Going on anti-depressants next week

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I've made my mind up. I cannot cope with this depression any more. It's gotten too overpowering, and it's become so debilitating. It's causing me to feel ill, physically and emotionally. There is nothing else I can do, I've tried everything and medication is the last resort. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but after trying everything in the book, it will have to come to this.

I've tried work experiences, courses, social groups, voluntary work, gentle exercise, creative entertainment at home, meeting up with friends, and it may help me a little but only temporarily, then I go back to feeling depressed and worthless again, especially when I'm having a bad day.

I just hope medication can help. I do know a lot of people who go on anti-depressants (yes, more people use it than you think), and they do say that it actually works, and one of them said it helps them relax and not get so stressed, and another one said it helps them with being able to control their emotions a little bit better, and although it doesn't work miracles it's still worthwhile, if it will at least take the edge off my horrible depressive emotions and thoughts. I just want to sort this out before I become stubbornly suicidal. Not only I'm doing this for myself, I'm doing it for other people around me who love me.

My personal experience with anti-depressants was they lifted my mood quite quickly. I'm still taking them at the moment.

However, I was told by my GP that for some people they can take a few weeks to take effect.

For me I have found it makes my low moods less extreme and this has been helpful. It's a bit like it cut off the top and bottom of the emotional scale and this has helped me feel calmer in some ways I think.

Constant negative thoughts are hard to handle (been there done that, know it sucks.)

I really hope this works out for you and you start to feel a bit better soon.

I have been on an anti-depressant since Feb, after trying everything else and still being suicidal. It has helped a lot. I rarely have a truly depressed day (like before). There are still tough times but they are now manageable. I can now better face my responsibilities. It took me about two weeks before they started really working, and those first two weeks were horrible, my emotions were every where and I felt out of control, but I stuck with it, and it settled down and I am good now. So even if it does not start working at first, or if at first it seems like your emotions are on a horrible roller-costar, do not give up, give it time to work. I hope that you benefit from them, and your depression gets better. I stinks to be in the hole of ever spiraling depression, so I hope you feel better soon.

Well my emotions are all over the place anyway, so that won't make much difference.
I keep thinking I will be OK, and I feel rather happy for a few minutes and think I can easily accept myself for who I am and my life for what it is, but this only lasts a few minutes and then I go back to feeling depressed again. I think it's because I don't know what to feel really. I would love to be more in control of my emotions and feel more relaxed when I go out and do things. Depression isn't just a thing you can switch on and off, it really gets a hold of you and once you're in that hole of spiraling depression, that's when things need to be sorted out before anything gets worse.

Thanks for both the replies, it's nice to have some encouragement rather than doubt. If it has helped others here then there's no reason why it shouldn't help me.

Good for you, Joe90 . If you feel anxiety, anger and depression are too unmanageable then by all means go through with taking meds. It really will help and I know what you mean by doing these things that magazines and websites are always telling you to do and you still feel rotton and don't know why, or it helps for a little while but only temporarily like you said. I can understand how frustrating that can be. I'm neurotypical and I've been there and done that, I did a lot with my life and still found that everything I did still didn't make me feel good about myself, so I tried anti depressant and it helped me an awful lot.

Even if you think it isn't helping, it most probably is. Don't expect it to change you completely because it won't, which is why sometimes you don't always notice when it kicks in but just take note of your thoughts and reactions in harsh situations and if you think you feel more relaxed than you would have been in the same situation then you know they are working.

Good luck with it and hope it goes well for you. It may take a few weeks for it to start working actually.

I've been on anti-depression tablets for over a year.
It does seem that you are in a good place thanks to the medication. Plus I must say this... You have to keep on them as the last thing you want to do is go back to the old ways.
I admit that to you, I've probably been a bit creepy... for what it's worth I'm sorry, sorry for being... me.

Good, you need them. Hopefully they get the dosage correct.

Easy... let's just be happy that Joe90 is coming to terms with needing medication.
I'm sure the medical professionals will take her consideration of the amount of medication she needs.

The correct dosage could be the difference between success and failure. It is critical that she gets the correct dosage.

Best of luck to you, just know that they tend to take a few weeks to take effect. Though the side effect came first (but went away fairly quickly) in my case

The side effects are what's worrying me.

With mine it was just a slight dizziness for about a week. After that the only one that I have noticed is being able to remember my dreams more

That's OK, I wouldn't mind a side effect like that. I get dizzy a lot anyway because of my ears, and I do like remembering my dreams. I'm just worrying about side effects like nausea, diarrhoea, weight gain, and sleep problems.

It will depend on what you are on and how well it matches your particular neurochemestry. For me at least, SSRIs have always been very bad. I can't take them at all because the side effects are worse than the cure. I did tolerate Wellbutrin fairly well but I still felt suicidal on it, even though I was bouncing off the walls happy at times. I also paradoxically was full of energy but still felt exhausted all of the time. Then again, that may have just been me. As of now, I have learned to tolerate my depression and cope with it. It acts as a bit of a balance against some of my quirks and keeps me from going on endlessly about certain topics most of the time. I know what triggers my more severe episodes and keep away from it the best I can.

From what I've read elsewhere on forums, and also on the NHS Choices website which is a useful info source, side effects vary a lot between people.

Like all drugs if the side effects out weigh the benefits then there can be problems.

In my case, I felt the benefit on mood within a week but, I did experience side effects, mainly some confusion and sleeping problems, on the first SSRI I tried (citalopram). While the benefits out weighed the downsides I continued to take it. Once I felt much better I asked to stop and was allowed to, I also then came off the drug very slowly to avoid withdrawal effects.

The second time I decided to take an SSRI, because I'd found the confusion on citalopram particularly affected my concentration, I asked to try a different drug - fluoxetine (prozac). It did not list confusion as a side effect, and it stays in the system longer so I was hoping for less side effects. It's worked. I started on 20mg every other day, that wasn't enough. I went up to 20mg every day that was too much for me - it caused trouble sleeping. I now take 14mg in liquid form, first thing in the morning and avoid drinking caffeine after 11am, I currently have a well balanced mood and no noticeable side effects.

I would suggest before you go onto the medication discuss with the GP your worries about side effects, which drug might suit you best, and what is the lowest dose you canw start on. Higher doses tend to give more side effects, but too low a dose will not lift your mood enough.

Discuss with the doctor what can you do if you get side effects, how will this be monitored? Also check how do you make an appointment to go back to see the doctor if anything worries you.

I initialy saw my GP fortnightly for monitoring and then monthly, then bi-monthly.

Remember side effecs vary a lot between people, and it's possible you will get very few.

Hope everything works out for you