Anti-Depressants


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What are your opinions about Anti-depressant drugs?

  • It is a drug, therefore using it is wrong.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It is helpful.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • There are pros and cons to this subject.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
hmm, i work at a pharmaceutical company which makes anti-depressants. I have worked with anti-depressants for 8 years now and have learned a lot about them and what can happen.
There are a lot of variaties on the market which all have different side effects. The doctor which prescribes them tries to give the patient the best one suited for his/her complaint. Unfortunately some people can get side effects which worsen the situation. It is the problem with all medicines: no human has the exact same reaction on medication. If one anti-depressant doesn't work doesn't mean that others won't work.
To get back to the topic: you may say that i am biased due to working at a pharmaceutical company but anti depressants are helpful. Some people may take years to get out of a depression. If an anti depressant can help them to get better in a faster and more relaxing way it is worth it.
 
QUOTE (Dalriada @ Nov 19 2009, 06:26 AM)
You're very probably right (maybe the tamiflu does ?)
However, people still use medication to help with the symptoms of the flu.
Just like I see nothing wrong with people using drugs (without abusing it and with the supervision of a qualified doctor) to help with the symptoms of a depression.

Lol, actually taimiflu just helps with symptoms.
tongue.gif

Ooh, from what I had read in your post, I kinda seems liked you might have been against them, but kinda not.. Idk.. But since you see no problem with them.. I can longer speak to you...
Just kidding!!
wink.gif



QUOTE (nijlandp @ Nov 19 2009, 04:52 PM)hmm, i work at a pharmaceutical company which makes anti-depressants. I have worked with anti-depressants for 8 years now and have learned a lot about them and what can happen.
There are a lot of variaties on the market which all have different side effects. The doctor which prescribes them tries to give the patient the best one suited for his/her complaint. Unfortunately some people can get side effects which worsen the situation. It is the problem with all medicines: no human has the exact same reaction on medication. If one anti-depressant doesn't work doesn't mean that others won't work.
To get back to the topic: you may say that i am biased due to working at a pharmaceutical company but anti depressants are helpful. Some people may take years to get out of a depression. If an anti depressant can help them to get better in a faster and more relaxing way it is worth it.

To be honest.. Im not sure whether I think your opinion is biased or not.. @.@...
And it may seem worth it.. but Im practically against taking all forms of medication.. eh, but of course it can also depend on the situation.. Theres a difference between polluting your body with meds, and just being ridiculous..
Like, I'm not entirely against taking antibiotics, but only when theyre absolutely necessary. I mean, I dont like taking em, but if I have to... well you gotta do what you gotta do..
Like, my mother had been put on narcotics, and was told to take them regularly. They affected her motor skills, and proper brain function.. I eventually had to hide her pills so she wouldnt take them because they were doing more harm than good. And I feel the same way about antidepressants. Most people end up getting addicted to them and HAVE to be on it to stay happy.. and what kind of life is that? I believe there are plenty of alternative solutions to taking medications. Im actually a huge fan of various alternative medicine practices, such as accupuncture and herbal chinese medicine.
 
QUOTE Ooh, from what I had read in your post, I kinda seems liked you might have been against them, but kinda not.. Idk.. But since you see no problem with them.. I can longer speak to you...
Just kidding!! wink.gif

I'm not really pro- or anti- .
I'm pro people getting better when they are sick. And it seems that in a lot of situations, medication can help, when properly taken.


QUOTE And I feel the same way about antidepressants. Most people end up getting addicted to them and HAVE to be on it to stay happy..

By the way... why is it a problem ?
Peple are depressed (which is different than being just unhappy, really), so they take meds.
It works.
And when they stop taking meds, they're depressed against.

And your conclusion is that the meds are bad ?
Does that make sense, honestly ?


QUOTE I believe there are plenty of alternative solutions to taking medications. Im actually a huge fan of various alternative medicine practices, such as accupuncture and herbal chinese medicine.

Herbal medecine is medication, just like any western drug. It's not because it's "natural" that it's harmless (Hypericum, by the way, is said to help with depression. It's not a chinese herb, but nevermind).
 
QUOTE (koiji @ Nov 19 2009, 04:27 PM) And it may seem worth it.. but Im practically against taking all forms of medication.. eh, but of course it can also depend on the situation.. Theres a difference between polluting your body with meds, and just being ridiculous..
Like, I'm not entirely against taking antibiotics, but only when theyre absolutely necessary. I mean, I dont like taking em, but if I have to... well you gotta do what you gotta do..
Like, my mother had been put on narcotics, and was told to take them regularly. They affected her motor skills, and proper brain function.. I eventually had to hide her pills so she wouldnt take them because they were doing more harm than good. And I feel the same way about antidepressants. Most people end up getting addicted to them and HAVE to be on it to stay happy.. and what kind of life is that? I believe there are plenty of alternative solutions to taking medications. Im actually a huge fan of various alternative medicine practices, such as accupuncture and herbal chinese medicine.
I think that you think just like me, the easiest way to put is on the words of rockefeller


QUOTE (J. D. Rockefeller) Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient become independent of it.

he sums my way of thinking so easilly... anyway

anyway i approach pretty much everything under this train of thought ... medicine the same. You don't take medication unless you're sure it will make you never need the medicine again...

e.g: broken wrist... by all means get a cast. Stab wound.... go get some stiches and whatever else will prevent you from bleeding on my carpet. Feeling sad... buckle up partner what you need is something to keep you busy.
 
QUOTE (Dalriada @ Nov 20 2009, 12:02 AM)By the way... why is it a problem ?
Peple are depressed (which is different than being just unhappy, really), so they take meds.
It works.
And when they stop taking meds, they're depressed against.

And your conclusion is that the meds are bad ?
Does that make sense, honestly ?
I'm no doctor and I certainly have little knowledge in treating people with depression so maybe I am wrong but from what I gather medication can be bad. While anti-depressants can provide temporary relief and make people less depressed, at least initially, I don't think it is a adequate long-term solution. Medication may tackle hormonal imbalances and may make the person less depressed via chemical reactions but they do not tackle the fundamental problems that trigger the depression in the first place. And this is where councilling is needed as it allows the patient to fully recover. If councilling does not occur then I can imagine the effects of anti-depressants diminishing and all that would be left are the bad side-effects and the difficulty of coming off the drug as the withdrawal symptoms can make the person even more depressed than before they took the drug. It is this reason why medication can be bad.

So to summarise, anti-depressants have their uses and are good for treating severe acute depression or a solution to stop a patient committing suicide there and then. But for long-term goals it can only form part of the solution, and if taken on their own it is a bad thing. Unfortunately it is often cheaper and easier to just prescribe drugs than to actually follow-up and treat the patients with councilling sessions. As a result I can imagine many people just have future relapses as they are left to fend for themselves.


QUOTE (b.o.w @ Nov 20 2009, 03:18 AM)anyway i approach pretty much everything under this train of thought ... medicine the same. You don't take medication unless you're sure it will make you never need the medicine again...

e.g: broken wrist... by all means get a cast. Stab wound.... go get some stiches and whatever else will prevent you from bleeding on my carpet. Feeling sad... buckle up partner what you need is something to keep you busy.
If only it were that simple. Sometimes a drug can only control the symptoms but does not actually cure the condition, so people take medication to keep their disease from going out of control. The medication cannot actually provide a cure like the broken arm example you provide. Then again, perhaps this is a good analogy for depression and anti-depressants as the drugs can control the symptoms but do not tackle the fundamental problems of the condition. At least not all the time. I am pretty sure there are some cases where one course of anti-depressants is enough for some people.

In any case everyone is different, some people can respond very well to treatment while others do not. So nothing is cut and try when it comes to medicine and people should be treated on a case by case basis. It's definitely not a case of one size fits all.
 
QUOTE (Dalriada @ Nov 19 2009, 06:02 PM)
By the way... why is it a problem ?
Peple are depressed (which is different than being just unhappy, really), so they take meds.
It works.
And when they stop taking meds, they're depressed against.

And your conclusion is that the meds are bad ?
Does that make sense, honestly ?

QUOTE I believe there are plenty of alternative solutions to taking medications. Im actually a huge fan of various alternative medicine practices, such as accupuncture and herbal chinese medicine.

Herbal medecine is medication, just like any western drug. It's not because it's "natural" that it's harmless (Hypericum, by the way, is said to help with depression. It's not a chinese herb, but nevermind).

Ok.. uum, yeah it does makes sense Dal. A persons happiness shouldnt be dependent on a pill....

And dont get me wrong, I know that herbal medicine, is still medicine.. Like I said, Im studying for my Pharmacy Technician license.. And I know that some herbs can be dangerous, but thats why you dont fool around with things on your own, and seek the help of a Homeopathic medicine specialist.

And monsta, your first paragraphs.. I think I agree with em for the most part..
wink.gif
 
If a person is constantly depressed and psychological consulting doesnt help, taking medication does help, why should that person not take it?

Either way, where exactly is the difference between arteficially created medicine and medical herbs? The herbs contain the same chemicals as the pills.

PS: mosta, for most part, depressions are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Consulting will not the problem disappear, however it can help along with medication. Long term solutions? Hmmm, I dont mean to be rude, but to me it sounds like you never had a depression.
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Ok, I am being totally random here, but I just cant help it. It always annoys me, when people without any mental problems push their ideas on people, who dont feel the same. Like we must ALL be happy and enjoy life, because it is so perfect. Well, some people dont feel that way and its their right to be depressed, because if you look objectively at life, there is not really much to be happy about.
 
QUOTE (koiji @ Nov 19 2009, 11:27 PM) And I feel the same way about antidepressants. Most people end up getting addicted to them and HAVE to be on it to stay happy.. and what kind of life is that? I believe there are plenty of alternative solutions to taking medications. Im actually a huge fan of various alternative medicine practices, such as accupuncture and herbal chinese medicine.
Actually taking anti-depressants won't make you happy, it just stabilizes you. You will be able to function normally, you'll be able to get out of bed, you'll be able to go about a normal routine like any other normal person. It's not like it's a happy pill, that taking them will make the person see the world as a happy place. Happiness is fleeting, a person put on anti-depressants might be happy at first, "wow I can finally function normally" but eventually that feeling goes away and you start to wonder if you can live without pills. Pills alone can't fix depression, psychiatrists in general say that it's a combo of meds and therapy that works best, and I agree.
Basically I have the same standpoint as monsta, and I am somebody who has personal experience with anti-depressants. I've been on it for years, and I think I'm ready to stop taking them, but the withdrawal symptoms are brutal. I have been weaned off of it twice, and then eventually put back on a different newer pill because I couldn't cope with withdrawal. Sometimes I would get more depressed than I was before taking any medication.
Here is a list of some withdrawal symptoms:

ANTIDEPRESSANT WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. (http://theeffexoractivist.org/)

1. Crying spells
2. Worsened mood
3. Low energy (fatigue, lethargy, malaise)
4. Trouble concentrating
5. Insomnia or trouble sleeping
6. Change in appetite
7. Suicidal thoughts
8. Suicide attempts
9. Anxious, nervous, tense
10. Panic attacks (racing heart, breathless)
11. Chest pain
12. Trembling, jittery,or shaking
13. Irritability
14. Agitation (restlessness, hyperactivity)
15. Impulsivity
16. Aggressiveness
17. Self-harm
18. Homicidal thoughts or urges
19. Confusion or cognitive difficulties
20. Memory problems or forgetfulness
21. Elevated mood (feeling high)
22. Mood swings
23. Manic-like reactions
24. Auditory hallucinations
25. Visual hallucinations
26. Feeling detached or unreal
27. Excessive or intense dreaming
28. Nightmares
29. Flu-like aches and pains
30. Fever
31. Sweats
32. Chills
33. Runny nose
34. Sore eyes
35. Nausea
36. Vomiting
37. Diarrhea
38. Abdominal pain or cramps
39. Stomach bloating
40. Disequilibrium
41. Spinning, swaying, lightheaded
42. Hung over or waterlogged feeling
43. Unsteady gait, poor coordination
44. Motion sickness
45. Headache
46. Tremor
47. Numbness, burning, or tingling
48. Electric zap-like sensations in the brain
49. Electric shock-like sensations in the body
50. Abnormal visual sensations
51. Ringing or other noises in the ears
52. Abnormal smells or tastes
53. Drooling or excessive saliva
54. Slurred speech
55. Blurred vision
56. Muscle cramps, stiffness, twitches
57. Feeling of restless legs
58. Uncontrollable twitching of mouth
And you can feel one or more of those after missing only ONE dose. The worst symptoms for me are the ones that mess with your brain, I have experienced hallucinations, vertigo, suicidal thoughts, confusion, bad mood swings for example. Sometimes I wonder if I'm going crazy
biggrin.gif


HOWEVER I have to add that, I do think that some people will benefit from this medication. There are some severe cases of depression, that can only be fixed with the help of meds. I can understand that, but doctors today prescribe anti-depressants way too frequently, for people who may only need therapy and exercise. I have a new family doctor, and when he read my chart and saw that I am taking anti-depressants he said: You know, you should just find a guy to tickle you whenever you are sad
tongue.gif
 
QUOTE (julezia @ Nov 25 2009, 07:02 AM) Actually taking anti-depressants won't make you happy, it just stabilizes you. You will be able to function normally, you'll be able to get out of bed, you'll be able to go about a normal routine like any other normal person. It's not like it's a happy pill, that taking them will make the person see the world as a happy place. Happiness is fleeting, a person put on anti-depressants might be happy at first, "wow I can finally function normally" but eventually that feeling goes away and you start to wonder if you can live without pills. Pills alone can't fix depression, psychiatrists in general say that it's a combo of meds and therapy that works best, and I agree.
Basically I have the same standpoint as monsta, and I am somebody who has personal experience with anti-depressants. I've been on it for years, and I think I'm ready to stop taking them, but the withdrawal symptoms are brutal. I have been weaned off of it twice, and then eventually put back on a different newer pill because I couldn't cope with withdrawal. Sometimes I would get more depressed than I was before taking any medication.
Here is a list of some withdrawal symptoms:

ANTIDEPRESSANT WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. (http://theeffexoractivist.org/)

1. Crying spells
2. Worsened mood
3. Low energy (fatigue, lethargy, malaise)
4. Trouble concentrating
5. Insomnia or trouble sleeping
6. Change in appetite
7. Suicidal thoughts
8. Suicide attempts
9. Anxious, nervous, tense
10. Panic attacks (racing heart, breathless)
11. Chest pain
12. Trembling, jittery,or shaking
13. Irritability
14. Agitation (restlessness, hyperactivity)
15. Impulsivity
16. Aggressiveness
17. Self-harm
18. Homicidal thoughts or urges
19. Confusion or cognitive difficulties
20. Memory problems or forgetfulness
21. Elevated mood (feeling high)
22. Mood swings
23. Manic-like reactions
24. Auditory hallucinations
25. Visual hallucinations
26. Feeling detached or unreal
27. Excessive or intense dreaming
28. Nightmares
29. Flu-like aches and pains
30. Fever
31. Sweats
32. Chills
33. Runny nose
34. Sore eyes
35. Nausea
36. Vomiting
37. Diarrhea
38. Abdominal pain or cramps
39. Stomach bloating
40. Disequilibrium
41. Spinning, swaying, lightheaded
42. Hung over or waterlogged feeling
43. Unsteady gait, poor coordination
44. Motion sickness
45. Headache
46. Tremor
47. Numbness, burning, or tingling
48. Electric zap-like sensations in the brain
49. Electric shock-like sensations in the body
50. Abnormal visual sensations
51. Ringing or other noises in the ears
52. Abnormal smells or tastes
53. Drooling or excessive saliva
54. Slurred speech
55. Blurred vision
56. Muscle cramps, stiffness, twitches
57. Feeling of restless legs
58. Uncontrollable twitching of mouth
And you can feel one or more of those after missing only ONE dose. The worst symptoms for me are the ones that mess with your brain, I have experienced hallucinations, vertigo, suicidal thoughts, confusion, bad mood swings for example. Sometimes I wonder if I'm going crazy
biggrin.gif


HOWEVER I have to add that, I do think that some people will benefit from this medication. There are some severe cases of depression, that can only be fixed with the help of meds. I can understand that, but doctors today prescribe anti-depressants way too frequently, for people who may only need therapy and exercise. I have a new family doctor, and when he read my chart and saw that I am taking anti-depressants he said: You know, you should just find a guy to tickle you whenever you are sad
tongue.gif

ohhhh, *hugs Julieza*

PS: I think I need a sweet boyfriend to lighten up my day too.
biggrin.gif
 
Hi everyone, ( this is actualy my first post on the site
unsure.gif
)

I just read a lot of the posts in this tread, i to have used several antidepressant types for many years. As others have said there are pros/cons for using them and the same for getting off them again. And how they should be used.

It toke me 4 years to get of 1 in particular. Got all the nasty side effects and decided the best way to get of was to decrease the daily dose with smaller increments then prescribed. And that worked. I bought a small pill cutter a my pharmacist ( € 2 ) and cut the pill first in 1/4 and each 1/4 by half again creating a lowering of daily dose by 1/8. Once every 6 month.

The first half of your regular dose is the difficult physically,( the last part is mentally difficult, worry if your really gonna make it without the pil's.)

My family doctor did not believe in this very cautious approach, but it was eventually the only thing that worked without overwhelming withdrawal problems.

I hope this tip helps someone
biggrin.gif


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: some antidepressants may cause (semi-)permanent neurological damage in the body and/ or brain. f.i. SEROXAT , if used longer than 9 months. The WHO issued a world wide warning but my fam. doctor did not tell me and the pharmacist did not even know. I used it for 6 years at a high/med dose. I have now chronic depression (less intense than acute depression) due to a breakdown in serotonin receptors in my brain (proven, and explains why no matter how high my dose eventually got, it made no difference to how i felt and functioned)
Antidep. of the serotonin influence will never work on me again. It toke about 3-4 years to lose most of the nervous ' electrical' twitches in the left side of my body.

After this i used a different type, don't know the name at the moment, it was a newer devellopt one. And it gave me an acute psychosis. So no more antidep. pills for me and a lot of therapy from the county health service which i happily recommend for everyone.


Hope this was helpful,

Miranda
 
wow. nearly so many people on this site are/were on drug! to be honest when i feel depress i just rewatch a episode of gintama.
 
QUOTE wow. nearly so many people on this site are/were on drug! to be honest when i feel depress i just rewatch a episode of gintama. well laughter is a good way to deal with ones depression.
biggrin.gif
 
Well, I'm on some at the moment (Citalopram) and the only reason I'm taking them is because nothing else I've tried has worked. Then again, I'm cyclothymic rather than straight depressive, and from what I've gathered, mine isn't hereditary, nor just emotional, there's some chemical imbalance there too.

It was actually my tutors at university who noticed that I was expressing some depressive symptoms (sleeping a lot, missing classes, not taking an interest in my subjects, etc.) and they were the ones who sent me to the doctor and counselling. The latter worked for my emotional problems (mostly to do with a very long and very bad relationship), but there was still something wrong that could not be resolved, so I dropped out of my course and went on the medication.

Now, even though I'm trying to find a job, I feel much better now because stress was a big factor for my depressive periods (and trust me, teaching was probably the most stressful thing I've ever tried to do) and now I'm quite relaxed, laid back and my original personality (the one I had before my horrific relationship changed me) is starting to shine back through.
 
anti-depressants are a drug, which to me fall under the category is it worth taking it or not... seeing as they come with likely hood that if I(the drug) can fix you one problem but can also give you this many problems(the side-effects) makes them not worth taking.....especaily the ones which say may cause death if not treated right away type of side-effect
 
when i was younger well i guess its not that long ago like 5-7 years ago i was on anti depressants for a bit
at first i felt better cause i was taking medication like monsta666 mentioned
but i then went backwards from my original position when the side effects started hitting me and i realized i wasnt eating lunch at school anymore
so i stopped taking them although my doctors wanted to increase the amount i was taking
i also felt like my mind was being constricted to only focus on one thing at a time which isnt normal for me who spends alot of time thinking about multiple things
i guess its got its pros and cons since it does work for some people
and the purpose its made for is quite an appealing idea for someone like me

well all these years later that depression hasnt gotten any better
agree with julzia and warita200 having a romantic partner to cheer you up is a great idea
i could get alot more cheery if i had a girl around to drag me out and around town rather than being in my room all day : /
although since ive been depressed for so long ive given up on that idea long ago

well now-a-days i just drown myself in anime manga and games to distract myself from my problems not a great idea but better than sulking too much
 
QUOTE (askara @ Aug 23 2010, 09:56 AM)wow. nearly so many people on this site are/were on drug! to be honest when i feel depress i just rewatch a episode of gintama.

hahaha, yup yup. Episode 25 of Gintama will help!
biggrin.gif


or this picture is a good Anti-Depressant!


Yo friend Nate
 
QUOTE (askara @ Aug 23 2010, 04:56 PM)wow. nearly so many people on this site are/were on drug! to be honest when i feel depress i just rewatch a episode of gintama.
Well it is said that depression is turning into a national disease. Recently I read an article in a newspaper (unfortunately I have the exact numbers not in my head) that in Germany around 10% of the population (its the official number, the darker number should be a bit higher) suffered at least once in their life under depressions, and the number is highly rising.

Well in any case to get back to the topic of anti depressants, I can pretty much agree to almost anything which Julezia posted here 2 years ago. Using antidepressant can get you quickly into a malicious circle, at first it helps but once you try to get off from them the withdrawal symptoms can be quite strong. And I can only underline it that anti depressants are no happy pills, they just help you to go through your daily routine like normal people, and help you to function like normal people.

Back in Summer this year I was getting off the anti depressants, well at first it worked quite well but then things around me got pretty stressful and I was doing quite bad then (lol a few here really got worried during that time) Well when the new term at university started I quickly realized that theres no way I get all the things done I am supposed to do this term in that way, so I got the anti depressants prescribe again. Well it helped, but again the pills didn't made me any happy they just helped me to get the work done like normal people.

I can only say from personal experience like a lot of others here, yes Anti Depressants do help but you should be very careful with them, and you should definitive not take them in for fun to feel super happy, since they are not happy pills.
 
Putting a child on drugs, because they are overly active or imaginative, is wrong. It's simply a way of not dealing with an energetic individual and most likely, will cause chemical problems in their system later in their life. I've said this before, discussing this subject. The world's parents are too soft or simply do not care so long as it doesn't change their way of doing things. Yes, there are young individuals who need to be supervised more stringently. Given a good route for the output of their energetic nature, these kids will do lots of good things. Being put on drugs, they are most likely to either become drug dependant or mentally retarded due to certain portions of their body not responding as they should.

Drugs are wonderful when used appropriately. They have led to longer lives, better lives, and more healthy lives, in most instances.
 
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