To ask how many of you take antidepressants?

[Afternooninthepark]

I am 46 and have suffered from anxiety for 25 years. During that time I have tried everything (other than antidepressants) to help. Some things have helped a little but many have not.
I have always turned down the offer of antidepressants as tbh, I am scared of the potential side effects and potential addictive qualities of these meds.
Every time I feel that maybe I should give them a go, there is something in the media and often negative about them (only yesterday there was a discussion on Radio 2 about people addicted to antidepressants and unable to get off them),
However, I am now 46 and my anxiety is uncontrollable, it consumes me all day, every day, I have physical symptoms as a result which exacerbates the anxiety and so the vicious cycle continues. I am beginning to think I need something stronger than the things I have tried so far, as I can not carry on living my life as I have as it effects every aspect of mine and my families lives.
I read that there are around 69/70 million prescriptions of AD’s issued in the U.K. every year and so figure that some of you on here must fall into those statistics and I am confident you would give me an honest and realistic account of your experiences, good or bad of antidepressants (although, of course I appreciate we are all different).
So, can I please ask if any of you take or have taken antidepressants and have/did they help with your problems or are they the evil medications that the media will have me believe?

PS is the media still calling them evil?!

I take Setraline and have not found it dampens emotions rather it stops them being overwhelming

I need to add about side-effects. I had none listed with citalopram, but all of them (apart form s called "designer drugs") lower the libido. I was taking a pill as well but managed to have sex life. I noticed the effect on the sex desire after stopping the pill immediately, and after stopping the AD. I never had any weight gain on citalopram, no migraines, it suited me fine. Designer drug (noradrenalin? don't remember which and what the class is called properly) increased the sex drive and appetite as well so I gained weight. I didn't like that and went back to citalopram.

A pp says you can lose your sex drive but this is not the case with Venlafaxine anyway!

I take a high dose of Aripiprazole with my Venlafaxine which is an anti psychotic but I'm not numb or flat in personality on these meds, I'm just not crying & suicidal & delusional all the time! People can't actually tell I'm on meds.

I don't care what the media says, as a pp said you wouldn't ask a diabetic to stop his insulin.

If you are having hormonal issues also think about the Pill or HRT.
I get bad PMT despite the meds where everything feels unreal so I've stopped my periods by taking the pill.

I take quetiapine 300mg an antipsychotic to help control my emotions and mood , pregabalin 100mg for anxiety, venlafaxine 150mg and sertraline 50mg. I take so many I don't know what's working and what's not! I'm not in hospital so something must be working.

I have been on them since 19994. Have been on a number of different types but am now on escitalopram which works brilliantly for me. I have never had any particular side effects from any of drugs after the first couple of weeks
I have tried CBT and many other different types of talking therapy, none of which helped. Three of my close relatives have committed suicide. If it weren't for antidepressants, I would have too. I will take them for the rest of my life. I wish you well.

They won't make you devoid of all emotion, I'm not!
However they gave me the headspace to work out what was actually worth me expending my emotions on. They gave me the ability to be more discerning.

I do take them. But I'm taking them because I'm unable to stop without experiencing life ruining side effects. So as much as they can help, I do think people should be prescribed them more carefully.

I think a three month course of something when I've been really bad has been the most beneficial. I've always come off them asap and had no issues. But the ones I'm taking now, I took for a few years before I tried to quit and now they're hopelessly enmeshed with my brain chemistry.

Citalopram saved me

I’m on fluoxetine and have been since experiencing a very challenging period of my life 12 years ago. Must admit I’m absolutely fine on them and have no side effects of what I notice. Been on them so long I can’t really remember what life was like without them. I was going to come off them but as I’m going to be going through menopause soon, my gp has suggested I stay on them. I would say though that when you start taking them, the first few weeks you can feel like a zombie until they kick in. It sounds like you have nothing to lose OP as life seems to be a struggle for you at the moment, so it’s worth giving them a try if it might improve your quality of life. If you don’t feel any benefit after being on them a couple of months you should be able to come off them relatively easy.

*The brain is an organ like any other.

If your heart was not functioning properly would you be reluctant to take medication because of the side effects? Or would you accept that is what was needed to help fix the issue?

This stigma over antidepressants needs to stop.*

This!! The stigma surrounding antidepressants makes me so angry!! It's almost like people think you've failed if you "give in" and take them. People don't have the same concerns about taking medicine for other illnesses/aches and pains, so why with anti depressants?!!!

I have Bipolar II so have been on antidepressants for 20 years and will need to be in them for the rest of my life (along with mood stabilisers) Without them I would either be dead or not be able to function properly. Taking them enables me to have a successful career and a happy family, I would have neither if I didn't!

I've been on low dose (10mg) citalopram for around 5 years. Mine was actually prescribed for severe PMT (I turned into an absolute twat once a month). Honestly I've not looked back. If I had a heart problem, high blood pressure or back pain I'd take medication so why not for a hormone imbalance? I'm a better person, much happier and calmer now .

I had overwhelming anxiety. Tried managing it with counselling, exercise, meditation etc. All helped a bit, but the thing that cured it was fluoxetine. Absolutely life changing. I am happy and relaxed and very rarely feel anxiety. Life changing.

I've been on corporal for about 20 years. It makes everything normal. The only downside is that I don't really feel things like I used to. Having said that, no drama is nice. But it would be good to really feel passion again. Swings and roundabouts. But on balance much, much better on them than off (I'm too scared to even give it a go now tbh)

Corporal? Citalopram.

Me!

I'm on Sertraline and feeling a lot better. Mine too was for anxiety. I still get anxious but I feel able to control my thinking a lot easier these days rather than going completely off the handle like I used to.

I was nervous too but I'm so glad I gave them a go that I'm now more nervous thinking about a time without them!

I won't lie, I did have side effects at first. Some nausea, jaw clenching and headaches mainly but they subsided after about a week.

Been on and off then since 2001 (I was 20). If I stop taking them I become ill again. Seriously, a few years ago, the anxiety was so bad, I thought I was going mad

Finally went to the GP on Monday and got prescription for mirtazine. I haven’t taken them yet as I googled and now I’m concerned about weight gain. I know I’m being vain and I should just get on with it.

I didn’t want to take medication but the waiting list for CBT triage is a month and lord knows for actual therapy. And I can’t carry on the way I am.

I've been on veniflaxon for 18 years . I have had years if therapy and cbt but nothing works like the meds. Life savers.

Mirtazapine is the one AD I have refused to take due to its very high association with weight gain. It's used as an appetite stimulant for anorexics and I haven't met a person yet who hasn't gained loads of weight on it or felt ravenously hungry/unable to feel satiated. Yet it seems to be the one most frequently handed out these days.

@timshelthechoice - I’m kicking myself I didn’t google before I went. I’ve only got a months supply so if the hunger is too much I’ll ask to swap.

I've been on 100mg of sertraline since 2014. Like you I was resistant to the idea of taking it - but now, I wouldn't be without it. I can't imagine living with the anxiety levels I had before. As others have said, I'm perfectly ok with being on them for life.

I’m on them on for life. It took me a long time to accept it but now I have, I just see it as taking anything that’s essential for health. I wouldn’t stop eating veg, I’m not going to stop antidepressants.

Exactly.

I am on Rexulti. It's been very helpful. I've been trialled on both Prozac and Citalopram - they were either not as effective or had some undesirable side effects

I would love to be medication free but unfortunately I also have horrible crippling anxiety (got deep into conspiracy theories - about everything!!!!) and for about the same amount of time as you.

OP I'm on sertraline. Its changed my life. For once in my entire life I feel I am "normal" and I can regulate my emotions.
I dont know why I suffered without them for over 25 years. Waste of my life