Psychiatrist has told me that I am highly sensitive to anti-depressants?

Question

the side effects just become too much, and make me feel rubbish, problems sleeping, s*x drive etc, the list goes on.

I am off all meds have been for past 2 months, I am taking st johns wort and omega 3 fish oils, however I have started to get depressed and irritable again and just can't be bothered with anything, I exercise (makes me feel worse) practise relaxing, try and stay active,but nothing changes my mood, does this sound familier to anybody? how do u cope without meds?

Answer 1

Hello,

(ANS) Its recently been exposed both by the medical profession via a trial and by the drug companies that Anti Depressants VERY rarely work or actually help people who are seriously depressed.

**Any limited benefits from such drugs were found to be caused by the "Placebo effect"

**NOTE:- Anti depressants shouldn't be taken long term anyway because they have been found to be highly addictive. Should ideally only be given for about 1 to 3months.

**I have had depression myself for pro-longer periods of time so you have my sincere heart felt sympathy. I have found that counseling or psychotherapy was pretty much the ONLY thing that helped.

**Although diet, exercising or gentle walks can also help, anything that helps to lift or shift your mood. My advise is a) do things you enjoy or are pleasurable, I like to get a massage for example. b) try to think in positive terms don't just always give in to the total black negative stuff. c) being with other people I found also helps, its NOT good to be alone for long durations of time each day. Set yourself a simple aim or goal or task each day. Even if it seems quite trivial.

Kind Regards Ivan.

Answer 2

Maybe you need someone to talk to instead of all the drugs.They have their place .I can only take one out  of all of them,so don't feel Weird it can take a while to get it right but I think u need a clean break in between

and someone to talk to who knows what their doing.I recommend a Psychologist not a Psychiatrist the seem to be more into helping you figure out you. Hope you find your way back .  

Answer 3

Well, I've been seeing the basic question of "How to cope with depression" here lateley, (Whether it's dealing without your medication or not)

I'll just tell you, I went through a huge depression recently and I beat the whole thing without an ounce of medication.

I used a simple plan that I made up and have been trying to show other people on this site.

Here's how I did it. (And never mind the exercise part if you dont' want to)

1. Yourself - Only you can fix your own depression, your commitment, your fortitude, your will to live and love life for what it is.

2. Secondary help - Omega - 3 acids are said to help act as an anti-depressant, you can get it straight up or you can get it through Fish (Anywhere, at home or at jack in the box :P)

3. Psychologists - They can listen to you and hear what you have to say and contrary to popular belief, they do understand what you're going through and want to help you and also have great exercise tips to help you re-affirm the fact that you want to feel better.

4. Exercise / Chores - Endorphins are a great kick in the rear for depression. Anything from jogging to simple push-ups. h**l, if you can't get out, do the dishes or take out the trash, clean your room. Do something!!! Don't wallow in your own sorrow. Kick it in the butt!

5. Friends - Friends can make you feel like you belong and help you through your tough times, but you have to trust them and be there for them as much as they are for you.

6. Family - Sometimes people are less fortunate in this area but for the ones who have truly loving family whether it be brothers / parents / grandparents, they will be your guiding light through all of this (Unless this is the cause of the depression)

7. Sleep - Sometimes sleep is just a good 8 hour "Get away from it all" scenario where you don't have to think about anything. Sometimes it has a nasty side-effect of making your more depressed when you wake up though, so warning about that.

8. Tranquility - Try to find peace during your busy day, this way you can see that life is more calm than it feels, take a quiet dip in the pool late at night, or sit on the patio in the middle of the day and look at the trees and clouds. Or h**l, stare at a wall! :D

9. Yourself - Again, none of the above stated tactics will work unless you yourself actually want to feel better and don't want to feel the way you do anymore.

10. Unless a Psychiatrist really suggests it, don't take medications like zoloft or whatever the top dollar ones are these days. They are more like placebo drugs to trick your mind into thinking your okay because if you think the pill will actually do something, they will, why? Because again "Your life is what your thoughts make it" I fought my depression without a single pill, because I wanted to be better, I didn't look for sympathy or an easy way out. It has to be done not only naturally but from the soul, not the pill.

11. Music - Music is a huge healer, find anything that suits you

12. TV - Sometimes tv can help, I used to watch the show scrubs because they seemed to hit on every point I was dealing with.

Answer 4

i think that people who push themselves too hard suffer from physical and mental burn-out and I believe tablets are for seriously depressed people who want to die and have gone beyond all the help avenues. I think that a lot of people today expect to feel happy 24/7 and cos life is hard, bills to pay, relationships hard, people  angry etc everywhere you look can see full of woes and worries.

I have coped with a lot and friends in may age group have coped with less hardship and some didnt talk, they turned to pacifier, ie on the bottle, some became addicts to gambling or other escapes to ease their minds.

I wish I could wave a magic wand but my solution is basic, to play music that uplifts the mood, to always have enough sleep, enough happy laughter at films, jokes and enough fresh air. eat fresh veg each day, drink a lot of non booze, ie  tea to keep your internal self  functioning normally, and less sugar and dont turn to substances. talk about things and say it to someone who cares.

Answer 5

Well I'm not sure honestly. ask your doc maybe they will be able to give you some advice? best of luck just the same!

Answer 6

As your psychiatrist knows that you are highly sensitive to your meds, have they recommended a different medication?  If not, perhaps you should get a second opinion.  

I congratulate you on trying to find alternative medicines to help you with your problems, but see if you need to regulate the St Johns Wort and Omega 3 to change between different remedies.  Also see if there is a dietary plan that will be of benefit to your recovery.  Try meditation to relieve yourself of stress and balance out your moods.

Lastly check to see if your mood is getting much worse, and if so return to the doctor with a list of what you have been doing for yourself.