Would You Date Someone Who Takes Antidepressants?

[coolheadal]

Listen up! If you want to date a girl whose depress then go along with it. I feel I can't handle such a girl. Just not fair for me and her. I have friends who are depress and just talking to them on the phone make me want to exit. Hypertension, won't leave the house, swearing and repeated text calls can take it cake!

[D-Lish]

There is no such test. And medicine produced is not done so under the assumption that its prescription can be directed to exactly meet the specific need of the individual. Not to fault or anything but a question like that implies a lack of understanding of both the issue and the nature of medicine. No two people are the same--and no human beings are "created" according to a specification by a creator. Just like ever other animal, human beings come into the world one at a time as a result of a genetic compositing process that NEVER turns out a perfect product.

 

Today's SSRI medications are produced with the understanding that there is no "dip stick" into the living brain to check the micro-efficiency of neurotransmitter deployment necessary for the achievement of perception, understanding, motivation, fear and what all else humans and animals do because of electrochemical processes in the brain. Should science wait until their is a perfect test and an exact medication? Those may NEVER come and the stakes are too high for many people not to try to adjust what they can about the communication between neurons in the brain without knowing at the outset how much and what combination of substances will allow the person to achieve the "normality" that is elusive to him or her.

 

There is no achievement of anything more than setting the electrochemical processes in the brain to what constitutes a healthy mental and emotional state. There is no pleasure for this kind of medication--no abuse potential--and no ability to achieve super-human ability to be smarter than everyone else. It's just a process of experimentation on the self with the proscription of a medical doctor to find the specific substances that bridges an inefficiency and gives the person a level playing field with other people who were more fortunate to turn out in sync electrochemically.

 

I can only state again, as I have previously- my extreme anxiety is not a made up condition. Anxiety manifests as a physical ailment in how it affects the body. If you've never experienced how crippling anxiety (and depression) is. Living your life in a state of panic 24/7 has affected me in ways I couldn't even begin to explain to those that have never walked a mile in my shoes. It really is a crippling condition for many people.

 

I had to go through a period of "trying on" meds before I found a combination that worked for me. When I found the right combo, I found freedom, I found a better quality of life, the physical symptoms disappeared. I function 100% better in life, I am more productive, and just not having to deal with the physical symptoms has freed me in a way you can't imagine.

 

Whether or not anxiety/depression is a chemical imbalance doesn't negate that people do suffer from it. When I am not on meds, You wouldn't know I suffer from it because I've learned to hide it and function as a normal person outwardly- but on the inside I suffer so much.

 

If you broke your arm you'd go to the doctor and get a cast, if you have chronic headaches, back pain, arthritis, MS, whatever- people wouldn't question you taking meds. Somehow, when it comes to mental health, there is a stigma attached to taking medication.

 

I'm only speaking from my own experience- the freedom from being trapped in a panicked state your entire life is such a great relief. My quality of life is so much better.

 

The fact that I had to try on a slew of meds to find a combo that works for me is proof that the placebo effect isn't a valid argument that meds don't work.

 

My mother suffers from the same condition and the meds that she takes and work for her- I had a horrible experience with.

 

It's really disheartening to hear people casting to so much judgement on something they've never experienced personally.

[LynnieBear]

A person who reaches out and tries anti-depressants is showing me that they are accepting responsibility for their part in the psycho/social things that go wrong in their lives. It's very much a plus and not a minus. Anti-depressants are not all the same and they are not all automatically indicative of someone suffering from acute clinical depression. hey may be taking them for a number of reasons including PMS, premature ejaculation, improved social confidence. Today's meds are

transparent"--meaning that you don't feel them working, so they are no different in my book than taking a vitamin or mineral that helps their brain get healthy in places nature under-nourished. Anything about their behavior and attitudes will be looked at on its own merits and no judgement made except a positive one for not living in denial and blaming other people for the emotional issues.

 

This is not true at all... you DEFINITELY feel them working. At least I do. I am trying to get off of them because of that. I don't take anti-depressants, though, I take the opposite of that and I am a zombie.

 

I can't function properly on the meds they have me on.

[FitChick]

People who take placebos swear they are working. My guess would be that people on antidepressants are noticing some of the side effects so assume they are "working."

 

Better yet, I would suggest people try The Lefkoe Method because the beliefs you formed control your behaviors and your life. You really can't react or act in a productive way without a lot of effort until you blast those beliefs. Then you don't have to try to be normal and happy, you automatically are. Meds only treat the symptoms of depression and anxiety not the cause. Get rid of the cause and find freedom. It's easier than you think.

 

If you'd like to read one book about how Big Pharma and the FDA distort and hide pharmaceutical research, I'd suggest Overdosed America.

[Feelin Frisky]

I can only state again, as I have previously- my extreme anxiety is not a made up condition. Anxiety manifests as a physical ailment in how it affects the body. If you've never experienced how crippling anxiety (and depression) is. Living your life in a state of panic 24/7 has affected me in ways I couldn't even begin to explain to those that have never walked a mile in my shoes. It really is a crippling condition for many people.

 

I had to go through a period of "trying on" meds before I found a combination that worked for me. When I found the right combo, I found freedom, I found a better quality of life, the physical symptoms disappeared. I function 100% better in life, I am more productive, and just not having to deal with the physical symptoms has freed me in a way you can't imagine.

 

Whether or not anxiety/depression is a chemical imbalance doesn't negate that people do suffer from it. When I am not on meds, You wouldn't know I suffer from it because I've learned to hide it and function as a normal person outwardly- but on the inside I suffer so much.

 

If you broke your arm you'd go to the doctor and get a cast, if you have chronic headaches, back pain, arthritis, MS, whatever- people wouldn't question you taking meds. Somehow, when it comes to mental health, there is a stigma attached to taking medication.

 

I'm only speaking from my own experience- the freedom from being trapped in a panicked state your entire life is such a great relief. My quality of life is so much better.

 

The fact that I had to try on a slew of meds to find a combo that works for me is proof that the placebo effect isn't a valid argument that meds don't work.

 

My mother suffers from the same condition and the meds that she takes and work for her- I had a horrible experience with.

 

It's really disheartening to hear people casting to so much judgement on something they've never experienced personally.

 

 

I had an experience over the last few years that helped me understand anxiety in new ways that might be helpful in some ways to you. It might not if your "anxiety" is more of a "phobia" about certain things that you've perhaps built up and both are at play. But here goes: the brain is awash in a substance we produce called gaba-amino-butyric acid. It's is absolutely critical and among other things it aids the process between brain cells of passing oxygen and other elements and compounds one of which is chlorine. I didn't know anything about this when I tried a health food store supplement packaged as "nature's natural relaxant". It is called GABA and those letters stand for the acid I mentioned a few sentences ago. Yes, it relaxed me a bit. And I took it for about a year. Then I decided not to order it on my next batch of products from the vitamin distributor. Then it started happening.

 

I started having panic attacks and anxiety the likes of which I had never known. I am not phobic about anything (except heights), am a hardened atheist who doesn't believe in any super-nature, and have nothing threatening in my surroundings at all. Yet for some reason, I would have these over-powering releases if "fight or flight" adrenaline in my gut as if I were scared and this would even happen when I slept. It would wake me up and I couldn't go back to sleep. I became an insomniac wreck.

 

I turned to a doctor and was prescribed XANAX. I would up getting addicted but I didn't care--I was stricken. Then, I wanted off from the XANAX and started to read on the net everything I could. I immediately stumbled across information about XANAX and anxiety as anxiety/panic being caused by an under-efficient production of gaba-amino-butyric acid which causes chlorine molecules to get trapped in brain cells which results in the feeling of extreme discomfort--panic and fear. It dawned on me that my taking GABA could have caused my natural system to produce less GABA because of the flood of supplemental GABA. So, I went and bought more over the counter GABA and the symptoms started going away as well as the drive to medicate with XANAX. The trouble is, the supplemental GABA still suppressed my natural ability to produce GABA so that my brain would pass toxins and nutrients through normally.

 

It started to happen that I'd need more GABA and sooner because I'd get the same anxiety flood and it became untenable. I had to see a doctor. And the doctor prescribed Neurontin whose generic name is "gabapentin". Notice it has the same letters in it as GABA. Well, the combination of gabapentin (Neurontin) and Buspar, a non-addictive anti-anxiety medication did the trick to return me almost to normal. This whole self-precipitated chemical imbalance has dogged me for four years now and the Neurontin causes "anorgasmia" which I've complaned about on this forum a few times. People who suffer from anxiety--especially ones like me where there is no external fear that brings it on, may be suffering from an inadequate production of gaba-amino butyric acid. Doctors are still prescribing benzodiazapines like XANAX and Valium but newer science says that is a big mistake. Taking GABA supplements can also be a major mistake. There seems to be help with the Neurontin (gabapentin) to normalize the GABA system but I don't know to what degree it can help someone with this as a full-time short fall. My condition wasn't. I caused it by taking an unregulated "supplement" that can suppress my own ability to produce this necessary amino acid and when the supplement is ceased suddenly, all hell can break loose. Look into this, it may hold understanding for you and some avenue of possible treatment. Good luck.

[Mme. Chaucer]

I would certainly date someone who takes antidepressants. I have taken them for periods of my life myself.

 

If a person is manifesting instability, mood swings, whatever, and you don't enjoy the relationship because of it, however, you are not "obliged" to stay with them because they have a "problem."

 

There is a lot of help available for brain chemistry, psychology, etc. If somebody needs to explore the help available in order to be able to have a healthy and positive relationship (and life in general) I hope they will do so without fear about the stigma of "being on antidepressants," in therapy or whatever.

[Eve]

In my mind I see situational type depression as not being so serious if managed well. I would however check out whether the person has a history of substance or alcohol misuse. Much of the times this can be traced to be the catapult towards many depressive symptoms and worse.

 

I think the latter is something a person would need to know before entering into a relationship. I know people can recover but still it is good to be able to make an informed choice from the get go.

 

That's it really. It is important to note the different types of depression and what they may represent in the short as well as long term.

 

Take care,

Eve x

[FitChick]

Feelin Frisky, a friend of mine experienced something similar a few years back and saw a naturopath who solved her problem. I don't know what he did (my friend moved out of state) but I know he tried different natural remedies and something clicked.

 

I honestly don't know the difference between a naturopath or homeopath so maybe a homeopath would be able to help

 

You know, something just occurred to me as I was typing this -- see an acupuncturist. The combination of balancing the body and temporarily taking Chinese herbs might do the trick to jump start your system again.

[Feelin Frisky]

Feelin Frisky, a friend of mine experienced something similar a few years back and saw a naturopath who solved her problem. I don't know what he did (my friend moved out of state) but I know he tried different natural remedies and something clicked.

 

I honestly don't know the difference between a naturopath or homeopath so maybe a homeopath would be able to help

 

You know, something just occurred to me as I was typing this -- see an acupuncturist. The combination of balancing the body and temporarily taking Chinese herbs might do the trick to jump start your system again.

 

I'm finally pretty close to recovered. I lost the "panic attack" and anxiety symptoms as I resolved the GABA shortage problem in my brain. But the Neurtonin (gabapentin) had the side effect of anorgasmia. It's been several months since I stopped the neurontin and I'm almost myself again. I'm sure things will just normalize. But what i learned about the GABA system in the brain and how supplements can depress ones ability to produce one's own necessary chemical has given me a new wariness about taking any "herbs" or unregulated supplements because they may do the same thing all over again. Think of it like this--you take an herb that supposedly boosts you thyroid and thus your metabolism. You lose weight and feel great. You stop taking the herb. And then weeks later you can't control your eating because that damn herb actually told your thyroid to stop producing because there was enough in your blood. This is the scenario that is possible with some supplements and I wouldn't wish my GABA/panic/insomnia/anorgasmia on anyone. Be careful folks with these so-called "natural" supplements. Your body and brain may act in ways other than advertised.

[D-Lish]

I'm finally pretty close to recovered. I lost the "panic attack" and anxiety symptoms as I resolved the GABA shortage problem in my brain. But the Neurtonin (gabapentin) had the side effect of anorgasmia. It's been several months since I stopped the neurontin and I'm almost myself again. I'm sure things will just normalize. But what i learned about the GABA system in the brain and how supplements can depress ones ability to produce one's own necessary chemical has given me a new wariness about taking any "herbs" or unregulated supplements because they may do the same thing all over again. Think of it like this--you take an herb that supposedly boosts you thyroid and thus your metabolism. You lose weight and feel great. You stop taking the herb. And then weeks later you can't control your eating because that damn herb actually told your thyroid to stop producing because there was enough in your blood. This is the scenario that is possible with some supplements and I wouldn't wish my GABA/panic/insomnia/anorgasmia on anyone. Be careful folks with these so-called "natural" supplements. Your body and brain may act in ways other than advertised.

 

I'll look into what you said frisky. I have had anxiety as far back as I can remember. I remember feeling on high alert- on constant fight or flight mode since I was a child. Sometimes it's worse than others. I also grew up in a very stable, loving environment. I only had an actual panic attack once- when I smoked too much pot in highschool at a party. Trust me, experiencing a panic attack while being HIGH was the most frightening thing ever:lmao:. never smoked pot ever again after that.

 

What I take is Wellbutrin and sometimes Clononzapam if the anxiety really acts up. I haven't had to use a sleeping script since I settled in with these meds.

 

My Dad is a Physician, but not one of those pill pushing Physicians that would hand out meds like candy or allow himself to be courted with expensive dinners and golf games by pharma reps. I talk to him often about my condition and he makes a lot of suggestions about non-medicinal avenues to help. He is not against the meds I am on as he has experienced my suffering first hand- and has also seen the difference in me when I take meds for it.

 

Fitchick is right about the meds not being a magical cure for everything- but it does level the playing field so you can use the tools you have to function better in life. The Wellbutrin didn't change the fact that I am still suffering over my break up- but it's helped me to think more clearly and make better choices as a result.

 

It's the cessation of the physical symptoms of the anxiety that have made all the difference in the world to me.

 

No matter what the cause of anxiety and depression are, they are real conditions. I've always been open to suggestions and practiced non-medicinal methods in conjunction with the meds. When I'm not on the meds- the non-medicinal methods don't cut it on their own.