Do antidepressants really work? or placibo?

by boy@crossroads 24 Replies latest watchtower medical

• 

  boy@crossroads

  Hi,

  I've posted on freeminds for over a year now but i rarely post on the medical treatment forum. I believe i've had depression or some other milder form of depression for many months but i haven't gotten antidepressants for a couple of reasons 1.pride- i feel that taken antidepressants is admittion that i'm weak, 2. fear- i don't have health insurance and i'm afraid of the financial reprocussions of prescriptions and mental healthcare visits. 3. i'm also afraid that by taking the medication it will have no affect (wasted money) or that i will be worse off after taking them than if i had done nothing.

  give me some of your thoughts
• 

  Lady Liberty

  Dear Boy@crossroads..

  I just posted on another thread about this great book I am enjoying. Entitled: Natural Cures "THEY" Don't Want You To Know About by Kevin Trudeau. Two of his suggestions worked miricles for me. Acid Reflux and Gallbladder problems were virtually non existant after taking his recommendation of Super Papaya Digestive Enzymes. So I from personall experience have been helped. In his book he speaks of a "miraculos" organic, virgin coconut oil. It has awesome properties with MANY benefits. It can cause cancer to go into remishion accoring to the book. Anyhow, one of the benefits from this oil was if taken two times a day 1 tablespoon in am and 1 in afternoon, it can lift depression and mood swings will be gone! It is on page 453 of this book if you look for it at the book store. I know you cannot believe everything you read.. but for as cheap as it is, to just try it and see if it helps.. its up to you.. but since the other suggestions worked from this book for me, I thought I would share that with you. In the meantime, hang in there..

  Sincerely,

  Lady Liberty
• 

  No Apologies

  boy,

  I don't know your story, but I know many JWs and exJWs suffer from depression, for various reasons. I myself have been on anti-depressants for some time. They are not a placebo, but they are not also a cure-all. I believe depression can have medical causes but a lot of it has to deal with what's going on in your life.

  So lets look at your 3 reasons for avoiding them:

  1. sign of weakness - this is totally rediculous. Its like telling somebody with a broken leg to walk it off. If you have depression, you need to treat it, either through counseling and/or medications.

  2. cost. Okay this is a valid concern. Any kind of health care is costly. Is there any way you can get health insurance? Or find some way to cover the cost?

  3. meds won't work or will make you worse. Well both of these are possible, but the good news is there lots of options available. I have heard of some people having difficulties from one med after another, sometimes having to try several until they found one that worked and that did not have side-effects that were as bad or worse than the depression.

  Depression is real, it is dangerous, and it makes life suck when life should be enjoyed. And it can be frustrating fighting it, but it can be fought and it can be overcome.

  No Apologies
• 

  serendipity

  Hi boy@c

  Make sure you're eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and getting exercise out in the sun - at least 30 minutes per day. I found that I felt sluggish and unmotivated eating a lot of carbs and more alert and energetic eating a high protein diet. Also, alcohol is a depressant for me, and puts me in a blue mood, so I limit myself to one glass of wine.

  Some supplements that work for me: St. John's wort, SAM-e. Fish oil capsules work for some people. If you decide to try supplements, please read up on them, so that you know about side effects. For example, St. John's Wort can cause sensitivity to light/sun.

  I hope that you find something that works for you. Life's too short to spend it depressed.
• 

  LittleToe

  While there are often things you can do to help alleviate the symptoms, anti-depressants do work and can give an individual a chance to get back on their feet if they have exhausted their own resources in case such as you present.

  Slowly but surely the wheel is turning regarding the stigma of needing such assistance. You probably wouldn't think twice about going to hospital with a broken leg, maybe twice if you'd seriously injured your groin, but many people have psychological barriers about going to deal with the most intimate part of them - their mind.

  LT, of the "Mental Health Services Manager" class.
• 

  blondie

  There are a variety of anti-depressants. It's not a case of one size fits all. You may have to try a few before you find one that works for you. You may not have to take them for the rest of your life but until your doctor feels it is no longer necessary. Be sure to keep the doctor advised of how you are feeling. I don't recommend treating yourself with St. John's wort because it is too difficult to be sure of the purity or whether you are getting a therapeutic amount.

  If you are taking any other medications, OTC meds, or "natural" treatments, be sure to let your doctor know. They may not be compatible or may cancel each other out.

  Most of all do not act as your own physician and run suggestions by friends through your doctor. You would not set your own broken leg or ask your friend to do that (unless you are lost in the woods).

  The best thing to do is to go to a qualified doctor to determine if your situation is more than something diet and sleep can treat.

  Blondie
• 

  prophecor

  i haven't gotten antidepressants for a couple of reasons 1.pride- i feel that taken antidepressants is admission that I'm weak

  We are all fragile, to some greater or lesser degree. We being human are all subject to various fears, concerns and things that cause us disturbance in our lives. Even those who may appear strong on the outside, there exist a chink in his armour, somewhere. From the Pope, to Prince to the President. We are all merely skeletons waiting our arrival.

  2. fear- i don't have health insurance and I'm afraid of the financial repercussions of prescriptions and mental health care visits.

  Those who are suffering can often acquire help thru no cost, especially as it exist in the states. I nursed my wife thru a 3 year depression without the benefit of health coverage. The institutions who serve the community in that capacity feel they would rather take a financial loss as opposed to having the problem come up somewhere else. There are usually spaces available where they will see you, provide assistance with meds, and can turn you on to a world of social services thru case managers in the field and social workers in the system.

  3. I'm also afraid that by taking the medication it will have no affect (wasted money) or that i will be worse off after taking them than if i had done nothing.

  Meds are often given to those who can not afford them, even if thru taking the samples that they have on hand for just such emergencies. There are a wealth of ways in order to see that your needs are considered. Drug companies are getting into the business of seeing to the needs of those who can not afford medications thru various gift programs.

  Lastly, if it is that you're experiencing severe bouts of depression, medications such as anti-depressants can a positive impact on your emotional well being. For some of us, its the only way out, for others there are various other avenues that you can pursue. Anti-depressants aren't a cure all but they do work. They change the chemical composition in your brain, the brain that may not be sending all of the complex natural substances that keep us on an even keel.

  Good Luck from someone who's been on both sides of the street.
• 

  Nathan Natas

  I think there are two kinds of depression:

  a. a dissatisfaction with the circumstances of your life, which may often be the result of poor decision making

  and

  b. sorrow over loss, like when that garden gnome comes magically to life and saws your lower left leg off while you sleep.

  Notice that in both cases, antidepressants do NOTHING to resolve the underlying problem. You don't get good decisions from a pill, and no pill (yet) will give you back your missing leg.

  What an antidepressant will do is take the edge off of the incapacitation so a person can begin to move ahead and face reality.

  Did you want fries with that?
• 

  nsrn

  I vote see a real doctor, and if he/she recommends an antidepressant (after a thorough physical) ask for samples or generic. It sometimes takes a month or more to get results. But I must say, I felt better about an hour after the first dose. Not a placebo.
• 

  calico

  1.pride- i feel that taken antidepressants is admittion that i'm weak,

  I felt that way for awhile--that feeling is gone now. It can be a chemical imbalance which is not your fault. For the most part, I am in control of my emotions--I LOVE THAT! Also, you have to find the medication that works for you. The first one my doctor prescribed gave me headaches--the one I am on now is fine.