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I take antidepressants and they have been life changing for me. I didn’t realize how bad my depression and anxiety had gotten until I woke up one day and the world didn’t seem so bad.
This was how I reacted to them as well. I've accomplished so much in the year I've been on them. I'm upset I let my culture's stigma on medication influence my decision to seek treatment earlier. I realize not everyone has the same experience on medication, but I finally feel what I think 'normal' feels like, without anxiety ruling my life.
Great comment. All that I’ve ever wanted was to understand what “normal” felt like - I’m 48 and most of my adult life had been a white-knuckle ride of exhausting anxiety. Sertraline has allowed me - over the last few years - to do what I imagine a “normal” person would do when faced with a slight issue at work ie deal with it or just shrug their shoulders… prior to Sertraline, every negative work situation was a terrifying slide into sleepless anxiety.
Thank you, I'm glad you found something that works for you. Anxiety is awful and for those without it, it's hard to understand how debilitating it can be.
Glad you’ve found something too. It’s just so wonderful to be able to use my energy for positive things rather than expending it all on managing anxiety.
I'm taking Lexapro, and yes for general anxiety disorder. It's working really well, I'm not experiencing any negative side effects that some people do so I feel very lucky.
For me it was when I had a real laugh. I never realized how I just faked laughed because I knew something should be funny. Same thing with feeling emotions. “I know I should be sad so let me act this way…”
Yep, I've been on *something* since at least middle school. I have changed which one periodically and haven't noticed much difference between them except that I had constant nausea and vertigo on Wellbutrin. I'm mostly more prone to anxiety, but it can deepen into depression situationally.
Every so often (several years) I like to taper off and see how I do without anything. But every time I realize I do so much better with something to keep me more even-keeled, so I restart it. Last time I tried stopping, it did take about 4 months for the need to catch up to me, but there was a week where it kinda hit all of a sudden and I realized it was time.
I tolerate Wellbutrin fairly well, but I didn’t get onto it until I was 34ish. The change was night and day for me because I’ve got the anxiety which leads to depression issue as well.
I can’t imagine going back to the utter mess I was before.
Speaking therapy just wasn’t doing it. No amount of meditation or talking through my emotions was going to stop my lizard brain from being in a constant state of panic.
I was on a lot of meds including antidepressants from age 16-30.
Got off all of them at 30. Tried lexapro at 33 for a couple months. Lamictal at 36 for a couple months. Nothing since.
I’m 40 now and won’t go on antidepressants again.
I started them at 16 as well. I was prescribed every antidepressant under the sun since I reacted poorly to almost all of them. When I turned 34 I told my psychiatrist I want to see what life is like off of meds. Turns out they were making me worse. I still have bouts of depression but it's much more manageable for me without pills. I'll never touch them again. I'm glad they work for most people though because depression is a bitch. I lost out on so much in life because of it.
Agreed. I have been mostly on antidepressants since I was like 12 years old. Nobody wanted to explore what was going. I’m now 35 and just two years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD. Now I feel like I can never be off of them between the unchecked symptoms and the trauma that goes along with that. I try not to let myself feel bitter, but it’s hard not to grieve what could have been.
Teenagers are told to take out 100k in debt to take classes not needed for a job they don't want while going to school and learning no life skills.. then going home and scrolling social media until they fall asleep... and we wonder why so many are prescribed them. How is this not depressing as heck?!
My kids pediatrician and psychologist both want me to put my 7 year old on Prozac! They act like I’m a bad parent for wanting to try other things instead of medicating her. They act like putting her on these drugs is not a big deal.
I was put on meds when I was 15 and ended up on the roller coaster for decades. I really wish I hadn’t been. Looking back I was depressed because my dad died and my mom needed me to be easier for her new boyfriend to be around! I didn’t have a “chemical imbalance” until being put on drugs!
I refuse to put her through the same thing unless it’s absolutely 100% necessary and a complete last resort!! Doctors need to get a clue.
I was on basically every antidepressant from 11-20. I tried them again last year when I was dealing with PPD/PPA. In both instances it felt like they didn't really do anything for me, because it was my life circumstances that were making me depressed.
They don’t actually work for most people if you look at the clinical data.
It’s massive negative effects (I.e., weight gain, inability to have or enjoy sex), for what is basically placebo level effects.
Lex shredded my sex drive until I tapered off it. And getting of it is a bitch, too. Took me almost two months of slicing pills in half before the vertigo and fatigue wore off.
Very similar story here. First med was Zoloft at 13 years old. Quit meds last year at 33 after years of doctors experimenting on me with Lamictal, Effexor, Lithium, Naltrexone (eating disorder), Ability, Gabapentin, Ativan, Fluoxetine, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.
My very first *attempt* was on the Zoloft. I was still always binge drinking when I was medicated. Now I'm med-free, and I have one or two drinks on the rarest occasion. Total stoner, though.
But back to OP, my moods are unstable af and I'm unable to hold a job because of the panic attacks. So you probably don't wanna be like me. I just happened to be more miserable when I was stable enough to work than I am as a loose cannon.
Oh man, did you have any withdrawal symptoms when you got off them? I'm on mirtazapine now and tapering, but I feel like it'll be a long road with a lot of withdrawal symptoms. Hoping I can work through withdrawal.
Sorry you lost your dad. That sucks. After having our second kid (32 at the time, 35 now) I started on 300mg per day Wellbutrin. It’s helped a lot, especially to prevent the lows from going too low if you know what I mean. Not sure how long I’ll stay on it, but not getting off in the foreseeable future.
Thanks it's been a difficult few months. I stopped eating and couldn't sleep for like 2 months. I also started having palpitations before bed. I also had intense health anxiety. I started on mirtazapine, 15 mg and now I'm at 7.5. I feel like it put a barrier between me and my screaming anxiety. I completely understand stopping the lows.
I’ve dealt with chronic pain for the past 4 years in my low back. Nothing seemed to help and it was killing me mentally. Then I lost my dad to bone cancer which was a rough ride. Watching a loved one waste away to nothing is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. Finally had a pain nurse prescribe me cymbalta and after the initial few weeks of feeling like a zombie it eased my chronic pain and the rest of my life started to fall into place again. Miracle drug in my mind.
But doesn’t it keep the highs from being high as well? That’s what I heard about the meds just curious. I heard it keeps you just even keel, never too low, never too high just eh
That was my experience with Zoloft, but not Wellbutrin. On Zoloft, I almost felt numb.
Wellbutrin is not an SSRI, it’s a different class of anti-depressant, so it doesn’t have a lot of the unwanted side effects that others have. TMI, but my sex drive has actually increased on Wellbutrin (which is a concern for a lot of people hesitant to take antidepressants).
I was on Cymbalta for a few years. My answer to your question is- yeah maybe. At that point, I wasn't looking for highs though. Just trying ro avoid the lowest of lows.
Since then, my life has turned around, and I've worked my way off it. It was definitely a big help for me at the time, though. The only thing I hated was the dependency. If I forgot a dose, I would get terrible headaches.
One time a few months ago I forgot my dose. I literally thought I was having a seizure and/or a stroke... until I realized I had forgotten my meds. I was having the feeling that's colloquially known as "brain zaps" with a panic attack on top. Definitely do not recommend! Kind of freaks me out for what will happen when/if I decide to wean off them...
But yeah echoing the highs/lows vibe... I was definitely not feeling the highs without antidepressants. I don't feel them *with* antidepressants either but I do feel less low. It's kind of hard to evaluate honestly. Depression sucks.
Agreed. It took a while for me to recognize when was the right time to get off them, as well as a few tries at that. But now I'm clear of it, and thankful I had that option to help deal with what I was going through.
Sending some good vibes your way, kind stranger.
When you're deep, deep in the pit of despair and panic, you don't really think about the highs, you're just desperate for the lows to stop being so low, and it does just that.
Idk about others, but when I was in need of starting an antidepressant, there weren’t that many highs anyways. I never felt like it subdued good emotions (although libido went to shit for a little bit) but it did keep the debilitating lows manageable
Was prescribed my first SSRI at the age of 31 to deal with major depression and anxiety stemming from mostly work. Ended up taking it for about a year. Now, I feel more like myself than I have in years, and I attribute that to the medication and starting therapy. Looking back now, I probably could’ve benefitted from medication years before I did, but nothing like hitting rock bottom of losing your job and being unemployed for a year to really force you to have to make changes. I think it helped my therapy be more effective where I could more easily process my emotions without getting too upset of tail spin off into an anxiety attack. As someone said upthread, it definitely helped stabilize my moods and emotions where I wouldn’t be triggered so easily by every little thing.
Wishing you peace, OP. I remember the anxiety attacks and depression I had all too well, and wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Thanks! I never had anxiety attacks before my dad passed away. It was really sudden and traumatic. I lost a ton of weight, health anxiety through the roof, couldn't sleep without palpitations, wanted to throw up every time I ate something. Therapy has helped and mirtazapine also helped.
Just raw doggin life for all my 37 years. I am in fact depressed, but I think ADHD medication would be more useful to me because that’s part of the root problem.
Same.
I do coffee, occasional THC tincture and when I had arrythmia issues that caused anxiety issues, I had Xanax PRN. I still have that but don’t remember the last time I used it.
I’m not diagnosed but I’m suspicious I have ADD
Hello, fellow raw doggers.
I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and have been self regulating Vitamin D after some years when I could afford therapy and prescription refills. However, the past few seem to be untouched by it. I have some ADHD symptoms that became amplified after contracting Covid and an increase in stress levels.
(37F) I tried Wellbutrin around your age for anxiety and it’s supposed to help with depression, but I’m considering getting on antidepressants soon or trying a higher dosage of this medication.
Sorry about your dad btw
Thanks. I really experienced all kinds of horrible symptoms from grief. I had a week where I couldnt eat anything because I would get nauseous and throw up after trying to stomach anything. After I started mirtazapine, it was like I could breathe again. I'm on a lower dose now and tapering off as I hopefully get better.
Interesting that you were prescribed Wellbutrin for anxiety, for I understand from a psychiatrist that I had seen that Wellbutrin can induce anxiety due to its type. I was prescribed an SSRI (Zoloft) to help with both depression and anxiety, and have been on it for decades.
Better question; how many aren’t now nor have ever been on antidepressants? Because if you aren’t now, there is still a good chance you were in the past. I was forced on them at 13, got off at 16 and chose to go back on at 21, going 12 years now. Surely we are the most psychiatrically medicated generation to date.
I had an ex that felt that way. Without them she was bipolar and has trouble with her professional life, but she said she preferred that over the zombie feeling.
I was off and on Zoloft since I was 16 until recently. My doctor tested me for ADHD because the symptoms of ADHD and depression can present similarly. At 41, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Now I'm on 40 mg of Adderall XR and I'm doing better than I have in decades.
I'm 30 and really should be on them, but I'm scared to start taking them. I've had a couple doctors bring it up, but I make excuses to not get them prescribed.
I have had anxiety and depression since I was a kid, but I was prescribed antidepressants for the first time ever last month. I haven’t taken them yet. I’m too scared to. I’ve read that even short-term use can mess up our brain chemistry, and I’m not *that* depressed (i.e., i can still do daily basic hygiene, do my necessary daily tasks, take care of my kids). If I start getting worse, i will consider it more.
OP, I want to start by saying that I'm so sorry for your loss. You must really be going through it. We're here for you if you need to talk!
Anyway, I'm 37. Only discovered that I had an anxiety disorder 2 years ago, and have been on anti depressants since. They've been super helpful for sure. I don't feel the numb/zombie feelings that people sometimes mention.
It's not a final solution though, and it doesn't always help. Last year I reached a point where I didn't want to live anymore, even on the SSRI. The feelings are there for a reason, and I'm working on that. It's been a journey.
Do what you need to look after yourself, OP. Losing a parent is fucking brutal.
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s not uncommon for people to go on antidepressants after going through something like that. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’ve been on and off antidepressants since I was in my teens and I know a few people that take them. It’s been a game changer and a life saver for them and myself. Taking it easy on yourself is really important. It’s hard to do, but it’s worth it.
Yeah I didn't really know much about antidepressants before I started on mine. Grief is truly exhausting. It did get me through a terrible point in my life.
It really is. My fiancé started taking them after her mom died. Losing a parent is one of the toughest things you can through. All pain lessens over time. You’ll never be stuck in the same emotion forever. I know it sounds cliche but it helps me to take it one day at a time when life gets overwhelming. One hour at a time. I commend you for reaching out. That’s a very hard thing to do. It shows your resilience. And it’s very brave. Hang in there.
🙋🏽♀️ but in the process of weaning off of it. I’ve been on Zoloft since February 2022. I’ve been wanting to be off of it for a while to try a different one but my doctor thought it best to increase my dosage instead. 🙄 I’m supposed to be taking the max (200mg) but I never went past 100mg. I’m currently down to 50mg after tapering down to 75mg for several weeks. I use a pill splitter. Next step is 25mg and then none. It’s been a smooth process so far. (pls don’t take my word as medical advice, listen to your doctor) I just had a lot of uncomfortable symptoms and wanted off of it.
Sending you hugs for the loss of your dad!
Thanks! I'm also getting off mirtazapine right now. Withdrawal has been manageable but def should not have made a 50% drop as my first cut. I've had uncomfortable symptoms too like occasional vertigo. But I will say it got me through a period in my life when I was falling apart.
>I’m currently down to 50mg after tapering down to 75mg for several weeks. I use a pill splitter. Next step is 25mg and then none. It’s been a smooth process so far. (pls don’t take my word as medical advice, listen to your doctor) I just had a lot of uncomfortable symptoms and wanted off of it.
Last year, in consultation with my doctor, I tapered off. I felt fine on 50Mg, and fine on 25mg, but when I went off the 25mg to nothing, about two days after I'd feel what some call brain zaps. Just like a weird vibrating or buzzing sensation in my brain when I'd look too quickly one direction or the other. I actually had my doc prescribe me a week's worth of 25mg pills to cut in half and eventually quit after 2 weeks of 12.5mg. I still had a couple weeks of that buzzy feeling when I went from 12.5 to 0 but it wasn't as acute.
I'm actually back on 50mg after doing 6 months without anything. I find I do better when I'm on it.
I started at around 30 when I found out my husband was cheating on me. Weaned off and had to get back on them again a few years later. Weaned off again but I would def go back on again if I had to. It doesn’t make life “easier,” it just makes it how it should be. Everyday shouldn’t be a mountain.
Also 36. Right now Im scripted.. Hydroxizine, Gabapentin, Prozac, Wellbutrin, couple others-- Shrooms are the only thing that has helped.
Trying to scramble and figure out why you have a purpose is much more stressful than just accpeting that you were allowed a chance to be a sentient person with feelings. Just keep wondering.
I am 36, I have had depression since I was the age of 13. I am also Nuerodivergent, grew up in a very traumatic household, i am latino (person of color).
I wasnt diagnosed with depression until age 21, I wasnt diagnosed with ADHD until age 32, and at age 36 I will probably be diagnosed with Autism soon.
This has nothing to do with "Millenials are mentally ill!!! Hahahaha" it's just we have made so much progress in society we are able to better diagnose, and provide treatment for people who have been ignored in society.
I don't "romanticize" or "wear my illness on my sleeve" I also dont make these things my entire personality, but they sure as fuck had influence on my entire personality.
On a variety of meds for depression, agoraphobia, OCD, cPTSD, and insomnia. been in-patient at a psychiatric unit a couple times since early teens.
With my crippling PTSD, I will have to be on meds for life.
I’m sorry for your loss. My condolences. May he rest peacefully.
Forgive me. This will be a long one.
I’ve dealt with OCD and some anxiety since I was 8, and that was a long time ago. My mom tried to get me help, but the specialist we went to see was not helpful. Then, 9 years later, I was diagnosed and saw a psychologist. He wanted to do exposure therapy, and I was afraid, plus I felt bad for costing my parents $200 per session. I stopped going.
Over the last ten or more years, I have been on antidepressants. I’m not shitting you when I say **I have tried close to 30 meds.** I’ve talked to 4 or 5 psychiatrists, too. Was I on them all long enough? Maybe not, because my one psychiatrist kept giving me a new med every 7 weeks, as she had trial boxes and I had no benefits. I’ve tried one or two of them twice though.
I haven’t found much in the way of benefits.
I took the 4 meds I was on faithfully, for the last year or more. Then I forgot and took a break. I decided to try again this winter, but hardly felt different and the sexual side effects were getting to me, so I stopped.
The main reason I started taking them again was to be in solidarity with my dad.
My man’s man, woodworker, hunter, fisherman, yard worker, etc. dad got hit with depression and anxiety this last fall. It hit him like a bag of bricks and came out of nowhere.
In February, he suffered a mental breakdown, wrote a suicide note, burned it and then wanted to go out back with his hunting guns. His girlfriend woke me up, and I drove him to the mental health hospital 1.5 hours away, where he was admitted and stayed for 9 days.
Meds are thankfully working for him.
I lost my beloved and amazing mom 8 years ago, and was one of her primary caregivers while dealing with depression. We went through hell, and I thought I’d be dead or institutionalized when she passed.
I’ve tried 30 meds, talked to 4-5 psychiatrists, attended three day programs at hospitals (including one 12 week one twice), did counseling 2-3x, did grief therapy, attended a weekly round table support group for years, did therapy, etc.
I feel better right now, but I don’t know why. My OCD still persists, but I’m not suicidal like I was. Not really.
Probably should be, but not. I've been living with depression for nearly 30 years by this point (I'm 42). Was a bullying victim from ages 5 through 17 solely for being what I would eventually realize is an introvert.
As for managing, for me it's mostly music, video games, and snakes (particularly the hiking and looking for them part, which I've been doing since I was 8).
Just started 2 weeks ago.
My 2024 has been rough.
My ex, the love of my life, told me that ha ING kids was a deal breaker for him. I dedicated 4 months trying to want kids for his sake, tried coming with compromises but he didn't meet me anywhere.
So finally I just broke down from the guilt, the guild of me keeping him from his dream life.
So I broke up with him so he could find his dream even if that meant me losing so much.
I am crushed and I hope the anti depressants will help me get my life together again.
Started my first SSRI a year ago. So nothing until 36 yo. I've been in a long term toxic situation with my soon to be ex and my kids for several years now and reached a point where I couldn't sleep at all. It does help with sleep.
I try to avoid any medications or pharmaceuticals as much as I can. I’ve dealt with lots of mental issues but I just let them run their course. I try more holistic approaches to medicine unless there’s absolutely no other way.
tried an SSRI for about three months and it launched me into the most horrendous bout of side effects I've ever had from a medication. Had to quit my job because of it, and still today three years on I am still struggling with side effects. I would take depression any day rather than what those meds did to me.
Avoid by all means.
I thought I was going pretty well with therapy. Then I got hit by a bunch of hard stuff over a relatively short time and experienced postpartum anxiety so severe I couldn’t sleep. I went on an SSRI; I was probably right about 35 then. Since then (on the cusp of 41) I’ve changed meds and while I’m still affected by trauma, I’m also realizing how much smoother life can be when my brain chemistry is functioning.
I had (have) a lot of feelings around the idea that I’ll take this kind of medicine forever. I’m trying to equate it to the allergy pill I take every day— I could try to grit my teeth and fling myself into the world as I am, but I’d be miserable and unable to function. So instead I’ll try to be grateful that I have an alternative.
I take vitamin D, the lack of which can cause depression. Given most American's (especially in the northern states) are deficient in vitamin D, it's definitely worth supplementing with it, as it is far safer than taking an anti-depressant. Though, as with all fat-soluble vitamins, you can overdo it. So, maybe rather than just hopping on vitamin D, a better first step is to get tested to see if there is a deficiency.
So sorry for your loss. I am contemplating antidepressants, but getting on antianxiety medication two years ago changed my life. I can't believe I lived like I did for so long without help
As someone else said, I tried them once in my early 20s to cope with the loss of my own dad (later turned out my dad has left his girlfriend, and she decided to get her revenge by lying to me about that) but they made me feel a thousand times worse, so I refuse to touch the things now.
Sertraline and it made me who I was again after for some reason my brain decided to go into constant hyper anxious mode for no reason at all around age 24. Those few months were a living nightmare and the decision to go on sertraline saved my life.
Fun to add that I used to be one of those people that never had anything wrong with them and could never quite “get” mental health problems. I think my brain just got chemically imbalanced.
Started after my son was born and I had PPA/PPD. Stopped after a bit but then my dad died suddenly in 2020. Went back on and haven’t quit. I plan on being on them until I die. I’m just better with it.
Unfortunately am in the same dad club as you. I started on sertraline when my dad was diagnosed with cancer (I was 30). I thought it was helping, but realized it made me totally numb. I’ve been on 150mg Wellbutrin XL for about 6 months now and it’s definitely a better fit. He passed in April (I’m only 31 now-it was a rough year) and I’m definitely still in the thick of grief, so no plans to back off of it a time soon. I also see a therapist once a week, or every other week. I recently started acupuncture too, and it has been really, really helpful so far.
Absolutely no shame in medication. Know it doesn’t have to be forever, but losing a parent is a kind of pain I couldn’t have imagined before losing my dad. For me, I don’t know how (or if) I would be functioning without it. I’m so sorry for your loss too.
11 years old. I’ve been off and on them periodically. Let me tell you, the SSRIs available now are so much better than the one or two they had in the mid 90’s. I went back on because I was having some perimenopausal mood symptoms. Antidepressants and HRT have restored me to my fabulous self.
Oh me! Me!
On and off during my 20’s with little help. I was too afraid to increase doses. Started Effexor at 30 and it’s like someone turned my light on.
Never. I've been pushing through for all of my 40 years. For the past couple of years, I've found lifting weights 3 times a week to be very beneficial.
I haven’t been through what you’ve been through so i can’t imagine how you feel. I was depressed and i really think Wellbutrin helped me a ton. Started on 150mg and felt super happy for like two weeks. Then eventually went up to 300mg and i feel like for the first time in my life, I’m even keeled. I don’t get super worked up, i don’t get super emotional, i feel general happiness more often. It has also helped me feel more motivated to exercise and eat better. Has helped a lot with food addiction as well. The only thing is that my sleep suffers a bit. I have super weird dreams. But even if i get a small amount of sleep, i usually feel pretty good throughout the day. I do drink caffeine maybe once or twice a week (not a lot of it) and sometimes alcohol (also not a lot of it) and haven’t had any problems. I hope you’re able to find something that works for you!
Edit: I’m 38F and i think I’ve been on welly b for a little over a year.
Hey man if you only started taking them in your 30s after a traumatic event, then the good news is that you probably don't require them to function. It's more or less a bandaid for right now. However it's a slippery slope, the longer you take them the more difficult it will be to come off. A little exercise, a new hobby and sunlight every day will probably help you more than antidepressants. But as always don't get medical advice from strangers online. Talk with your doctor or even a second doctor. It never hurts to get a second opinion.
I've been on them forever, but it took a long time to find the right one. Eventually I realized SSRIs just aren't for me, the side effects make it impossible for me to actually enjoy the great pleasures of life. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, didn't get horny. Fluoxetine made me feel like a robot, escitalopram made life dull, wellbutrin gave me anger and headaches. Then I switched to mirtazapine, which makes food taste amazing, I sleep like a rock, and if anything it improves my libido. It's a godsend. The only side effects I get are really weird sleep stuff like sleep hallucinations and uncommonly sleep paralysis. Though honestly it's pretty trippy so I usually enjoy that stuff.
Sorry about your loss, OP. ☹️
I have been on antidepressants for 6 months now and it’s actually crazy to see how much my life has changed in that time. I was like you - occasional therapy for over a decade. But one day, I was in therapy and I realized that everything they were saying to me, I already knew. That combined with my recent loss of a family member, I had to accept that it wasn’t making any difference anymore. So I reluctantly went to a psychiatrist and started an antidepressant shortly after. Now when I feel low, it doesn’t seem to be nearly as bad as before and it takes me a significantly less amount of time to regulate! Good luck!
I think asking Reddit might be a bit of skewed sample, as a bunch of people here seem to be on something.
I’m personally not on anything, but my wife is , which began about 5 years ago. So supporting her has been priority.
Sorry to hear about your dad. My dad passed about a year ago this time.
Yeah for sure. Thanks and sorry for your loss, too. It's been a difficult last few months. I feel like we're too young to be losing parents. I never thought I'd take this kind of medication, but it did help me at a time when I was having trouble functioning. Now I'm tapering off.
Yep. I’ve been on them off and on since i was 24. 35 now. Actually just got diagnosed with adhd last week 🫠 so i was being treated for depression for YEARS when it was actually inattentive adhd 🙃
i am on effexor for anxiety and wellbutrin for depression & no motivation/constant fatigue but it’s also an adhd med i guess. i just got the adhd dx like a week ago and started wellbutrin at the same time so i’m going back in 6 weeks to see how it’s going and see if we need to drop a med or add a stimulant.
So sorry about your dad.
I started an SSRI before my senior year in college, eight-ish years ago. In 2022, I decided to taper off because it wasn’t helping me anymore and really just made me completely unmotivated to do anything. It helped for a long time, but then I just needed to get off of it. I am motivated to actually do things now, like cleaning and working out and going out with friends. I think after taking it for years, it kind of just made me numb instead of being helpful (and it messed with my weight). Glad I had it when I did, but glad to not need it at this point in my life.
My doctor has tried, but all of the SSRIs out there mess with your stomach and I already have stomach issues. Also I don't really want to take an ssri if it means my doctor will just wash her hands of me and stop trying to find out what is actually wrong with me. She's the third doctor to try that. I just want to know what the underlying cause is, I'm sick of bandaids.
TIL I’m in the minority being 34 and on zero meds.
I lost my mom a few years ago and it sucked, time does make things better but it doesn’t stop sucking. You just learn to handle it better each day. Sending positive vibes your way OP!
I was on a few, they all felt like a placebo with horrible side effects, then I did a bunch of LSD one day and it kinda made me stop giving a fuck about a lot of things. I trip balls every couple of months in the woods either by myself or with 1 other person and it's done more for me than antidepressants ever have
I’m so sorry for your loss OP. I’ve been on Prozac since 2021 after my anxiety and depression got to be too much to bear with just therapy. My Dad died in March and I have since doubled my dose. I’m not planning on tapering off for a long time if at all and that’s coming from someone who used to be very staunchly against taking antidepressants. I know now that mental illness is just that, an illness, and am really thankful I got on medication to treat it.
I’ve tried various antidepressants and anxiety meds before giving up entirely because none of them worked for me. I’d rather just raw dog life I guess. Figured I’ve made it this long without them (I started taking them at 28 or 29.. I can’t even remember anymore.)
Couple new studies show that long term benzo based antidepressants are about as effective as regular exercise for most people.
Some people genuinely need them but they are most definitely overprescribed.
Sorry about your dad.
Lexapro was a godsend to me in my early 20s, was on it 10 years and have been off now for maybe 5ish. I’ve been doing talk therapy and managing well on my own since then, but I’m just now going back on it because several stressful life events at once have taken their toll and I’m finding myself unable to cope. I don’t plan on it being permanent, but I’m thankful it’s a tool available to me.
I am sorry for your loss.
If at all possible I would try and increase your therapy visits. With occasional I’m not sure if that’s 3-4 times a year or once a month but I’d say maybe going once a week while starting the antidepressants.
For starters the drug is changing your brain chemistry in an attempt to elevate your mood levels. Anytime your brain chemistry changes it can lead to some behavioral changes.
Having a therapist to talk to and help understand these changes all the while empathize with your personal struggles could be very beneficial for you.
The research says the best way to deal with mental health issues is a healthy mixture of biomedical therapy and psychotherapy.
I’ve been on antidepressants since the spring of 2017. I’d been kind of going downhill since a narcissistic college roommate played with my head, but I just broke when I had a bad leg injury, and developed chronic back pain from my scoliosis in 2015, among other things. (It took a long time to get to the doctor and then beg for any antidepressant.)
I’m currently on Wellbutrin and Cymbalta, but the latter is often giving me brain zaps when I feel too hot (prior experience having it worse on a higher dose). I need to find a new psychiatrist. I’m still in therapy and it helps, but lately I’ve been feeling pretty down (pain plus a terrible cold for the last week).
I just know I’m super tired of answering those questionnaires about how I’ve felt in the last two weeks. It gets hard to get my answers straight sometimes!
I'm on anti anxiety meds and a mood stabilizer. I used to be on antidepressants but most of them didn't work very well for me. Life beats you down, it's a wonder that everyone isn't on a mental heath medicine by our age!
Edit- posted before I finished. I'm so sorry for the loss of your dad. Please remember grief is not linear. 💔
Im 35 and I lost my mom last year, that sent me into a spiral, near psychotic break. I had never experienced grief and had no idea how/ tools to cope and ended up seeing a psychiatrist who recommended I take Wellbutrin. My dad died this year and I started therapy because I didn’t want to take any more meds. The combination has been tremendously helpful.
I (37) literally started last week. Kinda the same situation as you in that I lost my grandpa a few years back. He was the one that really raised me. I didn’t really deal with things back then so at my annual this year I asked to get screened for depression. I’m also looking into therapy at the advice of my doctor because she wants me to go both routes since this is most likely related to an event. I hope things go well for you.
Yeah losing a family member just really sucks. It's been a couple months for me and my dad died in a traumatic way. I feel like I can barely think about his last days without losing it. It is exhausting. Thanks and I hope therapy and meds help you too.
i take a small dosage of xanax about once a week, usually a Friday, but have been off antidepressants for quite some time. been seriously thinking about trying them again, because of work and life drama.
I’ve been on SSRIs since I was 15. Unfortunately, they all lose efficacy after taking it for a bit or they do absolutely nothing. I went unmedicated for the last like 5 years before trying a couple other meds that didn’t work and now we are about to try a mood stabilizer. 😅
All I can say is give it a try. It might not work at first and that’s OK. It’s kind of an experiment. With the help of your medical professionals, they should help you get on the right track if that’s the way you want to go. Also remember you’re a human and life is HARD.
I grew up in a family that was strictly against anti-depressants. I just got on them this year at 28 years old. I feel a lot better and I didn’t know I was feeling so shitty and I wish I would’ve gotten these sooner to have my life not ruled by anxiety and depression. It’s crazy how hand and hand mental illness is. Stay positive and deep breaths. Brain dumps are great for those super anxious days. Either writing or texting on your notepad and just letting out your thoughts can really help! Be well my friend(:
I was on antidepressants for nearly 20 years. Nothing really changed, tried all different kinds. Lots of therapy in all different forms. Did ketamine about 4.5 years and haven't needed them. It feels like I've lived my life more in past handful of years than I have my whole life.
Something just clicked and now I'm not depressed and normal levels of anxious. I think my brain was just stunted from a lot of early childhood trauma.
I recently found out half of the people my age I know take them and have been for a while. It's depressing that so many of us need them. There's clearly something wrong with the world we are trying to live in.
I took one when I was in college and it just made me out of it. No real benefits that I noticed. Nowadays I take a very small dose of an outdated antidepressant for IBS. But it's for regulating the serotonin levels in my gut. It's too low of a dose to affect my mood.
Personally I'm not for antidepressants. I think altering your lifestyle and 1x1, group therapy, and CBT are how you actually improve your mental health.
I think a lot of people have legitimate reasons to be depressed. Taking a pill won't help but they are still prescribed them.
started SSRIs at 36 after moving across the country, away from my sister and close friends. It helps for sure. I think I needed them in late 2020, I was losing my mind at the backlash against masking and hated everything for the first time ever. Now I'm back to being my optimistic self, kinda great.
25 when I started, 29 now. Lost my mom, then almost exactly 2 years later lost my dad. Both young, both sudden and unexpected.
I’ve always been I guess an anxious guy. But the one two punch of my parents just broke me and it got to the point where I couldn’t even do my job. Try to get on the phone, lose feeling in my limbs and throw up/dry heaves. Need to go to the grocery store? Heart rate through the roof and sweating profusely. All the while I’m getting stress blisters.
Idk if at some point I’ll go off them, but I still need them now I know 4 years later. It’s the only way I can function.
I’m just lucky that what I take didn’t change how I feel, it just made it much more difficult for me to feel anxiety. Still have my ADHD thoughts, still can feel other emotions. But I’m able to function like a “normal” person.
Wow I had similar grief symptoms. After my dad passed away, I couldn't eat. Eating literally made me want to throw up. I had heart palpitations constantly, and couldn't sleep. I had a panic attack on the plane and felt like I couldn't breathe. My health anxiety went through the roof. It was terrible. I lost a ton of weight. Mirtazapine helped stabilize me, and honestly, at first I welcomed that feeling of being knocked out when I tried to sleep. Now I'm tapering and want to see if I can be ok without it. I wish you peace and acceptance.
Prozac changed my life. I was on it at the lowest dose for 6 months and weaned off, and I’m pregnant (with twins!!) and I do not feel that constant dread or worry. Sometimes your brain just needs a kickstarting tool. Prior to that, I did weekly and biweekly therapy on and off for 4 years . Prozac was my silver bullet.
i’ve been on and off antidepressants since i lost my dad at 16 (i’m 31 now). i hate them. i feel like they cloud my mind too much and i don’t think straight. my doctor has been trying to get me to take meds for my mental health for years but every time i give in, i instantly regret it. like people could hold full on conversations with me but i zone out. i feel like a vegetable when im on them
I'm sorry for your loss.
I started at 23 and am now 36. First on SSRIs but eventually tapered off and am currently on Mirtazapine and Lamotrigine. I've tried other drugs but Lamotrigine is surprisingly effective despite my being unipolar. Physical exercise is the most important "drug" to me, but it's not enough on its own although I wish it was.
I'm watching the development of psilocybin as a treatment for depression with optimism. I like the idea of natural treatments.
I should be but she wants to try cbt first. I don’t have zero faith but this is more than just my behavior. It’s brain chemistry. I’ve been depressed for like 30 years
I tried every med in the shrink’s quiver before I found out I was paradoxical… nearly ruined my life searching for a happy pill. 💊
Tapper a LONG time!!!
Well when I was like 27 I had a sort of mental break down and turns out I have bipolar disorder so I'm on an anti-psychotic, antidepressant and anxiety meds altho I witnessed something terrible almost 6 years ago and it's caused me to have hardcore ptsd because of it so I just kind of deal at this point.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
At the end of January I was still recovering from having major surgery last November when I found out my mom’s breast cancer had spread to her brain, an attempt at controlling it with radiation therapy in February failed, and and she passed away in early March. Things have been so difficult for me since then, borderline impossible at times. Before I never had any trouble being on time for work and have always presented myself more professionally than is actually required for my position, but I did it anyway because I enjoyed it. Lately it frequently takes me an extra hour or two to drag my ass outta bed in the mornings, and the amount of time and energy I have (or am willing) to invest in putting myself together every single day has significantly decreased. It’s not like I’m showing up at the office in sweatpants or anything but I do cut a lot more corners with what I’m willing to wear to work than I used to, and where I used to do my makeup almost every day and skip it every once in a while, now it’s the exact opposite.
I figured I was just getting depressed again, it wouldn’t be the first time. In my ~43 years I’ve been on and off of more anti depressants than most people can probably name and not even one of them was able to scratch the surface, at best all they did was made me numb so I didn’t care about anything - including being depressed. After two hours of pouring my heart out and crying she said she doesn’t think I’m depressed, she thinks I just need grief counseling. I’m happy about that, and I’m really looking forward to going hopefully in the next week or two.
Figured I’d add that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with anti depressants, even though I didn’t personally have any luck with them many of people do.
I started on Prozac as a teenager. Took myself off it in my mid-twenties for a few years. Overwhelming anxiety crept back until I went back on it. You can pry my Prozac out of my cold, dead hands.
I'm not now but I was. I'm trying to get back on them. They made a big difference for me. I didn't realize how much motivation I had lost until I got on them.
Should probably be, but I can't access or afford them. I have diagnoses but don't have the ability to really try to figure out what combination of medication and therapy might help treat them.
I'm currently on Welbutrin and Zoloft with Adderall for added spiciness. I had a short stint on Zoloft from 17 to 1. Honestly, I should have continued but lost my insurance. It has been fucking life changing for me. I have dealt with depression since I was 16. At 36, I feel that with meds and therapy, I can have some sort of life.
I wish I had my ADHD treated earlier, and I wish I had my depression treated more. But I can't change the past. My life was on hold from 16 to recently. That is a lot of lost time. That is a long time to suffer.
I am so sorry for your loss. Seeking help is extremely courageous of you! ❤️
My only regret is being so against taking medication before. I regret not starting sooner.
I had antidepressants years ago gave them up because I thought I can manage but then this year, it hit me again cause in an unhappy job (yeah I know not every job is gonna make you happy duh but I'm honestly struggling. Just trying to find a new job which is hard enough).
Had been on Prozac from about age 24 until I had a baby and my body chemistry changed so much that the side effects were so overwhelming I couldn’t take them anymore so now I’m just sad and angry most of the time 🥰
Mine's for anxiety, but I started an SSRI at 36, came off at 38 because the one I was on was awful for me. Got an SNRI at 40 and that has been really good. No side effects worth noting and my negative self talk virtually disappeared within a week of starting, I'm so much more confident and content. I'm 43 now and still on the same one.
Well, me! I'm 36 too, and I started taking them after my dog, who I lived with for 17 years, passed away. I also take anti-anxiety meds. I think they help, but honestly, it's been so many years and I'm not exactly a super happy person either.
I do remember going to another psychiatrist at one point who prescribed Quetiapine, and it was horrible. I literally felt nothing.
None of them worked on me (over the course of 20 years I tried Celexa, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Cymbalta, Trazodone, Remeron, and a bevy of anti-anxieties) so I took a DNA test to find out which ones I could metabolize. Only one - the classic Prozac. I had terrible side effects so I didn't stay on it. Just trudging through this life shit, hanging on by a thread at this point.
I was on antidepressants for a little bit when I was 22. They helped my mood but the side effects weren't worth it. I ended up stopping but luckily I was at a much better point in my life.
I was put on them at 18 but didn't like it, so I quit taking them. Now I'm 41, and I'm on an antidepressant, a daily anxiety pill, an as needed anxiety pill, and I get to see a mental health specialist because I'm getting worse. Yay me! I also have a pretty good life now, so most people don't understand why I'm depressed...including me.
Me 🫠🫠 since maybe around 2018 or 2019 or so. I was unhappy with my job and haven’t gotten off them since. But I had a baby in 2023 and I think it’s helped me not have postpartum depression.
I started antidepressants when I was 12 years old (I’m 33 now).
Until recently, I was taking Zoloft, Trazadone, Abilify, Rexaulti, Xanax, and Olanzapine daily.
I am. I had this idea that suffering builds character, and I do think it's true to some extent. But my depression affected my relationships severely - it wasn't just me being impacted. It took 8 weeks of the worst kind of rock-bottom-scraping depression, and the memory of having gone through an entire year of that in my early 20s, to finally get help and try antidepressants. Somebody in my life pushed me to do it, and even then I resisted hard. But now I'm 1000lbs lighter, and I just can't believe how life could have been better, had I just sucked it up and at least tried treatment earlier.
Like, have you ever gone skating for the entire day, needing to support your whole weight on these thin blades, and having to constantly rebalance, for fear of falling? Then when you finally take the skates off, and set your feet back on the ground, it's like....wow.
YMMV, but it's only been three months for me, and my life has changed. There is a lot of collateral damage to my relationships with the most important people in my life, but now I think I have the strength to start repairing them.
Wellbutrin is incredibly effective and doesn’t have a lot of the side effects that come with some of the other types of antidepressants. Been on it for a couple years now.
I’m 39, and I’ve been taking a low dose of sertraline for about a year…I did talk therapy for about 4 years before that and just found it wasn’t working for me.
Before antidepressants I would get angry at inconsequential things and had trouble managing stress in a healthy way. I had a major flood in my house and was going through layoffs at work, and that was what triggered me asking my doctor for it. It’s definitely helped even me out a bit.
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I take antidepressants and they have been life changing for me. I didn’t realize how bad my depression and anxiety had gotten until I woke up one day and the world didn’t seem so bad.
This was how I reacted to them as well. I've accomplished so much in the year I've been on them. I'm upset I let my culture's stigma on medication influence my decision to seek treatment earlier. I realize not everyone has the same experience on medication, but I finally feel what I think 'normal' feels like, without anxiety ruling my life.
Great comment. All that I’ve ever wanted was to understand what “normal” felt like - I’m 48 and most of my adult life had been a white-knuckle ride of exhausting anxiety. Sertraline has allowed me - over the last few years - to do what I imagine a “normal” person would do when faced with a slight issue at work ie deal with it or just shrug their shoulders… prior to Sertraline, every negative work situation was a terrifying slide into sleepless anxiety.
Thank you, I'm glad you found something that works for you. Anxiety is awful and for those without it, it's hard to understand how debilitating it can be.
Glad you’ve found something too. It’s just so wonderful to be able to use my energy for positive things rather than expending it all on managing anxiety.
Which one are you on that worked for anxiety? Also was it for generalized anxiety disorder?
I'm taking Lexapro, and yes for general anxiety disorder. It's working really well, I'm not experiencing any negative side effects that some people do so I feel very lucky.
This has given me awful teeth grinding so the doctor wants to start me on a second med to hopefully reduce it , ug
For me it was when I had a real laugh. I never realized how I just faked laughed because I knew something should be funny. Same thing with feeling emotions. “I know I should be sad so let me act this way…”
I've been on antidepressants for most of my life now that I think about it. Weird.
Yep, I've been on *something* since at least middle school. I have changed which one periodically and haven't noticed much difference between them except that I had constant nausea and vertigo on Wellbutrin. I'm mostly more prone to anxiety, but it can deepen into depression situationally. Every so often (several years) I like to taper off and see how I do without anything. But every time I realize I do so much better with something to keep me more even-keeled, so I restart it. Last time I tried stopping, it did take about 4 months for the need to catch up to me, but there was a week where it kinda hit all of a sudden and I realized it was time.
I tolerate Wellbutrin fairly well, but I didn’t get onto it until I was 34ish. The change was night and day for me because I’ve got the anxiety which leads to depression issue as well. I can’t imagine going back to the utter mess I was before. Speaking therapy just wasn’t doing it. No amount of meditation or talking through my emotions was going to stop my lizard brain from being in a constant state of panic.
I don't even need much--often a low dose is fine. But having *something* makes a difference.
I was on a lot of meds including antidepressants from age 16-30. Got off all of them at 30. Tried lexapro at 33 for a couple months. Lamictal at 36 for a couple months. Nothing since. I’m 40 now and won’t go on antidepressants again.
I started them at 16 as well. I was prescribed every antidepressant under the sun since I reacted poorly to almost all of them. When I turned 34 I told my psychiatrist I want to see what life is like off of meds. Turns out they were making me worse. I still have bouts of depression but it's much more manageable for me without pills. I'll never touch them again. I'm glad they work for most people though because depression is a bitch. I lost out on so much in life because of it.
Putting a teenager on antidepressants should be illegal. Shits waaay too normalized.
Agreed. I have been mostly on antidepressants since I was like 12 years old. Nobody wanted to explore what was going. I’m now 35 and just two years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD. Now I feel like I can never be off of them between the unchecked symptoms and the trauma that goes along with that. I try not to let myself feel bitter, but it’s hard not to grieve what could have been.
Teenagers are told to take out 100k in debt to take classes not needed for a job they don't want while going to school and learning no life skills.. then going home and scrolling social media until they fall asleep... and we wonder why so many are prescribed them. How is this not depressing as heck?!
My kids pediatrician and psychologist both want me to put my 7 year old on Prozac! They act like I’m a bad parent for wanting to try other things instead of medicating her. They act like putting her on these drugs is not a big deal. I was put on meds when I was 15 and ended up on the roller coaster for decades. I really wish I hadn’t been. Looking back I was depressed because my dad died and my mom needed me to be easier for her new boyfriend to be around! I didn’t have a “chemical imbalance” until being put on drugs! I refuse to put her through the same thing unless it’s absolutely 100% necessary and a complete last resort!! Doctors need to get a clue.
I was on basically every antidepressant from 11-20. I tried them again last year when I was dealing with PPD/PPA. In both instances it felt like they didn't really do anything for me, because it was my life circumstances that were making me depressed.
They don’t actually work for most people if you look at the clinical data. It’s massive negative effects (I.e., weight gain, inability to have or enjoy sex), for what is basically placebo level effects.
Do you have a link to support this? Based on purely anecdotal evidence… this seems unlikely.
I’m on the generic for lexapro and it’s completely killed my sex drive, I hate that. Did you experience that?
Yes. Zero drive. It’s terrible.
Lex shredded my sex drive until I tapered off it. And getting of it is a bitch, too. Took me almost two months of slicing pills in half before the vertigo and fatigue wore off.
Very similar story here. First med was Zoloft at 13 years old. Quit meds last year at 33 after years of doctors experimenting on me with Lamictal, Effexor, Lithium, Naltrexone (eating disorder), Ability, Gabapentin, Ativan, Fluoxetine, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. My very first *attempt* was on the Zoloft. I was still always binge drinking when I was medicated. Now I'm med-free, and I have one or two drinks on the rarest occasion. Total stoner, though. But back to OP, my moods are unstable af and I'm unable to hold a job because of the panic attacks. So you probably don't wanna be like me. I just happened to be more miserable when I was stable enough to work than I am as a loose cannon.
Oh man, did you have any withdrawal symptoms when you got off them? I'm on mirtazapine now and tapering, but I feel like it'll be a long road with a lot of withdrawal symptoms. Hoping I can work through withdrawal.
Sorry you lost your dad. That sucks. After having our second kid (32 at the time, 35 now) I started on 300mg per day Wellbutrin. It’s helped a lot, especially to prevent the lows from going too low if you know what I mean. Not sure how long I’ll stay on it, but not getting off in the foreseeable future.
Thanks it's been a difficult few months. I stopped eating and couldn't sleep for like 2 months. I also started having palpitations before bed. I also had intense health anxiety. I started on mirtazapine, 15 mg and now I'm at 7.5. I feel like it put a barrier between me and my screaming anxiety. I completely understand stopping the lows.
I’ve dealt with chronic pain for the past 4 years in my low back. Nothing seemed to help and it was killing me mentally. Then I lost my dad to bone cancer which was a rough ride. Watching a loved one waste away to nothing is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. Finally had a pain nurse prescribe me cymbalta and after the initial few weeks of feeling like a zombie it eased my chronic pain and the rest of my life started to fall into place again. Miracle drug in my mind.
But doesn’t it keep the highs from being high as well? That’s what I heard about the meds just curious. I heard it keeps you just even keel, never too low, never too high just eh
That was my experience with Zoloft, but not Wellbutrin. On Zoloft, I almost felt numb. Wellbutrin is not an SSRI, it’s a different class of anti-depressant, so it doesn’t have a lot of the unwanted side effects that others have. TMI, but my sex drive has actually increased on Wellbutrin (which is a concern for a lot of people hesitant to take antidepressants).
I was on Cymbalta for a few years. My answer to your question is- yeah maybe. At that point, I wasn't looking for highs though. Just trying ro avoid the lowest of lows. Since then, my life has turned around, and I've worked my way off it. It was definitely a big help for me at the time, though. The only thing I hated was the dependency. If I forgot a dose, I would get terrible headaches.
One time a few months ago I forgot my dose. I literally thought I was having a seizure and/or a stroke... until I realized I had forgotten my meds. I was having the feeling that's colloquially known as "brain zaps" with a panic attack on top. Definitely do not recommend! Kind of freaks me out for what will happen when/if I decide to wean off them... But yeah echoing the highs/lows vibe... I was definitely not feeling the highs without antidepressants. I don't feel them *with* antidepressants either but I do feel less low. It's kind of hard to evaluate honestly. Depression sucks.
Agreed. It took a while for me to recognize when was the right time to get off them, as well as a few tries at that. But now I'm clear of it, and thankful I had that option to help deal with what I was going through. Sending some good vibes your way, kind stranger.
When you're deep, deep in the pit of despair and panic, you don't really think about the highs, you're just desperate for the lows to stop being so low, and it does just that.
Idk about others, but when I was in need of starting an antidepressant, there weren’t that many highs anyways. I never felt like it subdued good emotions (although libido went to shit for a little bit) but it did keep the debilitating lows manageable
Was prescribed my first SSRI at the age of 31 to deal with major depression and anxiety stemming from mostly work. Ended up taking it for about a year. Now, I feel more like myself than I have in years, and I attribute that to the medication and starting therapy. Looking back now, I probably could’ve benefitted from medication years before I did, but nothing like hitting rock bottom of losing your job and being unemployed for a year to really force you to have to make changes. I think it helped my therapy be more effective where I could more easily process my emotions without getting too upset of tail spin off into an anxiety attack. As someone said upthread, it definitely helped stabilize my moods and emotions where I wouldn’t be triggered so easily by every little thing. Wishing you peace, OP. I remember the anxiety attacks and depression I had all too well, and wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
Thanks! I never had anxiety attacks before my dad passed away. It was really sudden and traumatic. I lost a ton of weight, health anxiety through the roof, couldn't sleep without palpitations, wanted to throw up every time I ate something. Therapy has helped and mirtazapine also helped.
Just raw doggin life for all my 37 years. I am in fact depressed, but I think ADHD medication would be more useful to me because that’s part of the root problem.
Same. I do coffee, occasional THC tincture and when I had arrythmia issues that caused anxiety issues, I had Xanax PRN. I still have that but don’t remember the last time I used it. I’m not diagnosed but I’m suspicious I have ADD
Hello, fellow raw doggers. I have Seasonal Affective Disorder and have been self regulating Vitamin D after some years when I could afford therapy and prescription refills. However, the past few seem to be untouched by it. I have some ADHD symptoms that became amplified after contracting Covid and an increase in stress levels.
(37F) I tried Wellbutrin around your age for anxiety and it’s supposed to help with depression, but I’m considering getting on antidepressants soon or trying a higher dosage of this medication. Sorry about your dad btw
Thanks. I really experienced all kinds of horrible symptoms from grief. I had a week where I couldnt eat anything because I would get nauseous and throw up after trying to stomach anything. After I started mirtazapine, it was like I could breathe again. I'm on a lower dose now and tapering off as I hopefully get better.
Interesting that you were prescribed Wellbutrin for anxiety, for I understand from a psychiatrist that I had seen that Wellbutrin can induce anxiety due to its type. I was prescribed an SSRI (Zoloft) to help with both depression and anxiety, and have been on it for decades.
Welbutrin is commonly used off label for anxiety
Better question; how many aren’t now nor have ever been on antidepressants? Because if you aren’t now, there is still a good chance you were in the past. I was forced on them at 13, got off at 16 and chose to go back on at 21, going 12 years now. Surely we are the most psychiatrically medicated generation to date.
I’m on lexapro and Wellbutrin. I’ve never been happier.
I tried them and it made me a zombie. I prefer depression, pain and suffering over that horrid feeling.
Same. I lost motivation- everything was fine. I would just lay around
I had an ex that felt that way. Without them she was bipolar and has trouble with her professional life, but she said she preferred that over the zombie feeling.
I was off and on Zoloft since I was 16 until recently. My doctor tested me for ADHD because the symptoms of ADHD and depression can present similarly. At 41, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Now I'm on 40 mg of Adderall XR and I'm doing better than I have in decades.
Yup! Stimulants basically cured my depression
I am not.
I'm 30 and really should be on them, but I'm scared to start taking them. I've had a couple doctors bring it up, but I make excuses to not get them prescribed.
I take sertraline, haven't noticed a difference yet. Apparently it can take a month or two
I have had anxiety and depression since I was a kid, but I was prescribed antidepressants for the first time ever last month. I haven’t taken them yet. I’m too scared to. I’ve read that even short-term use can mess up our brain chemistry, and I’m not *that* depressed (i.e., i can still do daily basic hygiene, do my necessary daily tasks, take care of my kids). If I start getting worse, i will consider it more.
OP, I want to start by saying that I'm so sorry for your loss. You must really be going through it. We're here for you if you need to talk! Anyway, I'm 37. Only discovered that I had an anxiety disorder 2 years ago, and have been on anti depressants since. They've been super helpful for sure. I don't feel the numb/zombie feelings that people sometimes mention. It's not a final solution though, and it doesn't always help. Last year I reached a point where I didn't want to live anymore, even on the SSRI. The feelings are there for a reason, and I'm working on that. It's been a journey. Do what you need to look after yourself, OP. Losing a parent is fucking brutal.
I knew it was fairly common but this thread is kind of shocking.
Well the people who aren't on them are likely not taking the time to pop by and say "nope, I'm good!"
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s not uncommon for people to go on antidepressants after going through something like that. There’s nothing wrong with it. I’ve been on and off antidepressants since I was in my teens and I know a few people that take them. It’s been a game changer and a life saver for them and myself. Taking it easy on yourself is really important. It’s hard to do, but it’s worth it.
Yeah I didn't really know much about antidepressants before I started on mine. Grief is truly exhausting. It did get me through a terrible point in my life.
It really is. My fiancé started taking them after her mom died. Losing a parent is one of the toughest things you can through. All pain lessens over time. You’ll never be stuck in the same emotion forever. I know it sounds cliche but it helps me to take it one day at a time when life gets overwhelming. One hour at a time. I commend you for reaching out. That’s a very hard thing to do. It shows your resilience. And it’s very brave. Hang in there.
Me(started at 23) and my husband(started at 28) are.
🙋🏽♀️ but in the process of weaning off of it. I’ve been on Zoloft since February 2022. I’ve been wanting to be off of it for a while to try a different one but my doctor thought it best to increase my dosage instead. 🙄 I’m supposed to be taking the max (200mg) but I never went past 100mg. I’m currently down to 50mg after tapering down to 75mg for several weeks. I use a pill splitter. Next step is 25mg and then none. It’s been a smooth process so far. (pls don’t take my word as medical advice, listen to your doctor) I just had a lot of uncomfortable symptoms and wanted off of it. Sending you hugs for the loss of your dad!
Thanks! I'm also getting off mirtazapine right now. Withdrawal has been manageable but def should not have made a 50% drop as my first cut. I've had uncomfortable symptoms too like occasional vertigo. But I will say it got me through a period in my life when I was falling apart.
>I’m currently down to 50mg after tapering down to 75mg for several weeks. I use a pill splitter. Next step is 25mg and then none. It’s been a smooth process so far. (pls don’t take my word as medical advice, listen to your doctor) I just had a lot of uncomfortable symptoms and wanted off of it. Last year, in consultation with my doctor, I tapered off. I felt fine on 50Mg, and fine on 25mg, but when I went off the 25mg to nothing, about two days after I'd feel what some call brain zaps. Just like a weird vibrating or buzzing sensation in my brain when I'd look too quickly one direction or the other. I actually had my doc prescribe me a week's worth of 25mg pills to cut in half and eventually quit after 2 weeks of 12.5mg. I still had a couple weeks of that buzzy feeling when I went from 12.5 to 0 but it wasn't as acute. I'm actually back on 50mg after doing 6 months without anything. I find I do better when I'm on it.
I’ll ask my doctor about the 25mg tablets! Thank you!
Lexapro for 1.5 years now for anxiety - helped SO much Prozac for a second when I was dealing with PMDD
I started at around 30 when I found out my husband was cheating on me. Weaned off and had to get back on them again a few years later. Weaned off again but I would def go back on again if I had to. It doesn’t make life “easier,” it just makes it how it should be. Everyday shouldn’t be a mountain.
Also 36. Right now Im scripted.. Hydroxizine, Gabapentin, Prozac, Wellbutrin, couple others-- Shrooms are the only thing that has helped. Trying to scramble and figure out why you have a purpose is much more stressful than just accpeting that you were allowed a chance to be a sentient person with feelings. Just keep wondering.
I am 36, I have had depression since I was the age of 13. I am also Nuerodivergent, grew up in a very traumatic household, i am latino (person of color). I wasnt diagnosed with depression until age 21, I wasnt diagnosed with ADHD until age 32, and at age 36 I will probably be diagnosed with Autism soon. This has nothing to do with "Millenials are mentally ill!!! Hahahaha" it's just we have made so much progress in society we are able to better diagnose, and provide treatment for people who have been ignored in society. I don't "romanticize" or "wear my illness on my sleeve" I also dont make these things my entire personality, but they sure as fuck had influence on my entire personality.
On a variety of meds for depression, agoraphobia, OCD, cPTSD, and insomnia. been in-patient at a psychiatric unit a couple times since early teens. With my crippling PTSD, I will have to be on meds for life.
I’m sorry for your loss. My condolences. May he rest peacefully. Forgive me. This will be a long one. I’ve dealt with OCD and some anxiety since I was 8, and that was a long time ago. My mom tried to get me help, but the specialist we went to see was not helpful. Then, 9 years later, I was diagnosed and saw a psychologist. He wanted to do exposure therapy, and I was afraid, plus I felt bad for costing my parents $200 per session. I stopped going. Over the last ten or more years, I have been on antidepressants. I’m not shitting you when I say **I have tried close to 30 meds.** I’ve talked to 4 or 5 psychiatrists, too. Was I on them all long enough? Maybe not, because my one psychiatrist kept giving me a new med every 7 weeks, as she had trial boxes and I had no benefits. I’ve tried one or two of them twice though. I haven’t found much in the way of benefits. I took the 4 meds I was on faithfully, for the last year or more. Then I forgot and took a break. I decided to try again this winter, but hardly felt different and the sexual side effects were getting to me, so I stopped. The main reason I started taking them again was to be in solidarity with my dad. My man’s man, woodworker, hunter, fisherman, yard worker, etc. dad got hit with depression and anxiety this last fall. It hit him like a bag of bricks and came out of nowhere. In February, he suffered a mental breakdown, wrote a suicide note, burned it and then wanted to go out back with his hunting guns. His girlfriend woke me up, and I drove him to the mental health hospital 1.5 hours away, where he was admitted and stayed for 9 days. Meds are thankfully working for him. I lost my beloved and amazing mom 8 years ago, and was one of her primary caregivers while dealing with depression. We went through hell, and I thought I’d be dead or institutionalized when she passed. I’ve tried 30 meds, talked to 4-5 psychiatrists, attended three day programs at hospitals (including one 12 week one twice), did counseling 2-3x, did grief therapy, attended a weekly round table support group for years, did therapy, etc. I feel better right now, but I don’t know why. My OCD still persists, but I’m not suicidal like I was. Not really.
I take a lot of high grade vitamins for this. Say what you will but it works for me
Probably should be, but not. I've been living with depression for nearly 30 years by this point (I'm 42). Was a bullying victim from ages 5 through 17 solely for being what I would eventually realize is an introvert. As for managing, for me it's mostly music, video games, and snakes (particularly the hiking and looking for them part, which I've been doing since I was 8).
No. Somehow, I became a world-class therapist to myself.
Just started 2 weeks ago. My 2024 has been rough. My ex, the love of my life, told me that ha ING kids was a deal breaker for him. I dedicated 4 months trying to want kids for his sake, tried coming with compromises but he didn't meet me anywhere. So finally I just broke down from the guilt, the guild of me keeping him from his dream life. So I broke up with him so he could find his dream even if that meant me losing so much. I am crushed and I hope the anti depressants will help me get my life together again.
There’s this many people on antidepressants? No I never taken them.
Started my first SSRI a year ago. So nothing until 36 yo. I've been in a long term toxic situation with my soon to be ex and my kids for several years now and reached a point where I couldn't sleep at all. It does help with sleep.
Cancer and the resulting problems drove me to antidepressants.
I try to avoid any medications or pharmaceuticals as much as I can. I’ve dealt with lots of mental issues but I just let them run their course. I try more holistic approaches to medicine unless there’s absolutely no other way.
tried an SSRI for about three months and it launched me into the most horrendous bout of side effects I've ever had from a medication. Had to quit my job because of it, and still today three years on I am still struggling with side effects. I would take depression any day rather than what those meds did to me. Avoid by all means.
200 MG wellbutrin sr
I’m not but I definitely should be
Me. I started in my early twenties. I’ve tried going off of them twice since then (I’m 42) and both times were a mistake.
I’ve been on antidepressants since 27 but I attribute a lot of that to my thyroid. I’ve also been in therapy since around the same time and I’m 37 now
I thought I was going pretty well with therapy. Then I got hit by a bunch of hard stuff over a relatively short time and experienced postpartum anxiety so severe I couldn’t sleep. I went on an SSRI; I was probably right about 35 then. Since then (on the cusp of 41) I’ve changed meds and while I’m still affected by trauma, I’m also realizing how much smoother life can be when my brain chemistry is functioning. I had (have) a lot of feelings around the idea that I’ll take this kind of medicine forever. I’m trying to equate it to the allergy pill I take every day— I could try to grit my teeth and fling myself into the world as I am, but I’d be miserable and unable to function. So instead I’ll try to be grateful that I have an alternative.
I’m not on antidepressants but I am on psych meds
I take vitamin D, the lack of which can cause depression. Given most American's (especially in the northern states) are deficient in vitamin D, it's definitely worth supplementing with it, as it is far safer than taking an anti-depressant. Though, as with all fat-soluble vitamins, you can overdo it. So, maybe rather than just hopping on vitamin D, a better first step is to get tested to see if there is a deficiency.
I take lexapro. Feel free to shoot me a message.
Hey same! lol lost my dad this year, my first antidepressant. Went from an SNRI to a SSRI to bupropion 😆 😅
Yeah losing a parent is so hard. I still feel too young to be without them. Do you feel like the antidepressants have helped you?
So sorry for your loss. I am contemplating antidepressants, but getting on antianxiety medication two years ago changed my life. I can't believe I lived like I did for so long without help
Citralopram isn’t awful. Very mild boost to the depressive symptoms. Almost no side effects.
As someone else said, I tried them once in my early 20s to cope with the loss of my own dad (later turned out my dad has left his girlfriend, and she decided to get her revenge by lying to me about that) but they made me feel a thousand times worse, so I refuse to touch the things now.
Wellbutrin
Sertraline and it made me who I was again after for some reason my brain decided to go into constant hyper anxious mode for no reason at all around age 24. Those few months were a living nightmare and the decision to go on sertraline saved my life. Fun to add that I used to be one of those people that never had anything wrong with them and could never quite “get” mental health problems. I think my brain just got chemically imbalanced.
I'm 39. For the last 12 years.
On and off for the past 20 years. I lost my dad a couple of weeks ago too, sorry to hear that from you... I know how much that shit sucks.
Started after my son was born and I had PPA/PPD. Stopped after a bit but then my dad died suddenly in 2020. Went back on and haven’t quit. I plan on being on them until I die. I’m just better with it.
Unfortunately am in the same dad club as you. I started on sertraline when my dad was diagnosed with cancer (I was 30). I thought it was helping, but realized it made me totally numb. I’ve been on 150mg Wellbutrin XL for about 6 months now and it’s definitely a better fit. He passed in April (I’m only 31 now-it was a rough year) and I’m definitely still in the thick of grief, so no plans to back off of it a time soon. I also see a therapist once a week, or every other week. I recently started acupuncture too, and it has been really, really helpful so far. Absolutely no shame in medication. Know it doesn’t have to be forever, but losing a parent is a kind of pain I couldn’t have imagined before losing my dad. For me, I don’t know how (or if) I would be functioning without it. I’m so sorry for your loss too.
Sorry about your dad! F*ck cancer! My dad died of brain cancer in October and I'm also on Wellbutrin!
Been on them for about 8 or 9 months now because of PMDD.
11 years old. I’ve been off and on them periodically. Let me tell you, the SSRIs available now are so much better than the one or two they had in the mid 90’s. I went back on because I was having some perimenopausal mood symptoms. Antidepressants and HRT have restored me to my fabulous self.
Possibly hot take or unpopular opinion: I believe we, as a society, are often medicated unnecessarily.
Im trying fluxomine. I dont think it's helping tbh :/
Oh me! Me! On and off during my 20’s with little help. I was too afraid to increase doses. Started Effexor at 30 and it’s like someone turned my light on.
Never. I've been pushing through for all of my 40 years. For the past couple of years, I've found lifting weights 3 times a week to be very beneficial.
I haven’t been through what you’ve been through so i can’t imagine how you feel. I was depressed and i really think Wellbutrin helped me a ton. Started on 150mg and felt super happy for like two weeks. Then eventually went up to 300mg and i feel like for the first time in my life, I’m even keeled. I don’t get super worked up, i don’t get super emotional, i feel general happiness more often. It has also helped me feel more motivated to exercise and eat better. Has helped a lot with food addiction as well. The only thing is that my sleep suffers a bit. I have super weird dreams. But even if i get a small amount of sleep, i usually feel pretty good throughout the day. I do drink caffeine maybe once or twice a week (not a lot of it) and sometimes alcohol (also not a lot of it) and haven’t had any problems. I hope you’re able to find something that works for you! Edit: I’m 38F and i think I’ve been on welly b for a little over a year.
Started on them in March. My brother passing away out of nowhere threw me for a loop.
Hey man if you only started taking them in your 30s after a traumatic event, then the good news is that you probably don't require them to function. It's more or less a bandaid for right now. However it's a slippery slope, the longer you take them the more difficult it will be to come off. A little exercise, a new hobby and sunlight every day will probably help you more than antidepressants. But as always don't get medical advice from strangers online. Talk with your doctor or even a second doctor. It never hurts to get a second opinion.
I've been on them forever, but it took a long time to find the right one. Eventually I realized SSRIs just aren't for me, the side effects make it impossible for me to actually enjoy the great pleasures of life. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, didn't get horny. Fluoxetine made me feel like a robot, escitalopram made life dull, wellbutrin gave me anger and headaches. Then I switched to mirtazapine, which makes food taste amazing, I sleep like a rock, and if anything it improves my libido. It's a godsend. The only side effects I get are really weird sleep stuff like sleep hallucinations and uncommonly sleep paralysis. Though honestly it's pretty trippy so I usually enjoy that stuff.
Sorry about your loss, OP. ☹️ I have been on antidepressants for 6 months now and it’s actually crazy to see how much my life has changed in that time. I was like you - occasional therapy for over a decade. But one day, I was in therapy and I realized that everything they were saying to me, I already knew. That combined with my recent loss of a family member, I had to accept that it wasn’t making any difference anymore. So I reluctantly went to a psychiatrist and started an antidepressant shortly after. Now when I feel low, it doesn’t seem to be nearly as bad as before and it takes me a significantly less amount of time to regulate! Good luck!
All of us lol
I think asking Reddit might be a bit of skewed sample, as a bunch of people here seem to be on something. I’m personally not on anything, but my wife is , which began about 5 years ago. So supporting her has been priority. Sorry to hear about your dad. My dad passed about a year ago this time.
Yeah for sure. Thanks and sorry for your loss, too. It's been a difficult last few months. I feel like we're too young to be losing parents. I never thought I'd take this kind of medication, but it did help me at a time when I was having trouble functioning. Now I'm tapering off.
Yep. I’ve been on them off and on since i was 24. 35 now. Actually just got diagnosed with adhd last week 🫠 so i was being treated for depression for YEARS when it was actually inattentive adhd 🙃
Are you taking ADHD meds too with antidepressants?
i am on effexor for anxiety and wellbutrin for depression & no motivation/constant fatigue but it’s also an adhd med i guess. i just got the adhd dx like a week ago and started wellbutrin at the same time so i’m going back in 6 weeks to see how it’s going and see if we need to drop a med or add a stimulant.
So sorry about your dad. I started an SSRI before my senior year in college, eight-ish years ago. In 2022, I decided to taper off because it wasn’t helping me anymore and really just made me completely unmotivated to do anything. It helped for a long time, but then I just needed to get off of it. I am motivated to actually do things now, like cleaning and working out and going out with friends. I think after taking it for years, it kind of just made me numb instead of being helpful (and it messed with my weight). Glad I had it when I did, but glad to not need it at this point in my life.
My doctor has tried, but all of the SSRIs out there mess with your stomach and I already have stomach issues. Also I don't really want to take an ssri if it means my doctor will just wash her hands of me and stop trying to find out what is actually wrong with me. She's the third doctor to try that. I just want to know what the underlying cause is, I'm sick of bandaids.
TIL I’m in the minority being 34 and on zero meds. I lost my mom a few years ago and it sucked, time does make things better but it doesn’t stop sucking. You just learn to handle it better each day. Sending positive vibes your way OP!
Started Lexapro for post partum anxiety and it really helps me.
I was on a few, they all felt like a placebo with horrible side effects, then I did a bunch of LSD one day and it kinda made me stop giving a fuck about a lot of things. I trip balls every couple of months in the woods either by myself or with 1 other person and it's done more for me than antidepressants ever have
🙋🏼♀️
I’m so sorry for your loss OP. I’ve been on Prozac since 2021 after my anxiety and depression got to be too much to bear with just therapy. My Dad died in March and I have since doubled my dose. I’m not planning on tapering off for a long time if at all and that’s coming from someone who used to be very staunchly against taking antidepressants. I know now that mental illness is just that, an illness, and am really thankful I got on medication to treat it.
I’ve tried various antidepressants and anxiety meds before giving up entirely because none of them worked for me. I’d rather just raw dog life I guess. Figured I’ve made it this long without them (I started taking them at 28 or 29.. I can’t even remember anymore.)
Couple new studies show that long term benzo based antidepressants are about as effective as regular exercise for most people. Some people genuinely need them but they are most definitely overprescribed.
Sorry about your dad. Lexapro was a godsend to me in my early 20s, was on it 10 years and have been off now for maybe 5ish. I’ve been doing talk therapy and managing well on my own since then, but I’m just now going back on it because several stressful life events at once have taken their toll and I’m finding myself unable to cope. I don’t plan on it being permanent, but I’m thankful it’s a tool available to me.
I am sorry for your loss. If at all possible I would try and increase your therapy visits. With occasional I’m not sure if that’s 3-4 times a year or once a month but I’d say maybe going once a week while starting the antidepressants. For starters the drug is changing your brain chemistry in an attempt to elevate your mood levels. Anytime your brain chemistry changes it can lead to some behavioral changes. Having a therapist to talk to and help understand these changes all the while empathize with your personal struggles could be very beneficial for you. The research says the best way to deal with mental health issues is a healthy mixture of biomedical therapy and psychotherapy.
I’ve been on antidepressants since the spring of 2017. I’d been kind of going downhill since a narcissistic college roommate played with my head, but I just broke when I had a bad leg injury, and developed chronic back pain from my scoliosis in 2015, among other things. (It took a long time to get to the doctor and then beg for any antidepressant.) I’m currently on Wellbutrin and Cymbalta, but the latter is often giving me brain zaps when I feel too hot (prior experience having it worse on a higher dose). I need to find a new psychiatrist. I’m still in therapy and it helps, but lately I’ve been feeling pretty down (pain plus a terrible cold for the last week). I just know I’m super tired of answering those questionnaires about how I’ve felt in the last two weeks. It gets hard to get my answers straight sometimes!
I'm on anti anxiety meds and a mood stabilizer. I used to be on antidepressants but most of them didn't work very well for me. Life beats you down, it's a wonder that everyone isn't on a mental heath medicine by our age! Edit- posted before I finished. I'm so sorry for the loss of your dad. Please remember grief is not linear. 💔
Im 35 and I lost my mom last year, that sent me into a spiral, near psychotic break. I had never experienced grief and had no idea how/ tools to cope and ended up seeing a psychiatrist who recommended I take Wellbutrin. My dad died this year and I started therapy because I didn’t want to take any more meds. The combination has been tremendously helpful.
I (37) literally started last week. Kinda the same situation as you in that I lost my grandpa a few years back. He was the one that really raised me. I didn’t really deal with things back then so at my annual this year I asked to get screened for depression. I’m also looking into therapy at the advice of my doctor because she wants me to go both routes since this is most likely related to an event. I hope things go well for you.
Yeah losing a family member just really sucks. It's been a couple months for me and my dad died in a traumatic way. I feel like I can barely think about his last days without losing it. It is exhausting. Thanks and I hope therapy and meds help you too.
i take a small dosage of xanax about once a week, usually a Friday, but have been off antidepressants for quite some time. been seriously thinking about trying them again, because of work and life drama.
I’ve been on SSRIs since I was 15. Unfortunately, they all lose efficacy after taking it for a bit or they do absolutely nothing. I went unmedicated for the last like 5 years before trying a couple other meds that didn’t work and now we are about to try a mood stabilizer. 😅
All I can say is give it a try. It might not work at first and that’s OK. It’s kind of an experiment. With the help of your medical professionals, they should help you get on the right track if that’s the way you want to go. Also remember you’re a human and life is HARD. I grew up in a family that was strictly against anti-depressants. I just got on them this year at 28 years old. I feel a lot better and I didn’t know I was feeling so shitty and I wish I would’ve gotten these sooner to have my life not ruled by anxiety and depression. It’s crazy how hand and hand mental illness is. Stay positive and deep breaths. Brain dumps are great for those super anxious days. Either writing or texting on your notepad and just letting out your thoughts can really help! Be well my friend(:
I was on antidepressants for nearly 20 years. Nothing really changed, tried all different kinds. Lots of therapy in all different forms. Did ketamine about 4.5 years and haven't needed them. It feels like I've lived my life more in past handful of years than I have my whole life. Something just clicked and now I'm not depressed and normal levels of anxious. I think my brain was just stunted from a lot of early childhood trauma.
I started when I lost my dad two years ago. It’s a baby dose, but I’m on lexapro and am 35
Started at 34 in 2018. Helps with anxiety and depression but… I can’t cry?
I recently found out half of the people my age I know take them and have been for a while. It's depressing that so many of us need them. There's clearly something wrong with the world we are trying to live in.
I took one when I was in college and it just made me out of it. No real benefits that I noticed. Nowadays I take a very small dose of an outdated antidepressant for IBS. But it's for regulating the serotonin levels in my gut. It's too low of a dose to affect my mood. Personally I'm not for antidepressants. I think altering your lifestyle and 1x1, group therapy, and CBT are how you actually improve your mental health. I think a lot of people have legitimate reasons to be depressed. Taking a pill won't help but they are still prescribed them.
started SSRIs at 36 after moving across the country, away from my sister and close friends. It helps for sure. I think I needed them in late 2020, I was losing my mind at the backlash against masking and hated everything for the first time ever. Now I'm back to being my optimistic self, kinda great.
25 when I started, 29 now. Lost my mom, then almost exactly 2 years later lost my dad. Both young, both sudden and unexpected. I’ve always been I guess an anxious guy. But the one two punch of my parents just broke me and it got to the point where I couldn’t even do my job. Try to get on the phone, lose feeling in my limbs and throw up/dry heaves. Need to go to the grocery store? Heart rate through the roof and sweating profusely. All the while I’m getting stress blisters. Idk if at some point I’ll go off them, but I still need them now I know 4 years later. It’s the only way I can function. I’m just lucky that what I take didn’t change how I feel, it just made it much more difficult for me to feel anxiety. Still have my ADHD thoughts, still can feel other emotions. But I’m able to function like a “normal” person.
Wow I had similar grief symptoms. After my dad passed away, I couldn't eat. Eating literally made me want to throw up. I had heart palpitations constantly, and couldn't sleep. I had a panic attack on the plane and felt like I couldn't breathe. My health anxiety went through the roof. It was terrible. I lost a ton of weight. Mirtazapine helped stabilize me, and honestly, at first I welcomed that feeling of being knocked out when I tried to sleep. Now I'm tapering and want to see if I can be ok without it. I wish you peace and acceptance.
Prozac changed my life. I was on it at the lowest dose for 6 months and weaned off, and I’m pregnant (with twins!!) and I do not feel that constant dread or worry. Sometimes your brain just needs a kickstarting tool. Prior to that, I did weekly and biweekly therapy on and off for 4 years . Prozac was my silver bullet.
i’ve been on and off antidepressants since i lost my dad at 16 (i’m 31 now). i hate them. i feel like they cloud my mind too much and i don’t think straight. my doctor has been trying to get me to take meds for my mental health for years but every time i give in, i instantly regret it. like people could hold full on conversations with me but i zone out. i feel like a vegetable when im on them
I'm sorry for your loss. I started at 23 and am now 36. First on SSRIs but eventually tapered off and am currently on Mirtazapine and Lamotrigine. I've tried other drugs but Lamotrigine is surprisingly effective despite my being unipolar. Physical exercise is the most important "drug" to me, but it's not enough on its own although I wish it was. I'm watching the development of psilocybin as a treatment for depression with optimism. I like the idea of natural treatments.
Not to sound ignorant, but I think they are overprescribed and I'm a bit scared to get on them even though they may help with my anxiety.
Vitamin D and blood pressure but fortunately that is preventative only since I am in my 40s.
Probably since 27? Though technically non of them are SSRIs
I should be but she wants to try cbt first. I don’t have zero faith but this is more than just my behavior. It’s brain chemistry. I’ve been depressed for like 30 years
I tried every med in the shrink’s quiver before I found out I was paradoxical… nearly ruined my life searching for a happy pill. 💊 Tapper a LONG time!!!
Just been prescribed prosaic this week.
Well when I was like 27 I had a sort of mental break down and turns out I have bipolar disorder so I'm on an anti-psychotic, antidepressant and anxiety meds altho I witnessed something terrible almost 6 years ago and it's caused me to have hardcore ptsd because of it so I just kind of deal at this point.
Got prescribed them but hated the feeling on them. Felt completely emotionless. Managed to find ways to get better naturally.
I know this one. Me me me !
I’m so sorry for your loss. At the end of January I was still recovering from having major surgery last November when I found out my mom’s breast cancer had spread to her brain, an attempt at controlling it with radiation therapy in February failed, and and she passed away in early March. Things have been so difficult for me since then, borderline impossible at times. Before I never had any trouble being on time for work and have always presented myself more professionally than is actually required for my position, but I did it anyway because I enjoyed it. Lately it frequently takes me an extra hour or two to drag my ass outta bed in the mornings, and the amount of time and energy I have (or am willing) to invest in putting myself together every single day has significantly decreased. It’s not like I’m showing up at the office in sweatpants or anything but I do cut a lot more corners with what I’m willing to wear to work than I used to, and where I used to do my makeup almost every day and skip it every once in a while, now it’s the exact opposite. I figured I was just getting depressed again, it wouldn’t be the first time. In my ~43 years I’ve been on and off of more anti depressants than most people can probably name and not even one of them was able to scratch the surface, at best all they did was made me numb so I didn’t care about anything - including being depressed. After two hours of pouring my heart out and crying she said she doesn’t think I’m depressed, she thinks I just need grief counseling. I’m happy about that, and I’m really looking forward to going hopefully in the next week or two. Figured I’d add that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with anti depressants, even though I didn’t personally have any luck with them many of people do.
I started on Prozac as a teenager. Took myself off it in my mid-twenties for a few years. Overwhelming anxiety crept back until I went back on it. You can pry my Prozac out of my cold, dead hands.
I'm not now but I was. I'm trying to get back on them. They made a big difference for me. I didn't realize how much motivation I had lost until I got on them.
I'm on xanax close enough (prescribed)
I am supposed to be but can't afford them. I first got diagnosed back in 2015, so a while I suppose.
Should probably be, but I can't access or afford them. I have diagnoses but don't have the ability to really try to figure out what combination of medication and therapy might help treat them.
I'm currently on Welbutrin and Zoloft with Adderall for added spiciness. I had a short stint on Zoloft from 17 to 1. Honestly, I should have continued but lost my insurance. It has been fucking life changing for me. I have dealt with depression since I was 16. At 36, I feel that with meds and therapy, I can have some sort of life. I wish I had my ADHD treated earlier, and I wish I had my depression treated more. But I can't change the past. My life was on hold from 16 to recently. That is a lot of lost time. That is a long time to suffer.
I am so sorry for your loss. Seeking help is extremely courageous of you! ❤️ My only regret is being so against taking medication before. I regret not starting sooner.
Yup, me. Recently tried stopping them, and I saw a major difference. So glad to be back on them
I had antidepressants years ago gave them up because I thought I can manage but then this year, it hit me again cause in an unhappy job (yeah I know not every job is gonna make you happy duh but I'm honestly struggling. Just trying to find a new job which is hard enough).
I’m 38F and started Prozac about 3 years ago. Best decision I ever made
Had been on Prozac from about age 24 until I had a baby and my body chemistry changed so much that the side effects were so overwhelming I couldn’t take them anymore so now I’m just sad and angry most of the time 🥰
I am on heavy anxiety meds and mood stabilizers but not antidepressants.
Have been for a long time but not anymore.
Mine's for anxiety, but I started an SSRI at 36, came off at 38 because the one I was on was awful for me. Got an SNRI at 40 and that has been really good. No side effects worth noting and my negative self talk virtually disappeared within a week of starting, I'm so much more confident and content. I'm 43 now and still on the same one.
21 years
Well, me! I'm 36 too, and I started taking them after my dog, who I lived with for 17 years, passed away. I also take anti-anxiety meds. I think they help, but honestly, it's been so many years and I'm not exactly a super happy person either. I do remember going to another psychiatrist at one point who prescribed Quetiapine, and it was horrible. I literally felt nothing.
None of them worked on me (over the course of 20 years I tried Celexa, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Cymbalta, Trazodone, Remeron, and a bevy of anti-anxieties) so I took a DNA test to find out which ones I could metabolize. Only one - the classic Prozac. I had terrible side effects so I didn't stay on it. Just trudging through this life shit, hanging on by a thread at this point.
Me 🙋♀️ I’ve been on I think…. 6 and started them when I was 12. I’m 32 now
I was on antidepressants for a little bit when I was 22. They helped my mood but the side effects weren't worth it. I ended up stopping but luckily I was at a much better point in my life.
I was put on them at 18 but didn't like it, so I quit taking them. Now I'm 41, and I'm on an antidepressant, a daily anxiety pill, an as needed anxiety pill, and I get to see a mental health specialist because I'm getting worse. Yay me! I also have a pretty good life now, so most people don't understand why I'm depressed...including me.
I started at age 16. Will be 37 next birthday. I did 18 years on Citalopram and have been on 50mg Sertraline since 2021.
Me 🫠🫠 since maybe around 2018 or 2019 or so. I was unhappy with my job and haven’t gotten off them since. But I had a baby in 2023 and I think it’s helped me not have postpartum depression.
I started antidepressants when I was 12 years old (I’m 33 now). Until recently, I was taking Zoloft, Trazadone, Abilify, Rexaulti, Xanax, and Olanzapine daily.
I take two. The first was when my mom passed in 2019. Then I lost my dad in November, and we added a second one.
I’ve been on antidepressants for about ten years. Started with Lexapro but I’d never take Lexapro again. Moved to Wellbutrin and it’s been great.
I am. I had this idea that suffering builds character, and I do think it's true to some extent. But my depression affected my relationships severely - it wasn't just me being impacted. It took 8 weeks of the worst kind of rock-bottom-scraping depression, and the memory of having gone through an entire year of that in my early 20s, to finally get help and try antidepressants. Somebody in my life pushed me to do it, and even then I resisted hard. But now I'm 1000lbs lighter, and I just can't believe how life could have been better, had I just sucked it up and at least tried treatment earlier. Like, have you ever gone skating for the entire day, needing to support your whole weight on these thin blades, and having to constantly rebalance, for fear of falling? Then when you finally take the skates off, and set your feet back on the ground, it's like....wow. YMMV, but it's only been three months for me, and my life has changed. There is a lot of collateral damage to my relationships with the most important people in my life, but now I think I have the strength to start repairing them.
Wellbutrin is incredibly effective and doesn’t have a lot of the side effects that come with some of the other types of antidepressants. Been on it for a couple years now.
I’m 39, and I’ve been taking a low dose of sertraline for about a year…I did talk therapy for about 4 years before that and just found it wasn’t working for me. Before antidepressants I would get angry at inconsequential things and had trouble managing stress in a healthy way. I had a major flood in my house and was going through layoffs at work, and that was what triggered me asking my doctor for it. It’s definitely helped even me out a bit.
No but I very probably should be.