Anti-Depressive pills, do they work?

[tk149]

Originally posted by: TheeeChosenOne
GUYS:

From reading the thread, it seems like a lot of you need a good dose of PERSPECTIVE:

Whenever you get depressed, think INSTEAD how GOOD you have it. As a middle-class citizen in the wealthiest country in the world you have ACCESS to things that KINGS could only dream of 100 years ago. Yes KINGS.

Think now how it would be to have been currently born in a sh!tstorm country in Africa or Middle East, where you're cannon fodder to the warlords, have no human rights, are subjected to insane heat, contaminated water and food, insects, shantytown shelter, disease, nonexistent health care, no clothes except the ones on your body.

Heck, whenever I feel blue, this PERSPECTIVE perks me up straight up and I pray to God for allowing me to be born here.

But shrinks will never let you know this secret to well-being b/c you're paying his monthly quota for his BMW 7 series. He will feed you paranoia, pills and whatever insecurity drivel he can muster/address out of you so that he has you as a patient for YEARS! Shrinks do good for 5% of their patients. The rest are whining, insecure yuppies that shrinks/parasites feed off of to spawn thier huge lucrative industry.

Any old timer WWII vet will tell you this....to get PERSPECTIVE and a STIFF UPPER LIP when a little brown rain hits you.

Cheers!

I think you meant well, but this is precisely the kind of attitude that makes Depression/Anxiety such stigmatized illnesses. You simply do not understand that just thinking "happy thoughts" is not an effective therapy. That's kind of like thinking cancer will go away if you cross your fingers and tap your heels together three times. It just ain't gonna happen.

From what I've seen, most people who haven't been depressed, will often ask a victim, "What have you got to be depressed about? Your life is so great compared to blah blah blah." This, IMO, demonstrates the complete lack of understanding the general public has regarding this illness. A victim does not have to be depressed about ANYTHING specific (although there is often a triggering event that starts the episode).

 

[rust5tyle]

I don't know if these work or not. But I can relate to the way you feel, and I honestly believe that getting into a pattern of some sort and exercising can make you feel better. I have been having on and off trouble with feeling really, really anxious for no good reason and also being really, really sad for no good reason. I also find that there's a good bunch of days where I just don't feel anything at all. But, the reason I say I believe it helps is because I swam alot in high school, and during this time I felt the best I have ever felt. My mind was a lot clearer and I very, very rarely felt upset. This can and will help in more mild cases if you just give it a chance, as it will take time. The benefits of doing it this way, if possible, is there are no side effects. Frankly, the idea of some of those side effects is enough to make me try to do it any other way possible. Also, getting away from the computer helps quite a bit, I know this for sure too. Good luck with whatever path you choose, and I hope you begin to feel better soon!

 

[Descartes]

You people are depressing me, and now I need meds!

So many people can't seem to cope with their own damn problems. However bad you think you have it, there are millions who have it MUCH worse and seem to make it through the day sans the "woe is me." Everyone goes through bad times, but you talk about it, suck it up, and move on.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Descartes
You people are depressing me, and now I need meds!

So many people can't seem to cope with their own damn problems. However bad you think you have it, there are millions who have it MUCH worse and seem to make it through the day sans the "woe is me." Everyone goes through bad times, but you talk about it, suck it up, and move on.

May your skies be dark and days be shiitty.

But don't worry, you've got it great!

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: Descartes
You people are depressing me, and now I need meds!

So many people can't seem to cope with their own damn problems. However bad you think you have it, there are millions who have it MUCH worse and seem to make it through the day sans the "woe is me." Everyone goes through bad times, but you talk about it, suck it up, and move on.

May your skies be dark and days be shiitty.

But don't worry, you've got it great!

I don't, actually. I've gone through many, many sh1tty times; perhaps that's why I'm a bit callous. I'm not admonishing those who are truly in need of medical attention, but I am those who can't cope with the normal emotional oscillations of life and thus compensate with medication. Doctors prescribe anti-depressants all too often, in my opinion.

 

[TheeeChosenOne]

Originally posted by: Descartes

I don't, actually. I've gone through many, many sh1tty times; perhaps that's why I'm a bit callous. I'm not admonishing those who are truly in need of medical attention, but I am those who can't cope with the normal emotional oscillations of life and thus compensate with medication. Doctors prescribe anti-depressants all too often, in my opinion.

My sentiments exactly.

Dr. Drew last night said that Actors take prescription drugs b/c they stress out. Drew took great pains to show that actors have A LOT less stress than other professions (like Firefighter, Police Officer).

It's this selfish egocentricty (i.e. "ME!" attiitude) that precisely leads to too many people gobbling up prescription drugs in an unwarranted manner. When one takes that self-preoccupation AWAY from the SELF ontowards others (i.e. children, dog, friends, family, volunteering to help other who truly need help), the anxiety seeps away.

Most pill-poppers, like any illegal drug user, however, become defensive and immediately try to justfiy their egregious behavior. Following this mana of routine becomes very difficult to escape if the individual can't think away from his/herself and accurately assess what is the root of the problem and solving it proactively instead of seeking the extremely easy way out with pills.

 

[naddicott]

I think SSRIs and the like are over-prescribed, especially given the lack of knowledge about effects of long term exposure. Much of the pharmaceutical advertising for these products I find downright offensive "Feeling glum? you may have a chemical imbalance! Take our pill!"

That said, there are people with a legitimate need for these products. A good psychiatrist (as opposed to family doctor) is qualified to make that determination.

Bottom line, antidepressants save lives. It sounded to me like the original poster is having irrational suicidal ideation, which is a serious symptom that can very easily lead to a pointless death if untreated. The "pull yourself out of it man!" attitude advocated most prominently here by TheeeChosenOne does not work for people whose brain chemistry is in a state of major depression. In fact, such thoughts tend to make the depression worse when the depressed individual tries to "snap out of it", fails, and then feels even more hopeless about their prospects.

Minor situational depression is natural, easily handled without medication, and not the same thing as full blown clinical depression.

Oh, and I was holding my tongue earlier, but "feeling depressed? Have kids! That'll fix it!" is the worst advice I've ever heard. Great way to really fsck up some new kid's life right from the start. Children deserve two loving, fully functional parents, and I highly reccomend treating any psychological conditions one may have before deciding to become a parent.

 

[TheeeChosenOne]

Originally posted by: naddicott

Oh, and I was holding my tongue earlier, but "feeling depressed? Have kids! That'll fix it!" is the worst advice I've ever heard. Great way to really fsck up some new kid's life right from the start. Children deserve two loving, fully functional parents, and I highly reccomend treating any psychological conditions one may have before deciding to become a parent.

Again, as usual, all ATOTers statements tend to be taken out of context and misread.

There is no paradigm to help with depression. My suggestions are loose guidelines of how OTHERS have handled the doldrums artificially created by their egoistic personalities.

They have done studies about happiness around the world. You know what? The happiest people are not in the First world countries, but in third world nations. Why? Well, despite their poverty, they have large families and social networks that lend as a support groups to all travails life leads us into. It's all about socialization.

So why do some patients snap out of depression when having a kid, you say? Simply b/c the person now is living for someone else. Thinking and acting for someone else leads to the person not egocentrically looking into one's own brain. Add to that the joy a kid provides, the reliving of one's own childhood thru their eyes, and the entire self-sacrifice of this experience, well then one can see why some view children and dogs as therapeutic effects.

To be clear: there are people with serious mental problems and that do need medical attention to legitimately treat their illness. These people can't look after others, b/c they can't look after themselves. These people really do need help.

However, the GREAT MAJORITY of Yuppie patients are not in this category. I've met so many patients thru my doctor brother that have cured their mental problems by simple social re-integration exercises as those I earlier prescribed in this thread. They are not the be all and end all to treatment, but you can wipe out a HUGE percentage of one's blues by thinking along these lines and treating it in this manner. Believe it or not, dogs are now regularly used in hospitals to help with recuperation and to counter depression/loneliness some people feel after surgery. A "friend" goes a long way to putting a smile on one's face, know what I mean?

It's really too easy in today's society to get depressed. People who easily are apt to feel this way should take SIMPLE ACTIVEmeasures to counter it..........without having to resort to the EASY and INCORRECT route of consuming products from the pill-pushing pharma comapanies & Shrinks.

Human beings are extremely social animals. We need it. We live for it. If most reading this thread can readdress their issues in a proactive manner, they will go a looong way to not spending hard earned money on pills/shrinks. Heck, one doesn't need a shrink to tell you this...........Talk to a wise friend or family member----It'll be a lot cheaper and you'll get much more customized advice since the person knows you better[/u] rather than you using a slighlty fictitious(?) reaccount "cover story" with your Shrink.

 

[BoberFett]

How could that be taken out of context?

You told someone that's extremely unhappy with their lives that the way to happiness is to have kids. That's horrible advice.

 

[TheeeChosenOne]

Again misreading

You do what you want. It's your body/wallet that will suffer from the pill popping. Not mine. Best of luck to you and your problems.

 

[StageLeft]

TheeeChosenOne I actually found your long post quite accurate in many regards. Americans do spend too much time wrapped up in money and working and spend too much of their lives devoted to consumption, be it of money or food. Many don't spend much or any time with significant friends and instead their passtime is sitting in front of the tv growing their bellies and not their minds or mental health.

Anyway in regards to the original question millions of people have benefited from anti-depressents and as always your doctor is going to make a more accurate determination of whether you should try them than anandtech

 

[BD231]

Yikes, this thread is going a little to far guys. I'm 19, havn't seen my dad since I was 5, lived with my mom while she went through a violent depression, was always the little fat kid growing up in school, was VERY poor for long time, you name it.

Life was extremely hard but once I was about 16 I was able to take some control and now I'm left with alot of irregularities to fix. My dad had a horrible problem with depression and so did my mother, growing up in a depressed invironment is really what got me in this rut.

I do agree that positive thinking and friends help immensly, but I've already worked for that lifestyle and these swings I get are honestly not controlable. I get completely whacked out and alot of times end up hurting myself by running till I can't hardly feel my legs or throw up. When I get the feeling I want to kill myself it's because I'm sick of having the depressive spells, and every time the thought of killing myself crosses my mind I get scared I may actually do it one day because I feel so incapeable of controlling the feelings.

I work out EVERY DAY, it's baisically all I do and I do it with quite a few different people. I go out on weekends with friends, get turned down by chicks or meet skanks I want nothing to do with, have a few laughs, everything is normal.

For me, keeping a constant positive attitude always becomes a way of pretending nothing is wrong, I still feel like I'm hurting and it's enough to drive someone insane.

Please, no more arguments over mindset, I've done some amazing things and if I honestly thought I was capeable of the "brush it off" attitude I'd of never made this thread. I've been fighting these spells alone in every way I possibly can for near 8 years now and I can't shake them. Nobody wants to solve the problem more than I do, and it's somewhat of an insult to hear people saying it's all in your head.

I've talked to some shrinks before and all they really said was "wow, you really had it tough" or "thought must have been rough". Everyone accepts the excuses because their honest, it makes no sense to have someone try and make me feel ok about how phucked up I am.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: Descartes
You people are depressing me, and now I need meds!

So many people can't seem to cope with their own damn problems. However bad you think you have it, there are millions who have it MUCH worse and seem to make it through the day sans the "woe is me." Everyone goes through bad times, but you talk about it, suck it up, and move on.

And if you can do that, you're fine. Until about the past week , for a good 5 years or more, I haven't had much to be happy about, but that doesn't stop me. However, I don't problems with depression. I know a few people who do, and their problem is that they get depressed...and there just isn't much you can do. Good things happen and they don't even notice it while in one of their down moods.
It has little to do with perspective. I personally think it has quite a lot to do with our food and air. But that's a whole 'nother thread.

 

[Broohaha]

bd231, you need meds asap.

a child who has a father and a mother both with a history of depression is 75% likely to have depression himself. i know this because both my parents were depressed at one point and as i mentioned earlier i was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. things didnt really manifest themselves until this year. i was in a low-grade depressive haze for much of the last 8 years which i didnt seek treatment for. but then i fell into a severe clinical depression where i couldnt eat, sleep, think or breathe, it seemed. it felt as if my very being were being snuffed out and extinguished, like i had no reason to live.

after a couple trips to the emergency room, i began seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist. both parts are essential. the therapist will talk you through your problems and also recommend medication. the psychiatrist is the one that prescribes the meds though.

i have found my medication regimen to be extremely, extremely helpful. there are side effects but they're not nearly as bad as the hell you're going through. go see a psychiatrist asap and tell him that your story.

 

[Broohaha]

btw, just out of curiosity, what race are you?

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: BD231
Yikes, this thread is going a little to far guys. I'm 19, havn't seen my dad since I was 5, lived with my mom while she went through a violent depression, was always the little fat kid growing up in school, was VERY poor for long time, you name it.

Life was extremely hard but once I was about 16 I was able to take some control and now I'm left with alot of irregularities to fix. My dad had a horrible problem with depression and so did my mother, growing up in a depressed invironment is really what got me in this rut.

I do agree that positive thinking and friends help immensly, but I've already worked for that lifestyle and these swings I get are honestly not controlable. I get completely whacked out and alot of times end up hurting myself by running till I can't hardly feel my legs or throw up. When I get the feeling I want to kill myself it's because I'm sick of having the depressive spells, and every time the thought of killing myself crosses my mind I get scared I may actually do it one day because I feel so incapeable of controlling the feelings.

I work out EVERY DAY, it's baisically all I do and I do it with quite a few different people. I go out on weekends with friends, get turned down by chicks or meet skanks I want nothing to do with, have a few laughs, everything is normal.

For me, keeping a constant positive attitude always becomes a way of pretending nothing is wrong, I still feel like I'm hurting and it's enough to drive someone insane.

Please, no more arguments over mindset, I've done some amazing things and if I honestly thought I was capeable of the "brush it off" attitude I'd of never made this thread. I've been fighting these spells alone in every way I possibly can for near 8 years now and I can't shake them. Nobody wants to solve the problem more than I do, and it's somewhat of an insult to hear people saying it's all in your head.

I've talked to some shrinks before and all they really said was "wow, you really had it tough" or "thought must have been rough". Everyone accepts the excuses because their honest, it makes no sense to have someone try and make me feel ok about how phucked up I am.

Try other shrinks. it will take more than meds, but they can be a good start--you just need constant vigilance of yourself, friends to watch out for you, and a good doctor. If you're chemically screwed up, meds and other therapy can help, but as with many problems, it probably won't work the first try, and won't be a perfect single solution. In the case of my worst friend (as far as depression goes, anyway), while he still, and may always have, problems, the pills really helped. He takes nothing now, but was able to make permanent changes while emotionally balanced by medication that he could not having made otherwise, and could not make even now (unfortunately he also doesn't have enough money to pay for them now if he were supposed to take them), though not going through any serious depression boughts in the last year or so speaks for itself. He gets stressed out and has nervous breakdowns, but he has MDD, and that's nowhere near as bothersome as when he'd randomly talk about suicide (and the worst was that often he'd wake up the next day and not remember it, since he was in such a different state of mind!).

 

[Gage]

Real depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. You can no more snap out of it than you can diabetes or cancer. Everybody gets sad and everybody has problems. That isn't what's going on with depression. When you are depressed you can feel like sh*t even when things are good. You don't necesarilly feel sad all the time. You feel tired like there is a giant weight crushing you. Your brain just doesn't function the way it should. Before I found out what was wrong with me I seriously thought I had a brain tumor. In fact the first doctor I went to thought that too. He even gave me a catscan. I was b*tchy for no reason, had problems with my memory, insomnia- or I would sleep 15 hours straight, I had trouble focusing on things, and I just didn't feel like doing anything except vegging out. But I wasn't sad. My life was great. I just mentally and physically couldn't participate in it.

I've been on Zoloft, Paxil, and some other stuff too. Now I'm on Wellbutrin. It is really an individual thing and different people react differently. You will probably have to try more than one. Having said that, I'm loving wellbutrin. It has no sexual side effects. Actually most people say that it increases.. uh... well you enjoy it a lot more. I also have lost my oral fixations. I used to smoke-quit on my first try thanks to Wellbutrin. I've also lost about 10 pounds because I don't sit around eating all the time. I can actually read a whole book now and be able to really get into it because I can remember what's going on. Seriously, Antidepressants have changed my life.

People who are just sad will not benefit from anti-depressants. It may as well be a sugar pill. People who are clinically depressed will benefit a great deal.

 

[Broohaha]

Originally posted by: Gage
Real depression is caused by a chemical imbalance. You can no more snap out of it than you can diabetes or cancer. Everybody gets sad and everybody has problems. That isn't what's going on with depression. When you are depressed you can feel like sh*t even when things are good. You don't necesarilly feel sad all the time. You feel tired like there is a giant weight crushing you. Your brain just doesn't function the way it should. Before I found out what was wrong with me I seriously thought I had a brain tumor. In fact the first doctor I went to thought that too. He even gave me a catscan. I was b*tchy for no reason, had problems with my memory, insomnia- or I would sleep 15 hours straight, I had trouble focusing on things, and I just didn't feel like doing anything except vegging out. But I wasn't sad. My life was great. I just mentally and physically couldn't participate in it. I've been on Zoloft, Paxil, and some other stuff too. Now I'm on Wellbutrin. It is really an individual thing and different people react differently. You will probably have to try more than one. Having said that, I'm loving wellbutrin. It has no sexual side effects. Actually most people say that it increases.. uh... well you enjoy it a lot more. I also have lost my oral fixations. I used to smoke-quit on my first try thanks to Wellbutrin. I've also lost about 10 pounds because I don't sit around eating all the time. I can actually read a whole book now and be able to really get into it because I can remember what's going on. Seriously, Antidepressants have changed my life. People who are just sad will not benefit from anti-depressants. It may as well be a sugar pill. People who are clinically depressed will benefit a great deal.

well said

 

[Broohaha]

btw, gage, you a chick?

if so, :camera:s?

if not, sorry to bug you dude.

 

[thomsbrain]

Kaiser will handle this, and please call them. sounds like it might be a form of bipolar disorder, which luckily can be treated.

 

[chasem]

anyone can make get depressed if they think about their life too much.
here is how i rationlize not getting depresed.

1. all you have is yourself and this oppurtunity to live life to the fullest
2. if you arnt living life to the fullest why even worry about anything else? what else matters?

whats so important that you cant complete task #1 (the most important task there is)