depressed illicit drug user needing help

[tog_rafer]

I am currently being treated for severe depression (300mg effexor p/d 3 yrs). I have decided that I'm still too depressed to continue believing the current medication is doing the trick. I have, over the past 18 months, gone back to my bad habits. Most of this I can put down to peer pressure, but have always had a very weak will when it came to illicit drugs.

I am now currently smoking marijuana every day, morning noon and night and also in between. The moment someone walks in with ecstasy, speed, ice, anything really, (i draw the line on needles, but my will is weakening on that too) i jump up and am usually first in line.

If my doctor was told, of course I'm simply going to be to stop it, but then I operate heavy machinery after taking headache pills, so of course i'm going to ignore him.

Issue is, I do need to wake up to myself, and my treatment for my depression is of course my most important thing.

Problem is, i am so week willed to illicit chemicals, and fairly much addicted to my daily pot habit that I need validation for my decision.

Answers I need are, what specific effects does my drug habit have on my depression treatment.

I am posting this question on a couple of forums, to gain knowledge from illicit drug abuse forum readers, and depression forum readers.

Thank you for any information you may have.

David

[greeneee]

Thank-you for posting your feelings. I feel exactly the same and have similar story to you. i would like to nkow how u are now. It is a never ending cycle.

[tog_rafer]

Thank you, I have had the same thoughts. I seem to be thinking of everything at once again, something the effexor really helped me with a couple of years ago.

[evelani]

After a few years, Effexor will make you depressed!!!  Take my word for it. I thought it was great for a while but then I couldn't stand it anymore.   Suggest to your dr.  that maybe you could try another anti-depressant.  Some people think Effexor is a wonder drug but really it just has severe, crazy side-effects, making you highly dependent on it.  I am now on Zoloft and am coping quite well.

[tog_rafer]

Thank you for your comments.

I am actually in a pretty good place at the moment as far as things go. I live with a girlfriend, have a job and a car. Please let me add that when it comes to chemicals, I rarely, if ever suggest it. I love party drugs, I cannot enjoy a night out to the pubs/clubs without them. I am not in anyway other way addicted, and don't often go out.

I have learned that ecstasy raises the levels of seritonin in the brain, the last thing someone on SSRI drugs should want to do. Ecstasy is now a no brainer..(pun intended) I am starting to take a more proactive view on my depression treatment, and this is one very valid reason, plus I find that ecstasy has absolutely no effect on me since i've started effexor.

Cocaine bores me, there are much better drugs for much less money.

One of my favourites is acid. I love it when I have it.....maybe once a year. This is not an addiction thing, just a really cool night out. I would like to know the chemical reactions behind mixing acid and anti depressants so I can have a reason not to take acid.

Pot I am addicted too, but have given up before, and can give it up again. What I'm more interested in knowing is how it is a depressant? What chemical in the brain is effected by pot to cause a depressive state?

The reason for my weak will is something my psychiatrist (when I get one) may write a book about, and possibly come up with some new words for....possibly he won't.

I am in an impossible situation as far as staying away from the people who have these drugs, but they are responsible enough to listen to my requests. I just need to make this decision to quit!

Thanks again,

David

[GoingToMakeIt]

The need for counseling and NA is very clear here. Figure out why you are weak willed. Take charge of your life.

[house1]

First one to get up for Ecstasy, first for Cocaine, First for Ice but of course no needles that would make it a bad thing.
David do you work?
Do you have a girlfriend?
Do you have a car?

What confuses me is your depression runs your life until Ecstasy, Cocaine, or Ice walk into the room then your ready to go. If you replace Ecstasy with a job, Cocaine with a girlfriend and Ice with a nice car do you think that you might start feeling better?

[LIZZIE LOU]

hi david...and welcome.

first off...i'm sure that you must know that pot is a depressant...so you are compounding your depression.  no amount of effexor is going to be totally effective if you continue to smoke pot.

there are two things...in my opinion...that you should do.  first off...if you cannot resist the drugs that your friends are bringing over...then you should tell those friends not to come over.  secondly...i would start attending either NA or seeing a therapist or counselor to help you deal with your triggers and to find out "why" you have this need to self medicate.

you are exhibiting signs of someone who suffers depression and self medicating...typical behaviour of someone who is chemically imbalanced...and you need to stop before your drug use takes you further into hell.

[flmagi]

The drugs your doing can/are messing up the chemical balance in your brain, the receptors etc.
I can tell you by first hand experiance. I was never a depression type of person before taking my doc. Now its something I have experianced often while useing drugs and after.
Do you think you are addicted to any particular drug or just to getting high on anything?
The forum is pretty slow right now, but more people will be on soon with more responses.