I am not totally against medications, but I do feel that we all need to be very careful and selective about any medication.

The anti-depressants are known to help people who are suicidal, and the meds can calm down a person which can allow them to think thing through more rationally.

I just do not think that the meds actually do much in countering the cause of the depression.

As like a person becomes homeless or get a divorce or some tragedy happened and then they become super depressed and suicidal, so then the anti-depressants will let the person get some sleep and calm down, but then after that they must deal with the cause of the depression.

If we use the anti-depressants properly to treat our self and not to treat the problem, then some times the meds can work great.

There is another thing about anti-depressants that I want to add.

At the Hospitals they have intense treatment for people in danger of suicide, and virtually all suicides are based on the person's severe feelings of depression, and that treatment is seven (7) days long.

Some people say that 7 days is too long, while some others say it needs to be longer.

The point is that depression and anti-depressants are severe only for 2 - 3 days at most, and when it last longer then there has to be some other mental illness instead of some depressive circumstance causing the depression.

When depression goes on for weeks and months and years then taking the anti-depressants become more of a crutch and a hindrance to any real recovery.

Physically depressed is far different then mental depression.

Of course there are different kinds of anti-depressants that are used for long term physical symptoms, and a different kind used for the short term mental depression.

I am not a Psychiatrist so this is not some medical doctrine, as it is just my beliefs based on my own study and experience.

Depression is a real illness just like any other. Treatments are individual to each person. Only a doctor can actually determine if these medications would be of benefit to you.

There is a physical depression which occurs when the body is depleted of neuro chemicals. That is no different from say having an infection and use of anti depressants is warranted to assist the body in recovering the proper levels of necessary chemicals.

If the depression is situational, say due to a death in the family or some other crisis, it usually is best to avoid medications. In those situations, they only numb the feelings that must be worked thru to reach the calm on the other side.

If the depression is from long term mental abuse, these medications can be very helpful in keeping the spirits up while doing the work of recovery the self esteem needed to overcome.

Never be afraid to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. He/she knows you best and can offer the best suggestions. Some people end up on anti depressant medications for the rest of their life. That would be based on the doctors determination of what is causing the depression and your response to them.

Good luck
Sunny

Hi Pam: I disagree with Booky.

I ask you keep an open mind. There are many types of depression and many different types of treatment. A psychiatrist would be the appropriate person to see to do testing to diagnose whether you actually have depression, or if you have another mental health ailment or a combination of them. It is possible to have depression or to have a combination of ailments and you should not feel any stigma if you have any of them or a combination of them.

If the doctor finds you have a mental health ailment of depression or a combination of other ailments, he will discuss with you the different types of treatment available. Factors that you and s/he will consider are any other meds you may be on, any allergies you have, supplements you may be taking, work you do (if you work with machinery that may injury you), your work schedule, responsibility of taking care of children, etc.

Some doctors may want to try biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, medication, EFT, meditation, talk therapy, etc.

Again, listen to your doctor and not people on the internet. Don't be afraid, don't believe in stigma and good luck and many hugs.

Hi everyone, thanks for your reply. I have started taking St Johns wort which is a more natural response to how i am feeling, along with other simple changes like diet. x

Yes, newer generation antidepressants without a doubt changed my life!! I went through decades of agony before they hit the market. Today, this would not be the case anymore.

I've had really good luck with Effexor, Wellbutrin, and Remeron. Effexor is my usual standby, and all three are effective for major depressive disorder. None of the above are SSRI's but there are very effective SSRI's available too.