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...If you are experiencing prolonged depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts
........please see a doctor.
Agreed. Don't get advice from a television show if you have problems such as this. I watch This Old House a great deal, but I still get professioanl help if I need serious work done to my home. People who have severe and persistent mental illnesses need to do the same.
Just curious, would you recommend this strategy (spirituality) if you had a broken leg or a heart attack? You need to educate yourself that depression and many other mental illnesses have biological underpinnings.
By the way, when Wayne Dyer is on the TV, I change the channel immediately.
Sometimes pills only mask something else though. Few places have the money to supply therapists. The biological underpinnings may end up being minor if the person can face the things which trigger the depression. Too much medication because it 'doesn't work' and the dose just keeps going up make it hard to learn the whys and face your own triggers and defeat them.
It should never be pills alone. They get you over the hump. You have face down the whys. If spirituality works for a person it should be used as a tool.
Sometimes pills only mask something else though. Few places have the money to supply therapists. The biological underpinnings may end up being minor if the person can face the things which trigger the depression. Too much medication because it 'doesn't work' and the dose just keeps going up make it hard to learn the whys and face your own triggers and defeat them.
It should never be pills alone. They get you over the hump. You have face down the whys. If spirituality works for a person it should be used as a tool.
I agree. Spirituality is a valuable asset when combating mental illness. It should not, however, always be considered as a complete substitute for professional help.
You make another good point; traditional counseling is an excellent option as well. It's often best to start with a counselor, and to talk with him/her about the possible need for a psychiatric referral for medication. Most people who are taking psychiatric medication can also benefit from counseling.
Over the years, I've been taking Zoloft, 100 mg for my depression. It pulled me out of depression, but I feel like I can do better. I still feel joyless and lost my passion for things, while the years of my life are clicking by.
Has anyone ever taken a better antidepressant? Any ideas on how to get the passion back. Am I looking in the wrong place? What if this is as good as it gets?!!
Would love to hear from anyone.
Thank you!
I used to take antidepressants. The best ones for me? Exercise, avoid alcohol, and try to think positive
Have you tried Abilify? Its an A typical anti psychotic typically prescribed for bipolar disorder but is also used as a booster for your anti depressant. I was on zoloft for about 5 years and platoed. Then got on Vibryd which didnt work at all, so doc put me on Brintellex. It helped but I was still feeling a lack of joy and ability to participate in life most of the time so he put me on Abilify as well and I felt a difference almost immediately. I wouldnt dare go off that drug!!!!
The single best antidepressant has been shown to be exercise.
Apart from that, no single drug has been shown to be best - and in fact there has been some horrifying evidence that it is often essentially useless, no better than a placebo. (Though, of course, profitable to doctors and pharmaceutical companies.)
Wellbutrin is not without side effects either. It should never be taken by someone who has had an eating disorder or seizures...but then docs do not read the inserts they are given. Wellbutrin is not in the same chemical category as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, etc. Wellbutrin is a stimulating anti-dep, the others are supposed to be non-stimulating. So if you are taking a non-stimulating anti-dep then you are bound to feel flat, lacking emotion.
I've had clinical anxiety all of my life, as does my adult daughter. I can trace it back 5 generations on my maternal side. Spirituality is not going to change my genes. And mental health is a matter of chemistry, not character. There are times when a little bit of "better living through chemistry" can make all the difference.
That being said, I have too many GI side effects to the Prozac category of drugs (ssri), don't need the stimulation of Wellbutrin, have used most of the benzos at some time. I find the best combo for me is daily structure (keep a pretty strict bed/wake time), eat healthy, try to get outside every day if only for a short walk, manage work stress and learn to leave it at the office, mindful meditation as needed, and my meds when needed are Klonopin (a benzo) and Remeron both at bedtime. Remeron is supposed to be an anti-dep (has a very small market share because it has a ton of side effects) but works well to calm my anxiety and stimulate my appetite when the stress becomes overwhelming at work or home.
Everyone has their triggers too. And each one is different. For me, uncontrollable stress at work or with a family member (recently had both my adult child and husband sick at the same time) will set me off. Since I've dealt with it for so long now, I know when it's time to medicate and when I can get away with just healthy living. And I will admit that getting back to healthy living as I am recovering from a rough patch is probably one of the hardest things for me. I don't want to go outside, I don't really care about my meals, and it is just hard to get going. But I no longer feel guilty when I need meds. I work closely with my primary care doctor as I have not found a psych that works for me.
As a medical biochemist, I would also be cautious with the anti-psychotic meds like Abilify. There are some known (an not rare) side effects that do not go away when you stop taking the drug. I'm not saying you should not take the meds, but just be aware of the potential consequnces of all drugs you take, including supplements.
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