What is your experience with medication?

[daruino]

I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with medication (anti depressants?) and whether or not it has helped you.

My therapist recently referred me to a psychiatrist and hopefully sometime soon I will be able to have a consultation. I guess I suffer from depression/intense low moods/emptiness/suicidal thoughts continuously. I understand there is no magic med but sometimes I wonder if perhaps my mood were a bit better I would actually be able to do things and improve my life/overall wellbeing.

On the other side I'm also very scared because I don't want to worsen anything or become dependent.

I would really appreciate to hear anyone's experiences (positive or negative) or if someone has any helpful resources so I could do some own research before my appointment. Thanks!

 

[idontknowwhatiam]

I tried SSRI's but didn't like the side effects.... I had some improvement with depression, anxiety and SI microdosing ketamine troches.

 

[copioushopelessness]

Meds ruined my life. My personality and creativity gone. My ability to think gone. Many side effects. Trying to get off them is torture. The doctors seem to be in denial of the withdrawal symptoms. At best they call it "discontinuation symptoms" but downplay it. Made me completely suicidal when before I was only suicidal sometimes.

 

[thermosgrenadine]

i'd be completely off the rails without medication. diagnosed bipolar ii, my mom is also. i also have some other issue that causes psychosis although we're not sure what it is yet. along with gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, blah blah blah

a lot of it is just hopping between meds to figure out what's right for you. i've tried a lot of different ones and the ones i take right now are pretty good to me and i intend to stay on them. my goal one day is to be on as few meds as possible but i likely will have to stay on them my entire life due to my psychological conditions, etc. i've also been on meds that have made me even more suicidal and even made me self-harm, too. it's really just a gamble.

like you said there is no magic med. the pills are intended to improve your mood enough to be able to work on yourself more effectively both in and out of therapy. although from what you've said OP i think you understand that. in terms of helpful resources, i've heard you can do genetic testing that will help psychiatrists and doctors figure out what medications will be most effective generally. i don't know what the cost of any of that is though

 

[trying ungracefully]

Good. I need them and can't go off them if I want to be stable since I have bipolar 1 and psychosis/paranoia stuff. I don't like that it has to be forever but I just accept it because I don't want to go back to the hospital.

I take 6 different medications which I don't like either because it's a lot but it has helped me so much. When I was seeing my last psychiatrist out of inpatient I was a zombie who could barely think or interact with people. Now that I see this good psychiatrist I am feeling really like myself and I am able to feel emotions other than nothing or sadness.

I took medication for 9 years of my life (on and off before 2 years ago) and this is the first time I really feel good on them. I think it's something that could really help a lot of people if they are able to find a good psychiatrist. It just takes a lot of time sometimes.

 

[campo d'erba]

meds 100% worth trying
-- avoid abilify at all costs, everyone EVERYONE i know has said its the most awful thing ever
im on lexapro rn
it doesnt make you happier, but it reduces the urges you have to hurt yourself / thoughts about killing yourself a lot
its really really nice
it makes you feel kind of invincible ? something super awful could happen in my life, like someone killing themselves in front of me and i think i would be totally fine
its not perfect though, when i first started i would get these bouts of severe nausea where i sometimes throw up wherever i was
but still totally worth it, over time the side effects went away completely

meds 100% worth trying
-- avoid abilify at all costs, everyone EVERYONE i know has said its the most awful thing ever
im on lexapro rn
it doesnt make you happier, but it reduces the urges you have to hurt yourself / thoughts about killing yourself a lot
its really really nice
it makes you feel kind of invincible ? something super awful could happen in my life, like someone killing themselves in front of me and i think i would be totally fine
its not perfect though, when i first started i would get these bouts of severe nausea where i sometimes throw up wherever i was
but still totally worth it, over time the side effects went away completely

also I have heard nothing but the most positive positive things about ketamine therapy, but that is a bit of an extreme alternative

 

[thermosgrenadine]

I need them and can't go off them if I want to be stable since I have bipolar 1 and psychosis/paranoia stuff

almost same boat! can i ask what you're on? i'm taking seroquel, lamictal xr, and zoloft to manage my bipolar + everything else