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Has psychiatric medication completely changed your life for the better?

incogneato

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I'm looking into seeing a psychiatrist and getting on psychiatric meds. I have struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life and I used food to cope with it, which has caused me to yo-yo with my weight. I am a little concerned about any possible long term or short term negative side effects from taking medication. Is there anyone who's life has significantly changed for the better after taking medication?
 

Incokneegrow

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its not a miracle but it definitely makes things much more manageable. sometimes you wont even realize it until you stop taking them. initially i didnt think there was a difference but when i stopped i definitely saw it
 

incogneato

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lithium orate helped with my extreme anxiety and nervousness that once prevented me from sleeping at night. Now I awake with clarity, feeling refreshed and somewhat balanced mood. I bought it OTC
 

thisunrest

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Ive been on a few.
If you're worried about weight, maybe be careful with Depakote. It made me gain weight because with some folks, it will slow the metabolism.
It's a type of valproic acid often used for bipolar disorder.

Zoloft has helped me immensely. I've been on that for years and it's made life so,so,so much better in that my depression is easier to handle, and I haven't gained weight or dealt with any other side-effects.

Prozac made me numb...like, lemme-cut-my-arm-to-feel type apathy. Would not recommend.
I was on Welbutrin years ago, and that also had no side-effects for me.

The most important thing I can tell you is you need a Dr that will take your concerns seriously. If there are side-effects you absolutely refuse to risk, tell them and have them weed out the meds that're most likely to cause them.

It can be a process to find the right medicine and dose, and sometimes the process sucks. But done right, meds can raise your quality of life.

Some meds are also prescribed to help alleviate the desire to binge, kind of like Chantix was used to help people quit smoking .

If you can tell your doc what behaviors you want to help quit as well as your emotional situation, that can help them select medicine that will have a higher chance of success.

Good luck., and hang in there....sometimes finding a doctor to take you seriously is the hardest part but they are worth GOLD!
 

JamQueen

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The thing with antideprssants is that they don’t work right away. It can take a few weeks to a month to see a difference. Also, there will be withdrawals if you abruptly stop taking them. Since the majority of antidepressants increase your Serotonin levels, you will not feel like yourself if you just stop taking them. You will need to slowly ween yourself off. Also, depending on the drug your weight can go up from increased appetite.
 

thisunrest

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its not a miracle but it definitely makes things much more manageable. sometimes you wont even realize it until you stop taking them. initially i didnt think there was a difference but when i stopped i definitely saw it
^^^^^THIS!
 

Lady Esmeralda

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Yes but i would stay away from effexor. I'm currently struggling to get off of it so i can continue with my other meds.
 

inasundress

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I tried antidepressants for a brief period and it made my symptoms worse and created new ones (I suddenly had a frequent and pressing urge to self harm which I have never done before or since). Medications for anti anxiety only make me sleepy and drowsy and I don't like the way they feel, even at microdoses.

ADHD medication has helped with my concentration issues but I don't really believe there is a way to pharmocologically temper my anxiety, which borders on clinical impairment. I will also say I don't feel that my depressive episodes are chemical (they are exogenous not endogenous) and since they usually resolve with time perhaps my depression wasn't severe enough that it would have been helped by SSRIs. I would assume it matters a lot whether your depression is from a chemical imbalance or just from life hardships; I would assume medication isn't likely to be super helpful in the latter case.
 

Connie Flemming

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Try it, I told other fonts I was unsure about trying. But for the sake of graduating I went ahead. It’s 6am where I am right now I’m up ready and I can’t wait to start my day. You have nothing to lose, most important is that you take steps to better yourself and be honest with yourself thats what tripped me up in the past.
 

Nadia Makita

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I'm looking into seeing a psychiatrist and getting on psychiatric meds. I have struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life and I used food to cope with it, which has caused me to yo-yo with my weight. I am a little concerned about any possible long term or short term negative side effects from taking medication. Is there anyone who's life has significantly changed for the better after taking medication?
It was a game changer in that it made me be able to do things (I couldn’t do basic things like eating or getting out of bed). And helped with anxiety. It made me gain weight though so I stopped taking them and found ways to manage myself without medication. I wouldn’t recommend stopping your meds though, for most people who take them they are necessary.
 

SoyTres

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Honestly, FOR ME: yes and no.

The psychiatric medicine that I am prescribed makes me feel better. But it also makes me gain alot of weight. Which fucks with my self esteem. Which causes me to become depressed again.

Then when I stop taking the medicine, I lose the weight, begin to feel better about my self, but feel worse overall.

I think before you are just prescribed anything, do your research on the side effects. Make sure you are okay with could possibly happen to your body.
 

SoyTres

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I just want to add that FOR ME: I started to do things that have made my reliance on these types medicines begin to wane.

I stopped drinking
I exercise everyday (even if it's at home)
I go outside everyday
I changed my eating habits by eating less red meat and more leafy greens
I drink more water
I bought a new mattress
I started taking sleeping meds to get more sleep.

These are not miracle cures, but it does take the edge off. I have noticed that my everyday use of as needed Xanax has definitely decreased to maybe a half a tab a week (vs 7+).

Good luck to you.
 

Onyxprincess

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Ive been on a few.
If you're worried about weight, maybe be careful with Depakote. It made me gain weight because with some folks, it will slow the metabolism.
It's a type of valproic acid often used for bipolar disorder.

Zoloft has helped me immensely. I've been on that for years and it's made life so,so,so much better in that my depression is easier to handle, and I haven't gained weight or dealt with any other side-effects.

Prozac made me numb...like, lemme-cut-my-arm-to-feel type apathy. Would not recommend.
I was on Welbutrin years ago, and that also had no side-effects for me.

The most important thing I can tell you is you need a Dr that will take your concerns seriously. If there are side-effects you absolutely refuse to risk, tell them and have them weed out the meds that're most likely to cause them.

It can be a process to find the right medicine and dose, and sometimes the process sucks. But done right, meds can raise your quality of life.

Some meds are also prescribed to help alleviate the desire to binge, kind of like Chantix was used to help people quit smoking .

If you can tell your doc what behaviors you want to help quit as well as your emotional situation, that can help them select medicine that will have a higher chance of success.

Good luck., and hang in there....sometimes finding a doctor to take you seriously is the hardest part but they are worth GOLD!
ITA. Prozac is horrible.

I had what I’d call normal anxiety in my early 20s trying to pay rent - do adult things for the first time etc.

So I went to a psych and therapist. The therapist was wonderful.

The psych was a huge mistake. Just put me on Prozac and made me feel like sh!t.

Be VERY careful op. These are brain altering meds and some psychs give them out like candy.

The only thing I have is emergency Xanax - just to take if there is a stressful event - funerals, plane flights etc. I rarely use it tho.
 

BRWN0NE

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I'm on Zoloft, and I'm the happiest that I've ever been! I also go to therapy every week, and I'm actively making changes in my life that will benefit me. It's definitely a process, and the beneficial effects don't present themselves overnight. It took years to get where I'm at, but I'm glad that I'm finally here. Good luck, OP!
 

hollarbackgurl

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Effexor has balanced my moods and helped with my anxiety however I don't have a xes drive....at all
 

incogneato

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Diagnosed at 11 with moderate depression and severe anxiety and Have been on meds or trying new med every since. I'm now in my early 30s so I've had a lot experiences. Zoloft was the absolute worse and I'm sure the reason my son was born partially deaf. Effoxor(?) Wasn't bad at all as far as weight gain or feeling that weird, detached 'numb' feeling. It helped a little with anxiety but was not effective as an antidepressant for me and my dosage was upped a few times.

I've tried majority medications over the last several years and was warned that "it'll get worse before it gets better." And they were right. For me, I was already severely suicidal so that first month or 6 weeks of it slowly taking its first effects were brutal for me. I became even more suicidal, depressed, anxious, etc. In the midst of this, a trauma occured and I was diagnosed with ptsd. I found a center with a psychotherapist, counselor and psychiatrist and they listened when I told them antidepressants make life worse for me. A lot of doctors just don't believe that but for me, its the truth. They started me on Ketamine infusions about 2 years ago and saved my life. I haven't had a self harming thought since my first treatment. I had about 6 total sessions. I no longer need any anti anxiety or depression meds.

It sort of re wired my brain to where I can't fathom hurting myself and I'm unable to take my thoughts super dark. Meaning before, for example, if someone betrayed me it would basically spiral into what's wrong with me? Why am I not worthy? I'm not sh!t, my life is pointless! I hate myself, I deserve to die... And then proceed to try to do that. Now.... I would never ask myself what's wrong with me and the rest just doesn't occur to me anymore. They made me feel like something was wrong with me, that I wasn't taking the meds right, probably that I was lying, etc. But I just hadn't found the treatment that worked for me until then. I'm not in anyway telling you to get the same treatments as me, I'm just suggesting you really deal with a therapist you're comfortable with and someone that will really listen and present the best options for YOU. Do not be scared to vocalize if something is just not working for you.

Sorry to write so much but to anyone who understands what its like to go through several meds for mental illnesses and deal with doctors who basically tell you to suffer for weeks for a med that most time isn't even the right treatment for you, you're ready for a solution and a bright light. Look around for the best doctor, have your psychiatrist pull your insurance coverage and then have them go over every med and treatment that they offer and that is covered(by your insurance) until you come across one you both feel will be helpful, effective and comfortable for you. Good luck!
 

MissDeee

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Whatever you do, DO NOT get on Seroquel. I gained so much weight on that. Thankfully, I have lost it and then some. How could I get better when my weight was spiraling. HORRIBLE drug. I have been on Lamitical since 2019, along with Wellbutrin. I am much happier, and my weight is under control.

Also, check your Vitamin D, my levels were in the RED. Even when my days are not the best, I am still hopeful, plus my hair is growing back in my trouble spots.
 

beigesheep

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I feel like my antidepressant helped me out of a funk and then just completely quit working afterawhile. Trying to get off it now. Ketamine worked a lot better for me.
 

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