Article on Anti Depressants

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Thanks Colin...
Tho i am not suffering from depression, i am living with someone who is.
In fact she is my daughter and at times i find the situation heart breaking, to put it mildly.
Your words, so simply written are clear and have given me some much needed insight.
My daughter has not yet even seen a counselor as we wait for the "system" to devise a plan of action that will be helpful for her....yet she has been offered anti depressants. Thankfully, as she is only 15, i still have a say in the matter and we have steered clear of going down that road.

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi caroladl

Depression is one of those illnesses that is very difficult to deal with. In my case all the system did for me was to prescribe the tablets and left me to get on with my life. Not really good enough but that is all they are taught to do. They do not treat the person as a whole person, just the symptoms.

It would be good if you could show your daughter that you are looking to help her by gathering the resources around her and actually acknowledging her pain. It is good to do that as that is the very thing I wanted from my parents when I first became depressed. They just said to me 'pull yourself together'. Even now my mother has difficulty in acknowledging my gender confusion. She had a son, not a daughter.

For your daughter you need to try and get to the root cause, the seed that started the depression. That could be anything from a misunderstood word or bullying at school or anything in between. And that event could have happened years ago.

Communication is the key here. Talk and listen to what she has to say. Even if she says nothing for 10 minutes, just be willing to listen. But on the other hand, make sure she doesn't take you for granted and use the depression as a lever to control you or abuse you. She has to take responsibility for her own healing. Only she can bring herself out of the place she feels she is trapped in. She is not on her own. I have been there and come out.

On a final note for this post, if you feel you need more support for yourself through this tough time, then please send me a PM and we can discuss solutions to her troubles.

All the best for you and your family.

Colin
XXX

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Cor blimey Gentleman,

Just read your article and it was like you had written it about me.
In my case, anti depressents provided me with a clear window to see through the fog.
Fear and anxitey were ruling my life, and making it difficult to control my everyday life. When I was prescrided the ADs they helped me to think in a clear manner, which meant I could seek the help I needed to heal. I think I have been very fortunate, as within a month I had my first appointment with a counsellor. He was fabulous. He acompanied on a journey into my childhood, where I discoverd the source of many of my present day problems. The more I asked questions of him, the more I began to answer them myself. When I think back, my counsellor didnt actually answer any of my questions, he just lead me to find the answers for myself. With this new sense of renewed power, I was able to go on and seek help for other problems. Its like a snowball rolling down a hill, the more I achieve/sort out the better I feel about me, which gives me the confidence to go on and do other things. It just keeps getting better. Yes there are dark days, and sometimes I feel I have achieved nothing, but these thoughts soon pass, as long as I remember not to bottle these thoughts up and carry on talking.
Thankyou for giving me the oppertunity to share my story, hope it helps others.

oh I forgot to add in there, I am no loner on ADs:D

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi

I am new today to the forum seen, but thought that the above topic was truely important to me.

I am currently taking dothiepin and have been for some years now.
I started with a dose of 75mg & then increased to 300mg a night.
I have reduced the dose to 50mg and wish I could stop them.
The last time I tried I ended up seriously twisted and just wanted to kill myself
I couldn't breath, swallow or stop thinking about being so detatched from life I may as well have been dead.
I have since been suffering with panic attacks & this awfull feeling that I am going to go insane.

I asked my doctor for help to stop them and he said it was all in my head and if I want to stop I should just stop.

I wish I could!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Dear Survivor

Take heart in the name you have chosen here, Survivor. This is one word that means everything. You are a survivor.

You should not stop anti-depressants without the express blessing of your doctor athough you can experiment with reducing the dosage slowly. I have done this with some success but I take it really slow. I miss a day in seven then gradually miss a day in six then slowly down to every other day. This process takes some few months but it is worth it eventually if the withdrawal side effects are not too great.

I would say that the doctor is right when he says it is all in your mind. But not in the way you might think. We get programmed by other people to be the way they want us to be. We have a need to be ourselves and mostly the pressure to be what others want of us is too great so end up supressing the very core of our being. You may have a lot of this type of stuff going on in your head as I have in mine. It is very difficult to get out of this role but it can be done. Talking is the key. Find a counsellor who can guide you through to a place of peace. I you feel so inclined, talk on HP a bit more under this topic. It may well open some doors for you.

Colin

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Thanks Colin,

I have been to a phsycologist in the past & she gave me some grounding techniques to work on my panic attacks with.

She also worked with me to talk about the past.

I went religiously for weeks all be it months ago and then I suddenly stopped going.

I don't doubt her expertise, but she always looked so blank when I tried to explain my thought process to her.

What I really wanted to do was relax and close my eyes and start to articulate the scenes from hell that I had playing in my head day after day.

The scenes relate to some rather traumatic times in my life!!!!!!!!!!

I think the drugs served a purpose when I was numb and all my emotions had been burnt out but now I think they need to go so I can see if I am normal (if there is such a thing)

I am grateful to you for responding & woul like to stay in contact with you.

THANKS AGAIN

Susan

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Dear Colin,

I wanted you to know that your reply has not gone unoticed,
Thanks for taking the time to respond.....i will probably take up your offer and pm you shortly.

Carol

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi Colin

I read your article and you explain lots of things very clearly of what depression is all about and how misunderstood they are in relation to letting you get on with life.

I was only on cipramol for about 6 months, I had severe depression and stress about 2 years ago, although I have always had depression but very mildly and always refused tablets! I was put on them as I really needed them and was on the edge of the obyss to put it mildly, but I hated the way they made me feel, so I weaned myself off them, even going as far as taking 1 a months for a few months to fully get off them. Only then could I face my problem head on without the fogginess getting in the way!

I have recovered from the stress up to a point although it does flare up, but my doctor (new to the practice) won't prescribe anti-depressants as he says they do not help in any way just postpone what you have to eventually deal with when you come off! Most doctors son't do this tho!

My sister has been on anti-depressants for years, and every time she comes off within about 6 months she is back on for a crutch! She is on prozac and I doubt she will ever be off them, it is hard to see her dependant on them but she has yet to feel confident in facing her fears etc!

With love
m

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

I'm so glad somebody has posted something like this.

I have been on AD's for about 4-5 years now and have only come off them once this summer but only for about 3 months in which I had to go back on them as I couldn't cope with life.

The reason I first went on them was that I suffered from panic attacks. It always seems to be when I'm stuck somewhere ie on a train, in a lift etc. The doctor prescribed them to me after 1 visit to him and then I had to see a councellor.. I only saw here 3 times, thought it was a waste of time at the time to be honest....

I have had quite a difficult year for me this year, my dog of 13 years which I had for half my life died, he was my best friend, I packed in a job that I was at for nearly 10 years (a good and well paid job that was safe) just needed to get out of there, so now I've started a new job and I've started to have the attacks again, I work in central london and have to get a train and that's when I panic... My husband wants me to see a doctor again and go for more councelling sessions which I am thinking about... so I have printed out the article for him to read too and I will go from here...

Thanks

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi AngelEyes,

I was wondering how you where getting on with the panic attacks?

Also if you where still taking AD'S?

I am please for you that you are due to get a new dog soon how exciting.

Love & Hugs
Susan
X

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

I'm still suffering I'm afraid... still on the ad's too but I think I will start to come off them within the next couple of months...

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi Folks,
I have read with interest this thread.... It is a subject that makes me get out the soap box! I had severe Post natal depression, that just didn't go away, eventually moving into ME.......From which I'm glad to say I have made a full recovery. So much depends on the treatment you get,( along with understanding and support of those around you!) For me Reflexology was the thing that changed my world..... so much so I went on to study it! after my course of treatment I never took another AD... that was years ago now I'm pleased to say.
I've never looked back, when I do think back it seems like it was another person, not me! If only I'd know then what I know now, I guess I wouldn't have suffered as long as I did!

Wishing you all wellbeing,
Lisa x

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi

A great thread, I was on ADs for 10 years, every type of zine and pineeen going, some with varying degrees of sucess, but never really had the get up and go out look that my girlfriend had, to be honest it was bi polar massive ups with massive downs. I had an unhappy holiday one year wich ended very childishly with me sat at one end of innsbruck airport and my friend at the other, I happened to pick up a times newspaper which i never would have done if we were sat togetherand it had an article by a Dr Puri, who was singing the praises of high grade EPA fish oil, I got the book and give it ago and it has changed my life in more ways than one, if you research his work be careful as he recommends his own products with you knowing its his company. I personally felt a bit conned by this and thought it was a little unethical. but its certainly worth a try.

RE: Article on Anti Depressants

Hi I took fluoxetine for a number of years, it made me feel normal again, so that I knew what normal was again so I was able to recognise it again and was able to get back there. I hope this makes sense.