Depression Medication...

[dr74]

Originally Posted by jc76

This is my "great debate."
I am 33 years old. From age 17 to 29 I suffered from depression and would have to go on meds. Welbutrin, Effexor, Prozac I done them all. I would see the counsellor (sp?) once a month and all that jazz. They had no problem "up'ing my dose" when times got harder. On these meds I felt like a controlled zombie. If I was a couple hours late on my dose I would get shaky and have strange thoughts. One day about 4 years ago I went to my doctor and I told him I want to get off the meds. He was hesitant but did in fact ween me off to see what happens. Within 1 month I was off all that junk.
Here I am 4 years later and in that many years have only had maybe 3 small episodes of depression that lasted only a day each, and I was not severely depressed, just down. I feel better mentally than I ever have on the meds.
When I was on the meds I would get depressed and think about things more, further intensifying whatever situation I was in.
So now I realize that everyone is different, some people may need depression meds. But do you think that maybe we are over medicating people? Maybe medicine is not the cure for depression?
Just want to hear some of your opinions and/or stories.

I agree with the zombie effect, I hear this from clients all the time. As far as your M.D.? I do not want to trash talk drs. but sometimes they feel that perhaps you have built up a tolerance to your meds and therefore feeling its effects. What should have actually ocurred is that your MFT should have scheduled you for more frequent visits.
To stay off meds? Can be dangerous however I do not know what your initial dx was...so it is hard to say..but I will state this, Border lines, Manic D.s. and those whom suffer from Bi-Polar disroders should never go off their meds without consulting their MFT or GP.