How many of you guys had to try OR rely on medication??

[ppaul]

Do most of us in here take medication. I avoid it like the plague.

 

[MadCat]

PPaul, I've never taken medications and don't plan on. I've been insulted a few times when someone automatically thinks that anyone who has something mentally wrong with them must be on medications to get better.

I've been asked straight away what meds I am taking a few times. Didn't even ask if I was taking medication to begin with.

This probably comes from the background. For me personally it is a sign of weakness in myself. I'm not applying that to anyone else though, just myself.

To me it appears that most people take medications in general without even knowing much about what they they are.. It's not often I have ever met someone with something like SA/SP and/or mental illnesses that do not take medications.

 

[J]

I'd prefer to not be on medication; however, it seems to be necessary to prevent (or at least tone down) the debilitating depressions I'm prone to. I'm on a very very low dose of Effexor. I don't like how psychiatrists in general want to ramp you up to some large dose becuase that happened to be the dose studied most. I understand following the evidence, but everyone is different. I respond pretty well to low doses, and low doses keep most of the side effects (like weight gain) at bay.

 

[Chilling__Echo]

about the doses, J, it is hard to find a doc who will prescribe a decent dose of meds, probably because they're all tested on college frat boys with unbelievable metabolism and get drunk every night :roll:

 

[jourjaune]

I've taken several different medications for about a year, but then stopped because I felt like somehow they'd change who I was. My mom is completely opposite she couldn't live without hers, but she's happy all the time and personally, I wouldn't be able to stand it, I like a good cry once in awhile. She told me that part is numb for her, but she likes it that way. Plus, the thought of taking a pill really grosses me out because I overdosed a few years ago and it brings back memories everytime I see a pill.

 

[GettingThere]

Of those who won't take medication for their condition I wonder how many have taken antibiotics? I wonder how many have taken headache tablets/painkillers?

Drugs used for emotional problems seem to have a bad reputation and this has probably come about because of the hassles which benzodiazepines have caused in so many lives. Different drugs however, work in different ways. Benzos are extremely addictive. Antidepressants on the other hand are not (generally) considered to be so.

I believe in quality of life. If that means having to take medication to feel happy and to cope better than so be it.

 

[Crimefish]

I took prozac (the only med it's legal for me to take) for two weeks, but I had to stop taking it before it kicked in 'cause it was reacting with the med I took for crohn's disease.
I've since stopped taking the crohn's med, so maybe I'll take the proxac again sometime. I'm doing really well without it, so we'll see. My psychologist is so proud of me. When I told him I went into town for an hour, he nearly fell out of his chair. :lol:

I agree with Gettingthere. Meds don't change you, they just make you more able to be yourself... IMHO.

 

[Chrisfishes]

I started taking effexor after being diagnosed with depression, after a few months added remeron. About a month after adding remeron I started feeling noticably better... I guess just an overall sense of wellbeing that I had not felt in years. Now, four months since I started improving it has been a bit up and down but the lows are nowhere near the lows i can remember from the past. I have had no real side effects and only have good things to say. I don't think it has really helped my sp much, but only time will tell. The docs over here recomend 1 year minimum and then 3 -6 months coming off. So for now things are ok, but I will let you know overthe next year if things change.

 

[SingaporeGuy]

no drugs man. i just want to conquer it all thru sheer mental strength..

 

[zyxockjm]

no drugs man. i just want to conquer it all thru sheer mental strength..

I thought you said you've been using propranolol for some time now.

 

[Lucy40]

I respect those that dont want to take medication, but for me it was a must. Four years ago when my SP peaked (it has done on several occasions since it started when i was 14 - im 41 now) i could hardly bring myself to leave the house. My doctor put me on paroxatine which has been my life saver. Im down from 2 tablets a day to half a tablet a day and im really trying to get my act together. I havent worked for 15 years because of my SP and now im making positive steps to try to get back to work which is very scary to me. Anyway, back to the original topic, paroxatine to me, is a lifesaver and has pulled me back from the brink of despair and made me feel more "normal" and in control, i dont know what i would have done without it.

 

[JWH]

As a child I did, but that was mostly for other stuff. I utterly refuse to take anxiety/depression meds nowdays. There's still so much I can do to improve my situation that I'd rather go for that before anything else.

 

[SingaporeGuy]

no drugs man. i just want to conquer it all thru sheer mental strength..

I thought you said you've been using propranolol for some time now.

yeah, that was a few months ago. i even tried st john wort, which helped me trmendously, as in increasing my happy mood, being confident, etc..

but if i could cure my asthma about 70 % that nearly killed me 4 years ago, why cant i self medicate myself to cure SA?

right now i am doing extremely great..serious..

 

[MadCat]

I'm really glad you mentioned St. Johns Wort I haven't tried it personally but it seems a better option if people don't want to dive in the world of SSRI's and stuff.