Is medication worth it?

[gillettecavalcad3]

Meds gave me a life that I always used to fantasize about. Meds unleashed my true self.


I'm not ashamed that I have to take meds to alter my brain chemistry.

[euphoria]

Some people take highly toxic drugs regularly in the form of alcohol & cigarettes, I'd be much more worried about exposing my body to health risks like these than the relatively safe meds I take.

If you take a large enough sample of people over a long enough time, you can find a long list of side-effects associated with a med, but most are extremely rare. With antidepressants like SSRIs, many will get an initial worsening of symptoms including anxiety, but that normally passes.

It's all about weighing risk vs. benefit, and with common meds, the risk isn't much to be concerned about. The benefit is a potentially huge improvement in quality of life. I consider the horrors of being un-medicated something much more worthy of my worry. Many other things in life have potential risks, such as driving (and thus car crashes), but we don't avoid them, because they also have benefits.

[epril]

Originally Posted by cellophanegirl

Okay, so I've been really unhappy lately, and I'm just sick of being lonely, and feeling like I have nobody, etc, etc. I started seeing a counselor at my college, but it's been really hard to get an appointment, so I've only been a couple times.

But anyway, I was just wondering if I should go on medication. Honestly, the idea of medication scares me a lot. I'm worried that it'll screw with my brain chemistry, that I'll become dependent on it, that it will make my anxiety worse, that I'll suffer bad side effects from medication, and that I'll have to change medications all the time or constantly up the dosages. I'm also worried about the social stigma of being someone who's "on meds". Are these fears legitimate? What have other people experienced after taking medication?

Also, I always wondered why social anxiety is treated with antidepressants. I know a lot of time those 2 go hand in hand, but sometimes they don't, and sometimes it seems like the depression is only a consequence of social anxiety. AKA, SA makes you lonely, and loneliness leads to depression. Will going on antidepressants help me make friends? Have a relationship?

Anyway, I'm at the end of my rope, and I want to know if medication can really help. I was on antidepressants once for a short period of time (no I don't remember which one), but I really didn't notice any positive effects. Of course, I was only on a low dose, and I was really opposed to medicating at that point, so I didn't really give it a chance.

Have other people had positive experiences with medication? negative? are meds (specifically antidepressants) a long term solution, or just a temporary fix until you "get back on your feet"? please help me out, I'm feeling pretty desperate here!!!!

All good questions to ask your counselor or doctor.
For me, meds help quite a bit. I had all the same concerns you had. The postives far outweigh the negatives.

Meds for SA can relieve depression and anxiety which frees you to practice your social skills!

[epril]

Originally Posted by cellophanegirl

The biggest concern I have with medication, is that it will permanently alter my brain chemistry. For example, if I was mildly depressed, and then went on some antidepressant, would it be possible that I would become more depressed than I ever had been before if I went off it again? Could my brain become so dependent on meds that it couldn't function well without them?

Meds don't make you more depressed.

[Oneiros]

I'm on clonazepam (a benzodiazepine, kinda like a mild sedative) and it has helped me so much in dealing with anxiety. It really broke the ice for me in dealing with social situations, and has given enough room for my confidence to grow, not over-reacting to any awkwardness or bad experiences. For the few weeks that it was really effective, my life turned around quite a bit, and I don't think that could have happened without it. Nowadays it's wearing off, but I'm much more capable of handling anxiety thanks to the relief it provided.

I did try antidepressants once, while in the mental wing of a hospital. I had a bad reaction to it (getting more anxious), and thought, screw this, wtf am I doing in this place, so I checked myself out at 3am. lol, the nurses thought I was bluffing.

Definitely talk to a psych if you're considering medication, and get the facts... as long as they don't force meds upon you.

[rubyruby]

I just don't understand how people can debate taking medication or not. I suffered when I wasn't on medication.

When I first took my medication I knew immediately this was going to help me. Within months I had my driver's licence and I got promoted at work.

[korey]

Originally Posted by Makaveli

Have you really tried all those meds in your sig? Damn that's alot! Is your current regime working best for you in your opinion?

Yes, I've tried all the meds in my sig. It is a lot, I know My current regimen is working decently - mainly Wellbutrin and lithium. I see my psychiatrist today, and I plan on asking him if I can discontinue the Luvox and chloral hydrate because they're doing nothing for me.

[Dane]

I've been on Paxil for five years, and it's still working just like it did in the beginning. My SA is about 80% "cured". The effect it has is very subtle, and it took me about a month to notice a difference when I first started taking it.

1) I still get nervous sometimes but it never slides into an all out panic attack like it used to

2) My tendency to fixate on worrying about being nervous and being very self conscious is greatly reduced

3) As a bonus side benefit it has reduced my non SA garden variety worrying quite a bit, and it has almost completely eliminated the bad dreams I used to have occasionally.

[drealm]

Originally Posted by Dane

I've been on Paxil for five years, and it's still working just like it did in the beginning. My SA is about 80% "cured". The effect it has is very subtle, and it took me about a month to notice a difference when I first started taking it.

1) I still get nervous sometimes but it never slides into an all out panic attack like it used to

2) My tendency to fixate on worrying about being nervous and being very self conscious is greatly reduced

3) As a bonus side benefit it has reduced my non SA garden variety worrying quite a bit, and it has almost completely eliminated the bad dreams I used to have occasionally.

Does it cost a lot of money to be on the medication?

[jim_morrison]

Originally Posted by Dane

I've been on Paxil for five years, and it's still working just like it did in the beginning. My SA is about 80% "cured". The effect it has is very subtle, and it took me about a month to notice a difference when I first started taking it.

1) I still get nervous sometimes but it never slides into an all out panic attack like it used to

2) My tendency to fixate on worrying about being nervous and being very self conscious is greatly reduced

3) As a bonus side benefit it has reduced my non SA garden variety worrying quite a bit, and it has almost completely eliminated the bad dreams I used to have occasionally.

It's funny just how differently different people can react to the same medication, paxil was the only med which successfully managed to make my depression and anxiety much worse.

[Makaveli]

Originally Posted by rubyruby

I just don't understand how people can debate taking medication or not. I suffered when I wasn't on medication.

When I first took my medication I knew immediately this was going to help me. Within months I had my driver's licence and I got promoted at work.

I don't want to sound condescending and please don't take it that way, but how do you know you wouldn't have attained a licence and promotion at work without the aid of meds as well?

The reason I have been ultra sceptical about meds is because I haven't had any long term relief from SSRI's or an SNRI. The underlying anxiety and depression is still there, just masked. My beliefs are being justified by the huge amount of different meds on offer and also the clinical trials vs placebo.

I hope and pray everyone who is on meds is coping well and not disheartened like I am. I think I need something to relax me, I'm going the way of anti anxiety meds tbh.

[Haydsmom2007]

Yeah I'm a big fan of my antidepressants. I take wellbutrin and they have helped me a lot. With depression. Not social anxiety. My dr prescribed me lexapro which didn't do anything for me. I didn't like it at all. I'm going back to the dr this week and I'm gonna see what he thinks.

[Dane]

I have health insurance so I only pay about $10-15 per month. Without insurance it would depend on the dose. I think a mid range dose would cost about $70 a month without insurance, couldn't guarantee that number though.

[RockiNToM]

Originally Posted by jim_morrison

It's funny just how differently different people can react to the same medication, paxil was the only med which successfully managed to make my depression and anxiety much worse.

Exactly. For me Paxil was the best anti-depressant of the lot except for my recent use of Tramadol - those 2 are pretty on par with each other for me but Tramadol edges for least side-effects.