Should I go on antidepressants?

Antidepressants were very helpful to me when starting to get out of depression. I did not stay on them, they just helped me get through school and get out of bed. It could just be for temporary or however long you need.

This is a question for a medical professional. Many people are helped by these types of medications but others may not be or may have side effects. Everyone reacts differently so here at 7 Cups, we do not give medical advice or discuss medications. I wish you the best and ask that you contact a medical professional.

Consult your doctor about how you feel and how your life has been going for you. Only you know yourself: Your mind, your body, your soul. This is a question you should mainly ask yourself when you feel as though you have tried everything that you possibly could but have received no positive results. But, mind you, sometimes when you get started on the drugs, you become dependent on them. Ask yourself: Can I afford these for the rest of my life if I can't cope without them? Do I really want to be dependent on a drug to help manage my life? Is this what I really want to do or is there another alternative?

Antidepressants can help in a lot of cases. Its always best to discuss your options with a psychiatrist or your GP so that you can make an informed decision about what would be the best choice for you.

The choice to go on any sort of medication is an extremely personal decision and is entirely up to the individual. You should do whatever you think will be the best thing for you, no one else. Medications can be very effective in treating depression, but there are also a variety of other treatment strategies that are very successful as well. Discuss with your doctor what you feel would be the best course of action to take. Feel free to private message me if you'd like to discuss this topic any further. Best Wishes, Francesca Gabrielle

It's important to remember that every person is different, and what's good for one person might not be good for someone else. When deciding whether or not to go on antidepressant it's important to examine yourself, and ultimately choose the path the best suits you. Remember never to self medicate, always ask a medical professional before starting on any kind of perscription medication.

This is a question you should take with your therapist or doctor, depending on where you live. They will be able to aid you with more accuracy than we can.

Antidepressants are not for everyone. Taking medicine for your depression can help you get your life back to normal, but if your symptoms truly are keeping you from living your normal life. Also, antidepressants don't work right away. And you may need to try several times before you find one that actually works. As I see it, the mind needs to do the work of healing itself. Medications just support the mind to make this job easier. Antidepressants can help you function, help you get up in the morning, help you have the energy to get through your day and lift your mood enough so that life doesn’t feel so… painful.

Some say consult your doctor or psychiatrist but they often push antidepressants. When I was 16 they put me on Zoloft which has a high teen suicide thoughts rate. I ended up having suicidal thoughts and it was the worst experience ever. If you find the right medication it can be a God send but if you get put on the wrong one it can have some really bad effects.

That is a decision someone has to make for themselves, What you need to make sure is that you have done everything you can to make sure you have been able to take care of the external causes of your depression before you start to deal with them chemically. Medications are a heavy step to take and you need to determine if this is a tool that you are going to use temporarily to get yourself out of a bad situation or if you might need to use them long term. The best thing to do is meet with a psychiatrist and make sure this is an option for you. You may be able to come up with some other methods to treat your depression. You also need to keep in mind that some medications can cause some harmful effects on the body if they are used long term and you may have to decide if that is a risk you want to take.