Posted by JasonL on May 15, 2001, at 18:30:04
In reply to I'm a little scared of these drugs..., posted by roo on May 15, 2001, at 11:26:50
> I have been taking prozac for about 5 years. Every time
> I try and go off, I get really depressed again. I even
> tried tapering off slowly, 5 mg's at a time, and I still
> get really down. I've talked to quite a few people who began
> taking antidepressants for situational depression, but then
> found when the situation passed and they'd been on the drug
> long enough to help the problem, they couldn't go off it
> without relapsing. I'm scared that my brain has become dependent
> upon antidepressants to create seratonin and can't do it
> without them now. While I'm grateful that there are drugs out
> there to help my depression, I never counted on having to be
> on them forever--particularly since they effect my sexual life
> so dramatically. It really depresses me and makes me feel bitter
> that maybe I've done something to my body that has made it unable to
> produce what it needs to produce naturally without chemical
> help. Am I overreacting? Has anyone else had this fear or talked
> with other people who took an antidepressant not for life long
> clinical depression, but for a situational thing, and then was
> unable to come off the drug without getting depressed?
> I feel like there's so much info. out there about the drugs and
> what they can do for you, but hardly any about how to handle
> going off, and what happens to you physically when you go off.
> Again, I'm not antidrug, and I will keep taking my prozac rather
> than being depressed...but I am really disappointed that I may never
> be able to go off of it and have a normal sex life again.Roo,
I understand your fears. Don't ever give your desire to heal yourself. If medicine can help you right now, then by all means, use every resource you can to help yourself.
If you are looking for other ways to help with depression, all you have to do is check out the internet under alternative health. It seems that everyone is selling something that can help with depression.
This leads me to conclude two things (at least).
1) There are a lot of people out there who suffer from depression who either do not experience full relief from anti-depressents or do not tolerate the the side effects well and
2) There is a lot of confusion as to what really works when you try alternative approaches.
I like yourself, have stuggled long and hard. I a have tried a lot of things out there. I have found an alternative to medicine that is working for myself. Dr. Bob asked me not to keep repeating my story on this baord, so I will not. See earlier posts this month. I provide proof (anecdotal of course) that there are other ways to address chemical imbalance other than psychotropic drugs.
Best Wishes,
Jason Lohr
poster:JasonL
thread:63095
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63146.html