Posted by Philip N. on September 29, 2006, at 8:40:06
In reply to Re: Long Term Antidepressant Withdrawal Success » Philip N., posted by Jost on September 28, 2006, at 22:43:19
Hi Jost. In many ways I hear what you are saying. I've just gotten mired in the internet on this complicated subject which is truly serious stuff.
There is so much controversy about the effects of these meds and what they don't know long term as they are initially targeted for short term regimens. As in Phillipa's situation, what do you do when you still take them and they are not working? Do they stop working and yet prevent us from moving beyond them? Do they help by strengthining the brain or "rewiring". If they restructure the brain are we then dependent on the prescence of the chemical to keep it working symptom free?I'm wondering about the numbers of people out there who do not have trouble once they are through with therapy and have moved on. My doctor says that the majority of people who take these meds don't have long term problems and that you won't find them on these sites struggling per say. Does that put us in the category of "lifers"? I've read that 12 million women and 6 million men in the U.S. are on some kind of AD.
I look too much at the big picture sometimes but I wonder about the commonalities more than the differences. I realize that in the end I will have to decide on the quality of life in my current status and that will involve me and my doctor. I don't want to scared away from what I may really need so I am trying to learn more about the history of Depression Illness and what the accepted regimens have proven to be.
The worst culprits on the discontinuation that I'm seeing are the SSRIs and I've taken Prozac and Lexapro over these years . I'm wondering if I shouldn't look into some of the older meds as I may have to go back on them but I'm concerned about discontinuation downstream. Then I wonder if I need to stay more in the present as that is where I'm living and struggling. I hope this makes sense. Thanks....let me know.
poster:Philip N.
thread:689687
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060927/msgs/690145.html