Reducing prescription meds

[pinkpeppercorns]

I know it's too early for me to be worry about this, but I want to keep my mind off the bottle and going to get the laundry.

I have been on one, two, three prescription anti-depressants since at least the age of 20. (I'm now sliding into 46.) I would love nothing more than to get off the damned things. None of them has ever worked for me. (I've been a drinker only in the last five or so years, so we can't blame it all on alcohol.) Trouble is, when I go off anti-depressants I become--not exactly suicidal, but not far from it. I simply lie in bed and wish someone would off me. But when I am on them, I just do NOT feel like myself. I feel like a robotic rendition of myself. I'm not the creative, vivacious person underneath the fog. I've discussed this with doc after doc. None of them has suggested anything other than--at most--switching to a different and equally ineffective antidepressant.

Does anyone have recommendations in this area?

[nancy]

Reducing prescription meds

Hi Pink

Have you done any research on treatment resistant depression?
I seem to remember reading shock therapy sometimes works for some of these cases but sounds scary, only because of the history!

What about psychotherapy? Have you worked on your relationship with yourself? Antidepressants are supposed to work better with therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy.

Also, you seem to contradict yourself. You say that the drugs don't work but clearly they are helping you avoid suicidal thoughts. And you say you miss the vivacious self you are when you are off the drugs. Yet you say when you are off the drugs you lie in bed wanting to off yourself. So when were you vivacious? before you were 20? I have never felt that anti-depressant drugs took away my creativity or vivacious qualities. Quite the opposite.

or am I misunderstanding your post?

[Guest]

Reducing prescription meds

Pink,

I am reading "Seven Weeks to Sobriety" and according to that even though some natural things will work for depression, such as amino acid replenishment or retaining aminos through St. Johns wort or SAMe if you are already on antidepressants you have to do that under a doctors care. You have to find a doctor who would be willing to let you take the natural methods INSTEAD of the antidepressant. You don't want to do both the natural method and the anti-depressants at the same time.

I am now starting to read "Depression Free Naturally" by the same author as "Seven Weeks to Sobriety". Fortunately I have never been on an antidepressant so there will be nothing to transition off of, but if you look hard enough you will be able to find a doctor probably that will let you switch from antidepressants to natural methods.

Sorry it took so long for me to respond to you, I have a slight case of pneumonia in which I am now taking an antibiotic for.

Rosalind

[trixietrack]

Reducing prescription meds

hey peppercorns I think that if you are chronically or clinically depressed, getting off the meds without supervision by a professional doctor could be very very bad.
there was a person who was posting here months ago and tried to go natural, or to get off the antidepressants they found themselves in a really bad place.

i would say everyone here is really good at giving advice and being supportive but when it comes to clinical stuff the doctor is the only person who will be able to give you the right advice and information.

take care and good luck on your journey

Trix