What do you think about taking an anti-depressant?

Question

Do you think that taking an anti-depressant is the key to fighting depression?

Answer 1

In many cases yes they help while you work through what your problems are. There is nothing wrong with being depressed. it is an illness same as a cold or flu.

Answer 2

I think the key to fighting depression is understanding what's causing it - and fixing those problems.
The anti-depressants will just make you better able to deal with whatever it is.
They can have some pretty serious side effects, so I'd suggest really truly needing them first. If you're just looking for a way to make the problems go away through medication, that's not how it works.

Answer 3

I think that it is quite a personal choice.
Some people prefer to take it and some like to try hard to deal by themselves. It depends also on the type of depression.
I don't think that taking an anti-depressants is the key to fighting depression. It takes a lot of work done by you and I think that your outlook and philosophy of life are important.
There are many other alternative ways and natural remedies to fight depression.
But that is my personal opinion. You decide what is best for you.

Answer 4

Not *the* key, but perhaps *a* key. Antidepressants are effective for a significant portion of people, but they don't work for everyone, and therapy is also effective for many people. For some people, antidepressants alone can provide relief from depression, which is a great solution for people who, for whatever reason, are unable to participate in other therapy that requires more time commitment and often more money. But they're not an universal "cure" for depression, and there's still the aproximately one-third of people who don't benefit at all from antidepressant medications, as well as a significant portion of people who get the most benefit from a combination of both medication and therapy. Also, medication always bears some risk of side effects or adverse reactions, so if medication and therapy are equally effective, therapy may still be the better for many patients even though medication is often easier.

Personally, I take antidepressants for depression and anxiety, and I also take medication for ADHD. Both of those work great for me, and I'm happy with the results of that without any additional treatment from therapy or anything. But everyone reacts differently to medication, and everyone's problems and desired outcomes are somewhat different as well, so I wouldn't expect any medication to work for everyone. My mom's a psychologist, and gets great results with a lot of patients who probably wouldn't benefit from medication much at all, or who are taking medication and getting some benefit but not enough. So based on my own experience, as well as the research I've read, I think medication is a good solution for some people but not for everyone.

Answer 5

There was one point in my life that I was told to apply for disability, because my depression would never allow me to work.... because of my meds and my therapist I am now an RN and I am working to teach others (even in our very slow to change medical field) that anti-depressants are WONDERFUL! they give you just that little extra help to get through your current ILLNESS! when you think of it that way.... what would you do if you had pneumonia? take an antibiotic? Same thing, but you have to change your way of thinking to change your way of coping- which will allow you better handle the thought processes brought on by depression. Another way of looking at it is like with Alzheimer's. With Alzheimer's, the brain cannot "get" to the information it stored (like a closed street). The medications allow the brain to make a new "street" to get to that information. Anti-depressant's allow the brain to have more of the chemicals to make your normal thoughts (and coping mechanisms) work.

Answer 6

I absolutely think tested medication is an important tool in combating depression and other metal issues like ADD and bipolar.

That said it is a tool. It is not the key. It is one piece of the puzzle. You also need to be monitored by a health care professional. It helps tremendously to combine the medication with behavioral therapy. There are many many groups online where you can discuss what you are going through and see that you are not alone.

Answer 7

In my case it was a last resort. I suffered for too many years and anti-depressants were the only thing that helped pull me out of constant depression and uncontrollable thoughts of suicide. I'm not happy I need to take pills but I'm actually living my life now and not wasting it in bed crying all the time.

I see a therapist and psychiatrist.

Answer 8

I take an anti-depressant and I feel so much better than before I was taking one.

Answer 9

No. Because once your body gets used to that dose then you have to keep increasing it. What will happen when the dosage gets really high? If you refuse to keep raising the dosage you will experience depression once again. Taking a pill is just masking the depression. You need to try and figure out ways to cope with depression. It will not be easy but as long as you give it your best and stay positive you will do just fine.

Answer 10

for me, I was put on Lexapro after just about everything bad that could happen to someone happened to me on top of being in a terrible living situation. I stayed on the Lexapro for 2 1/2 weeks (yes it takes longer to kick in) but I realized that I was having a "placebo effect" thinking I was feeling better when i totally broke down. The best bet in fighting depression is to remove whatever it is in your life that is causing you so much sadness. If that can't be done i.e. death of a loved one then I say stick with them, it can take up to a month for them to work, if it's something you can control your best bet is to get rid of it, worked for me. Best of luck to you, e-mail me if you ever need a stranger to talk to, stay strong