anti depressants

I have been struggling with depression for years and lately it's been getting worse. When I was younger, my mom was reluctant to look into anti depressants because of the affects they have on teenagers, but i'm 18 now, and it's apparent that  anti depressants can be very beneficial for me because as far as my mental health goes, i've reached my breaking point. I'm just wondering how much of a difference in my mood will anti depressants make. I'm sure it won't totally cure me, it certainly won't solve all of the problems I have, but i'm just wondering what anti depressants can do for me, should I not get my hopes up to high, or will they probably have a significant positive affect on how I feel about everything.

[therese83]

I wish you well and I hope that things work out for you.

Do you have a reason to be depressed eg. has a life event upset you?  If so I would recommend that you combine therapy with the medication.

There are other things you can do like living a healthy life, but I get the feeling you do that already!

I can only tell you that they have worked very well for me and I am better/more together than I ever was in my whole life.  I am 44 and have only been taking them for four years after I was hit by severe depression. But before this I did suffer with my mood.

It is a slow process and requires some patience in the beginning, but I am really very strong and I can live my life without negative thoughts or sinking feelings.

They have had a significant effect on me.

[LeftCoastChick]

I don't know which drug you are on. Some drugs poop out, especially in the SSRI/SNRI category. What is your diagnosis?  The more info you share, the more our community members can help you.

Hang in there, Xmas can make depression worse, especially because of stress. You do need to do some self care, and get some talk therapy if you can.

[aw90]

I am seeing a professional therapist, and he is recommending anti depressants. I think my depression is caused by a mix of genetics (depression runs in my family) and my life situation. Lately my depression seems to be getting worse, I feel like i've lost interest in a lot of things that I used to enjoy, often I don't want to get out of bed, I cannot see the good in anything, I only focus on the bad, and lately I have been having more suicidal thoughts. I'm working with a therapist on this, I just wanted to know if anyone has had an major success stories with anti depressants. Thanks for sharing your advice ands stories, you've helped me :)

[catmagnet]

Depression runs in my family, too, I've been stubborn about staying on meds, but I'll tell you, after my last bout of severe depression, I'm staying on them this time. Life can still throw a curveball, but I handle things with a clearer mind than w/o the meds. Just a word of caution: it's my experience if your Dr. puts you on too many meds at once ( I was on 6 different meds at once=/) then you might seek a second opinion. I had become way too sedated to function. Now I take Lexapro and an occasional xanax when needed and I feel a lot better. GL...cat

[JJ11]

Depression runs in my family too.  When my daughter was a bit older than you, she took zoloft and it made her gain weight, so now she uses a therapist without medication, and with coping skills she is doing well and not depressed at present.  

On the other hand, though, I decided, after years of fighting agst the meds, to finally try antidepressants, and the doctor gave me Effexor XR ... the women I know who take this med are my age (50 or so) and I don't know how it would work for you.....but I would, if I were you, tell the therapist ALL of my fears of medication and etc. first, and then see if there is some low-level med that the therapist might try you on IF he/she is totally convinced you need it, specifying that you only want to take one pill (or two, maximum) until you see its effect...and if you do decide to take a med., give it a few weeks to make you feel better a little at a time...if it doesn't work, level with the doctor....and always express any fears you have, as a fear of meds is part of my problem, and my therapist convinced me she would be cautious with what I took, starting with a small dose of anxiety meds for a few days and then adding the Effexor and gradually raising the dose until I reached a level of finally feelling like ME again.  

To me, the med was no cure-all, but I would say that before it, I felt "down in a hole alone, clawing myself part-way out, then sliding back down again."  On the antidepressant, though, I felt like I could climb little steps up to the top of that hole, peek out, and finally step outside to enjoy the sunshine!  

If it did that for you short-term while you learned skills from the therapist to help you to take control of your life, wouldn't that be wonderful?  

Whatever your decision, though, do take care of yourself.  And do remember that you are not alone; everyone here understands what you're talking about!

[aw90]

Thanks a lot for your input and support, it is good to see that i'm not the only one that has gone through rough times. I just wanted to ask people on here about their experiences on anti depressants. Now I know I should  make sure that I cover everything when I go see the psychiatrist, so he can perscribe the best anti depressant for me. thanks.