I am going off anti - depressants!

[Coffee20]

And I have very clear reason for it, I think they make from me a walking sleepy and numb person. I am few days off them and I actually feel, it's not sadness at all. I am not sad now. Weird when I am on them I am actually more sad and depressed (even after a few months of taking). I have taken Zoloft for almost one month and I think my condition went bad rapidly. I was irritated, I felt like crying all the time and felt withdrawn.

 

Also my psychiatrist disappointed me. She told me I should have cheated on my bf too and our relationship would be fine. Ah....

 

So wish me luck, because I want to be myself, I think there is nothing wrong being me.....as long as I am not chronically sad.

[carhill]

It sounds to me, based on your symptoms, like you were mis-rx'd. That happens. SSRI's have varied effects as no two people's brain chemistry is the same. Be careful about going cold turkey. It's better to reverse titrate down to half-dose then quarter dose over a couple of weeks to clear it. A pharmacist can advise if you don't trust the psychiatrist.

 

I'd highly recommend finding a replacement psychiatrist and continuing treatment.

 

I liked this exchange between John Nash and Dr. Rosen in 'A Beautiful Mind', with regards to making decisions regarding one's mental health -

 

Dr. Rosen: You can't reason your way out of this!

Nash: Why not? Why can't I?

Dr. Rosen: Because your mind is where the problem is in the first place!

 

Anecdotally, a friend's wife, who is dx'd Bipolar 2, always says she 'feels better' off her meds, but she's a bitch on wheels when she is. Her experience of the world is completely different than how she impacts those around her. Why? The organ involved is the one with the problem.

 

Are you in concurrent psychological therapy? If not, was that prescribed? If so, how's it going?

[FitChick]

Google information for natural antidepressants like diet and exercise and nutritional supplements. A coworker was a zombie at work. I am finally getting to know her as a person with a personality now that she has adopted a healthier lifestyle.

 

However, most of those pharmaceuticals are dangerous to stop taking too quickly. You have to taper off. Ask you doctor about that. Yet another reason why no one should take meds when there are much safer alternatives. Most people don't know that BigPharma's own studies have shown that most of their own drugs are no better than placebos, but try telling that to patients hooked on the idea that they work. It's called the placebo effect.

[Sefarad]

Best of luck to you! I went tru the same too, I left them because I started to gain weight so fast! I was on Tryptizol for 1 year... I put on a lot weight! Took me more than 2 years to get rid of that weight. I was also very numb and sleepy most of the time

 

The best natural medicine I've found to fight my depression is surrounding myself with good friends, one friend in specific... who is always there for me Some days aren't easy at all... but guess exercise has helped me a lot Just take a walk, try to keep yourself distracted, adopt a new hobby (I started to blog recently) talk to people & be happy you have no other major health problems

[KathyM]

It's not a good idea to go off of your meds without your psychiatrist's approval. You should continue to take whatever she prescribed until you get the advice of another psychiatrist who says otherwise. It's possible another type of medication would be helpful to you if the current one you are on is not a good fit. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they don't need their medicine anymore, and then they stop taking it and end up getting their symptoms back again.

[River Rain]

Good luck! I was on anti-d's for seven years, went through 6 of them, none helped the depression, they made me numb, paranoid, fat and headachy. At one point, I realized I was merely existing, not living, so I chose to go off all pharmaceuticals. (I had anti-anxiety and sedatives prescribed as well). At first it was awesome, I felt so clear and alive. Of course, my emotions went crazy too. But I decided I'd rather feel things intensely than not at all. I'm able to manage depression now through exercise, diet and supplements. My shrink told me if I quit my meds, I'd be dead within a year by my own hand and that I needed to be on them for life. I quit all the meds in 2010. I've never been more social in my life, never been happier, more confident and secure with myself. Of course, I have ups and downs, we all do. Shrinks aren't always right. When you decide to take control of your own healing, it's empowering and motivating. I'm really proud of you and I hope you find a good way to manage things on your own!