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Oversimplified statement. The best use for a/d's is to use them to clear your head and lift the depression and/or anxiety while you work on making structural change in yourself through therapy. The a/d's give you a head start. Drugs ALONE aren't going to solve everything.
And no, there was not terrible withdrawal weaning myself from my SSRI.
Re the OP's question--no, they are not placebos. I can remember asking my pdoc after a couple of months, "Does EVERYONE ELSE to get think this clearly all the time?????" He laughed, and said yes. (Obviously, not "everyone".)
I've been off the SSRI for a few years, and sometimes I miss that clarity of thinking that was possible then, but I've learned to manage my stuff and would prefer not to be on meds.
After I moved away from all my triggers and couldn't connect with the local mental health office, I started reducing my bp meds. I ended up choosing to go off of them. It was a VERY rocky road for a time, since I react too strongly to pretty much all drugs, and all they did was allow me to send the problems away to non-existance. But when I couldn't I had lots of days I cried and thought and was depressed. But without therapy but talking to friends I managed to make peace with a lot of things I realized had just been clouding the picture.
I'm still off meds. I do cycle but far less and knowing what kicks me out of a cycle, the right music, etc, is sufficent. I left the physical triggers behind by moving. I don't function perfectly, but in balance FAR better than on meds. I think its an individual thing. For some, dropping meds for behavioral stuff and environment might mean disastor, for others it can work. But the problem is 99 percent of the time the ONLY thing offered are the pills.
I did find out what a wallop the AD provided, and a clue to why while I still have a cronic problem with fatigue, its nothing like it was. Last week was a pretty amazing and emotional week (in a positive way) but I could feel the old ying yang come on and knew I was going to crash. I had found three of the ad, and cut one in quarters, taking maybe 35 mg of it, hoping to ward off said crash.
OMG I felt like a zombie. Wiped out tired, couldn't remember anything longer than two minutes. Yeah, I wasn't depressed, but I can work with that. Just zoned out beyond belief for a couple of days on the quarter pill. A good reason WHY I take great care with all medicionals as I get hit hard by all of them. And it didn't even make me manic.