 medication. If that is the case you have to learn by trial and error to find the right combination that your body will work with and not against

There are just so many different varriables, and I hope I am not discouraging you. I am only trying to be truthful.

You did not become depressed overnight (although at times we may think that), so please dont expect to be cured of depression overnight. None of us like to hear that it takes time. But from living with severe depression and more I have learned that it does take time. If you can do everything you can to hang in there, the medication will begin to do its job.

Also please remember, depression cannot be cured bt medications alone. You have to fight to overcome your depression so please dont give up.

Be Safe & Be Well

Answer 6

I went through depression that was work related approx 6 months ago. I was given a 3 month subscription for some "happy pills" as they are called. The combination of those, plus talking with a qualified doctor really did the trick. It seems hopeless, but you have at least got to try. I tried and now I feel so much better, it gave me the power and strength to change my life direction so I feel in control now.

Cheers...

Answer 7

Well, they say that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. So I accepted that and have been taking the meds prescribed to me. I am taking 20 mg of Prozac daily, and you know what, I think it is actually working.

I no longer dread waking up in the morning. I can actually look forward to things like work and hanging out with friends. Food tastes better.

Meds can't change the facts of your life, but they can help in making you able to face them better.

There are many options available to you now, and you might have to try several before finding the one or combo that is right for you. So be patient.

Answer 8

Anti-depressants don't fix everything, but when you find the right one, it will make things a lot easier to deal with. It can take a while to find a medication that works for you, though, because everyone reacts differently to psychiatric medications. The only way to find the right one is to keep trying. Don't give up hope yet. Once you find the right med things will get easier, and it's worth the experimenting.

Answer 9

Okay. I really know the answer to this.

There are three factors that are making you depressed: Biological, Environmental, and Psycological.

The antidepressants may or may not help the biological part (depending on whether or not your seratonin levels really are low, and whether the SSRI you are taking is the right one for you). I know that I tried four different antidepressants (SSRIs) and they all did sh!t all for me. Effexor XR was completely the worse. It made me sucidial. Mind you, I'm eighteen years old and SSRIs have a black box warning on them saying that it may induce suicidal thoughts in those younger than 25.

Your best bet is to take a low dosage of an antidepressant (NOT EFFEXOR) and to work on your environment. Maybe you need a break from where you are. You need to learn ways to relax. Try writing. Try councilling. Try walking! Exercise can raise your seratonin levels just as well as antidepressants.

Read some articles online! Take time out to socialize with friends who make you laugh! Try reading some self-help books. There are lots of ways to pull yourself out of depression. Taking antidepressants really isn't the best solution. Even after they start working (4-6 weeks), they don't heal your problem. You don't feel amazing like one would believe. You need to stand up and pull your bum out of bed. Believe in yourself. Take control of your life!

Answer 10

Sounds like you have a lot of baggage and need to firmly decide how you want to move forward with your life.
How about a new job/career, living in a better or different neighborhood or town, doing things that you LIKE to do!
I don't know as any cure is in any pill, but making positive changes about the things you don't like can improve your sense of direction in life. Only you have the power to make it happen.
So, get off your duff, and decide how you want to be that better person you dream about.
You CAN do it.....Put forth the will power and stay on track, and in a few months you'll realize, "Hey, I can do it and did it!"
Life isn't perfect for any of us, but we all have the same opportunities to change things we don't like in our daily lives.
Quit thinking so much and start taking action and your self esteem will grow and so will your energy level.
People will naturally begin to come into your life when they observe the "positives" that you illustrate in your daily life.