Do anti depresents work??

Question

Do anti depresents work??

Answer 1

Drugs frighten me, however I find that St John's Wort is very effective. No side effects and it's not habit forming. Give it a go, get the one-a-day tablets.

Answer 2

Yes I believe that anti-depressants work, providing that you are on the right kind and/or combination. Also, addressing life's problems through therapy and/or education - skills building. There are different kinds of depression. Some respond well to talk therapy, some require therapy and medication. On occassion, only medication is needed.

One of the things about depression is that things may be going okay or well for a person, but they start experiancing depression for no apparent reason. Depression is a bio-chemical embalence.

There is the issue of whether the type of anti-depressant is appropriate and that is where a very knowledgeable doctor is needed. Take for example an individual who is or has had some manic episodes - Bi-polar or a history of less significant manic episodes - Bi-polar II, taking certain medications can cause a person to have a manic episode, or cause them to go through rapid cycling.

Yes people who take anti-depressants may still show the clinical signs of depression. There is a diagnosis that reads something like "Major Depression in Partial Remission." But overal, I think that if the medication is doing it's job, those signs of depression are decreased.

Answer 3

What's an antidepresent?

Answer 4

Some do some don't they are similar to the hyper tension pills it is a bit of a lottery to find the right one, if you do need to take them go strait back to your doctor if you start to have the famous side effects , they can be very odd at times.

Answer 5

Studies have shown using two groups of depressed people that those taking SSRI antidepressants killed themselves in greater numbers than those depressed people taking nothing.

Read the books of Peter Breggins before using these drugs which are said to cause permanent brain damage to the neurotransmitter receptor sites.

Start with his books "toxic psychiatry", "antidepressant fact book", and "your drug may be your problem" and more.  

Libraries often have them or find them on ebay or amazon..

I suffered from severe clinical depression about 25 years and for 15 years, I was suicidal nearly every day and during that time period, I was on a variety of antidepresants....zoloft, paxil, pamelar, prozax, anafranil, nardil etc. Most of them SSRI antidepressant drugs.

When I quit the drugs 8 years ago, all suicidal ideation went away and never returned until this year when I suffered a number of personal tragedies and stresses in a short period of time.

Although during those 8 years when I took no medical drugs (antidepressants), I was still depressed and having many problems, I never felt suicidal which was a big change from the INTENSE suicidal feelings I had for 15 years every day and resisted only through personal strength, suicide prevention lines and the grace of god.

Then it came out in the news that some teenagers were committing suicide in grater numbers while on these drugs and that depression was exacerbated by using SSRI antidepressants drugs..

A while after that, it came out that some adults also had these results.  Finally, through class action lawsuits, it came out that the drug companies had this data but suppressed it in order to continue in their mega profits. I never had a clue that that which the doctor in good faith prescribed to help me was actually putting my at extreme risk of losing my life via suicide.  I wonder how many people killed themselves and at the lifelong heartache and anger of the family's who never dream that it was the drugs that took the life of their loved one and the greedy makers of drugs who had the data about  suicides and other effects but hide them. I know well now that I could have been one of these victims too if not for crisis counselors,. intense willpower to keep living, difficulty of taking one's life and God's grace.  this bothers and angers me and I will not blindly encourage people to take dangerous drugs now that I see what they are doing to people.  Most people do not have this info despite the FDA black box warning label. Most people who lost a loved one to suicide never realize that it was the antidepressants which enhanced the natural side effect of suicide of this illness making it much more probably.  These people who died at their own hand due to the drugs doctors put them on need to rest in peace and be vindicated and the blame put where it belongs..the antidepressants drugs themselves.

If one person is stopped from taking these drugs and perhaps being a victim..if one family gains relief whose loved one killed themselves when they discover why it happened then my suffering will not have been in vain. Knowledge is power.  Read these books before putting potent drugs in your body or child's body.

Now the FDA requires a black box warning label be put on the SSRI antidepressant drugs to warn people, but when I was on them, doctors did not know and I never dreamed that that meant to help me was actually increasing my risk of death and making me more depressed.

So be leery...for help of mental illnesses including depression,..read the books change your brain, change your life...also seven weeks to emotional healing...also read feeling good and practice cognitive therapy as this worked on very resistant institutionalized cases where nothing else helped.

In addition to natural supplements and herbs for depression, do Richard schulze colon cleanse one and two as this has cured depression.  see his index on his site Also take large amounts of fish oil (3000-5000 mg) as this has reversed all types of mental disorders including even schizophrenia, agoraphobia, bipolar, anxiety and all in between.  I once read a wonderful book about this that included the results verified on pet scans but unfortunately forget the name of the book.

at herbdoc.com in the catalog..I think he recommends his brain tonic as well.

good luck!!

since antidepressants is the common cold of mental illnesses, it is a huge business.  They will do all they can to hold unto their money (drug makers) and suppress the fact that these drugs are thought to cause brain damage.

Answer 6

I take them when I am depressed and they allow me to function; go to work, live a fairly normal life.

Answer 7

They don't cure the root of the problem, but they can help you function and reduce the anxiety which make you depressed, it is important not to drink, this will only exacerbate the problem and it will soon be impossible to tell if you depressed or alcohol dependant, take sound medical advice.

knowledge of your condition is the best medicine read about and act on it. don't become a mindless pill taker to save the doctor doing his job properly if you have the knowledge you can ask the right questions and get the right treatment, good luck

Answer 8

It really depends on the person and their own situation. For a person who is going through a rough time in their life, antidepressants might act as a "band-aid" to cover the wound, but their troubles will never truly go away until they discover the root of the problem they're having. For other people, depression is a chronic condition caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, something they have absolutely no control over. For these people, antidepressants can give them an entirely new outlook on life - it's like the difference between turning on a light and sitting in the darkness.

So in short, yes antidepressants work, for the right people.

Answer 9

I agree with what Q said.

I took them for 7-8 months, and for me they didn't work so great. I suppose I was expecting something akin to a caffeine high or something. What it did do was it took the edge off of my depression so that even though I still had depressing thoughts, feelings, etc., they may not necessarily be the FIRST thought, and it made it slightly easier to combat them. After a short time they didn't even do that for me.

Have you tried any counseling, psychotherapy or anything like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique?). All great help. Good luck!

Answer 10

If you are put on the right ones for your illness.

Answer 11

They work fantastically well for some people. They don't work at all for some people. And some depressants work on some people, while others don't work on them. What works best is a combination of antidepressants, therapy, and exercise. So if you're unsure about the antidepressants, try the other two, or all 3 in combination.

Answer 12

If you get the right one for you, yes it will work.  They lift your mood so you can function better.  I take Elavil once a day and it really helps.