Hi
Is anybody here on antidepressant? If so, what's the name of the med and how long have you been on it? Does it work? How did you come off the med?
Everytime I see my GP, she recommends I should take one. So far I'm resisting it because I'm scared of the idea of mind altering medication. Any thought will be appreciated...
Kay
Kay, I can understand your reluctance I think - I felt the same way when my DSN recommended I took some. My problem was not directly linked to my T2 diabetes, although it was out of control at the time - not sure if that was why I was feeling so bad or the other way round!
I am going to describe my own experience as briefly as I can but forgive me if I ramble on a bit as I want to share this with you. Getting it all down in black and white is theraputic for me at least
😉
My actual depression was triggered by a long term medical problem which in the cold light of day now seems trivial but everything came to a head causing lot of pain and I got frightened, started having panic attacks and eventaully hit a real low which was in fact a breakdown. I was in a very big black hole and eventually started on Cipralex (escitalopram) - I think I was not only scared for myself but also by what I could see what this was doing to my family - my Hubby and my son were so supportive, there are no words good enough to describe just how much they helped me. But, as the medics explained, things were going on which eventually disturbed the balance of the chemicals in my brain and I need something to address this. Put like that I accepted the help just as you woul take anti-biotics for an infection.
However, I did not like the stigma attached to taking the medication - I still feel uneasy about the whole thing, but that is probably more to do with the feelings I had at time, not the medication itself.
The Cipralex took 3 weeks to really kick in - the longest 3 weeks of my life. I couldn't sleep, day or night, was scared all the time and just not functioning. But gradually I got to see through the mist that surrounded me and with a lot of encouragement and patience started picking up the pieces and began to function again- simple thing like making meals, doing the housework. I had only been "out of action" for a couple of months but it seemed like a lifetime.
I was told that I had to stay on the medication for at least 6 months and then, if all the right signs were there, I could be weaned off. In that 6 months I was lucky to get the medical help I needed to sort out the source of the pain and I had a small op which put it right. As my health improved, I was desperate to get off the Cipralex and as soon as the 6 months was up, I persuaded my doctor to wean me off. All went well but, with hindsight, another month or two on them might have been a good idea as it did take me a couple of years and lots of long tearful talks with my Hubby and sometimes my son, to get my head round all that had happened.
I am now 5 years down the road and feeling fine. I do worry sometimes when I have a bad day, like we all do, that I might be crossing that line between being a bit low and clinically depressed. This never happens though-somehow the whole experience taught me how to recognise the symptoms and how to deal with them. To do this I did needed the guidance given by my wonderful DSN (she deals with the whole person, not just the diabetes), a lovely counsellor from the local mental health centre, my family and one or two really good friends. It is hard to let people know what is going on - many do not understand and some shy away - if they are good friends they will not judge and if they can't actually understand or deal with it directly, they will wait for you to come back.
I don't know your situation Kay - it might be totally different to yours, but I hope some of what I say might help you. In my situation this was not a quick fix - it was not a sticking plaster but a crutch to get me through the bad times until I got back on my feet. In my case the medication worked but if at all possibly you need to try and find the cause and deal with it. Accept all the help you can and try not to feel bad about taking the meds - you probably have enough going on to beat yourself up with with as it is
😉
Best lof luck to you - I hope you find the solution you are looking for. One thing I would suggest is that you seek an appointment with your local mental health team - you will need to get your GP to refer you. Usually they have counsellors who have been through something similar to what you are experiencing - this can be a big help - as well trained as your GP might be medically, it is often the insight from another sufferer which can give you the support you need to make the right decision.
