ok this is just my personal experience and opinion, but I was on anti-depressants for 10 years, they numbed the pain but didnt take away the root cause. I turned into "the meatsack in the corner". I put on masses of weight too, which made my depression and health probs 10 x worse (a very vicious cycle). I only shifted my depression when i came off them cold turkey and actually looked at and changed my life. If I had stayed on them I'd still be exactly where I was.....

So emphatically, I would say no. You have a reactive depression which might or might not alter the chemical balance of your brain, but in my case it just left the core of depression untouched and self-perpetuating. Good luck with whatever you decide. xx

When I first went through my break up, I had anxiety attacks, I didn't sleep, I didn't eat and I could barely function at work. I was taking lots of OTC sleep aids and I still woke up every 2-4 hours in a panic. The mornings were the absolute worst. Waking up and realizing each day that he was not next to me was so unbearable....

After nearly 6 days with little to no sleep, barely anything to eat and many many long emotional phone calls to friends and family, I decided to seek counseling. The counselor suggested I speak to my PCP about anxiety medications because I had several of them during the first counseling session and nothing that we did relieved them.

The doctor prescribed me Ativan which helped immediately. I do not recommend this to everyone as it is highly addictive but it worked for me. I tend to not have bad reactions to medications though. The counselor, doctor and I decided that I should switch to something for the longer term so I didn't become addicted to the Ativan (you're only supposed to be on it for a week or two at a time) and I switched to Lexapro for GAD.

Choosing to go the medication route is a very personal decision. I will tell you that I'm not generally someone who goes the route of taking meds. Even when I have a headache, I only take something if it's so bad I can't function. But I honestly believe that without the medication, I would probably not be here today. Please don't expect it to be a cure-all. It likely won't be. I recommend therapy at all times that you're on medication. The therapist will see changes in behavior and mood and together with doctors, they can make sure everything is working.

I really hope that everything works for you.... either meds, counseling, tlc or a combination.

good luck and keep us posted if you feel comfortable.

Also, I want to double up on the comment that Learning wrote... The first time I took Ativan, I was in the company of many good friends and stayed the night for the first few nights with them. I highly recommend this because you never know.

If your doctor recommends it, listen to your doctor. But keep in mind that you may have to try a few different kinds of medications before you find one that works for you. Just because one kind worked for someone else, it doesn't mean it will work for you. You also probably won't notice a difference right away. I have been on several kinds for depression, and I don't regret it. Also remember that it may take several months for them to take effect, as you need to start off at a low dose for the first month. And just because you need them now, it doesn't mean you always will. I was off of them after about 2 years. And now I'm fine =)
My husband is bipolar and has Asperger's syndrome, and it took a long time to find the medication combination that works for him. The is no shame in taking an antidepressant, and it can be very helpful if you're having a hard time dealing with your divorce, anxiety, or anything else.

After I had a break down I started on Lithium, and then I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar and everyone in my family said....."it about time"......I was put on Seroquel XR and it has help tremendously. I do have bounds of deep depression and hence I was recently put on Zoloft too early to early to tell if it will help but I simply could not handle the darkness any longer I get exhausted trying to keep my head above water.

Thank you to everyone that gave me input. It was all very helpful. For those that are curious, the therapist ended up leaving it to me to decide if I wanted medication since she felt I wasn't too far gone to need it. So I went with the "as needed" route since I only need it for certain times. She prescribed Xanax for me so I will give that a shot. I figure I just need something to help me through the really bad times and that's it.

Thanks again to everyone. All of you are awesome. I hope things are well (or getting better) with all of you.

Thanks for the update, SPilgrim... was wondering how things worked out for you. As needed is a good thing and completely subjective, so do what you think you need to do when you need to do it. As mentioned, you may want to try it (or even 1/2 a dose) while at home one day/night or in the company of someone you trust, just to see how it affects you. It's not likely to cause any severe side effects, but you may want to see if it makes you woozy, tired, irritated, etc. in a safe environment before taking it while out and about. I don't feel anything but normal when I take my 1/2 does, while a full pill makes me sleepy. It's just good to know how it affects you, if at all. Good luck!

I take Xanax. I take either a half a pill at bedtime, or a 1/4 pill during the day if I get an anxiety or panic attack, which is happening very often this month.
It works. But you don't want to take the whole pill unless you are REALLY needing to calm down because you will get sluggish. It doesn't really do anything for depression. It's more numbing and relaxing, but you still know that your SO is gone...

It helps a lot, but I can't wait to not need it anymore