I've been talking with a lot of folks about depression lately and was wondering your opinion. I feel most of us have experienced various symptoms of depression with the struggles of military life over the years.

What do you find a more productive treatment for general depression, therapy or meds? I know that all cases are different and require individual treatment plans, but with all the talk of negative side-effects of meds, I find it an interesting debate.

What do you girls think, do you have an opinion on it?

I haven't been in the military scene as long as many of you have, but my personal opinion is that it really depends on your severity and length of your depression. I actually work in a pharmacy, and seeing many of these meds used first hand, i personally try to do any other kind of treatments first before taking ANY kind of medicine. In many cases i think people start with therapy, and the therapists may prescribe the anti-depressants. I could be wrong... just my thought?

i *personally* think that depression is diagnosed and treated with anti-depressents too often and easily. I know that depression is real, and i know that drugs CAN help. but i would exhaust all other means before anti-depressents. There is a time and place for drugs, i just dont think it should be one of the first things that are done.

Well, I'm a psychology major and spent... well, the last 10+ years of my life in talk therapy as well as being medicated on various sorts of anti-depressants & anti-psychotics.

As a patient, I feel that medication is important in the stabalization of serious disorders like Bi-polar, and it has taken me a long time to get to that point in my life, but at the same time it's also incredibly important to build a healthy talk relationship with a psychologist. I had 4 different psychologists, and stayed with my last psycholgoist for 9 years. You cannot just medicate and think that solves everything, so it's important that people understand.

As a psychology student - Medication should not be the first option unless the patient is presenting psychotic syptoms, suicidal tendencies, etc... Society today feels that everything can be solved by taking a pill , but you must first treat the REAL cause of depression before treating the symptoms (in strictly just depressed circumstances).

My views on regular old depression... *shrug* Everyone does get depressed, some respond to it differently than others. There are alot other options before turning to medication. Everyone is different though like you said, and only you and your psychiatrist or doctor will know what the right option for you is. I highly recommend if you plan to be medicated for depression not to go to your regular old doctor, go to a psychiatrist to be diagnoised, he will know what the right medicine for you to take, you'd be surprised the ammount of people who are taking too high a dose, of the wrong sort of medicine and not only does it wreck your liver, but it can lead you to become even more depressed.... I know far too many people who have gone to their GP and perscribed anti-depressants, sometimes very strong anti-depressants that were uncalled for.

It's a tough call really.

I think supportive friends and family is really all you need. but thats just me.

I think that therapy and meds together work best. That is what I did for my PTSD and depression. It doesn't have to be continuous, I haven't needed meds or therapy for years now.

I have Bi-polar medication is my friend along with therapy and behavior modification tools.

I have Bi-polar medication is my friend along with therapy and behavior modification tools.

If i'm not being too nosey, you truly don't have to answer. Have you ever gone without them, and then felt like you really REALLY needed them again?... I ask because I stopped taking mine when I got pregnant with Jamison. I went cold turkey and actually ended up having seizures when I was withdrawling, which put me in the hospital ANYWAY, after I had my son I felt like I had become too.. addicted I guess to my medication so I never resumed them. But, lately, I just feel like I really could use the stabalization... just wondering if you've gone through it or if I'm being ridiculous.

I was seriously depressed (as in so depressed that I was committed for 3 weeks and in intensive daily outpatient treatment for 6 monre weeks and regular therapy for years) as a child and teen. No medication/combo ever seemed to help. Likewise, my therapists were wholly ineffective, probably because I never found one that I connected with. I can honestly say that time, personal growth, and a willingness to face my inner deamons on my own were my keys to coming out of it.

My Mom, on the otherhand, has dealt with chronic depression for the better part of a decade. Medication is key for her to be able to function.

So, IMHO, it all depends on the person.

I think many times that anti-depressants are beneficial to people but I also think that sometimes people have other things wrong with them and are just given meds as sort of a "catch-all" cure. I know after I had Lydia I was having a lot of mood swings and sadness, so the doctor gave me Zoloft which didn't really help. Another doctor changed my birth control and THAT helped, so my hormones were just out of whack after the pregnancy.

I do know meds help a lot of people but I also think there's a ton of people out there who are on them and don't need them.

I think it depends on the person and the situation. Sometimes medication is needed, and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it is a chemical issue and needs medication, sometimes it is situational and can be dealt with therapy alone.

If i'm not being too nosey, you truly don't have to answer. Have you ever gone without them, and then felt like you really REALLY needed them again?... I ask because I stopped taking mine when I got pregnant with Jamison. I went cold turkey and actually ended up having seizures when I was withdrawling, which put me in the hospital ANYWAY, after I had my son I felt like I had become too.. addicted I guess to my medication so I never resumed them. But, lately, I just feel like I really could use the stabalization... just wondering if you've gone through it or if I'm being ridiculous.

I went unmedicated with TTC Jacob and his whole pregnancy. It was a nightmare I was beyond clinically depressed and most likely should have gone in patient and been forced meds.

I made it to about three months post partum, I had PPD and was seeing things out of the corner of my eyes and having awful feelings of doom as in "what if I am getting something out of the oven and I drop Jacob into the oven?", "what if i forget Jacob in the car and he dies of the heat", "what if I misplace Jacob"I was terrified something was going to happen to him BUT at the same time I could not bond with him either. I took care of him but on automatic pilot.

I didn't admit to THOSE thoughts until this year in therapy, (I did have an emergency appointment when he was three months old and got help for PPD & my Bipolar so I did reach out I was just to scared of being labeled unfit to tell the whole truth) my shrink says that I had postpartum psychosis and not PPD. She was glad that I had gotten help though.

I don't feel I am to dependent on my meds I know how my life is all to well when I am not on them. I want to switch to Welbutrin (SP?) because i have heard the sexual side effects are less. For now I am no Depakote and Zoloft. I am interested in a Abilify and Welbutrin combo though.

I went unmedicated with TTC Jacob and his whole pregnancy. It was a nightmare I was beyond clinically depressed and most likely should have gone in patient and been forced meds.

I made it to about three months post partum, I had PPD and was seeing things out of the corner of my eyes and having awful feelings of doom as in "what if I am getting something out of the oven and I drop Jacob into the oven?", "what if i forget Jacob in the car and he dies of the heat", "what if I misplace Jacob"I was terrified something was going to happen to him BUT at the same time I could not bond with him either. I took care of him but on automatic pilot.

I didn't admit to THOSE thoughts until this year in therapy, (I did have an emergency appointment when he was three months old and got help for PPD & my Bipolar so I did reach out I was just to scared of being labeled unfit to tell the whole truth) my shrink says that I had postpartum psychosis and not PPD. She was glad that I had gotten help though.

I don't feel I am to dependent on my meds I know how my life is all to well when I am not on them. I want to switch to Welbutrin (SP?) because i have heard the sexual side effects are less. For now I am no Depakote and Zoloft. I am interested in a Abilify and Welbutrin combo though.

I had that exact same feeling... I just tried to ignore it and the ex just told me I was crazy. I still occasionally have thoughts similar to that, and I'm incredibly overprotective of him.

I was on all of those meds except for abilify. I was quite young on depakote about.. I'd say 15, and I gained 50 lbs on it! My psychiatrist said to me "Would you rather be stable or skinny" and to a 15 year old girl, i'd rather be dead than be fat... Needless to say I changed doctors. I was on Wellbutrin, serequel and trileptal combination, which really works wonderfully, especially if you have trouble sleeping. The only issue would be that serequel knocks you out. Trileptal is truly an amazing medication. I was on those 3 for 3 years actually.

You should definetly talk to your doctor about it if you feel like you need a change. Wellbutrin is a good med to be on, I never experienced sexual side effects with it.

Thanks I am a fattie on my depakote it is very depressing the meds lower the sex drive and then being a fat ass makes me feel even less desirable.

I'm on anti depressants but not for that reason. I am on them to help me sleep. My dr didn't want to put me on a super duper sleep med cause she was afraid I'd get addicted. Well they wound up not working and she wound up giving me sleep meds. I really don't see them helping that much but then again I've not been on them very long

Thanks I am a fattie on my depakote it is very depressing the meds lower the sex drive and then being a fat ass makes me feel even less desirable.

LOL everyone is a fattie on depakote, I'm sure you look fine! The reason for the lowered sex drive is because its an SRI, and effects your level of serotonin.. *sigh* alas, medicine will never get some things right! The wellbutrin doesn't work the same way that depakote does, so you should be back to normal in no time!

I've been talking with a lot of folks about depression lately and was wondering your opinion. I feel most of us have experienced various symptoms of depression with the struggles of military life over the years.

What do you find a more productive treatment for general depression, therapy or meds? I know that all cases are different and require individual treatment plans, but with all the talk of negative side-effects of meds, I find it an interesting debate.

What do you girls think, do you have an opinion on it?

There is a HUGE difference between being depressed and suffering from depression. If you are truly suffering from depression, you need to be talking to a doctor to find out which course of action is going to be the best for you.

i'm "really" bipolar :suspect and i've been on meds and now i'm w/o bc my stupid fucking insurance won't pay for them unless i see a psychiatrist (not psycologist) and they won't cover a psychiatrist. how the fuck does that work? aaaaaaanyway.

i take zoloft currently and i don't NEED it, but omg life is so much better with it. i don't cry at the drop of a hat, i feel like leaving the house (ehhh sometimes but i have more issues than just that), i'm not a snippy bitch... etc.

i need my medication, but i can survive w/o it.

:hi

:grumpy

i'm "really" bipolar :suspect and i've been on meds and now i'm w/o bc my stupid fucking insurance won't pay for them unless i see a psychiatrist (not psycologist) and they won't cover a psychiatrist. how the fuck does that work? aaaaaaanyway.

i take zoloft currently and i don't NEED it, but omg life is so much better with it. i don't cry at the drop of a hat, i feel like leaving the house (ehhh sometimes but i have more issues than just that), i'm not a snippy bitch... etc.

i need my medication, but i can survive w/o it.

I have taken them, and have some in my medicine cabinet right now. I don't see anything wrong with someone needing an antidepressent, and no one should be judged for doing what's right for them, especially if it is to keep themselves healthy and happy.

LMFAO omg quadruple post

There is a HUGE difference between being depressed and suffering from depression. If you are truly suffering from depression, you need to be talking to a doctor to find out which course of action is going to be the best for you.

yeah. true that. i meant to touch on that but got distracted by wonky servers. :lol

there's a difference between feeling depressed and being clinically depressed. biiiiiig difference.

I took prozac for 4 years. I finally weened off of it this year. I don't see any change in my behavior except I cry more now adays. not for bad things, but for things cry-worthy.

I took prozac for 4 years. I finally weened off of it this year. I don't see any change in my behavior except I cry more now adays. not for bad things, but for things cry-worthy.

lol its so annoying, when i want to cry to guilt my boyfriend i can't if i've been taking my zoloft regularly. :lmao

Honestly, I just feel like its a personal decision between an individual and their doctor/therapist. I've seen them help people and I've seen people who didn't think they were necessary. I've never personally been on them, but I don't think it's fair to make any blanket statements about anti-depressants in general... I'm not Tom Cruise :giggle

I t does depned on the person, reasons and physical reasons as well. I do agree that the pills are over prescribed but sometimes family and friends aren't enough as one poster thought that's all you need. Sometimes it's not enough or has NOTHING to do with having family or friends.
I have been on anit-depressants and I did need them at the time. I became depressed while preggo with Ian but didn't realize it at the time and I ignored my PPD because I just didn't think that would happen to me but hind sight is always 20/20. All I can say is thank GOD dh was a SAHD because I was "mean" to Ian when he was a baby, I never hurt him but I got pissed everytime he was hungery because I was breast feeding him. I was disgusted to look at him at times because, long story short, I went through hell to have him and my body was traumatized and I basically blamed him without really realizing it. Somehow I managed to function like a robot for years but was never myself again. Then a year after my dad died I began having physical signs of depression and anxiety. You can google them I had all but 2, I wasn't suicidal or homicidal. I just wanted to run away to a quiet place where no one else would be around. It was that bad. I finally went to the doctor and went on Zoloft, it helped but after a year I began to relapse, then I was put on Lexapro and Buspar then I was referred to a psychiatrist who gave me Welbutrin on top of the other two. After a year I began to feel normal again. I am now no longer on meds, I quit cold turky when we moved to Korea. Grant it it wasn't the smart thing to do but I have been fine ever since, I think the change in continent helped me tremendously!!
But there is a huge difference between the blues and actual depression which can affect you physically as well as mentally. Before I was diagnosed, I had wierd twinges, nerves in my legs would go haywire, I had chest pain, panic attacks, I was exhausted all the time, I never wanted to go anywhere or see anyone. Everynight I couldn't sleep because it felt like my body was vibrating and it got worse the stiller I was so around 3AM I would finally passout from pure exhauston but then I could barely get up to take care of my kids, I would call the school to say my son was sick because I couldn't get up for him to be at school at 10:35AM for afternoon kindergarten!
When it's that bad you need medication becuse it is a chemical imbalance.

Also wanted to add, I went to a therapist a few years ago because I felt I was depressed, but according to him I was just experiencing normal phases of grief. Sometimes people confuse the two...

they've helped me an INCREDIBLE amount in the past 4 years.
therapy didn't help me one tiny bit. but i didn't WANT it to work either, my parents made me go and i refused to open up to them soo yeah.
the depression had a little to do with the military...it was when my brother (my best friend and the only person in my family i felt close to) left for boot camp that things got REALLY bad for me, but i was struggling with it as a disease for a fair amount of time before then. it was around then that my dad finally forced me to see someone.

depression meds made me worse...so my opinion is to not take them but i had some hormone imbalance thign going on that made me depressed in the first place...once they corrected that i was fien:D

i believe you have the best shot at pulling through if you combine both meds AND talk therapy... that way you can tackle the chemical imbalance, if you have one, and you can work on your life and situation to improve it there.

I think supportive friends and family is really all you need. but thats just me.

Well for some of us that really doesn't work.. Oh how I wish it did. I wish that I could have gone through my life and not had to ever take meds.. I am NOT currently taking anything, although my mom thinks I should but sometimes the side effects are worse while on meds than not..

All I can speak of is my own experience.

When I was a freshman in high school I was hospitalized for depression.I was put on Zoloft.

The reason I was depressed was that both of my parents were alcoholics who liked to beat each other, and beat and ridicule me.

Needless to say Zoloft did not solve my problem, it just made me throw up.

I was extremely depressed for about 6 years after we moved to the US. There are also things I've done during that depression that no one knows except maybe my husband. I tried talking to my mom about it once and she believed that depression was for the weak. Way to make a kid feel better, mom! lol Since then, she's gotten on meds. *sigh* So, I know what depression feels like. If a person is more comfortable with meds than therapy then so be it. Do what works for you. Although I was never given any help, I would much rather have had therapy than take meds. A. I don't feel comfortable with feeling dependant on a pill. B. I feel that you have to get things out somehow, why not to a therapist who can help you find a solution? But if a person feels they want or need both then get both. To anyone suffering from depression, no matter which form of help you choose, get help and take care of yourself.

I have been on a few types of anti depressents and the best one for me was lexapro. IMO I needed the meds. I could tell a huge difference when I was not on them.

I have been off of them for over a year now and I am doing ok with it.

Depends on each person

Since my SO went off to Iraq i have suffered terrible panic attacks, and bouts of severe depression. I went to my doctor and asked for help ,within 5 mins they prescribed me anti depressants and diazapam.

thats was 4.5 months ago and I have not taken either.................That is a road i do not want to go down so have been trying to find alternative help, ive taken up yoga, the gym, acupuncture.

I have no issue if people take the meds and i certainly think some people need them.........i just personally dont think a pill can sort out what im going through. this is something i have to learn to deal with.

somedays are good, others are great........others are horrific and i wish i could take those pills but for now i fight on with them!

I don't feel that I can state a fair opinion because I have not been in a state of depression needing either treatment. Do employments depress me? Yes, but just thinking of the day I am back with him, creating letters, packages, and e-mails, and spending time with friends and family that really care about me was enough to get me through the harder days.

I've been on anxiety medication for over 2 years...I feel VERY strongly about this topic, and I believe that I needed this medication to live a "normal" life. I also believe that any medication should be coupled with therapy. You can't just expect to pop a pill and have all your problems taken away...you have to work it out too...its not easy

I've been on meds off and on for 13 years thanks to my f'ing stepdad. depression can also be a side effect of CP. Meds help especially with DH taking the grand tour of southwest asia.

I think supportive friends and family is really all you need. but thats just me.

I will let you borrow my DH without his meds. Trust me, there comes a point when 'supportive friends and family' is not enough.

I think supportive friends and family is really all you need. but thats just me.

I will let you borrow my DH without his meds. Trust me, there comes a point when 'supportive friends and family' is not enough.

I think supportive friends and family is really all you need. but thats just me.

They are nice to have BUT when you have a mental illness it takes more then that to get it under control and manage it. I WOULD LOVE if I didn't have to take pills everyday, and occasionally I think I am "all better now" and take myself off them my husband can tell you what THAT is like when that happens.

They are nice to have BUT when you have a mental illness it takes more then that to get it under control and manage it. I WOULD LOVE if I didn't have to take pills everyday, and occasionally I think I am "all better now" and take myself off them my husband can tell you what THAT is like when that happens.

:lmao true that. minus the husband, plus boyfriend and family.

I've been talking with a lot of folks about depression lately and was wondering your opinion. I feel most of us have experienced various symptoms of depression with the struggles of military life over the years.

What do you find a more productive treatment for general depression, therapy or meds? I know that all cases are different and require individual treatment plans, but with all the talk of negative side-effects of meds, I find it an interesting debate.

What do you girls think, do you have an opinion on it?

A combination. My psych explained it this way: "You can have a boulder on your foot, and take medicine to take away the pain you feel, but the boulder is still on your foot." For me, I needed both. I firmly believe in the potential effectiveness of medication, but I had the greatest success when I combined that with ongoing therapy. The medication and short-term therapy made me feel much better; the medication and long-term therapy put me in remission from my clinical depression as of February 2008 :cp

If you have any questions about all that stuff you are welcome to PM me. It took a while to get my medicine right and everything.

I've been talking with a lot of folks about depression lately and was wondering your opinion. I feel most of us have experienced various symptoms of depression with the struggles of military life over the years.

What do you find a more productive treatment for general depression, therapy or meds? I know that all cases are different and require individual treatment plans, but with all the talk of negative side-effects of meds, I find it an interesting debate.

What do you girls think, do you have an opinion on it?

You can find a dozen studies, and editorials in less than a minute to argue one, or the other, or both together as the best approach. I suppose a fail safe is to begin with therapy, and, pending further evaluation and results, seek drug therapy next.
I'm not sure if this is really fair to debate though because who can have an opinion on someone else's approach to something SO SO SO personal? NO ONE can know what goes on in another person when it comes to dealing with emotional well being and mental health. Doctor's and scientists and patients can not even decide or figure out the best ways to deal with it so how could someone without those qualifications dare to voice an opinion on a topic dealing with such vulnerable people? I'm afraid to even read this thread for fear of reading something that would really bother me which seldom happens in these forums.

Also wanted to add, I went to a therapist a few years ago because I felt I was depressed, but according to him I was just experiencing normal phases of grief. Sometimes people confuse the two...

Yeah, it was funny, but after I had been under treatment for a while, I finally felt different kinds of sadness...I could differentiate grief, depression, frustration, etc...which I couldn't really do before. Everything just sent me way down before.

My best treatment is therapy. I've done various anti-depressants and although they've helped me have a better mood, they just don't mix well w/ my body physically.

has anyone heard anything about celexa?

i apologize if this thread upset you, that was not the intention!

libbydc: I apologize if this upset you, it was not the intention!

sorry, double post!

libbydc: I apologize if this upset you, it was not the intention!

sorry, double post!

:giggle I didn't read the thread previous to my post. Thanks though.

I think a combination of therapy and meds is a good way to go for severe depression, but it is a very individual thing best left to the professionals to determine for each patient.

I did counseling and meds for a while, the meds help stabilize me a lot and the counseling really helped me to pinpoint the issues that were bothering me and learned strategies for dealing with them.

However, I ended up going through several different prescriptions and ended up with bad side effects from each of them. (Again, it's different for every person though.)

has anyone heard anything about celexa?

Not only heard, but took it myself. It worked pretty well but I could not hold still for the life of me! It was like I had done 4 shots of espresso all day long. Tapping my fingers, shaking my leg, fiddling with keys/pens/etc. Yikes! Haha. I felt good but was a bit of a basketcase.

Other meds and side effects...

Remeron: gained weight (like 50 lbs - ugh)
Celexa: jitters
Effexor XR: good, with a little nausea. Unfortunately, there was a mixup at the pharmacy and I got regular instead of XR (slow release). It made me :pukey pretty much every day. Figured it out, got switched back to XR, but sadly the side effect remained - :pukey every morning. That was when I decided I'd had enough and would deal with it on my own.

That decision isn't right for everyone though, and I still struggle with a lot of things. The counseling did help me learn a lot of coping strategies though.

So to sum up, it's a very individual thing for each person.