Jemue
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Joined: 1/26/2005
Msg: 126 | |
| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 10:17:12 AM | Antidepressants are probably overprescribed,but they are easier to give than having to spend hours or days w/ a counselor.
Or just dealing w/ your problems yourself.
Yes, they are easier to "prescribe" and in a culture where people want the easy and wuick way out they are more acceptable, as well as being more pushed as they are profit driven.
I have researched mental illness.
I dare say not enough, or mental health. I work in the field as a counsellor dealing with it.
Bedlam (a hospital in England) and .............
The same England that have banned the prescription of these drugs to kids and are working on banning it for adults because the proof proves they do more long term harm than good, and no more short term than a placebo.
I find it difficult to believe that it's any harder to do deal w/ issues today when 100 years ago:
I find it hard to believe that anyone could actually think that. Society and the way we work are completely different.
All of these items are more than anything experienced by most people today.
Number 1 isn't common at all, number 2 is vastly increased without precedent due to media and television. 3 is physical health not mental. And 4 points to a more cohesive family unit and society for many reasons.
I think that most people can "suck it up" after some counseling w/o the use of drugs.
It's the opposite of sucking it up, it's more a case of letting it go or changing your mind.
As posted before you should watch this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5oJPRuFDIk
And probably do some home work about the effects of modern american life and how damaging it is.
i am not one for a lot of "talk" therapy; this therapist both listens
Luckily the field is progressing at quite a rate, it's an exciting time. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 10:18:58 AM | Your correct in saying that serious research of mental illness has taken giant strides in only the past couple hundreds of years cocytus. In the early to mid 1800's , if a person suffered from some type of mental illness , they were gagged , starved , and medicated until they had no choice to say that were healed Labotomy's were also one of the biggest forms of dealing with mental disorders back then.
Congradulations on your healing akastar. You are proof that it can be done. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 10:47:28 AM | | It is a very exciting time in the field of mental health Jemue. Back when I started my studies , I had the rare opportunity to attend a lecture given by Carl Rogers. The man was a genius as far as I'm concerned. His contributions to the field of Psychology , and his methods are what inspired me to continue my education in the field. Since then , we know even more about field of mental disorders and how to treat them. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 11:48:58 AM | Im 33 and never been on them,but thats not to say i dont feel as though i need them sometimes.Though i feel ok now,my body goes through phases sometimes,like for 2-3 weeks at a time i will feel down or i will have serious bouts of insomnia,which i beleive is caused by anxiety...depression does exist in my family though,so its in my genes...nowadays we live in a depressed world,like you said everybody is on them,i think half of the people that i work with have told me matter of factly that they are on them...nothin to be ashamed of though. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 12:23:19 PM | Opinions are like you know what so here's mine. It is obvious to me that you need these medications. I don't think it is a matter of a needing another doctor - nor recommend searching google to find one. And, I don't think you need to find who you are - or that medication is stopping you from figuring that out.
Prozac, Zoloft, and the like are NOT like alcohol or other drugs. They are not the same. Having said that, you would be better to take a multi-facitted approach to health. You should see a psych or therapist while on them to monitor your dose and talk therapy.
You have gone through a lot in your life that is difficult for anyone to go through. You are so brave to go through it and to share your story.
I have been diagnosed with sever depression and worked hard to get the right medication - for me it was Effexor - the right counseling - a psych for the med dosage monitor and social worker for talk. I also exercise - I don't eat as right as I can but I am a work in progress. I was lucky enough to get to a place to "Work" my way off the Effexor.
Don't focus on the meds - I am very surprised at the stigma still. If you need them they are one of many tools on your tool belt. Use all of your tools - friends, love, psych, talk, exercise - gosh that last one is best! Remember, just as the carpenter uses his hammer the most, he still needs the other tools to get the job done.
Peace, Love, and Light.
/dvd | |
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Jemue
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Joined: 1/26/2005
Msg: 131 | |
| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 12:46:45 PM | Back when I started my studies , I had the rare opportunity to attend a lecture given by Carl Rogers.
A great man indeed. A lot of my work uses CBT. I was at a work shop with Dr. David Burns a while ago and met and had a good chat with him about it all.
...nothin to be ashamed of though
I think is the symptoms are nothing to be ashamed off opposed to the medicating them away. Once the acceptance of that is reached, then the source causes can be found with more ease and looked at. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 1:09:36 PM | | Ahh yes. Dr. Burns has written some great material. I've actually recommended his book "The Feeling Good Handbook" to some of my clients that were having problems with work and familty related stress. Great source for learning about coping with stress. | |
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Jemue
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Joined: 1/26/2005
Msg: 136 | |
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Jemue
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Joined: 1/26/2005
Msg: 138 | |
| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 4:31:10 PM | We can't get them on the "National Health Service" in England... Only of you're rich and can afford private (mental) healthcare.
In part and thankfully, because for a section of the population they have been banned due to studies done about their effects and actual benefits (lack thereof) and harm. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 4:36:45 PM | i'm not on antidepressants BUT i was 8 years ago for a while after my son went to prison for robbing 2 men for money to buy crack. Sometimes people go through
devasting things, that even the strongest person just cant bear. As a mother- i cant put in words how i felt, knowing it was MY SON, who put a gun down a mans throat and
almost killed another man beating him so bad. and i had went many years knowing my son was a drug addict and i was helpless to save him. He is not a crack addict anymore-thank god! I definatly benefited from the medication, but not prosac, it made me more depressed and in my state of depression was where i let Christ in my life and i know it was that who truly pulled me through and have never had to take meds again-not even 9 months after my son went to prison and was diagnosed with m.s. LIFE-----can be tough=and sometimes we just cant cope on our own- doesnt mean we are a mental case or weak-and its SAD to see so many people critizing people who take antidepressants=
you never know=======what could happen in your life= 310,000 people a year commit suicide, nothing to laugh or judge about! | |
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Jemue
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Joined: 1/26/2005
Msg: 140 | |
| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 4:43:07 PM |
and sometimes we just cant cope on our own- doesnt mean we are a mental case or weak-and its SAD to see so many people critizing people who take antidepressants
I don't believe that anyone is claming that we have to cope on our own totally, quite the opposite if we have lots of healthy and strong relationships to start with, some/lots of this could be averted.
I think the vast majority of the criticism is focused on the medicating of the symptoms opposed to dealing with the cause, and the over doing of that.
Not the people for being human and living in a harsh environment at all, quite the opposite. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 5:01:23 PM |
I don't believe that anyone is claming that we have to cope on our own totally, quite the opposite if we have lots of healthy and strong relationships to start with, some/lots of this could be averted.
Couldn't have said it better myself (honestly, due to my lack of education).
I think the vast majority of the criticism is focused on the medicating of the symptoms opposed to dealing with the cause, and the over doing of that. [quote/]
Are you a Dr. mate? | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 5:24:42 PM | i did not mean to imply it was people on this forum judging people who take antidepresssants- and i Sure do agree that some are over medicated. It really effected how i think about phyciatrist. I would go see one every month and if i wasnt feeling better, they would simply increase the dosage or put me on a stronger med. that does not deal with the cause of the depression=at least not in my case. i wasnt living, i was
drugged up= just legally. it was only when i got christian counseling that i truly began to heal emotionally and that resulted in the end of my depression. the phyciatrist
said i would be on medication for the rest of my life- that once you had depression, it would come back especially if you went through another hard time=and it was their way to prevent that from happening. i'm very happy i found something that really worked and it wasnt surrendering to what the dr's said and taking meds for the rest of my life= i cant imagine what kind of life that would have been=always under the influence of drugs-i'm lucky- alot of people have a chemical imbalance that does require a life of meds, i just hope they are careful who they go to for help! | |
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Jemue
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Joined: 1/26/2005
Msg: 143 | |
| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 10:02:42 PM | Are you a Dr. mate?
Getting there 
It really effected how i think about phyciatrist.
I can see what you mean, and with all things (like a lot of the heated debate on these forums) not all things in the same group are the same.
alot of people have a chemical imbalance that does require a life of meds
I personally disagree with that for quite a few reasons. The main ones being the support behind thoses claims, where it comes from and what affect that has had on the descions of treatment that professionals have had. As well as how they have been persuaded to do so.
_______________________
It's a very big complicated (and in some places, mostly profit driven) mess.
At the core of it are people in pain that need to be listened to and focused on ....... not the egos of therapists/psychiatrists/doctors and most defiantly not the profits of the companies pushing it all so hard and so much, and with very questionable techniques.
I'm not advocating that people stop using any medication right now, only that a holistic approach is taken (or at least thought about) and all avenues are thought off before just "upping the dosage". | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/28/2007 10:18:07 PM | There are people who just have a traumatic time happening in their lives and those who do have serious chemical imbalances. It appears to me that any person that became addicted to some sort of drug first have a high likelihood of becoming depressed off of that drug (alcohol, other illegal drugs). I lost my head when trying to quit smoking. I went to my doctor for help and she prescribed antidepressants. It made all the difference for me in quitting smoking and I'm convinced I couldn't have done it without those, or I would have possibly screwed up a lot of things in my life such as my job. I will eventually talk to my doctor about getting weaned off, but I believe one is supposed to stay on them for a year before changing. My plan is to take it slow, because I'm more concerned about remaining smoke-free.
With alcoholism (what the OP mentioned), if the choice came to staying on anti-depressants forever or possibly going back to drinking, I wouldn't see staying on the anti-depressants as a bad route to go. The OP needs to talk to her individual doctor about it.
I wonder if an addiction can cause a permanent chemical imbalance? If that's the case, then the anti-depressants are doing what they are supposed to do in fixing that and are a good thing. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/29/2007 9:12:12 PM | Onlyforumsonly (msg106)
I did not say that clinically depressed people should not be taking antidepressants. I said situational depression should be dealt with in other ways and if alternative methods of treatment (exercise, counseling, company) doesn't work alone, the person needs to get counseling as well as the pills to make the treatment more effective. A pill is only a pill -- healing starts from within. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/29/2007 9:15:32 PM | Nope ........64 oz of Mt Dew and a bicycle ride.....................  Actually........riding a bike as a kid kept me from being depressed............ must've been the endomorphins.. Now I don't touch anything,
Pointing up...........it all starts w/in as short said. As a kid I couldn't listen. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/29/2007 9:40:46 PM | kattaline (msg 127)
You're wrong . . . life today is exceptionally easy . . . at least for us in the US and other developed nations. Depression is not the number 1 concern in a lot of places. Getting potable water and enough to eat is. I firmly believe that people, especially in the US have way too much time to think about themselves. I don't have the credentials explain the phenomena.
You rarely here veterans of WWII (and I'm talking about those homeside, too) complain about how depressed they were because there was a good chance their loved one wouldn't return. This was a war where this country was actually in danger. Ships along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf had been bombed by German U-boats. The Japanese had sent explosives on balloons here -- and some people were killed. Food was rationed. European countries had it even worse -- an awful lot of them died of starvation and torture. Still, when talking to someone who survived it, and when they speak of it, depression in that time is never one of the top topics.
The upshot is, life is NOT harder today, but depression is more prevalent. People who have more human connections -- a close family or a lot of good friends don't seem to get as depressed.
We can choose to be survivors or to be victims. Pills are not the answer for most of us. As I said earlier, there are exceptions -- someone whose mind has misfired (chemical depression) and those who have actually tried other things first with no relief. Unfortunately, too many people reach for the pills FIRST. | |
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| is everyone over 30 taking antidepressants?
Posted: 12/29/2007 10:21:30 PM |
I did not say that clinically depressed people should not be taking antidepressants. I said situational depression should be dealt with in other ways and if alternative methods of treatment (exercise, counseling, company) doesn't work alone, the person needs to get counseling as well as the pills to make the treatment more effective. A pill is only a pill -- healing starts from within.
Well, I'm not sure my mother is "clinically depressed", whatever that means, only that she isn't going to heal because she isn't going to try. She gets counseling, but trust me when I say that not only does nothing change, nothing is likely to ever change. She does not want to change her mind in ways that will make her happier or easier to live with, so she won't do it. However, she does have to go to work in the morning, so she take the drugs. They get her out of bed. In a way, it all works.
A pill is not a pill. It's a lot more complicated than that. I take Cymbalta for nerve pain, and trust me when I say that it's not just a pill, not even on a dose about 1/3 of what's prescribed for depression, which brings me to another point. These drugs are not happy pills. In my case, it's a nightmare pill, a panic attack pill, a diarrhea pill, a tinnitus pill and a tachycardia pill. Alas, the only alternative is an exhausted zombie pill. I still haven't decided which is worse.
In other words, you have to be pretty desperate to stay on one of these things.
I guess I wonder why we care so much. So the eff what if someone decides to cope this way? It's a heck of a lot more functional than my sister's alcoholism, because my mother's drug intake and behavior are professionally monitored. If she starts to go off the rails, someone can intervene before things get nasty. | |
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