To think I can out of this black hole without antideppressants

[Somethingsosimple]

Feeling huge anxiety which is causing massive flare up of eczema and also really bad reflux. I have tried loads of different meds for both but GP thinks both anxiety induced and prescribed sertraline. I'm really anxious about taking them so wanted to try therapy but have been told there is 6 month wait in nhs. Can anyone tell me if they have managed to combat anxiety and depression without antidepressant? I just can't see the point of anything right now as feel so physically poorly. Everything seems to be such a massive effort. Simple things like cleaning the loos and making lunch boxes. I do it but it takes so much out of me. Do I need to bite the bullet and take the meds?

Why do you feel that meds are a bad thing? If you broke a leg you wouldn't try to walk it off, burn yourself you get treatment. Mental health you work with the available tools - and the meds these days can be very effective, giving you the leg up you need to get yourself out of the pit of despair.

They're also totally reversible for physiological effects, if you have unpleasant side effects (fairly rare) you just stop taking them.

Anxiety seems pretty likely. I'd definitely take the anti-anxiety meds. Then you can think clearly and work on the root cause of the anxiety - job, family, all that stuff. At the moment you can't think straight.

I've struggled with depression all my adult life and tbh the best thing I've done is go on anti depressants . I think a lot depends on the root cause of your depression, mine goes back to an emotionally abusive relationship and if I stop the tablets the negative voices come back. I'm working hard to deal with the negative feelings but so far the best I've done is to silence the voices.

Your roots may be different but you may find counselling far more useful. Just doing stuff may be useful, I fully understand that you find everything pointless but exercise can release endorphins which will help you feel slightly better

Definitely start taking the medication. You couldn’t “fix” yourself on your own any more than you could fix a missing limb on your own, you need help to start the process.
Sign up for the 6 month waiting list and start taking the meds until then. In my opinion you can’t have one without the other - the pills help keep you alive and going but there’s no point without digging down in the dirt and getting to the root of why you feel the way you do, and doing the work to fix it that way. But you also can’t do the digging work effectively now without taking the meds.
It’s not a case of you’ll be on them forever op - they’re a tool you need to use on your road to recovery.

I know it’s hard to see the point of anything right now, but the very fact you’ve posted here asking for help shows there is a part of you trying to get out of this situation. It WILL get better, I promise.

Oh, undoubtedly you could come out of it without antidepressants. But then what would you have? Your anxiety surrounding taking them (which I completely understand, btw) will have sapped you of so much joy over the months and years; don't let your illness take that from you. That's the biggest thing anxiety and depression robs you of - time. Time when things could have been better. Don't let it. Be brave, see if they work for you, it will be worth it if they do!

You don't need to feel this way, you don't need to live like this, and you don't deserve it. You deserve to feel better, and you don't have to feel like "I got myself into this mess, I have to get myself out of it!". Life's too short.

How old are you? This is relevant.

Nope.

But do you know what does work for my PTSD-related anxiety......sertraline.

Why are you so anxious about taking the medication? Is it because you're suffering from anxiety and are therefore generally anxious?

It's not a test of strength or character, to be able to 'pull yourself out of it' without help. If you were diabetic you probably wouldn't consider for a second refusing insulin and trying to will your body to recover. Same difference with anxiety/depression - it's a chemical imbalance. Probably no amount of positive thinking, brisk walks, yoga etc etc are going to help enough.

Take the tablets, feel better

I truly believe that your gut is your second brain and that you are what you eat.

Probiotics and changing your diet habits may help lift some of the fog.
Adaptogens such as Ashwaghanda or Rhodiola may also help (speak to a healthcare adviser at holland and barrett)

I am not saying that medication may not be needed but if there are alternative or comlimentary methods then they are worth a try.

I wouldn't be here without anti depressants. Why don't you just try them for 6 months, then review how you feel?

You can, but it's very difficult. For me it was impossible till I was taught coping mechanisms that worked for me by a professional. Nowadays I can handle flair ups without medication, but without the medication I would never have been well enough to learn how to get better ifyswim.

There's lots of self help information out there, you could look into it and try find something that resonates with you. But it is utterly exhuasting and really, really hard work. Worth the effort entirely, but it's not easy.

Sertraline has a short half life and isn't too hard to come off, it's worth trying if you need it

I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but I would strongly recommend following the doctor's advice. You are free to ignore them and not take the medication but they do know what they are talking about. Declining sertraline for a mental health issue is like declining pain-killers or a plaster cast for a broken arm. Your body has a fault and the medication can help it.

Long term CBT is the way to go. Anti-depressants don't cure you, but they give you breathing space while you have CBT to help with the illness.