Anti-depressants: anyone been prescribed but reluctant to use?

[cabac]

Been to the doctor today as have not been functioning well for some time. After a lot of unexpected and horrible weeping from me she put me through the questionnaire, said that I came out as moderately to severely depressed and recommended that I take anti-depressants. I am very reluctant to take them having had not brilliant experiences of them in the past. I asked about counselling but she didn't think this would be as appropriate and has given me a week to think about whether I would be prepared to take ADs.

Does anyone have experience either of finding alternatives to anti-depressants, or of overcoming misgivings and taking them on a doctor's advice?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

i have done this a few times. when i start to feel low its my dh who makes me go docs and they always prescribe ADs. Normally just getting the prescription knocks me and i realise i got to change something and normally end up getting out and about more or start something new like swimming and that generally lifts my mood.
I have succombed twice though to taking the ADs. When im really low i set myself a date for when i want to come off them, noramlly its 3 months and by the end of the 3 months i have changed whats making me low.

its not easy and you have to make a decision that feels comfortable for you. if you cant answer the question WHATS MAKING ME LOW? then it probably means you need them short term till the fog lifts IYSWIM.

I only have very positive experience of ads-I took them for 6 mths when I was at a very low point and they got me out of the hole I was in-alongside making some life changes once I had the will to do that.

What were your previus experinces? Is your dr prescribing the same ads that you had last time-if they're from a different family they may be very different.

Thanks both. I suppose I am worried about losing control with ADs. I'm not completely sure that this is depression, or at least not as I have known it before. It feels a bit different, as it comes with awful spurts of anger and anxiety. I am worried about the possibility that ADs may make these more unpredictable and uncontrollable, which would be sort of OK if I only had myself to worry about, but not at all OK when you have dc.

Worried too that ADs might have a bad effect on cognitive abilities, making me even less able to do the things I need to do.

Take them, I was the same as you, Id go the docs, they'd give me tablets, Id go the chemist and get them, then couldn't bring myself to take them. This happened for about 4 years (believe me, I built quite a stock of them in my kitchen cuboard) In the end a lovely doctor literally begged me to take them, so I did and I feel so much better