My therapist thinks I should go on anti-depressants

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But doesn't it make more sense to deal with what's depressing you instead of covering it up with ant-depressants? I don't like taking drugs anyway. And then there's the side effects(whatever they are).

Sometimes depression can be so crushing that it's impossible for the sufferer to effectively engage in treatment. In such cases antidepressants can be a lifesaver.

Yes, but if depression is crippling you to the point that you are unable to cope and/or tackle what's bothering you, taking antidepressants short-term in conjunction with therapy may be able to help you combat your issues. If your depression is caused by circumstance, taking anti-depressants long-term likely won't help.

My girlfriend has a few forms of depression & is on a couple meds for that. She's also depressed by her life circumstances thou that are beyond our control rite now; we're trying to move to a better environment but are on waiting lists for places. Her meds have been changed some while we've been dealing with this & I've noticed she's better able to cope with the situation after some med changes even thou she is depressed by circumstances she cant control. I personally believe that meds can potentially help people deal with things/situations/circumstances they find difficult but it's also important to try to deal with those things in a productive way while taking the meds. You can go off the meds OP after your situation/circumstances have improved a bit or if you find you learned some skills to better cope with it.

I had a partner that benefited from therapy and Lexapro. Me? I can just go shopping!

I've never had any side effects from anti-depressants. They have helped me. Even helped with my pmt symptoms. I'm taking a low dose of citralopram, but I've taken fluoxotene in the past.

I've been on a wide variety of anti-depressants.

Most of them had intolerable side effects. A few I could handle (most notably Latuda, with almost no side effects), but they didn't help, either.
The only one that did help for me to any noticeable degree was Abilify, but that one also had some pretty brutal side effects that were far and away more than any help I got from it.

Cost benefit analysis

All drugs are expensive and side effects

Dealing with what is bothering you, functionally, is ideal

Sometimes you do not have that kind of authority

For example, homophobia is bothering me.

Neurotransmitters could be out of balance

Ssri could help, stay the same, or worse

Ssri is an option

Not the only or best one

My previous two counselors did not know jack s**t about drugs



Licensed clinical social worker


They were like "do you want drugs?". So innocent


They had no advice for me


Dumb as rocks

Please don't diss anti-depressants folks. Saying you aren't depressed in the first place and therefore don't need them is too literal a translation. Anti-depressants work to relieve our anxiety and I don't know about you but my anxiety was thru the roof before I began taking mine. I have been taking only 25 mg of Amitriptyline for over 20 years now. That is considered a sub-clinical dose but it makes a world of difference.

And btw, I get a 90-day supply at my local WalMart Pharmacy for $10. Definitely not expensive.

Decreased libido is a common side effect. But, that isn't always a problem.

It makes sense to deal with what is bothering you . (Fine)

However, sometimes you do not have the authority to do so

For example, homophobia is bothering me. But I am just one person and can only do so much.

Different drugs have different side effects, for different clients.

Two counselors asked if I wanted to take meds.

Answer:. Depends on what the cost and side effects are

In your case, it may be possible to find an employer that is LGBT friendly that appeals mostly to younger people that are less likely to be homophobic. There are also areas of the country that are more LGBT friendly that you may be able to relocate to.

Btdt

When I took Gender Therapy for Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, 2004 San Diego

San Diego was so homophobic

After that I moved to somewhere less homophobic

The only jobs and job skills I have are minimum wage

Large gaps in work history

Autism, Gender identity Disorder, depression, anxiety. Six out of ten personality disorders officially diagnosed

"Beggars can't be choosers"

I would be fortunate to get a janitor job

And I don't have enough job skills to choose between employers

Plenty of young people I know are homophobic

College age

You can't deal with "what's depressing you" if you don't have the necessary regulatory chemicals (serotonin / dopamine) or the mental energy to help yourself. Furthermore, depression isn't caused by one issue that you can identify and fix as you describe, with or without meds.

Anti-depressants can help you to achieve improved clarity and stamina, so you can begin to make sense of your feelings or your situation in general. In my experience, the meds won't make you "happy" and they certainly won't alleviate your problems, but they could very well help you to address key issues because you'll feel more stable and able to self-advocate.

Just remember, if you could "fix" your depression on your own, you would have already done so.

Anti-depressants are available in a spectrum or variety of indications from "Sedative" (weight gain, increased appetite, better sleep, less anxiety) ... to "Stimulant" (weight loss, less appetite, less sleep, more energy, slightly more anxiety).

The most "sedating" variety is generally considered to be Paxil or Prozac.
At the other end of the continuum, the most "stimulating" variety is generally considered to be Zoloft or Pristiq.

Others fall in between.

Of course I'm not a medical doctor and meds react very differently for everyone. My experience may not mirror yours at all. I'm just giving you some background information that I've learned through 25 years of antidepressants, originally for anxiety and more recently for Complex Trauma Disorder or C-PTSD.

Very low dose Zoloft worked best for me, but of course everyone is different.

Please don't discount the possibility that medication might help you. It's your decision with your doctor, but please consider it if you are truly depressed.

Isabella

Isabella

Medication "could" help, stay the same, or hurt

Only the first one is favorable

And if it helps , is it worth the $$ and side effects?

And if it "helps", what else helps ?

Former counselor Jamie Adair had the nerve to tell me that "counseling can help"

She sounded like she earned commission



Counseling can help, stay the same, or hurt.

"Actions speak louder than words"

"Loose lips sink ships"

I agree. That's why I said I'm not a doctor and it's a decision Heat844 needs to make with medical advice. I was just answering the post and the request for information or advice. I know many people who swear by their anti-depressants long term, others who used them short-term with success, and others who found no relief.

I believe there is a new blood test which shows which brand of meds will work best, to avoid the trial and error.
I haven't done that test myself.

I've had really poor counsellors in the past, just like you. Finding a good therapist or support system is very important too, and it's certainly half the battle.