A bit of advice about ADs and general depression treatment?

[legogeek]

Hi everyone, I've been a floater for a while but finally posting! I've read lots of thinking on specific ADs, but wondered if anyone had some wider perspective advice?

I've suffered from low-level chronic depression and anxiety ever since I can remember (abusive father > high anxiety child, goth teen, self-harm and anorexia etc). I've FINALLY been seeking treatment over the last year after a bad phase. I've done:

1. Some free counselling from uni where I was doing my Masters (a while back)
2. Online CBT course 'Beating the Blues'
3. Group CBT course
4. Started sertraline for 2/3 months but made me wired
5. Moved to citalopram 2/3 months ago, currently on 20 mg
6. After a phase of extreme sleepiness and stress, I've been prescribed fluoxetine and am about to move over to it.

Of which the group CBT course was the most useful. My question now is: whether to stick with the ADs, and what other treatment/self help to try.

On the ADs, I don't feel like they make much difference, but I have been on the mend. The side effects (bad stomach all the time, weight gain, major sleepiness, low alcohol tolerance etc) seem to outweigh the benefits, hence me wondering if it's just better to drop them and focus on other treatment (eg mindfulness, another group 'depression recovery' course). Also make some life changes, eg less stressful job.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated - an external perspective is really helpful!

Hi, usually medication is offered after initial NHS cbt type treatment. The theory is milder depression/ anxiety can be dealt with alone by talking treatment, if the talking treatment you have had is not resolved with cbt then medication is offered as next treatment. It might be worth trying an ad for several months and increasing dose when gp suggests or you struggle and need it.

Can you apply any of the strategies from your cbt to now to help you. Regarding talking treatment it is worth telling your gp what talking treatments you have tried, which approach worked best and see if the gp will refer you for another cycle of treatment. As the cbt helped before perhaps a refresher cbt type group would be good, as you already know the basics of the theory etc. there are also cbt type books you could ask for on prescription or from the library while you wait for assessment and en wait for treatment.

Thanks Hoop. The thing with the CBT is that it only addressed the depression side - and was often geared up to those that can't function (whereas I hold down a good job, bf, family etc). So I'm going to self-refer back to my rather good local council therapy/counselling folks.

Extremely tempted just to quit the ADs.

Sounds good and great you can self refer. Hope it helps.

It sounds like group therapy is good for you - it might be worth contacting a local psychotherapist (see UKCP website) and seeing if they run a group - lots of people in those are just like you - still functioning but benefit from help to defeat depression/anxiety. It may be worth at least trying the fluoxetine - it changed my life - sometimes it is a case of trying different ones to see what works. Sending you good vibes

Thanks, I'm picking up the prescription in a day or two, so will see how it goes!