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Antidepressants? worth it?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hello all.
I'm Owen, I'm 21 and i'v got some issues.
I'v recently been diagnosed with sever depression, I'v been feeling incredibly depressed since January.
My doctor has advised me to use Mirtazapine (an Antidepressant), saying it will have little effect on my libido, seeing a a large part of my depression is having problems with having sex and thus the end of a relationship that meant a lot to me (with family problems thrown in there, but i'm not going there!).
I have some information on Mirtazapine, however I know what is making me depressed, so i'm trying to go to counselling and stay away from taking antidepressants with the hope i'll defeat my depression that way.
However, when I am feeling depressed, I pray that I had accepted taking them because I feel so terrible. :crying:
I'v seen a friend of mine have a change in her antidepressants, it didn't look like it was doing her any favors, in fact I believe they made her worse.
I'm in a right pickle, I need advice, because I don't want antidepressants making me go psycho :crazyeyes , however there are times when I feel so bad (now more recently suicidal thoughts) that I wish I had taken my doctors advice and started using them.
Any info is welcome.
Thanks for reading.
I'm Owen, I'm 21 and i'v got some issues.
I'v recently been diagnosed with sever depression, I'v been feeling incredibly depressed since January.
My doctor has advised me to use Mirtazapine (an Antidepressant), saying it will have little effect on my libido, seeing a a large part of my depression is having problems with having sex and thus the end of a relationship that meant a lot to me (with family problems thrown in there, but i'm not going there!).
I have some information on Mirtazapine, however I know what is making me depressed, so i'm trying to go to counselling and stay away from taking antidepressants with the hope i'll defeat my depression that way.
However, when I am feeling depressed, I pray that I had accepted taking them because I feel so terrible. :crying:
I'v seen a friend of mine have a change in her antidepressants, it didn't look like it was doing her any favors, in fact I believe they made her worse.
I'm in a right pickle, I need advice, because I don't want antidepressants making me go psycho :crazyeyes , however there are times when I feel so bad (now more recently suicidal thoughts) that I wish I had taken my doctors advice and started using them.
Any info is welcome.
Thanks for reading.
0
Comments
I've been on and off Prozac for years and it works for me. It doesn't make me happy, far from it, but it turns down the volume on the angry and depressed feelings that I have. The Prozac doesn't fix me, but it makes the sadness more bearable, and that's important if you do go into counselling or therapy. The things you talk about in counselling or therapy can be very very painful and, for me, the ADs helped me cope with the painful feelings in therapy whilst I went through it. As I got further into therapy I didn't need them because I was coping better, but they kept me alive long enough to get into the therapy properly.
That's my experience though. Other people find them horrendous, and find that they don't work at all. Side effects can be problematic- the first few weeks of taking Prozac leaves me with cotton wool for brains and a serious inability to achieve orgasm- but my libido isn't affected and I'm still able to function on them. I don't know about the AD you've been prescribed but I'd suggest that you try taking them. If they work they work and if they don't you can always stop taking them. It is important that you push for counselling at the same time as taking them, though, as IMHO they don't fix you by themselves.
The only ADs that I've had side-effects with are the ones I'm on right now and even then it was only mild.
It's great to hear from people who have experience with AD's and have usefull advice, thank you very much!
keep posting, would like to see how you are getting on
BB x
I think a lot of anti-ds have the potential to lower your libido.
You might find a supplement like 5htp just as effective, without the side effects?
It sounds like you've got quite a lot going on in your personal life. You should take some comfort in the fact that you are aware of the issues you are facing and are dealing with them pro-actively.
Taking anti-depressants can be a big step, and as 'Arctic Role' said the decision to take them should ultimately lie with you. Alternatively a lot of people find things like exercise or a long walk helpful in clearing your head and de-stressing.
Have you gone back and expressed your concerns to the doctor that originally advised you to take them? They would be able to offer you more concrete advice on the side effects.
Coming to terms with issues around your mental health can be challenging for people at any age and sometimes just talking things through (with your counsellor, or here on The Site) can be a great help. It's always important to be able to offload the stress of life to someone willing to listen.
With regards to the suicidal thoughts you've been having more recently, if your wanting some instant advice or guidance, it may be worthwhile noting down the number of the Samaritans, 24 hour confidential service. More details of that can be found on their website.
http://www.samaritans.org/
Let us know how your getting on and keep posting. There's always someone here when you need to offload.
:thumb: