Do what you have to do.

Personally I think meds do the coping we should be doing. Once you are off of them you still have to cope with what life dishes out.

Temporarily taking them while seeking help from a proffessional might take the edge off.

I'm a medical professional I will tell you what I have heard about the antidepressants. Paxil and Celexa do cause weight gain. Effexor is a good drug but the withdrawl is rough. I prefer things like Lexapro or Zoloft. Also be aware that antidepressants do affect the ability to have an full erection. Usually this can be fixed by skipping your am dose then taking it after your done. It's not always full proof but that's how it worked for my x. Not every med has the same effect. I would try it. It's not forever but boy can it give you an edge.

well, being bipolar, i have to take meds to keep my good ole brain chemicals level...
so if u are getting seriously depressed or saddened, and not just stressed... u could definitely need some help with meds... it's not always just a crutch, sometimes necessary,,
talk to ur doctor for sure,, because finding out u needed them by crashing first, isnt the best way to find out.
Counseling always goes along with taking antidepressants, etc. because they really don't do the long term work, i do agree with that....

I really didn't have much choice at first. Being I had a nervous breakdown the doctors threw me on Lexapro and Xanax. Don't get me wrong, they did help. However I wasn't dealing with my emotions and what was happening to me. I also am a commercial driver and really felt it wasn't safe! I just constantly had t his "distracted" feeling.

I stopped taking them when I transferred to another state...bad thing was, then I had to deal with all the emotions I wasn't dealing with before.

I think you should do this only if you have become nonfunctional, reason being, as has been said, the grief will wait for you and have its day eventually.

Other than a difficult time finding the "right" med for my own fickle brain, the results have been quite good...my own experience is that they will simply restore your ability to cope, make rational decisions, and not fall apart each time a new crisis arises - which in the real world, can sometimes be frequently.

I did have some bad initial side effects but these did taper off - with the exception of the sexual side effects, which I'm guessing is a manageable problem at this point in your life.

I actually lost a few pounds on mine (Cymbalta) and have more or less kept it off. Not sure if that is a universal result or not.

Pacifier? Maybe. Who the hell cares? My own nervous system began to work against me. It would not allow me to react emotionally in a way that was proportionate to the stressor I was facing. This is all I ask and about all an SSRI or anti-anxiety medication can do. They will not "solve" your problems, but they have an excellent track record of giving you the piece of mind to make thoughtful, reasoned decisions.

Just be prepared for some false starts. It is still a black art finding the right drug. Work with a psychiatrist - not a general physician. They have more experience with where to start, how long to experiment, and when to move on.

Good luck.

I agree with the "Do what you have to do" statement. If you think that you cannot cope without prescription drugs, go talk to your doc. I personally wouldn't want to be dependent on them. I know that sometimes you need something to help you through.