In my experience it can help. But you have to do your research and you can't be afraid to stand up and say that a certain pill isn't working for you.

I started off on Cymbalta two years ago. I didn't want to take anti depressants but my doctor said it would help and I trusted him. First big mistake. Cymbalta made me so ill, it sent me spiralling I ended up seriously suicidal for the first time in my life. When I told my doctor about this he freaked out told me it couldn't happen. It said it right there on the packaging, 'may increase suicidality in people under 25'. Once when I was at the doctor's surgery I saw that all the stationary and things were cymbalta branded. So the doctor had some kind of deal to push Cymbalta and that made me so mad, I nearly died. It ruined my life. I was so miserable and helpless for the 6 months I was on Cymbalta, they were the worst six months of my life. The doctor prescribed me it for the cash!

Then I went to another doctor and got my prescription changed. I was put on Lexapro. Lexapro has been much better for me. It has helped me a lot especially with stabilising my mood and with my physical anxiety symptoms. I've been on it for a year and a half and I have been much better, I still have lows but I've only experienced suicidal thoughts once in those two years and I was very distressed about a situation in my life at that stage.

I see antidepressants as sort of a bar to hold on to, to get you along. If you know what I mean. It's like the rail of a staircase, It can hold you up and stop you from falling too far/fast but you still have to do the work to get to the top.

Really it's your decision. Something you should definitely know before you start taking them is that it's really hard to get off them again, you have to be consistent or the withdrawals can make you really sick.

My advice is to be informed and be pragmatic.

Good luck, I hope which ever way you go you find your happiness!

Thanks for your reply!! It really gave me some things to think about. Especially since my therapist made it sound easy to get of them. You just scale down a little at the time.

I've always heard it can be hard to find the right pill. Hopefully the healthcare here isnt as corrupt...

What I do know I wont do is do my usual mistake. Trust to much and just go with it. I'll do my research. I've survived 11 years without any meds and I am not suicidal... Would not want a pill who makes it all worse. But I'm also so tired of feeling like this. So if the right pill could help....even a little maybe it's worth it. But it's also scary to me to think it would make me any different from now.

Ok I'm ranting... anyhow.. thanks :)

Rant away. It can take six months or longer to taper off from what I've heard. I've only given up and stopped taking them cold turkey, which I don't recommend anyone ever do. You get these things called brain zaps, which the way I'd describe them would be someone flicking a tv on and off in your head. They were so bad that I couldn't even walk, my ex had to go home from work and buy my meds for me because I couldn't get off my bed.

It's a tough choice. I've got to say you are incredibly strong to have been fighting solo for 11 years! That's amazing.

The wrong one was horrible it's true. But Lexapro has helped me a lot. I feel more balanced. But at the same time, I'm 23 so it could just be part of growing up you never know.
But I'd say it's helped a lot more for my anxiety than the depression I used to have convulsions and IBS so bad that I had to go home from work or uni and there's none of that on antidepressants.

now I'm rambling lol.

Yeah cold turkey may not be good. 6 months sounds long to me though and brain zaps does not sound fun. ugh. I donno lol.

Yeah well my depression has been sorta up and down through the years. I'm 23 too so it started when I was 13. Took me this long to even realize I'm "sick" enough to even get help. Thought it couldn't hurt checking in to that therapy thing, happy I did.

Well got some thinking to do....

and ramble away :)

My pdoc has always told me it takes at least six weeks for an anti-depressent to get it's full therapeutic effects. I have been on different anti-depressents since 21 and I am 42. The psychotherapy has been wonderful and the most helpful but without my meds, I am ok for a week or two then crash hard. I guess everyone is different. It is also kind of trial and error until you find the one that works for you without side effects. But to me, in the end, it's worth it. Good luck.

My first anti depressant was Welbutrin, 8 years ago. It worked for a while then my dr took me off of them. I was a moody teenager for a couple years then went to a different dr and got welbutrin again, but it didn't do anything for me.

So we started lexapro. Initially the lexapro was to help my agitation. But lexapro was great and I took it for 4 years. My dr switched me to prozac a year ago, reasn being that lexapro can damage your liver. So I've been on prozac for a year now and it is helping me tremendously. I'm calm and I don't get agitated or yell or cuss at people. I don't have panic attacks anymore either

If your therapist only wants you to go on a low does medication, have you given any thoughts to natural medications? Such as St John's Wart or HTP 5? These have less side effects and may give you that bit of a lift you need? You may want to do some research into natural remedies. I am currently taking Jamieson's Omega 3 Calm, which has helped me quite a bit with absolutely NO side effects. I have no desire to go on Anti Depressants given all the negative things I have read about them.