Clinical Depression: Quit medications?
Question:
I have been taking medication (setraline) for my clinical depression for more than month now. But theres improvements.
I don't believe in medication for a "mental" problem, but i was desperate to rid myself of feeling tired all the time.
Im coming off my medication and want to take a more conventional approach to my mental "problems" and take up meditation to soothe my mind. Between the medication being uneffective and the drowsiness with my mouth twitching, i cant stand it.
what should i do? what do you think?
Answers:
One should not have negative feelings or a poor self-image of oneself for having to take medications for depression. Ask your doctor to simply change your medications if they are causing you uncomfortable side
effects. Along with medications for yourself,
another means of helping yourself is reading
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn PhD's book:
"The Mindful Way through Depression."
It comes with a 50 min. CD as well.
This excellent book teaches all the techniques and skills needed to alleviate depression and anxiety in order to have a calm peaceful mind and to be happy. For anyone suffering from clinical depression: this book is not a replacement, but an excellent addition to be used along with treatment through medications. Patience is always the key toward seeing expected results from the medications prescribed by one's doctor.
.
Read pages 2, and 11, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris...
well first of all it takes most medications about a month to kick in. If you were feeling better right away , then you were fooling yourself by taking the little pill. Change your lifestyle. Find a way to get out, or get aggression out. I stay busy with work, because it gives me to $$ to go out and have fun. I don't make enough to have fun every weekend, but well I survive. Reading books always made me more depressed, but there were somethings that were good. The one thing I found most difficult, was to write down 3 different positive things a day for a month. It isn't easy, but I gave it my best, with some duplicates, but least I kept trying to think positive. Start or keep seeing a counselor. You might have to go to several before you are comfortable in talking to one, but its your own mental health, make it what you want it to be.
HAVE YOU TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR .get a second opion from a medical dr. also.
Would you believe in medication for a heart or kidney problem?
Well, depression is a problem with a vital organ, the brain. Just because isn't as easily understood as the heart or kidney doesn't mean that problems with it are imaginary. People tend to give negative stigma to things they cannot understand.
The point is that you have a problem with your brain. You need to be under a doctor's care and take meds. Now, all meds have side effects and if yours are something you cannot stand, then your doctor can help you get off of it and on something that doesn't cause that side effect. But beware, coming off of the medication puts you in a dangerous position so you really need to do it under a doctor's care.
Don't look for the quick fix either. You are trying to rebalance your brain chemistry. The medications you are looking at will build slowly in your system until they are effective. Anything that can do it too fast is going to be dangerous to your health.
Good luck.
You need to take your medications, it takes time to catch up in your system. If you still have problems talk to him before you add something new.
Rule #1.never stop a medication without medical advice. Zoloft (Sertraline) is an old drug...there are newer, more effective ones out there. Talk to your Dr., you may just need to change medications. Depression is NORMAL, everyone faces it at sometime. Since you did not explain the circumstances leading up to the initiation of medication, cannot give a better answer. Are things better now than in the past? Are you more stable, happier? What stressors caused you to seek medical attention? You may not need it any longer, may have gotten over the "hump" so to speak. There are many OTC cures out there, the best ones are friends, a strong support group, sunshine. You already eat right and exercise. Attitude is everything.
So, you had a few weeks of depression and your doctor gave you a pill instead of referring you to therapy? Yeh, maybe you don't belong on medication. Talk therapy is the most effective treatment for regular life depression. Everyone gets it. It is normal.
As someone else pointed out, anti-Ds usually take about a month to work. If you felt something right away, it probably was placebo effect. (You are far from the first to experience that.) Also, if your mouth is twitching, it may be a side effect. That should be discussed with your doctor.
A comment on Zoloft... it's a heavy hitter and makes me again wonder why gp's are allowed to prescribe psych meds. There are kinder, gentler ADs than that one. If you find you do need an AD, give serious thought about seeing a psychiatrist - the psych med experts. You'll get something better suited to your needs and body chemistry.
Major depression, the real deal, is not a "mental" problem, it is a neurological malfunction of brain chemistry. I am a little offended at your flip use of "mental" because it screams ignorance. Will power can't stop major depression. Weakness did not cause it. The best treatment is medication AND talk therapy.
It is not unusual for antidepressants to take 4-6 weeks to work. If they are still not working after about 2 months, it is time to talk to your doctor about switching to different antidepressants. Whatever you do, do NOT stop the medication cold turkey since there are usually withdrawal symptoms, they must be gone off gradually, usually with supervision of a doctor.
You should try cognitive behavioral therapy or something like it. Studies have shown CBT has the same success rate in patients who have mild to moderate clinical depression as antidepressants without the crappy side effects and higher relapse rate after treatment is finished. Hows that for equating depression to a kidney problem? HA!
If you've been on the meds for more than 6 weeks and it's not doing anything, tell your doctor you want off the meds to either change medications or you want a refferal to a good psychologist.
I don't think its a good idea to come off the medication. if you don't feel its working, try going to the psychiatrist and have him/her suggest something else with less side effects. It is important to try meditation and things like that along with medication. It will build up your mind and make you healthier and more successful for when you do come off the meds.
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