lostone Posted December 27, 2002 Share Posted December 27, 2002 Looking for any ladies' info. or advice that take anti-depressants and are/were in a struggling relationship due to the depression. Do they really help with your positive and negative thoughts? Did you notice a positive change??? and how? How long did it take to start feeling better??? Any negative side effects??? Anything would be greatful! Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted December 28, 2002 Share Posted December 28, 2002 I'm not a lady but your post seems to have gone quite a while without any attention so I may be able to help just a tad. 1. Do they really help with your positive and negative thoughts? No, there's very little that can take away your free will as far as what you want to think. That's one of the things that can't be taken away from you, except with...perhaps...a lobotomy. You are always in charge of your thoughts. Anti-depressants can affect your mood and elevate it a bit in cases of clinical depression. They won't affect your mood if you're depressed about a specific event, such as the death of a loved one or a break up. But if you are generally down and have what is called the "blues" you are likely to get relief from the right antidepressant in the correct dose. 2. "Did you notice a positive change??? and how?" When you attain the proper blood levels of the medication (Paxil is a very good one), which usually takes two to four weeks, you are likely to feel upbeat and some even feel like a whole new person. Your doctor can change medications and dosages until you find just the right antidepressant to work for you. 3. "How long did it take to start feeling better???" Again, the medication must build up in your blood over two to four weeks. The time it takes to kick in and make a person feel better varies between individuals. 4. "Any negative side effects???" You mean side effects, I'm sure. Side effects vary from medication to medication and often subside after a few weeks. Generally, people experience dry mouth, constipation, light headedness, reduced sex drive, heart palpitations, etc. Again, whatever side effects you have are likely to disappear after a week or two. If you have side effects which are lasting and uncomfortable, you doctor can change medication and deal with the problem. If you have been diagnosed with clinical depression, you should not hesitate to take medication...at least for a while. If you have reactive depression, that is...if you are upset about actual events in your life, counselling is often helpful to ease the load. Link to post Share on other sites
Author lostone Posted December 28, 2002 Author Share Posted December 28, 2002 Great, thank you Tony Link to post Share on other sites
HokeyReligions Posted December 30, 2002 Share Posted December 30, 2002 Originally posted by lostone Looking for any ladies' info. or advice that take anti-depressants and are/were in a struggling relationship due to the depression. Do they really help with your positive and negative thoughts? Did you notice a positive change??? and how? How long did it take to start feeling better??? Any negative side effects??? Anything would be greatful! I've been on vacation for a week and just got back. I can answer you based on my experience, but everyone is different. I have been diagnosed with chronic clinical depression. I didn't know I had a medical condition until my marriage was in jeopardy and I saw a doctor. Around that time my mother was also diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and a biologic sister was diagnosed with manic depression. I come from a long line of that! Anyway, I tried several different drugs until I found one that did not give me a lot of side effects. Yes, it did help with positive and negative thoughts. Tony is right when he sez we have choices in what we think, but with real depression it's not that cut and dried. Someone who hasn't actually experienced clinical / manic / chronic depression just can't know what it's like. It is different than being depressed about a specific event or period of time, or getting the blues or having a broken heart depression. It's just totally different. The choices are not there in depression. But with the proper medication it does enable a depressed person to recognize negative and positive thoughts and that's the first step to making a choice. Sometimes a person does not need therapy to make a choice and sometimes they do need therapy. I didn't, my mother does. I was able to stop the internal emotional spinning with the help of the anti-depressent and work to make the right decisions and to open my eyes to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know how else to describe it. But it was the beginning. It took around 8 - 10 months because we were trying to find the right meds for me. I settled for one which gave me dry mouth but that was the only side effect and I could tolerate that. It helped me to not cry so much and by not crying so much I was able to focus on the problems and the steps needed to resolve the problems. That is basically it. It sounds simple to those who don't understand what depression really is. I was ready for the relationship to end and even though I knew I would be devastated, I knew I would survive it and that is something a lot of people in the midst of depression just don't know. There is no light at the end of that tunnel. The medication helped me to see the light and reach it. My relationship didn't end, but it was a struggle for a long time and my husband had to go to counseling too for his own problems--but that's a whole different story! I don't take anything now and haven't in years. I have grown and learned how to cope and I know the difference between being depressed about something and just being depressed. Be patient and follow your doctors advice. Link to post Share on other sites
Author lostone Posted December 30, 2002 Author Share Posted December 30, 2002 HokeyReligions: Thank you!!!!! You've answered a lot! Link to post Share on other sites
Confused610 Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 Originally posted by HokeyReligions Around that time my mother was also diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and a biologic sister was diagnosed with manic depression. I come from a long line of that! Manic depression and bipolar disorder are the same thing, bipolar is just a more common term for the disease:) Link to post Share on other sites
Firefly Posted February 19, 2003 Share Posted February 19, 2003 I was taking Zoloft this last summer, although my relationship wasn't struggling due to the depression, I was depressed because of the relationship ( If that makes any sense) It took about two weeks to kick in, and I didn't have any side effects. I noticed a positive change, it helped me sleep at night and I was always in a better mood. My co-workers even noticed the diff. I was much happier and more talkative. Good luck, I wish you the best. Link to post Share on other sites
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