# Should I take Anti-depressants?



## MuChApArAdOx (Jan 24, 2011)

CloudySkies said:


> Yeah, I'm thinking about starting to smoke teh weed. How do you find it effects you?
> sometimes it makes me sort of paranoid; but I think that might be because it's too strong or not the right kind. I moreso like the body-highs. So you feel like it helps things from effecting you as much?


I can't sit and smoke joint after joint, it would make me sleepy, or so chill I wouldn't be able to function. I think it depends on the type of weed also. Butter gives you a body high, it doesn't leave you paranoid, its really clean mentally, your head isn't all messed up. I don't snort coke, eww, however I've been told by those have butter makes you feel like you've done a few lines of coke.
Yes, it helps me. I'm not near as stressed. I drink a lot of water and butter doesn't give you the munchies. ( well maybe a bit, lol, but not like bud.


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## ShadowsRunner (Apr 24, 2013)

I think I just lost control of my emotions again....

I did not mean to write all of that. I do did not want to create a giant emotional self pitying thread.

TEH SIGH
TEH SIGH
MY SOUL
TEH SIGH
I DRANK TOO MUCH COFFEE TODAY
TEH SIGH

I appreciate the feedback. I'm just sick of this shit. Maybe I will just get drunk for now.









HAPPY DAYS ARE AHEAD!!!!!! RAWK ON!!!


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## HumanRevolution (Jan 12, 2015)

I used to suffer from really bad constant anxiety and negativity. I tried exercising all the time, meditating all the time, neurofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, changing my diet, expressing myself through music, getting into romantic relationships, recklessly throwing myself into activities to keep my mind occupied, joining clubs and activities, making friends and trying to spend all my time around them, seeking power, seeking status, seeking intellectual stimulation. 

Although most of these made positive contributions toward my overall level of life satisfaction, taking an SSRI made the biggest impact. I think about it like this: you can read every book on how to be a pilot, go through aviation training, co-pilot during a flight, etc. but you still won't be able to fly the plane if it doesn't have any oil. Similarly, you can learn how to manage yourself through the application of your will but if you have a serotonin deficiency, you won't be able to get as far along. Cheers brother. Keep your head up.


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## drmiller100 (Dec 3, 2011)

I had huge depression for a long time. Paxil worked for me.

anti depressants have effects on the body. So does being dead. 

I'm alive in part due to the drugs, and it helped me break the depression cycle. I was able ot WEAN myself off over 4 months under guidance of a doctor, and life is good for me now.


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## ShadowsRunner (Apr 24, 2013)

HumanRevolution said:


> I used to suffer from really bad constant anxiety and negativity. I tried exercising all the time, meditating all the time, neurofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, changing my diet, expressing myself through music, getting into romantic relationships, recklessly throwing myself into activities to keep my mind occupied, joining clubs and activities, making friends and trying to spend all my time around them, seeking power, seeking status, seeking intellectual stimulation. Although most of these made positive contributions toward my overall level of life satisfaction, taking an SSRI made the biggest impact. I think about it like this: you can read every book on how to be a pilot, go through aviation training, co-pilot during a flight, etc. but you still won't be able to fly the plane if it doesn't have any oil. Similarly, you can learn how to manage yourself through the application of your will but if you have a serotonin deficiency, you won't be able to get as far along. Cheers brother. Keep your head up.


Yeah, this is how it's been for me pretty much. WHILE I STILL DON'T BELIEVE IN THE THEORY SEROTONIN DEFICIENCYI've noticed that while being on them, the pain inside is manageable and I can actually could carry on with things and concentrate more easily, etc because the pain wasn't so constant and unnerving. Weed has been sort of helpful in the past as well, so I might experiment with that some more. I live in Canada, so it's pretty much legal here.I seriously can't ignore it. I feel like a dog that's been beaten too much or something sometimes.You know, when you see one, and it's all twitchy and jumpy. It's pretty much like that. I dunno, I think I sort of have PTSD, though. I don't think I really quite have depression. But label it what you will, it doesn't really mater at this point.You hear stories about them helping some people, so I don't know.I'm honestly not really getting anywhere in life. I don't know what else to do. How much more do I have to exercise? I can't wait for my whole life for it just to "go away" or something, even though I think it could on it's own, it's just taking too long. Seriously, I'm not getting any younger. I'm sick of feeling my life is on hold, treated like a failure, and many other things because I'm emotionally crippled. I want to actually DO things with my life and not CONSTANTLY watch life on the sidelines. Everyone else is living their lives, finding themselves, accomplishing things, finding love. And where am I? on the fucking sidelines like I've always been. Like some kind of a zombie cripple hobbling along while most people spit in my face along the way because they can't see what it's like inside. It's so easy to think that positive thinking and action can overcome everything, but it seems to not always be the case. I guess I just wonder; where does all the negativity on anti-depressants come from? are they that evil. I'm starting to think I'm just too fucking damaged or something. Growing up in such a hostile cold and abusive environment conditioned me so much that honestly it's probably part who I am now. The hillbilly rage, out of control emotions and everything else. I'm a fucking emotional cripple. I need a bandage,and a hammer to keep everything from leaking out. I'm motherfucking Frankenstein.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

I took SSRIs (sertraline) for 2-2.5 years for social anxiety/depression/PMS and they helped me tremendously. They changed my life basically, for the better. But you have to talk as well, as SSRIs are more like crutches and not a solution to your problems.


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## 45130 (Aug 26, 2012)

CloudySkies said:


> *What do you mean by harm? In most cases the symptoms end up being intolerable for the patient so they switch medication or lower the dose, etc.
> *Well, just you know, worn out receptors, possible irreversible side effects. Who knows? I've read that ant-psychotics ruin the dopamine receptors as well as ADHD stimultants shrink the brain. That shit freaks me out.
> I've heard things like long term apathy can be caused by them, long term sexual side effects.


Well, antipsychotics can be a real horror indeed. But antidepressants are very different in most cases afaik. If a psychiatrist wants to prescribe you an antipsychotic, you'll have to discuss the benefits and costs for them before even thinking about taking them. In people that need them, the side effects usually weigh up to the benefits. And antipsychotics have no effect on depression other than numbing your mind and flattening your mood so you don't feel bad, but not good either. 
Anyway, if you're worried about psychotropic medications in general you could pay a visit to Wikipedia for great effect. The side effects of the many kinds of pills are very different from eachother. Antidepressants usually cause dry mouth and trouble with orgasming (could be an actual benefit if you got premature ejaculation or hypersexuality, but usually it's not nice). Other than that, Unless you're a very rare case or you stop abruptly, you probably won't get the terribad side effects like what antipsychotics cause. I don't know about permanent harm, but I haven't read as much into ADs as I have in APs so that doesn't say much.


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## Ziggurat (Jun 12, 2010)

As an anecdote, my sister was extremely emotionally unstable for years, going between being a sweet girl and an absolute nightmare with little to no provocation. When she was put on ADs, she became extremely stable and her quality of life improved.


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## ForestPaix (Aug 30, 2014)

I feel you *hugs*
I've been on them for a couple of years now, after I was diagnosed with severe depressive disorder, they are prone to cause weight gain, which I have, although not hugely.
I think I am a little better on them, not suicidal as I was, and I don't hit myself anymore. However, if I do forget to take them, after a day or two I start getting headaches, terribly suicidal, and feeling weak all over. I think you should go find a good doctor, tell them everything, don't be afraid to, that's what they're there for, and they will help you. *hugs* Depression affects people on different levels, and depression is different for everyone, so it's best to talk to a doctor


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## HumanRevolution (Jan 12, 2015)

CloudySkies said:


> Yeah, this is how it's been for me pretty much. WHILE I STILL DON'T BELIEVE IN THE THEORY SEROTONIN DEFICIENCY...where does all the negativity on anti-depressants come from? are they that evil. I'm starting to think I'm just too fucking damaged or something.


Serotonin deficiency is real. Everyone in my entire mom's side of the family has it. My grandfather shot himself in the forehead and died. Schizophrenics have too much dopamine. Parkinson's patients don't have enough dopamine. You might benefit from looking up Action Potential and how a neuron fires. SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. They inhibit the reuptake of serotonin so that there is more of it in the synaptic cleft (the space between neurons: specifically between the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of the other neuron) to bind to the receptors of the next neuron in the neuronal link. A better analogy for SSRIs is that they are like brake fluid. The neural systems that utilize this neurotransmitter are found in the stomach and the brain. They trigger the parasympathetic nervous system: rest and digestion. In other words, Serotonin the is neurotransmitter that helps your brain fucking calm down. Exercise temporarily achieves this end by releasing endorphins (which stands for endogenous [internal] morphine). In other words, exercise causes your body to release pain killers which temporarily soothes your emotional, mental, and physical discomfort. Seeking highs in other ways will often times just release more adrenaline, which could be comparable to nitro boosters on a car. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is the neurotransmitter that activates many systems involved in the sympathetic nervous system: which is in charge of fight or flight. Your brain is constantly in flight mode and your mind is devolving into chaotic instability due to underactive neural regions that require ample serotonin to function. Of course, I'm not a medical doctor so I don't know this for sure. But I did score in the 98th percentile in the country for experimental psychology compared to all PhD and PsyD applicants (97th overall and 99th in Social Psychology) for that what's worth to you.

People are going to try to tell you that meds are evil because the FDA unfortunately believes that only pharmaceuticals can treat or cure a disease. They also believe that all diseases are viral and bacterial in nature when we know from common sense that fungal infections do exist. Regardless, medication is a truly effective option for many people and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply being ignorant. Steve Jobs refused to take western pharmaceuticals to treat his cancer and instead relied solely upon homeopathic treatments. Shortly before his death, he told his good friend who was suffering from the same cancer to not be like him and to just take the western medicine. Not all problems require pharmaceuticals and I'm sure some natural and homeopathic solutions are truly effective for some people and problems. Nonetheless, it is not a black and white situation. Most people say things like, I don't want to depend upon a medication. Well it takes very little effort to put a pill on your tongue and swallow the pill. You are dependent on food, oxygen, and water too but you accept that. People with anemia need to take more iron and eat less foods that absorb it. If they refuse and claim that somehow makes them more independent, they are delusional. It makes them more unhealthy and more dependent upon others. I really hope this helps you my brother. I know my words may seem brash but I really empathize with your plight and believe the answer is right in front of you.


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