[dirty rich]

it is well-known that SSRI's can cause many terrible, long term side-effects...even the short term side effects are terrible....and sometimes it doesnt even work. and yet my old shrink acted like i was being stubborn because i didnt want to take them. i hate how doctors lie to you, act like SSRI's are not at all risky, yet when you look at websites like drugratingz.com half the people said they went through hell because of that drug...aghh

i'm sure benzos are quite helpful but it would be hard to get my hands on those but those are obviously very dangerous and addictive

and for all of you saying i need to "get treated for my depression"....i do not suffer from "clinical depression" i am just mildly socially anxious but it's not like i'm so bad i have a panic attack if someone looks at me

 

[Alicia2009]

I cant stands meds either. My whole life Ive been about using natural remedies, even when it came down to the common cold. Now I am on SSRI's and its involving my brain. I would get sick from the side effects. Crave alcohol etc...I asked my doctor if taking supplements and attending therapy would help and she said no...not for a long time, as if medication was my only resort.
*sigh* I'm so over this...

 

[TorLin]

your not the only one. i haven't touch any pills.

 

[sansd]

I distrust SSRIs. It's irritating that doctors act like it's just silly not to try them.

 

[KurtG85]

I have no intention of trying convince you otherwise of your views or argue any point with you but I do think that if you did your research on unbiased sites you will find that the fact is SSRI's are incredibly safe in comparison with all the medications out there. Aspirin and tylenol can kill you if you are unlucky and they have in fact killed a hell of a lot more people than SSRI's.

You are likely reading reports from people who have a pre-conceived bias against SSRI's for one of many possible reasons (most commonly being fear of the unknown in my experience). You also are going to hear alot more about the negative experiences of users of SSRIs than the positive. Anger is an emotion which tends to trigger people to let other people know they are angry about something and so you will hear a lot more from the people who happened to have bad experiences with a, or many, SSRI's than the many people whos lives have been completely changed for the better by them. Everyone has a unique reaction to every SSRI so its important to not assume someone else's experience will be what you experience with the med.

SSRI's were not primarily designed for people who have the luxury of being able to tell them off over some really cruddy side effects and vow to never try another one again and still live a relatively productive life. They are designed for severely depressed people who, if they are lucky, are able to get SOME kind of benefit from the meds (along with the cruddy side effects) which allow them to at least keep from killing themselves. The negative side effects do suck donkey balls, but the goal of the meds are not to avoid all side effects or else they wouldn't be sold, the goal is to help give severely depressed people some kind of mood boost or at least some perspective on their severe depression so they can firstly not kill themself and secondly see how and what they need to alter in their behavior and life to gain back some joy, meaning or purpose. Their benefits can be pretty abstract really but yes, if you want a 'happy pill' with no side-effects I'm sorry to say no such thing exists yet.

If you think benzos are safer than SSRI's then this would be the first hint that you have formed your opinions based on some false 'facts'.

Put simply, I think you seem to be experiencing a lot more fear than is rational for the risks which do exist with SSRI's. 99.9 percent of the time, you try an SSRI, and if it doesn't help you, you stop it and after a couple days your brain re-regulates it's neurotransmitters to their genetically determined levels like it does every other day. End of story. So logically, you have very little to lose but a massive amount to gain if you do happen to get lucky and see a benefit.

By all means though, don't try SSRI's if you don't want to. Thats entirely your perogative and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise.

I would guess your reasons for being 'uncomfortable' with taking meds has a lot more to do with social, cultural, religious or personal identity reasons than their lack of safety, because they are in fact extremely safe when compared with all the other medications out there.

I can tell you I was once 100% of the mindset you are now, at the same age you are now in fact. I would encourage you to try them because the potential reward is so massive with virtually no chance of any negatives other than being pissy for a few days while on the meds. You also gain perspective on reality in general by better understanding how the altering of brain chemicals can shape our perception of the world and our interaction with and understanding of others. Again, these are just my views and I'm not trying to tell you what is 'right'.

 

[Envision]

it is well-known that SSRI's can cause many terrible, long term side-effects...even the short term side effects are terrible....and sometimes it doesnt even work. and yet my old shrink acted like i was being stubborn because i didnt want to take them. i hate how doctors lie to you, act like SSRI's are not at all risky, yet when you look at websites like drugratingz.com half the people said they went through hell because of that drug...aghh

i'm sure benzos are quite helpful but it would be hard to get my hands on those

Taking any medication poses risks.

I've taken antidepressants for a long, long time. As a result of taking medications long-term, I do have some medical problems--cornea and neurological problems. They are not huge problems but they are problems.

I've been through a lot. Here's my thoughts and it extends over to a few other issues.

ARE YOU YOUNG?

I know many of you desire a spouse and children. These potent medications "could" alter your repoductive system. Could. Who knows? These medications can improve your moods, but in the process it's altering your body. How much we don't know? Especially if you're taking them long-term.

If you're in a deep rut, and you're young, possibly take them short-term. Possibly! If you are contemplating children, don't take them for years, and years, and years.

I don't think that would be wise unless you're going to have your sperm or eggs frozen. Adoption is an option. Not having children is another option.

MAKE MEDICATIONS YOUR LAST RESORT

If you're young, to the best of your ability try to alter your life circumstances. Try everything you can. Everything! You still have a young body and a young brain. When you have an OLDER BRAIN and an OLDER BODY, it's more difficult to work magic. There's not so much magic left.

As they say, "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks." It's easier to teach a young dog new tricks.

OLDER FOLKS

The older you are, the less you have to lose taking antidepressants. Your child-bearing years are over. The negative cumulative risks of taking potent medications is less. If there's a time bomb on a certain medication, it will explode when you're very old.

Taking the wrong, lethal antidepressant say at 18; the time bomb would explode much sooner.

My mom is deceased, and she took a wrong, lethal medication and there was a 15-year time bomb. The medication she took eventually killed her.

There's no easy answers. However, constantly feeling anxious, sad, and depressed is not an answer, either.

 

[Medline]

(Untreated) clinical depression is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, suicide, low quality of life, substance abuse... Psychiatric disorders should be treated by professionals as early as possible to avoid developing comorbid disorders.

 

[GermanHermit]

I'm not into meds either!

Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with using many meds. 90 per cent of the time we get by with home remedies like herbal teas, leg/neck compresses for fever and sore throats, inhaling, chest rubs - stuff like that.

The only "real" meds that I ever take if necessary are light OTC painkillers once a month and aspirin if I have a bad headache which doesn't happen very often, though.

When it came to my SA and depression I was often very desperate but meds were never a permanent option. Maybe because I felt they wouldn't make me heal but fake me feeling better. And I believe at least 50 per cent of my anxieties and negative feelings are simply my personality and not pathological. The meds would not be able to distinguish between them.

Taking meds would remind me constantly that something is wrong with me. Maybe I am one of the few but I do not constantly feel like there is something wrong with me or that I am sick. And if I ever overcome any of my problems (which is not that often) that credit belongs to me alone! And I am convinced that that also effects the chemistry in my brain possitively.

So, as long as possible I won't take psychotropic drugs.

 

[Efsee]

I tried zoloft recently and the side effects I got made me scared to try any other SSRIs. I haven't gotten any bad effects from xanax yet, so I'm still using that occasionally. medications feel too harsh for me.

 

[GSH]

am i the only one uncomfortable with taking meds?

Yes

 

[db0255]

"it is well-known that SSRI's can cause many terrible, long term side-effects"

Well-known? Really? Cause I haven't heard anything about this, and I've researched them for years now.

 

[Envision]

"it is well-known that SSRI's can cause many terrible, long term side-effects"

Well-known? Really? Cause I haven't heard anything about this, and I've researched them for years now.

Has your research turned UP a limp dick? Not having much of a sex life is terrible.

My limp dick was completely useless when I was taking Prozac.

 

[dirty rich]

They are designed for severely depressed people who, if they are lucky, are able to get SOME kind of benefit from the meds (along with the cruddy side effects) which allow them to at least keep from killing themselves.

I am not severely depressed, just mildly socially anxious

 

[RockiNToM]

Medication saved my life. I suffer from depression and SA, and one point my depression was so bad... well.. you get the picture.. So I think medication can be useful, I'm living proof, to my family anyhow.

 

[euphoria]

I'm not into meds either!

Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with using many meds. 90 per cent of the time we get by with home remedies like herbal teas, leg/neck compresses for fever and sore throats, inhaling, chest rubs - stuff like that.

Herbal teas contain chemicals that affect the central nervous sytstem just like "drugs" if they are to influence your mood, and may have negative long-term effects just like meds. Take St John's Wort, at least one of the chemicals in it acts as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor which of course the popular SSRI meds do.

It wouldn't be a good idea to take either without looking at available evidence of safety, and I personally think I'd much prefer to trust my brain & body with a qualified psychiatrist.

To the thread-starter: if you're not suffering too much with your mental problems, it'd probably be better to look at your diet/nutrition, exercise, etc., before delving into the world of medication. Sometimes these things are all people need to alter to feel better.

As for benzos, yes they work instantly, but my experience was that they're more trouble than they're worth when taken long-term. YMMV, but since trying other medication benzos seem absolutely woeful with their cognitive impairment, memory reduction, and much more.

 

[livinginfear]

I'm uncomfortable with taking meds too. There are definitely people who need and benefit from meds, but I also believe they are way over prescribed. I think Americans tend to look for a quick fix, and want doctors to give 'em a pill to fix everything. I've never been clinically depressed, but know I could get antidepressants from a doctor tomorrow if I wanted to -- something about that bothers me.

 

[Edwin]

EremitaGermanus wrote some stuff...

I always enjoy the remark that "it's my personality". Ever thought your personality might be pathological in nature? Why would you want medication to 'distinguish' between them? And feelings are 'fake' any way you put it. Every thing we put into our bodies, and everything we experience influences it, and medication is really no different from a bunch of refined sugar (if we're talking about 'natural').

So am I uncomfortable taking meds? No, why would I be? I've been putting 'chemicals' into my body since the day I was born (and even before that, thanks mom!). The result is what matters, and the result will define your personality (which is never ever a constant).

 

[db0255]

Has your research turned UP a limp dick? Not having much of a sex life is terrible.

My limp dick was completely useless when I was taking Prozac.

Easy, tiger. I'm just saying the OP is acting as if an SSRI will destroy your life. This isn't true...I'd say that not having libido definitely sucks, but if it lifts your depression, then I'll take that "long-term, severe side effect" anyday.

 

[Traci]

I am very uncomfortable with meds since I had to view my mother trying to overdose on them several times. :/ It's taken me a very long time to even consider the idea but I'm desperate at this point. I eventually gave in about a month ago because I -need- to get through college because I can't keep dropping classes cause of anxiety and stuff. I've noticed it's helped me quite a bit so far.

But I mean, if you don't want to, don't. I don't really want to myself but I will go into a deep depression if I drop out of college. I can totally understand not being comfortable with meds.

 

[zookeeper]

I don't really want to take meds, but I do what I need to do.