ot: personal question

[ThrowAway]

anyone here have any experience with anti depressants?

i have strong family history of it, so the chances of me having some sort of mood disorder is highly likely.

its not so much the random moods that are killing me, its the other physical effects, and they're hitting me hard in school

-I never feel like im running at 100%. i hit 90 on a good day.
-tired all the time
-trouble focusing, especially when im "in a mood"
-feeling draggy all the time
-inapropriate emotional responses to situations
-exaggerated response to rejection
- the biggest one is lack of drive. i always want to do stuff, but I feel to "heavy" to actually get up and do it, and thats whats been killing me in school the most.

the biggest question I have, is if i'm still operating fairly decently, is medicine going to help? it would be nice to have a normal level of energy and drive.

however, what are the side effects? am i going to gain weight, and feel drugged up all the time?

is it going to be worth it?





i figured i'd ask a bunch of people i don't know

thanks!

I had every symptom you mentioned and at first I tried some ADs but after a year i had no improvement so I stoped. Then I did a bunch of things that helped. I got rid of my girlfriend at the time, Started eating a more balanced diet(I ate only healthfoodstore-nazi food at the time and hated it) I started to work out. I stoped doing drugs. I started doing things i enjoyed more and I became alot happier in general.

For me pills will never be the answer because I dont have a chemical imbalance, things that were in my life bothered me so I changed them. Taking pills long enough to alter my mood would have just made me ok with the bullshit and not do anything about them. If i were you I would think hard about why you are unhappy. If its a chemical imbalance or life circumstances?


Everyone reacts to drugs diffrent ways. Ive seen prozac turn people into completly different people,hairloss, excessive weight gain, excess weight loss, almost complete loss of attention span. Me i took it for six months and had absolutely no change. I would highly recommend trying to find another answer to your problem first. Are there things in your life that are making you depressed that would make anyone depressed? ie lack of social life, tough work/class schedule, unresolved family issues. Pills wont fix those problems.


BTW even the AMA has stated that anti depressants and add drugs are being over prescribed.(they may or may not have changed their stance I dont know)

[ethios4]

f i were you I would think hard about why you are unhappy. If its a chemical imbalance or life circumstances?

Did someone say doctors can determine if it's a chemical imbalance by taking blood?

[knotkranky]

It's tough because our chemical makeup is changing with every emotion or memory.

Though you can test tetosterone and othe simple hormone levels,
but they are only static levels at a particular moment.

This is the best 10 minute explanation i've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGYyEtZeKpE

couple more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_vvqJZ5 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNbj8rqb ... re=related

[stonee]

anyone here have any experience with anti depressants?

i have strong family history of it, so the chances of me having some sort of mood disorder is highly likely.

its not so much the random moods that are killing me, its the other physical effects, and they're hitting me hard in school

-I never feel like im running at 100%. i hit 90 on a good day.
-tired all the time
-trouble focusing, especially when im "in a mood"
-feeling draggy all the time
-inapropriate emotional responses to situations
-exaggerated response to rejection
- the biggest one is lack of drive. i always want to do stuff, but I feel to "heavy" to actually get up and do it, and thats whats been killing me in school the most.

the biggest question I have, is if i'm still operating fairly decently, is medicine going to help? it would be nice to have a normal level of energy and drive.

however, what are the side effects? am i going to gain weight, and feel drugged up all the time?

is it going to be worth it?





i figured i'd ask a bunch of people i don't know

thanks!

I had every symptom you mentioned and at first I tried some ADs but after a year i had no improvement so I stoped. Then I did a bunch of things that helped. I got rid of my girlfriend at the time, Started eating a more balanced diet(I ate only healthfoodstore-nazi food at the time and hated it) I started to work out. I stoped doing drugs. I started doing things i enjoyed more and I became alot happier in general.

For me pills will never be the answer because I dont have a chemical imbalance, things that were in my life bothered me so I changed them. Taking pills long enough to alter my mood would have just made me ok with the bullshit and not do anything about them. If i were you I would think hard about why you are unhappy. If its a chemical imbalance or life circumstances?


Everyone reacts to drugs diffrent ways. Ive seen prozac turn people into completly different people,hairloss, excessive weight gain, excess weight loss, almost complete loss of attention span. Me i took it for six months and had absolutely no change. I would highly recommend trying to find another answer to your problem first. Are there things in your life that are making you depressed that would make anyone depressed? ie lack of social life, tough work/class schedule, unresolved family issues. Pills wont fix those problems.


BTW even the AMA has stated that anti depressants and add drugs are being over prescribed.(they may or may not have changed their stance I dont know)

solid post! thanks!

before anyone gets confused again,

I do not feel that I have life problems (besides lack of drive in school)
i simply exibit some of the physical symptoms of atipical depression, or similar disorder.

I used to have a hard time dealing with some life stuff, but its completly in control now.

people automatically link depression to being sad and hating yourself. everyone goes through that, I imagine. its the other symptoms that are bothering me.

ultimatly i would like accounts of people who started AD's during school, and what effect that had on their operation.




the post so far have been really informative and helpful though! keep 'er commin'!

[stonee]

It's tough because our chemical makeup is changing with every emotion or memory.

Though you can test tetosterone and othe simple hormone levels,
but they are only static levels at a particular moment.

This is the best 10 minute explanation i've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGYyEtZeKpE

couple more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_vvqJZ5 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNbj8rqb ... re=related

these are fantastic! the series is laid out so well.( and amusingly)
thank you muchly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr7CcsL2 ... re=related
^ this is part 10, and somthing I think everyone here should have a look at.

i can definatly relate to some of the things they put that poor photographer through. (minus the halucinations and going batshit crazy in the bathroom)


the new question that I pose, is at what point do we need help? how do we no that we are feeling different than everyone?

for me it was when my teachers schedualed a meeting and told me they saw the potentiontial there, butthat I seem disconected and undriven. and I realized exactly what they meant, and the fact that this isn't proper, and has been going on for years.

[forge]

In my experience the A/Ds only worked for a short time and while they kept the wolves from the door at first, eventually the doctor just doubled my dose and it started to make me a feel bit crazy - like more intense and rash than usual because I was kind of "up" but still not happy - it's weird but I'm sure a job that I had that went pear shaped was down to that - I hated the job anyway but I have never in my life burned bridges and this one time I was reckless

I think what can happen is you are just dealing with the chemical side and not the causes

Thing is other bad habits for coping (like alcohol) didnt stop - in fact if anything probably got worse - definitely not advisable, but when you're in that space you want to get out of it and arent too bothered how

I agree you need to see a doctor but be aware they are likely to reach for the prescription book foremost, so see if you can get them to refer you on to therapy

but you have to see a doctor in case it is one of the other conditions mentioned (like anaemia etc), but dont expect them to really solve the problem

[Rene Quist]

Try smoking a little mild weed every day. Not too much, just enough to make you relax and feel confortable enough to think about your problems in a constructive way..

Hope you feel better soon.

[hambone1]

Exercise, diet, lots of water, fresh air, and more exercise!

Diet - plenty of protein, fruit and veg. Minimize caffeine, sugars, fats. They just drag you down.

When I'm feeling down, exercise is that last thing I want to do, but it helps SO much.

iPod on max, mountain biking through the forest as fast as possible always does it for me. I hate gyms.

Oh, and vigorous, aggressive sweaty sex... preferably with someone else.

And take chances, risks, and do things that get your adrenaline pumping!

[stonee]

Exercise, diet, lots of water, fresh air, and more exercise!

Diet - plenty of protein, fruit and veg. Minimize caffeine, sugars, fats. They just drag you down.

When I'm feeling down, exercise is that last thing I want to do, but it helps SO much.

iPod on max, mountain biking through the forest as fast as possible always does it for me. I hate gyms.

Oh, and vigorous, aggressive sweaty sex... preferably with someone else.

And take chances, risks, and do things that get your adrenaline pumping!

haha, excelent post.


one misconception i see is people who make bad lifestyle choices and are a victim of their own lives think that AD's are going to be a magic bullet thats going to turn them around.

it seems to me, that AD's are usefull for a few months while you pull yourself back to track, and they help return your body to a normal chemistry.

[Landser]

Instead to fight symptoms with pharmaceutica, you should find the reason for the depression. A hint to think about is an empty life without a deep sense.

[hambone1]

This book has helped me a lot: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cognitive-Behav ... 0470018380

[Machinate]

Instead to fight symptoms with pharmaceutica, you should find the reason for the depression.

While I agree, this process is done better with the help of trained professionals - AND it may turn out to be hereditary (sp?) dispositions towards low serotonin levels - in other words: not something that can be overcome by thought.

My main gripe with peoples approach to depression is the "suck it up" and "think positive" responses. Even worse is the "exersise a lot" responses, which are only valid with mild depression, since daily exersise can be an insurmountable task, if you are sufforing from a depression.

[hambone1]

Serotonin and dopamine levels increase in the blood during exercise - fact. Sunshine or a sunbed really helps me, too.

IMO, there's no magic pill. Sometimes you just gotta tough it out and be strong, no matter how down you feel. It's will power, determination, and guts - and I know from personal experience it ain't always easy. You've gotta want to help yourself and not wallow in self-pity.

I'm now a firm believer in cognitive behavioral therapy. Rather than spending a lifetime digging into why you have problems through traditional psychotherapy, just learn how to deal with them.

I've also learned that sometimes life does get shitty, but it eventually gets better!

[Machinate]

Serotonin and dopamine levels increase in the blood during exercise - fact. Sunshine or a sunbed really helps me, too.

IMO, there's no magic pill. Sometimes you just gotta tough it out and be strong, no matter how down you feel. It's will power, determination, and guts

Sorry bro, but then you really need to learn some more about depression. Some sufferers are too impaired to even stand. You may "feel great" after a good solid run, but if getting out the door makes you buckle and collapse you're going nowhere - FAST!

All I'm saying is that the oldschool "hey, get out there" approach just doesn't cut it in hard core depression, and any book you'll read about how the people around depression sufferers handle things point this out, usually in the very first chapter, and to add insult to injury it makes the depressed feel even worse for not living up to the standards of their peers. I'm sorry, but statements like

ometimes you just gotta tough it out and be strong, no matter how down you feel.

just piss me off, because they miss the mark by so many leagues it's not even funny. For many who are more depressed than just "emo", this is just plain impossible, and no physician in their right minds would demand these routines from them.

Now, once the mid-to-heavily depressed are back on their feet, ie hopefully downgraded to a mild depression, THEN start to exercise as much as possible. Still, many are forced to be on meds like Cymbalta for the rest of their lives, because the Serotonin/Dopamine levels required just aren't gonna appear, no matter how much one exercises....

AND some people have mild depressions even though they eat well, exercise a lot (OP is a swimming instructor) and sort out any issues they may have in life - what do they do? Exercise MORE, for instance by getting up at night to run an extra 10 k?

Now, let's all STFU and let stonee go see... someone other than us, eh?

[Machinate]

ahem, and sorry if I appear cross... the attitude just gets very tiring at times.

Merry so-and-so, and to all a good night.

a