(no subject)

[redrainstorm.livejournal.com]

I've been really depressed lately and am considering going on an anti-depressant because sometimes it gets so bad that some of the other fronters must take over so I don't hurt the body. It's to the point I don't care about things that used to be my top priority, I don't want to leave the house, the question of "what can I do to ease this pain?" always fills my mind and it's just not getting better. I'm a little worried about how anti-depressant medication can affect the system as a whole.

Have any advice?

Horror stories?

Things to be prepared for?

Comments

[redrainstorm.livejournal.com]

I have been completely against meds my whole life. But I just feel it's gotten to the point that I need something to make it... But I'd only want it as a temporary thing... not something that I want to depend on. Dunno if that makes sense. :)

[luwana.livejournal.com]

Be prepared for any and all side effects. While some meds work great with no problems, others can react badly with certain people.

I think on Prozac, we had really odd hypervigilance and shaking for several days, about a week into taking it.

On the up side, it was effective for 6-12 months. It gradually tappered off, and we had to try something else.


Should also note that 'self harm' in moderation isn't dangerous. The danger is when you become too irrational, want to do things like gash yourself or cut your wrists. That's a danger.

Beyond that it's simply a case of good hygiene and whether you are ok with scars or bruises or whatever else.


therapy can help, but can also be a pile of wank.

[pengke.livejournal.com]

Now I'm not saying you should be ashamed that you hurt yourself but it's not a good thing. It's unhealthy. It's a sign that something is wrong and you lack adequate healthy coping mechanisms. You shouldn't go around advocating that people should self-injure. It's like telling people to be pro-ana or to get drunk whenever they're upset.

And promoting self-injury to a multiple is even worse because they can't hurt their body without hurting the body of everyone else in the system.

[luwana.livejournal.com]

I don't self harm. I know people close to me who do.

I didn't say it was *healthy*. I just said it wasn't dangerous. And I did say that you (English sucks, how do people sometimes show a plural you here? you&? you^?) have to be ok with scars and bruises and whatever else.

Obvliously if the system can't reach a consensus of "hey it's ok, just flesh", then it's not cool to do. Just the same as anything, like a tattoo.

That doesn't really make it *dangerous* though.

(Anorexia is a disease that generally kills if left untreated, isn't it?)

Getting drunk on the other hand, eh, whatever. As long as people know the results. There's the risk of liver damage with that, plus you actually get *drunk*, so I'm less willing to say that's a 'great' thing to do. The long term harm from SI is superficial though.

I think SI is fine, so long as people *know* to practice good hygiene, and that it is a sign of something else being wrong. I don't advocate irresponsible SI, same as I wouldn't advocate irresponsible anything, including driving, for example.

[aslongasitlasts.livejournal.com]

I lurk on this community, just wanted to say I liked reading 'pile of wank'

[luwana.livejournal.com]

XD

[ksol1460.livejournal.com]

There was a pro- and anti- meds discussion thread here:
http://www.livejournal.com/community/multiplicity/345362.html

Maybe some of the stuff here can help you make an informed decision, also
http://www.breggin.com
http://www.prozactruth.com
http://www.ritalindeath.com

[terrenepixy.livejournal.com]

my opinion of medication is that it saved my life, but in the long run, it just messed me up more. there's so many side effects, sometimes, and ive watched friends go from being full of personality to being zombies - hell, my friends have watched me go through that.

however. if you /need/ them, go on them temporarily. they can help.

find a therapist, as well, someone you're comfortable with - in the long run therapy is /much/ better.

[kasiya-system.livejournal.com]

We took Prozac for over a year to help with anxiety and had no noticeable side effects. We're no longer on it now though, having learned other methods to keep the anxiety under control. We prefer not to be on medications unless we definitely need them.

[gryphons.livejournal.com]

Hmm.. ultimately it depends on you.. We've had bad reactions to Luvox(hands were shaking so bad we couldn't hold a pencil.. they said it'd go away in two weeks.. it never did), Prozac..hmm.. (like walking and thinking in sludge).. forget what the last med we were on was.. but we couldn't eat while taking it.. like nothing..

[shatterstorm.livejournal.com]

We were on an antidepressant (zoloft?) several years ago. Several of us were having trouble coping and were feeling miserable. Our family has a history of using alcoholism to self-medicate. One night we were feeling like crap, drank three beers in about 15 min, and felt truly great. Scared the living daylights out of us so we talked to a doc for meds. Stayed on them about what, two years? about.

If you go on them, think of them as a temporary measure. You still have to work thru whatever it is driving you to despair. The drugs buy you time, they don't fix anything.

[redrainstorm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, exactly! And right now I just need them to buy me the time to talk through what's going on. I'm just so down right now... I don't care... My thoughts are... irrational at times... So I figure if I can get on an Anti-Dep. long enough to make me stable enough to talk... then it's all good

[shatterstorm.livejournal.com]

Strongly advise journaling before and while you're on them. It'll give you a better view of how medication is affecting you.

We also suggest doing things like shredding paper, drawing, writing bad poetry, playing loud music, drumming, and other outlets for when strong negative feelings get overwhelming.

If you're in the northern hemisphere, this is also when people who have a touch of seasonal affective disorder have a lot of trouble.

[fadingtogrey.livejournal.com]

I know someone who took Zoloft for a while, with horrible results. She experienced random images akin to hallucinations, had violent urges, was manic much of the time (which her family percieved as "fun," I think), and lost a lot of her ability to communicate with soulbonds/headmates and couldn't anything creative at all. That's all the experience I have.

I'd advise just being careful, and if one perscription starts to have funky effects--stop taking it.

[stealthdragon.livejournal.com]

I'd advise just being careful, and if one perscription starts to have funky effects--stop taking it.

Also, if & when you decide to discontinue a medication, make sure you know the safest way of doing so. Some have to be eased off to reduce withdrawal symptoms, which can be dangerous intheir own right.

[fadingtogrey.livejournal.com]

This just shows my ignorance on antidepressants first-hand. :) Thanks for adding that.

[tempusfrangit.livejournal.com]

Won't take meds here. Too often have we been that ONE with that ONE really bad side effect.

[annabellelaw.livejournal.com]

My girlfriend was on Zoloft and it helped her a lot. Coming off Zoloft was hard for her.

Coming off Zoloft

[littlebus.livejournal.com]

Only 'cuz I was on it for nearly 10 years. I was one of the few lucky ones with very minimal side effects and it worked great for me.

But 10 years is a really long time to be on a drug... I guess I stayed on because it worked. I didn't "go zombie" as some do. I didn't get hyperactive. I was just me, minus some of the depression. Plus a little dry-mouth at times, but hey.

I went off because I started getting worried about the long-term effects. And the effects on possible children. I've got a lot more coping skills now than I did at 14 and I'm taking fish oil and some other naturopathic stuff to even out what my body needs in a more natural way.

Yes - go off anti-depressants slowly. As slow as you go on, go off two or three times slower. At least.

It was really hard. Looking back at my journal entries from after I went off and after all of it had worked it's way out of my system ... yeah... dark times. But I'm through it now.


(this post writen slight tipsy - please excuse any spelling or grammer errors)

Hmm

[meirya.livejournal.com]

Not a multiple, so I can't speak on that side of things, but I can comment on meds. I went through a pretty bad bout of depression a couple years ago. The side effects were really the worst - couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus, lethargic and tired all the time, headaches - and kept me from being able to overcome depression with talk therapy and personal work, because I couldn't focus enough to do so. So the medications were necessary to deal with the biological/neurological side of the depression while I dealt with the environmental causes.

Just remember that meds, if they're working right, should not give you a feeling of fake happiness, hyperactivity, etc - Zoloft did that for me at first and it ended up just making things sort of worse, as I got rather dependant on it. Risperadol (for anxiety and self-harm addiction) had bad side effects; too much energy and muscular twitches, so I took myself off of that. What ended up working for me was 40mg of Celexa, which had to eventually be upped to 60mg, and after a year or so of the Celexa I was able to take myself off of it and have been pretty healthy since. All the Celexa did was lessen/eliminate the physical side effects. It helped just enough.

So yes. Meds can be a useful helpful thing, as long as they're the right meds (and remember, it can take a while to find the correct medication and dosage of medication for you, because each person reacts differently) and as long as you can eventually become weaned off them.

[vinik.livejournal.com]

The only thing I haven't seen here that we find worth mentioning as a possible side-effect is loss of co-consciousness. Every time we were on anti-depressants it was like a fog started developing that got thicker and thicker until no one could find one another anymore. After that, there was this sense of 'unreality' that affected some because they were unable to communicate and that tended to lead to some very outrageous, attention seeking behavior that wasn't very good for the body. That's why when we quit smoking on Wellbutrin, we were closely monitored by loved ones and our doctor so that we could get off of it before the damage was too great.

We had to get off of it about 6 days early. It was a 30 day treatment. 'shivers'

-Jen

[sethrenn.livejournal.com]

The only thing I haven't seen here that we find worth mentioning as a possible side-effect is loss of co-consciousness. Every time we were on anti-depressants it was like a fog started developing that got thicker and thicker until no one could find one another anymore.

We had a small amount of that on Prozac-- not as thick as you describe, but it made it difficult for people to talk to one another anyway. Mainly, it seemed to restrict the number of people who could be at or near the front at once. The thing was that while we were on it, it was subtle enough that we didn't *notice* it; we just began to notice a sudden feeling of 'opening' in the communication system when we'd been off it for a while. I guess it's kind of like how drunks often think they're alert enough to drive-- you think you're more okay than you really are...

Anyway, we just feel better overall being off the meds-- most of our depression was caused by life circumstances/situations, and we have resources and ways for dealing with things now that we didn't have when it was first prescribed to us.

[newmoon17.livejournal.com]

Well, never take prozac if you have severe depression, it actually can magnify it -

But besides that, I have found prozac to be very helpful. Although, I take it for a movement disorder, not depression, but it does make me feel much calmer. On the whole it is good for all of us, as it decreases the feeling of stress very much.

Also, what wierdly helps is excercise - not liek working out, but more like working towards a goal. My fatigue and almost-depression has gone way down since we started kung fu. We take turns at it (though I still tend to be a hog as usual :P) - the physical focus as well as the mental discipline seems to be helping as well as the prozac for intra-system communication and well-being.

[luwana.livejournal.com]

Well, never take prozac if you have severe depression, it actually can magnify it

That's a bit of a broad and relatively odd thing to say o_o

Yeah, "you get worse before you get better" is often true, but that's no reason to outright say never use Prozac for what it's basically *designed* for o_o

[newmoon17.livejournal.com]

Broad statement yes, but it is highly dangerous to take prozac for severe depression - because in severe cases it can magnify the effect and lead to suicidal tendencies, or if the person aready has suicidal and self destructive tendencies, the prozac can lead to the person actually commiting suicide ^.^ Certainly, not everyone with severe depression will react that way, but the percentage is high enough to be a red flag. And if you 'get worse before you get better' and end up commiting suicide or trying to in the process, how is that going to help?

There are other anti-depressants doctors can look at in severe cases.

For mild anxieties though, I have found prozac to work great. Most everyone in my family takes it for various reasons.

[luwana.livejournal.com]

Hence the worse before you get better.

It's a well known fact with *any* anti depressant, that it can alleviate physical symptoms before mental symptoms etc, thus leading to ahigher suicide risk. It can cause side effects which can increase apparent problems.

That doesn't make the drug bad for severe depression. It means you have to be *careful*. yourself and others around you have to be aware of side effects, and potential problems, and doctors must monitor it if anything goes wrong.


Besides, why pick on prozac? Paxil is *FAR* far worse for what you describe, especially in younger patients (eg young adults)

[luwana.livejournal.com]

All drugs can work perfect for at least one person :) Usually more. Paxil has just been in the news type thing a *lot* because of the suicide type rates on it, especially in young adults. (bear in mind, mother et step father are older)


Celexa was odd for me, very dangerous, in that it *permenantly* gave me decreased physical symptoms with unaffected mental symptoms. That's dangerous.