When do you think you need an antidepressant?
448659
Considering the following definition I don't need an antidepressant:\n\nAn antidepressant is a medication designed to treat or alleviate the symptoms of clinical depression. Some antidepressants, notably the tricyclics, are commonly used off-label in the treatment of neuropathic pain, whether or not the patient is depressed. Smaller doses are generally used for this purpose, and they often take effect more quickly. Many antidepressants also are used for the treatment of anxiety disorders, and tricyclic antidepressants are used in the treatment of chronic pain disorders such as chronic functional abdominal pain (CFAP), myofascial pain syndrome, and post-herpetic neuralgia.\n\nThe main classes of antidepressants have similar efficacy, but the newer types are generally regarded to have a more benign side-effect profile and less risk of lethality if taken in overdose.\n\nOn efficacy measures, a successful antidepressant trial involves just 50 % or more of the test subjects on the drug responding to the medication. “Response” signifies a mere 50 % or greater reduction in depression symptoms as opposed to “remission,” which indicates a virtual elimination of depression symptoms. A number of different treatment strategies, however, may produce better results:\n\n[edit]\nSwitching\nThe American Psychiatric Association 2000 Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder advises that where no response is achieved following six to eight weeks of treatment with an antidepressant to switch to an antidepressant in the same class, then to a different class of antidepressant.\n\nA series of open-label studies by Michael Thase MD of the University of Pittsburgh found that more than half the patients who failed on their initial antidepressant achieved a response on their second antidepressant from the same class. (Thase ME et al. "Fluoxetine treatment of patients with major depressive disorder who failed initial treatment with sertraline." J Clin Psychiatry. 1997 Jan;58(1):16-21.)\n\nA 2002 double-blind study by the same author found a positive benefit among treatment-resistant patients switching either from an SSRI to a tricyclic or from a tricyclic to an SSRI. (Thase ME et al. "Double-blind switch study of imipramine or sertraline treatment of antidepressant-resistant chronic depression." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002 Mar;59(3):233-9.)\n\n[edit]\nAugmentation and combination\nFor a partial response, the American Psychiatric Association advises augmenting an antidepressant with a different pharmaceutical agent. These agents may include lithium, thyroid supplementation, atypical antipsychotics, and dopamine agonists, among others. Symbyax, a combination olanzapine-fluoxetine (Zyprexa-Prozac) pill, is approved in the US for treating bipolar depression, and is being investigated for other depression indications. In general, however, there are no major augmentation studies to guide psychiatrists.\n\nCombination strategy involves using two or more antidepressants from different classes to target more than one neurotransmitter in order to hopefully achieve a more beneficial result. Again, this is a little-studied area of antidepressant treatment. (See article.)\n\n[edit]\nCombining with psychotherapy\nA 2000 study found that those on nefazadone (Serzone) plus a form of short-term psychotherapy called Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) fared significantly better (85 % response, 42 % remission) than those on Serzone alone (55 % response, 22 % remission) or CBASP alone (52 % response, 24 % remission). (Keller MB et al. "A comparison of nefazadone, the cognitive behavioral-analysis system of psychotherapy, and their combination for the treatment of chronic depression." N Engl J Med. 2000 May 18;342(20):1462-70.)\n\n[edit]\nPreventing relapse\nA 2003 meta-analysis of 31 placebo-controlled antidepressant trials found that continuing with antidepressants reduc
839786
You need to get back to the doctor pretty damn quick.  I was on anti-depressants.  It took about 3 weeks for me to start to feel better, i.e. more positive, wanting to talk to people again, go for a walk etc.  I was on them for quite a long while, they worked for me.  I think you need to change yours, speak to your doctor about all your 'worries, fears, anxieties'  I feel for you, I hope you get the help you need.  Life is for living.
928687
My advice would be to make an appointment with a therapist (and make sure it's one that is going to actually spend time talking to you, not just prescribe the pills and walk out). Lots of healthy people talk to therapists all the time, even when there's nothing wrong, so you don't have to feel weird about it or anything like that. I still talk to my therapist once a month, even though I'm not really going through depression right now, just because I like to have that lifeline. I like to know that if I do find that I have something important to bring up, I can just call her and set up an appointment. Also, she would be able to tell just from talking to you whether or not you need extra help or medication, and it's hard to diagnose yourself sometimes with these things.
786683
you should be seeing a psychiatrist to determine what you need. please do not use your family doctor or your own intuition.
1092268
You need to speak with a psychiatrist. There many drugs on the market for depression.\n\nBut I ask you this, what has been going on in your life? Why are you depressed?
764233
When I came off my antidepressants I did it over 6 months, gradually reducing the dose every couple of weeks.  I think your doctor was wrong to tell you to be treatment less for a week, but that is just my opinion.  Go back and see him and tell him how you feel!...;
448920
No, you are not depressed, you need to wait for thirty days with the symptoms to get diagnosed as clinically depressed.
838085
Yes, a General Practitioner should be just fine.  You sound bipolar, but it could just be depression.  However, a doctor can get you started on general anti-depressants and see how that works.  If you don't seem to get help with that, ask for a referral to a psychiatrist, not a psychologist.  A psychologist can't write you a prescription, a psychiatrist can!
891761
well, i feel like mine will never stop. i was on meds for years, then i was taken off of them, and now i feel as crazy and depressed as ever. it's a chemical imbalance in the brain, and that might not always be fixable. emotional depression is fixable, and chemical can be, but sometimes it's not. just the draw of the hand i guess.
931736
Nope. I was at my most depressed state when I was 16. It's a chemical imbalance in your brain. Go to your doctor and ask for a drug called "sertraline" because you may have a condition called "dysthemia." It's a very mild anti-depressant and some of the ingredients are found in zyloft, a drug that helps people quit smoking so it's very safe.
849094
Yes there is a link!  But there are studies that link it with being depressed, and those that link say it is antidepressant.
399071
No, you can't get antidepressants w/o a prescription. . . that's because different people have different reasons for depression; it might not even be depression, it could be a medical problem; depression is often caused by offbalance brain chemistry, and a psychiatrist is the person who knows what to try first, what might work faster and best for your gender, age, circumstances. . . plus of course the right doseage and all.  Also exercise, a good routine, getting up and going to bed at the same time. . . all these help with depression.  Finally depression really can kick your butt, so think about getting seen.  There are lots of free clinics, or low-cost, depending on your income.  Call a community mental health center and explain your situation. Also, "talk" therapy or counseling can really help, along with the medication. \n\n And actually, no marijuana is not an antidepressant (not alcohol either) Marijuana slows you down, makes you sluggish so that you'll sooner or later be much more depressed.  Good luck, and please think about getting seen.
500704
yes i think so. i mean, talk with your dr's and stuff. but depression is a bump in the road, not a dead end.
380642
Antidepressants take 6-8 weeks to kick in.  Its an agonizing wait, I know.  You need to be careful when discontinuing your medication on your own.  You run the risk of getting discontinuation syndrome, in which your depression is greater than your depression 4 weeks ago.  Never discontinue a medication without first speaking to your doctor.
343741
Severe depression will usually require the help of a medical professional.  Please seek one, and you'll be much better for it.
536623
if you are talking about the antidepressent, then yes. once you start one, you have to ween off to stop. your mind becomes addicted to it. you can find all the information you need about antidepressents and their risks, side effects, ect.. on webmd.com.
1044627
Your friend is right. There are many people out there on anti-depressants and just as many more who SHOULD be but won't. I have been on them on and off since I was about 23 and I am 32 now. I am getting ready to go back on shortly and I will be taking Celexa. It isn't a sign of weakness it is a sign of strength to admit you have a problem with depression and seek the help you need. Depression is a disease, like diabetes or cancer, and you have to seek medical treatment to get better . End of story.