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Did medications work for you?

36K views 56 replies 40 participants last post by  blissfullyblue 
#1 ·
I'm curious, medications often cause a wide variety of effects. But did they help you? For a large part even if they did remove your anxiety, you would still be intrinsically you however. Through CBT and books, it helps gain perspectives in ways you are behaving as many are further inducing your own anxiety (feeding it even). So I'm curious as to if medications helped you somehow care less what others think. Wouldn't they simply make you feel numb and less sensitive and kill all motivation? They are useful for a lot of things, but I think if it kills your sensitivity and ability to feel you'd be so detached and without a soul even LOL.

Did anyone become more extroverted on medication or simply you felt less anxiety but less inclined to interact because of itl? It is a curious question indeed.
 
#2 ·
They are useful for a lot of things, but I think if it kills your sensitivity and ability to feel you'd be so detached and without a soul even LOL.
This is my experience so far. The higher the dose I take with SSRI, the flatter my personality gets. It gets harder to feel joy. It's not fun at all.
 
#3 ·
That doesn't sound fun. Doctors give out antidepressants like chocolate from a confectionary shop. I guess CBT, Books and mindset changing are the way to go. With the right mindset, you can change the world. With the wrong one, you can live in your room and make your life hell.
 
#4 ·
If you have enough discipline and strength to power thru all the pain, it is indeed best to avoid meds. But for those of us who struggle that avoidance becomes less of an option.
 
#5 ·
I've been taking 20mg of an SSRI called citalopram hydrobromide since June 3rd 2016. I haven't had any therapy yet, and don't have an official diagnosis, but my GP's pretty confident I have SAD (at least). I would say they've helped me (and I'm hoping that therapy can help me some more). The meds defiantly help me care less about what others think, I don't postmortem my past interactions with people much anyone, although if something blindsides me it can still cause me anxiety in the present*. Numb just isn't the word I'd use to describe myself on these drugs, they stop my anxiety from becoming despair, and without the despair to preoccupy me I'm mostly bored sh*tless, which is motivating me to do things beyond hide in my room playing video games, watching TV, and reading random stuff online or in books all day. Being sensitive isn't much use when most of your feelings are depressing, my emotions may be flatter, but my intellect feels intact and it's playful enough to keep me entertained, who wouldn't sacrifice their soul in the name of self improvement :)

I'd say I've become abit more extroverted around people I know (not friends, just acquaintances), strangers are still an issue but it feels like more of a technically prob than an emotional one. I feel more inclined to interact without the anxiety.
 
#6 ·
I used benzos for ages - long before this site or the internet was even thought of. They were great at first - like a Godsend actually, I would go into a sort of dream world. I used them for a long time to do various things - courses etc, got married on them - whatever. Then they start to **** with your memory - and the dose goes up. I had to go to rehab about half a dozen times to get away from them and felt like my brain was mush.

I then used Lexapro and Citalopram - they are not too bad but totally different. They took the edge of the anxiety a bit - made me slightly indifferent, spaced out, and made me eat like a ****ing horse. I would open the cupboard and just injest whatever was inside it. :) Jesus Christ.

The strange thing about the SSRI's was that when I stopped them and restarted them I would often get a different response. Now I can't take them at all - the citalopram I took a while ago made me feel very strange and not want to leave the house - it sort of made me worse.
 
#7 ·
I used benzos for ages - long before this site or the internet was even thought of. They were great at first - like a Godsend actually, I would go into a sort of dream world. I used them for a long time to do various things - courses etc, got married on them - whatever. Then they start to **** with your memory - and the dose goes up. I had to go to rehab about half a dozen times to get away from them and felt like my brain was mush.

I then used Lexapro and Citalopram - they are not too bad but totally different. They took the edge of the anxiety a bit - made me slightly indifferent, spaced out, and made me eat like a ****ing horse. I would open the cupboard and just ingest whatever was inside it. :) Jesus Christ.

The strange thing about the SSRI's was that when I stopped them and restarted them I would often get a different response. Now I can't take them at all - the citalopram I took a while ago made me feel very strange and not want to leave the house - it sort of made me worse.
*****! I wish citalopram had that effect on me, I have a very low appetite and thus am pretty skinny, and often have low energy. I've been trying to eat more healthily but those foods r so filling it just murders my appetite more than junk food...

First 2 weeks of citalopram did do a number on my sleep though...I'd wake up at 3am and wouldn't be able to go back to sleep :(
 
#8 ·
Benzo's turned me into an arrogant a-hole. Then they made me more anxious because my body was always anticipating a dose and soon I was taking ridiculous amounts because of tolerance.

As for SSRI's, i'm currently taking Mirtazapine and like it's been mentioned it's dulled my emotions. I don't feel happy nor sad, it's pure apathy. Also, my anxiety is still there it's just I don't really dwell on it as much. Maybe in combination with therapy it might be more beneficial but at present i've come to the decision of stopping it.
 
#9 ·
They haven't worked for me yet . I am going to a new doctor sometime this month maybe I will find a medication that works idk . What I do know is I dont think a medication can make somebody like me who has no social skills somehow become social . I just dont know how therapy or mediation is going to somehow make me interesting and easy to talk to . I have nothing in common with any normal people and nothing to talk to them about , even just regular daily life . Just another reason among many reasons I am so afraid of the real world .
 
#11 ·
They haven't worked for me yet . I am going to a new doctor sometime this month maybe I will find a medication that works idk . What I do know is I dont think a medication can make somebody like me who has no social skills somehow become social . I just dont know how therapy or mediation is going to somehow make me interesting and easy to talk to . I have nothing in common with any normal people and nothing to talk to them about , even just regular daily life . Just another reason among many reasons I am so afraid of the real world .
Well I can see how you'd think that mate but I doubt it's the case. I don't think you can probably know really how you'd be with no anxiety present - how could you know that as you haven't felt it yet?

My life has been very strange, and I'm sure that I don't really understand many of the things that have happened to me - but I do know that I had very bad anxiety, and still do in many situations. But I can talk to people and make them laugh (usually) once I actually get myself in the situation. I've even been told I'm a very likable person (which is nice) - although personally I think of myself as a bit of a dickhead. :) (sorry - typical Aussie self-depracating humour there. )

My point is that we can't know just how we will develop - because this terrible thing called anxiety is holding us back. It stops many of us from learning how to talk to people - simply because we're too afraid to. But once the anxiety is gone, or at least reduced - you might be able to learn how to socialise. Without the fear there you can develop more as a person - do more things and become more "interesting", for want of a better word.
 
#12 ·
For the most part, I think. However the side effects were far worse (for me) than the benefits anti-'depressants' (citalopram/celexa) gave me.

For instance, I felt like a complete moron when I was on them (probably because it was shifting some of my brain function from my thinking part into my dormant-for-over-30-years social part). And also, I had the fortune of dating a girl, and more often than not in the moments of the 'really fun stuff', physical parts of me completely checked out of the whole experience...causing her to get frustrated and me never seeing her again after the last time I had 'problems' occur.
 
#13 ·
It didn't do anything for me. It might take the edge off in some social situations, but in itself it only masks the problem, it doesn't solve it.

For instance, in my case: my social anxiety steams from my ugly appearance and my lack of social skills. Add meds, and I turn into an apathetic zombie who is still ugly and lacks social skills.
 
#14 ·
Nope. The only substances that have any positive effect on me are benzos, stimulants (caffeine, ephedrine), and minor opiods (which aren't practical as a med). Neither are benzos really though (would only take them for emergency use).

SSRI's etc were useless, which was a shame, because with my Pure O OCD they were supposed to work really well, but alas they didn't (in fact my OCD got much better when I finally came off them ;)).
 
#18 ·
Just got your PM mate. :grin2:

I thought I recognized Bob's posting style, and that he was a guy from another forum I used, but Bob's not him.

I hope Bob doesn't know me as I'm trying to do a bit of a fresh start here lol.

Btw I've probably only taken meds on 3 or 4 occasions, probably for about 4 months total, and didn't like the emotional blunting or sexual side effects.

Still feel like I'm suffering from some sexual side effects now and it's been almost three years since I last took meds.

Everyone's reacts differently to them though.

For some they seem to be a life saver, but they're not for me.
 
#24 ·
I thought I recognized Bob's posting style, and that he was a guy from another forum I used, but Bob's not him.

I hope Bob doesn't know me as I'm trying to do a bit of a fresh start here lol.
Nah, I don't know you Brum Hiker, but I do know about the incident ;)

(just joking ofc)

Welcome to the forum :)
 
#21 ·
i think youd need to re-train thought patterns first. ssri , seratonin.. fire neurons to happy thoughts. but what if you cant think straight and are feeling down, everythings dark. a little seratonin has no direction. if theres anything positive itll help direct the thought pattern positive. i got sertraline 50mgs, i dont know if it was me taking a positive step, going to the docs, choosing not to curl up n die and live, my own mood and decision or what. all i know is i took it for 6 months and i run out.. felt like i was getting electric shocks through my head! anyone had these head shock things coming off it? i went back on to stop it
 
#22 ·
The short answer is - for me; No! Whilst they appeared to work at first, they actually ended up making things worse; and I mean a LOT worse! I have been working hard on lifestyle change. Since doing so, I have come to discover that there are no chemical solutions for lifestyle related problems.

I do feel that medications have their place, however to use them anymore than the aids they be is setting oneself up for chemical dependency that will for all intent purposes present more debilitating issues than the anxiety they mask.

That's the short answer from my perspective. I'm also a complicated case with a long history and have tried many things. Medications helped me during crisis situations and at other times afforded me much needed space in which I could then begin creating new and positive experiences that still to this day enable me to change the way I think; furthermore ultimately allowed me to break the chemical dependency that was slowly taking over my life. Falling into chemical complacency was a big trap for me. One that lead me into major health issues that almost killed me. A slow and deceptive trap that can take years.

Thankfully I found that much need space between the noose and the pills. IMO - each is as risky as the other. Making a lifestyle change that's based on doing the least amount of damage to my body through avoiding unnatural chemicals point blank and constantly moving forward is what works for me.

Here's to wishing you all the best with what works for you.
 
#23 ·
I was on Paxil for nearly two years. It did help me a lot. I came out of my "shell" according to those closest to me. I don't think it cured me, I definitely still had some moments but I was able to actually have conversations with people because I wasn't thinking too much about how I looked, how I was talking, what I was going to say next, if they thought I was stupid, etc. I didn't dwell on things for days and wonder how I could have done it differently. I was able to actually focus on something other than myself. I only stopped because I didn't want to have to take medication everyday, I felt like it made me less of a person somehow. I also wanted to feel like I could do it on my own... which I'm finding that I can't. I'm thinking about going back on it, maybe a lower dosage though. Getting off it was hell, but not being on it is also not fun.

All that being said, everyone is different. I do hope you find what works for you, whether it is medication or therapy or something else. :)
 
#26 ·
Zoloft has certainly helped me, though I could do without the emotional blunting and pervasive apathy that comes with its benefits. Not sure if I'm really ready to quit though, considering the notorious withdrawal effects. Even if I go for like 2 days without taking any, I start feeling strange in a way that's rather difficult to describe; as if something's just 'off'. I like to describe it as "****ed up". It's weird, and goes away very soon after I take a tablet. I find it ironic that I feel like I'm on drugs when I'm.. not.. on drugs.
 
#29 ·
I'm one of those who has had huge success with meds. It did take some trial and error though, and the first medication I tried wasn't the right one. I'm now on paxil and it has significantly helped my depression and anxiety. I actually have no noticeable side effects with this drug. Zoloft, on the other hand, gave me alarming side effects.

So there is a chance that medication could help. The difficult part is that everyone reacts differently. My therapist had me take this genetic test that would help us figure out which medications would work for me, so that's definitely something that could help if you decide to explore that route.

I wouldn't write them off completely. Just be ready to try more than one if you go for it.
 
#30 ·
My GP prescribed me several different types of medications and not a single one made me feel any different. I once thought that maybe they were helping but I just didn't notice, so I stopped taking some for a month, no change, started taking them again, still no change after another month.

I've given up on taking medication for depression and anxiety. Has no effect on me.
 
#31 ·
They worked for me. I took benzos for ages and they worked fine. They caused plenty of their own problems but they also greatly reduced the anxiety. When I needed to get off them I used Lexapro - that worked too, but very differently.

I take meds for bipolar disorder again now. They work too - they reign the mania in and calm me slightly. My problem with them is that I stop them because I often don't think I need them or that they aren't doing anything. (a common problem with bipolar people apparently) They work though.
 
#32 ·
a lot of the time i forget or don't care enough to take my meds, but i've had results with lithium, seroquel, klonopin, and i guess to an extent, adderall [weird i know]. adderall works great for sa and depression for about 4 hours but it shoots you into a cloudy, paranoid crippling depression for the following 8 and it's literally hell.

but hey if my psychiatrist wants to put me on low-grade coke who am i to complain??
 
#33 ·
I also have bipolar disorder so my mood stabilizers I take do what they intended for which is making me more emotionally stable. Being more emotionally stable perhaps lessened the intensity of my anxiety. I do take Gabapentin for anxiety, but I think my mood stabilizers are what's doing most of the work at keeping me functional. I'm happy for that. I take Trileptal and Latuda.
 
#35 ·
Yes and no. I've always been very cautious when it comes to medications in general, but I've tried a fair number of them ranging from antidepressants and beta blockers to benzodiazepenes.

I was on Celexa for a few years, but I only noticed a very subtle change/improvement at best. Beta blockers do work surprisingly well as far as minimizing and reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety, particularly palpitations and nausea. I do take Klonopin from time-to-time and it's by far the most effective medication I have ever been prescribed for social anxiety. I'm aware of the risks of dependency as well as withdrawal side effects, though. Despite that, I've actually gone long periods of time without taking the Klonopin and experienced virtually no side effects. But this varies from person-to-person, I guess.

Overall, I have had moderate success with medications.
 
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