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In reply to the discussion: I no longer use antidepressants. [View all]caseymoz
(5,763 posts)32. First, good luck, I hope it continues to work.
I've been on antidepressants for the better part of twenty years, with a history of depression that goes back farther. I don't expect to ever be completely without them. I feel I have to warn you: depression is cyclical. I've gone without meds and thought I was doing well, had a new attitude, a new outlook, and so on. Some things you've written here have resonated with me. The line about believing that feelings were inherently suspect? I could have written that. Like you, I don't make happiness my goal now.
However, I consider myself serious with or without the meds. I still get sad, when appropriate, the difference is I lose days to inertia when I do. Whether I call it depression or sadness when it hits, it doesn't matter if it debilitates me, stunts the rest of my emotions, cripples my thinking, undermines my livelihood and relationships, and threatens my life. This is what I experienced.
I agree the world is a dark and terrible place. However, I would say it is off-kilter, upset, and out of balance. In fact, it is functioning abnormally. The reason why so many people take antidepressants is because we've created a system that depresses people. That's true the world over, not just in our society. Meanwhile, we're exposed to toxins such as insecticides and herbicides, which-- at low levels-- cause depression as part of their neuro-effects. I did read one article that said if we could get these out of our environment, suicides will drop drastically.
Otherwise, with things like environmental destruction and global warming, despair is the appropriate emotion. I could name a host of other issues that could depress people, or at least give them a lower threshold to it.
I'm not telling you to give up. You should try to do without meds, once or twice, especially if you've never been suicidal. Make sure your sure your doctor knows about it and try to be in therapy just to make sure.
More than anything, don't hold it against yourself if you find what you're experiencing now is the upward part of the cycle.
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You did the right thing. A youthful outlook comes from the ignorance and inexperience of
Squinch
Dec 2012
#4
Thank you pecwae... and it may interest you to know that this whole process started with yoga...
sibelian
Dec 2012
#59
"a dedication to difficult but worthwhile things for very little reward" = indeed. the scars are
HiPointDem
Dec 2012
#68
As I have gotten older and reflected more, I came to the understanding of who I am vs. what I want
Dustlawyer
Dec 2012
#89
Well I'm doing okay... I'm not necessarily advocating my experience as a panacea...
sibelian
Dec 2012
#65
"Do not encourage mentally ill people to stop appropriate treatment." The poster didn't. Quite
HiPointDem
Dec 2012
#70
you might find this video of a former pharmaceutical representative interesting
green for victory
Dec 2012
#38
interesting that you were prescribed ssri's as a sleep aid. what was the medical rationale for
HiPointDem
Jan 2013
#93
Ha! Of course not, sibelian. Please have a fun and safe trip =) ! Oh, and happy new year! eom
ChisolmTrailDem
Dec 2012
#87
Addendum: the gene sapolsky talks about at the end is 5-htt. after more research it turns
HiPointDem
Jan 2013
#96