Seeking a depression diagnosis

**sycld** · 02-21-2011, 08:19 PM

Anti-depressants are over-used. I will not argue against that because frankly I think it's true.

However, there are still some people who really get a great deal of benefit from them.

They haven't changed my personality at all, aside from clearing my head enough that I can actually think rationally about things. However, I have known people who have told me they made them feel emotionally like zombies.

But my case was more serious than most people's. gawhir, though I'm no physician, I agree with your reticence to take anti-depressants. Try other things first.

I'll also add that the one thing I regret about the anti-depressant I'm on is that there is a chance that the withdrawal symptoms will be severe and persistent enough that I will never be able to get off of it. I don't want to be taking this for the rest of my life if I don't have to.

Originally Posted by coqauvin

My understanding is that anti-depressants are like using a hammer to fix a clock. Generally speaking, unless there is something solely physiological that has damaged the neural pathways in your brain, things like cognitive therapy will achieve the same results without all the damaging side-effects and addiction to deal with afterwards.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and the like are not alternatives to medication. Usually different treatments are used to compliment each other.

But again I think that gwahir should try other things aside from medication first. I agree with you on that point.

**gwahir** · 02-21-2011, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by KT.

I think it's obvious why he wouldn't want to take drugs: negative side effects.

Well, if a drug had no negative effects, everyone would want it.

Originally Posted by coqauvin

My understanding is that anti-depressants are like using a hammer to fix a clock. Generally speaking, unless there is something solely physiological that has damaged the neural pathways in your brain, things like cognitive therapy will achieve the same results without all the damaging side-effects and addiction to deal with afterwards.

Not necessarily true, but, sort of. It's more like... trying to win at darts by throwing live bees. Eventually you'll get it, but it'll take some luck and a lot of trial and error, and the bees will act unpredictably in the meantime.

I'm not AGAINST medication. I just don't want it for me. But, if I'm told it's what I should have, I'll definitely consider it.

OK, a summary of why I'm very hesitant to take drugs:

a) the time it would take to get the cocktail right and the emotional crap I'd go through in the meantime (my dad's been clinically depressed for 20+ years and medicated for 10, and still complications crop up about his meds; although in his case his doctor thinks his condition has changed in the last few years)
b) the loss of control over my emotions -- I know that seems weird to say, given how little I have now, but at least right now my emotions are tied in to how my life is. They're uncontrolled, but predictable.
c) the difficulty of eventually getting off them -- everyone (should) know that going cold turkey off psych meds is CATASTROPHIC (many, many people, who otherwise would not, commit suicide in the withdrawl period because of just how badly it will fuck with you) and no process of weaning off is perfect.
d) potential zombification. right now I don't have much creative impulse or work ethic, but at least I have the ability to make stuff. I'm working on this show and it's going well. I don't want to alter the chemical state of my brain and do anything that could compromise that. Right now, it's all I got.

End.

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