A
female
age
41-50,
anonymous
writes:i have been living with depression for 10 years it is the point where my daily funcioning is almost non existent no memory, concentration, i cant even make a decision and everything is big deal to me i am paranoid about people and analize every conversation i have with everyone, i feel tired all the time and generally ill. The problem i have is i never take tablets and have denied depression completely and said it is just stress, now i have been prescribed citalopram i have been given anti depressants hundreds of times but never take them, i want to take these but what i am wondering is does anyone know about these? i enjoy a drink but apparently cant on these or am advised not to it also says about driving and i drive for my job i so much want to give myself a chance to lead a normal life, but im scared all the time i have also asked about cognitive behavioral therapy. i realize this is not a relationship question but could do with some advice is there anything else i can do and hearing from anyone else who has suffered like this thank you xxx Reply to this Question
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (6 February 2010): Tisha-1Has done an excellent job of explaining!! Copy and paste her response print it out and re-read it and follow her advice. It really is that Simple !!!
A
female
reader, Tisha-1  +, writes (5 February 2010):
 I am always struck at how quickly people will say "don't take those pills!" when it comes to mental health, but wouldn't DREAM of telling a diabetic not to take her insulin or someone with high blood pressure not to take his pills. There's a stigma to mental health treatment that needs to end.
Part of the problem for you is that your disease causes you to resist treatment for it. That is, your thinking is already dysfunctional and causes you to make bad choices for yourself. It's as if the disease wants to flourish, despite how unhappy you are.
I know this because I too had depression, and I too didn't want to 'succumb' to taking meds. It was like admitting defeat. But see, that was my depressive thinking that couldn't see past the pills to the outcome that I wanted, which was to be mentally healthy and balanced again. I needed those pills to reset my brain chemistry, to allow my thinking to become balanced and rational again, to get me back into the healthy cycle. By NOT taking the pills, I would have allowed the depression to defeat me.
It took me some huge amount of courage to take that prescription in my hand, drive to the pharmacy (chemist to you) and have it filled. Then to start taking the meds, another act of courage. Seriously, I am not joking about the 'courage' bit. I was scared, but I was more terrified about what my life would look like if I didn't take that step.
If you are in such a bad place and so unhappy, your dismissal of the pills is just a symptom of your mental state. You are blocking the very thing that might set you back on the path to mental health and balance. Your brain is its own worst enemy.
I started taking my meds, and it took a while for me to see the changes, about a month. But after that month, it was like a dark cloud had been lifted and I was back in sunshine again. The sun has come out in my life and it is a beautiful thing.
I am no longer on the meds, I manage my depression through good nutrition, exercise, yoga, friends, and family. I too enjoy a nice glass of wine, but I don't require it to feel better. If your relationship with alcohol is that of a crutch, you are self-medicating already, only instead of taking the socially-prohibited prescribed medication, your drug of choice is the crowd-approved cocktail or wine or beer. The problem with alcohol is that it doesn't make your depression better, it only makes it worse.
I would say you should think about this depression, your mental illness, as something that will require a multi-pronged approach to conquer. The meds are one approach, I want to encourage you to consider everything else you do with your body and time as opportunities to conquer it. If you are doing unhealthy things, like smoking and drinking too much, find ways to stop. Your diet might need an overhaul as well. I have found physical exercise to be a wonderful mood manager, as well as yoga. I signed up for a huge charity walk last autumn, I walked 20 miles a day for 3 days, 60 miles total. The preparation for the walk, the hours and miles and miles of training, took months, but it was all well worth it. It provided structure to the training regimen, gave me an end goal. I started weight training this year and have begun skiing again as well. The more I do, the more energy I find I have inside myself, the more I get out there and just enjoy life! I suggest you find something like that to train for, a 5 K race? I don't know what your physical constraints, but the endorphins released by exercise are simply fantastic. I weaned off my meds a while ago and find I feel great! It's the combination of the good choices I'm making for myself and my now more balanced brain function.
But it started with me taking that anti-depressant for the first time. Stop looking for excuses NOT to take the meds that might get you back on the right track, and start thinking about the positives that they can do for you. You have the problem of the mental illness blocking attempts to throw it out of you, but I want you to listen to the genuine self, the one that is in there inside you, WANTING you to get well, the one that has you here asking this question.
You can get healthy, you can. And the meds are one step that will help, if you only give them a chance.
Take care.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (5 February 2010): I have had mental health problems since I was about 12. I was very depressed when I was younger, and was prescribed anti-depressants. For a long time I refused to take them. I was worried about the side effects, and how they would make me feel. I wondered if they would somehow change my personality. But it got to the point where I realised I couldn't carry on as I was, and I started to take the tablets. They honestly saved my life. I did have some side effects, but nothing too awful. They got me out of my dark patch, and I don't think I would have done that without medication.
Like you, I get very paranoid around people, and I too analyze conversations and worry about what people think of me. I feel extremely scared around people, and find it hard to relax in general. I now take an anti-psychotic, which I have been on for a few years now. Again, I was worried about the side effects, but I am actually okay on them. They have helped me a lot over the years. I do still have concerns about the long-term effects from the tablets, but I have accepted that I cannot cope without them. When I try, I fall apart.
So I guess it may be about weighing up the pros and cons of taking medication. For me, nothing was helping. I tried cognitive behavioural therapy, and it didn't help. Not until I started taking medication. I worry about the risks, but have decided it is worth it. If things are really bad for you, then there could be a chance that medication could really help you. Do you think it is worth taking a chance on them? What about people who have diabetes, and have to take insulin? Or people who have other illnesses, and take medication? Is there a difference?
It also might help to speak to your doctor about your concerns over the side effects. They should be able to reassure you, and put your mind at ease. Many people are fine on medications, but the possible side effects do have to be mentioned, as required by law. Maybe you could arrange to see your doctor regularly, so they can keep an eye on how things are going. And if they do affect your ability to drive, your doctor can try something else. There are lots of medications out there, the trick is finding the right one that suits you.
There are lots of books out there which teach CBT skills, so they may be useful to you. You could also ask to see a counsellor who uses those techniques. There may be a waiting list, but it is worth trying.
Really though, it is up to you. It is scary, taking medication for the first time. But if things are really difficult for you, then what have you got to lose? I advise speaking to your doctor about your concerns, and then deciding whether you feel you can cope without medication or not. I am sure you will make the right decision for you. Good luck. x
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