Meds or not to meds?
I hope this is a helpful entry. I know there are many of us moms who have had a child or children pass and after a tragedy like that it has come up over & over - should I try some medication? I will just share my experience. Immediately after Eddie passed suddenly my doctor gave me Ativan- which is an anti-anxiety medication. I used it mostly to help me sleep & and on occasion for anxiety during the day. I can assure you it helped. When I didn't take it I was a mess. I didn't sleep & cried all night. After 11 months I was able to wean myself off it & I now take melatonin for sleep.
I began to take Zoloft, an anti-depressant in December of 09. It helped take the edge off my emotional pain & helped me to focus at work. I had to stop taking it about 2 weeks ago due to my stomach problems and have found myself crying on the way to & from work & again having many meltdowns. I realized that I needed to go back on it & have reintroduced it as of Tuesday. I will take it as long as I need to because it helps me function & like all of you, function we must. I will take it the rest of my life if I need to. I am on a low dosage, Zoloft doesn't contribute to weight gain, and unlike the Ativan, it is not habit forming.
As a Mental Health worker I see the good many medications do for my clients. This is just my experience. Your doctor and/or psychiatrist can help you decide what, if any medications are helpful. I also went to grief counseling for one year and I was blessed to have a very skilled counselor whose help was invaluable.
I do feel just OK most of the time, but the Zoloft seems to help my emotions stay more manageable. I wish you all the best in finding what works for you on this heartbreaking road we travel.
As an aside my granddaughter Christina is still carrying the baby. Every day Baby Isabella waits to arrive her lungs get stronger. The doctor guestimates that she is about 5lbs or so now. Thank you for all your prayers.
I wish you a peaceful day. Love you!!
I began to take Zoloft, an anti-depressant in December of 09. It helped take the edge off my emotional pain & helped me to focus at work. I had to stop taking it about 2 weeks ago due to my stomach problems and have found myself crying on the way to & from work & again having many meltdowns. I realized that I needed to go back on it & have reintroduced it as of Tuesday. I will take it as long as I need to because it helps me function & like all of you, function we must. I will take it the rest of my life if I need to. I am on a low dosage, Zoloft doesn't contribute to weight gain, and unlike the Ativan, it is not habit forming.
As a Mental Health worker I see the good many medications do for my clients. This is just my experience. Your doctor and/or psychiatrist can help you decide what, if any medications are helpful. I also went to grief counseling for one year and I was blessed to have a very skilled counselor whose help was invaluable.
I do feel just OK most of the time, but the Zoloft seems to help my emotions stay more manageable. I wish you all the best in finding what works for you on this heartbreaking road we travel.
As an aside my granddaughter Christina is still carrying the baby. Every day Baby Isabella waits to arrive her lungs get stronger. The doctor guestimates that she is about 5lbs or so now. Thank you for all your prayers.
I wish you a peaceful day. Love you!!
Replies
You\'re right, this is a tough issue for people to decide. Just what is the point where taking a drug to avoid dire consequences becomes a situation where we are taking drugs to avoid dealing with life?
I can\'t answer that question, really. I just avoid taking medications and try to deal with my moodiness as best I can. It troubles me to read just how many people take anti-depressants regularly, yet I would not presume to say that any specific individual is wrong to take them.
Linda, you mention a good point, and that is we need to function at work. I know for me this is big. They don\'t want to see any sign that I am still suffering. My doctor prescribed Paxil from the beginning - helps with anxiety as well as depression. I was taking clonapin and ambien also in the very beginning. Now I am just on paxil, and clonapin as needed, which isn\'t often. So although I don\'t feel as sad as I think I should, perhaps it is what I need to function in the work world, which is important since I am single mom. I guess we all find what is right for us.