Posted by yznhymer on August 22, 2007, at 22:06:22
In reply to Getting OFF the meds, Anyone else doing it?, posted by BenzosSSRIsohMY! on August 22, 2007, at 17:08:19
> I've been on antidepressants and klonopen since 93, I'm 43 now. I want to get OFF the drugs with the hopes of getting out of the "pigeon" holed as a patient.
>
> I used to have fun, I haven't been productive, fun or social since I started the pills.
>
> Can anyone relate?I sure can relate, and I've always found the side effects of meds a real downer.
I've stopped meds several times before. Usually I went through a "honeymoon" period when I felt great. The side effects melted away, I may have had some residual benefits from the meds, and the depression didn't kick back in for some time.
Invariably, in time I found myself on meds again. Usually some stressor would kick off a downward cycle and it would reach a point that was untenable - I could no longer manage work, finances, etc. Still, there were periods when I'd prefer to deal with depression and reorder my life around it rather than deal with the meds. I can't say any one answer is the right one. Its clearly a calculation each individual has to make for him/herself.
Nevertheless, there are non-med things that do help depression and anxiety if those are the issues, and I'd strongly recommend trying all of them proactively to support yourself as much as possible. Individually, they may not be the answer, but synergistically, they may provide considerable benefit - things like nutrition, supplements, exercise, relaxation techniques,cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.
I'd look at it more as replacing meds with other forms of self-care. A lot of this stuff is just taking good care of your mind, body, and spirit anyway.
Best of luck to you.
Y~r
poster:yznhymer
thread:777854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070815/msgs/777916.html