Medications - friend or foe?

@CosmicFeelings

You would probably get only antidepressants, or antidepressants in combination with anxiolytics. I don't want to scare you, but neither to make you hope too much. What matters the most is that YOU would actually do something about your depression and anxiety. Go to that therapist and try with some psychotherapy while drinking meds, because meds won't work at first: actually, antidepressants take 2-3 weeks to see some progress, and meds for anxiety do work at the same time you drink them, maybe after 10-20 minutes. Discuss with your doctor about side effects, he will definitely tell you everything about it, and the important thing is that you trust him in what he told you, and I can't be concrete about side effects because side effects are different for every medication, but what matters the most is that you will be okay. Focus on recovery, do everything to get better(but I'm sure you're already doing it) and things would get better. If not, there is always another option: new medication. I found right medication for depression and anxiety, so it's possible, that's important to know. I wish you the best :)

Medications for me are a cursed blessing. I'm glad to have them but sometimes I hate myself FOR having them and for having to have them to be a normal, functional person every day. I realize the brain is an organ and it can get sick too but there's a stigma behind having to use a pill to get dressed, bathe, eat, etc.

I'm on an SSNRI, which controls the release and absorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine due to my depression making me aggressive at those around me. I'm on another med for depression/anxiety and a fast-acting anxiety pill.

I'm looking at a possible med change, especially with the coming of winter, and it scares me to death to think about having to change them with work.

I just started medication for the first time yesterday. I feel weird, but that's due to my body adjusting to the new meds. This is the first time that I've ever done something like this. Yesterday was a little rough for me, I locked myself in my room and cuddled with my stuffed penguin in bed. Today, day two of my med adventures wasn't so bad. I feel a little weird, but not has bad as yesterday. In time, I'm sure things will be back to normal with my body, my body just needs to balance this stuff out. I was super nervous about this, but it seems okay so far. I have a friend who's on the same medication as me, so I am lucky to have some one to ask about it. So hooray. For those who are seeking and considering medications, give it a shot. Also, you may feel weird, give it time, it should go away, my weird feelings are going away and it's only been two days. Also, if you are in counseling, stick with it, even though you are on the meds, they can help you get through it and help you adjust to them.

It can take a while to find the right medication for you, so if you feel like the medication isn't the right fit, do say something. Medications aren't a one size fits all and I hope you find one that fits to your life style and allows you to get back on track :)....also not everyone has to take medications for the rest of their life, sometimes taking them for a while in conjunction with therapy can be enough to get your life to where you want it off medication.

I started anti-depressants in February and back then it really helped. About two months ago I started feeling better by myself and felt that all the medication did was "flattening" the tops in my life, so I stopped taking it.

BIG MISTAKE!! Never stop taking your medication all at once! Speak to a doctor and set up a schedule for lowering your dose until you finally can stop safely.

The first few days I felt fine but after less than a week I started getting bed. I felt worse than before I started and had almost daily anxiety attacks. I felt nothing was interesting or exciting or even worth caring about. Naturally my friend noticed what was happening and asked me about it. When I told him what I had done he immediately convinced me to start taking them again. Now I'm just starting to feel like myself and I know I'll never do that again...

As for side effects I had most of the ones listed as common the first few days: increased anxiety, sickness, tiredness and what I think of as "general weird feeling", but they subsided after about a week.

I have mixed feelings about the medications I've been on. I went through a really bad time in 2014 (man I loved got married ) so they put me on three new ones in addition to the one I'd been taking for five years. (I'm not sure whether we're allowed to mention specific medication names in the forums - I know we're not allowed to do so in the chat room, so I'll be safe and not do it here.) Now I'm coming off of two medications that are "boosters" but are usually used as antipsychotics, because my new doc doesn't believe I need antipsychotics. All four medications are known (and my doctor confirms this) to make you gain weight. And I'm an anorexia survivor. Weight gain makes me frankly terrified.

So I'm looking forward to losing weight once I wean off these two meds, but the other two remain, and the one I've been on for five years has a dark side. It has a half-life of about 12 hours, it's in capsule form, and it's only prescribed in large doses. So the drug company is trying to get as many people as possible hooked on it and they're making it nearly impossible to taper off. So I'm basically stuck, and because of its short half-life, if I happen to miss my morning dose of it, I have actively suicidal thoughts by about 2pm. That and dizziness or "brain zaps" if I turn my head too quickly.

I don't want to scare you, but do your research. My morning med has been very beneficial for me, and so have the others, but they've made me gain weight and now I'm stuck on two of them. Coming off the other two has been tough.

Good luck.