Does Medication Held?

Anyone who advises against taking meds has clearly never been truly depressed. I have battled depression since I was 12 or 13. I have been on and off (mostly off) meds for it for the last 10 years. After my daughter was born it got so bad that I was forced to get help. My OB referred me to a psychiatrist, and I went into counseling to help deal with some of the past issues that contribute to my depression, but I was also put on Wellbutrin and Prozac. Let me tell you, I haven't felt this good since I was in elementary school! For the first time in my entire adult like I feel like participating in life. My husband has always been against meds for depression until he lived with me. I have made a believer out of him. Okay, this ended up being longer than I meant (sorry). So, moral of the story... TAKE THE MEDS IF YOU NEED THEM! (Sorry about the CAPS, but I wanted to stress that point - not yelling) Also, I found an interested message board for people experiencing different degrees of emotional problems from mild depression to schizophrenia. It is a wealth of information from people who have been there or are still there...

http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/

It is also a good place to go when you need to see that there are people in the world far worse off than you are. Reading some of the posts makes me very thankful for the mental faculties I do have. hahaha If you ever want someone to talk to who knows what you are going through you can message me.
B.

Oh definately. I was in same situation. i was pregnant and mine left (a newlywed none other) and i was seen immediately. They will ask you a series of questions, like how often do you cry, etc. Take the meds only as prescribed, might have side effectsf or a week or 2. Then you will be back to normal. it keeps you calm, focused and you CAN take care of things like normal, maybe better than before. I was on for 2 years, when coming off, dont go cold turkey. you need to tell dr and they will give you a reduce prescription to wean you off. Do it, trust me, you will ge tthru this. There is no shame. you need to do this in order to get thru it.

S.

Hi A., I am so sorry you feel that way, why women have to go thru all this. I have not taken any meds but I have felt depress many times, not so bad like you (I think). What helps me is taking time for myself, go for a walk, exercise. I have to go for a walk or the gym at least 3 times a week. When my daugter was born almost 4 years ago I did not know what to do with myself, I did not tell anyone because I wanted to deal with it by myself, but exercise and good nutrition helped me a lot.

Hope this can help, please take care of yourself, your baby needs you. Good luck, J.

A. I have been an ob/gyn nurse for about 8 years...
your feelings can be due to alot of things...

some postpartum Depression... having to take care of a baby/child when things arent good at home-and hormonal imbalance which is EXTREMELY NORMAL after one has a baby.

another is just chemical imbalance that happens alot after delivery-pregnancy takes a toll on your body and some things just may not be the same after delivery.

and another, if your relationship with your hubby isnt that hot it still may be fixed, but you need to take care of yourself and fix yourself and feel whole again before you tackle your relationship with him. I know it takes 2 ppl to work things out, and who knows maybe things between you and him are more his fault than yours ( and fault is NOT the word I want to use but I cant think of another)

your feelings of depression isnt something to just deal with, they are real and if needed you may need to take some meds for a short time till everything falls into place...

if it was me, Im for the meds BUT have him check your thyroid levels also... if they are whacked that may cause your feelings also....
good luck

I have dealt with depression for awhile now and find that the medication does help (I take Lexapro). It helps me to keep things in perspective and to have a more positive outlook (not like everything is the end of the world). I was very leary about taking medication, I thought I should be able to handle everything myself (I have a just-turned one year old)..but sometimes you need help and there are resources out there. Talk to your doctor about your options. I'll be praying for you.
J.

Hi A....I would definitely take the medecine. My question is if you are feeling that bad and wish to never wake up you might want to consider admitting yourself. But I don't quite understand if you feel that way then why are you worried about your baby. People who want to die usually don't care about anything or anyone for that matter. I am sorry if I am being rather harsh but you obviously have a very big problem sweetheart. You need to snap out of it. I wish I was there to give you a big hug and tell you it will be OK...although I would yell at you for even saying such a thing as you don't want to wake up. Your baby needs you and I know you know that, however you need to be careful what you say because as much as you love your baby...social services will take him/her away. Be the strong woman I believe you can be. You have already taken the first step. The next steps will take you farther than you expect. Surround yourself with positive influences and don't give up. Good Luck and God Bless!

A., TAKE THE MEDICATION, and do not feel embarrased about it. . .AT ALL. It is normal. Being a mom gets you a lot of work all day every day, being in a rocky relationship on top of being a mom WELL that's more than anyone can handle. And do wake up, wake up 30 minutes each day before kids wake up, drink some coffee by yourself, take that 30 minutes for you please. you need it. kids will grow and things will get easier. LOTS OF HUGS TO YOU.
Smile.
V.

Being depressed to the point of not wanting to wake up and crying every day is a physical condition that needs medical treatment - so the answer is yes to the medication.
Crying every day and feeling blue is not normal and you cant be a good mother if you are sick with depression.
You could have an imbalance or deficiency of a mineral (such as potassium) or hormone (such as thyroid) or some other physical problem causing the depression.
Of course you should use medication and be checked by a doctor so you can get whatever treatment you need to allow yourself to heal and not get even worse. Your children
need you to feel good and be happy to be a good mother, also you owe that to yourself - it is part of taking care of yourself and being a responsible adult.

Hi, A.. I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time with this. I don't know much about you're situation, but here's the thing, whatever is going on, you are either not dealing with it, hence the crying every day and constance overwhelming, or you are doing the best you can and you need help dealing with it. Either way, I believe you should discuss all your feelings with your doctor including your uncomfortableness with taking medication. And if you aren't seeing a therapist, I suggest you do. I've been going to therapy for a couple years and it does help. You just have to find a therapist who is compatible with you. Now, you've mentioned you have a one year old, what may be going on is you may have post partum depression, which is perfectly normal, but, and here is the but, if you are feeling so overwhelmed that sometimes you wish you wouldn't wake up, you need to tell your doctor now. I have been myself to a point very similar and talking with my therapist pulled me through it. If you have any friends who you feel comfortable confiding in, tell them too and keep on putting it out there on websites like this. The fact that you are reaching out says to me you want help and it its out there. Please feel free to write back if you want. I'll certainly listen.

Well, you definitely need help. I have struggled with depression for years and have never taken any medication. Instead, I have found that talking to a mental health professional to be more helpful. However, medication I believe can help you temporarily while you start counseling for a more permanent "fix" to your depression.
Good luck and take care of yourself.

I would take the meds.. i have BTDT myself and it is NOT any fun! so i know what your feeling when it comes to taking the meds or not...
not all of the anti depressants out there will know u out... u some times ahve to try a few of them to know whats gonna work best for you...
I found Zoloft worked best for me... didnt make me tired.. head aches for the first few days but ok after that..
there is also one called Lexapro.. Ive been on that one too ...it never made me tired either...
BUT it can depend on your body on weather u'll take good or bad to any meds...
Your dr wont give u a medicine that will knock u out for a week since u have a baby to care for too.

and if your crying daily.. thats not good for the baby to see.(been there done that too!).. so taking the meds would be the best choice id say.
It will make every one happier.

GL!!!

YES TAKE THE MED's. it might not cure you but it will definitely halp you with the healing process and control your emotions, as far as crying everyday, etc. It will stabilize you. It is a process tho, as to finding the right one that works for you. Zolofts seems to be the one that I find works best for anyone I know that's on it. I'm glad to hear that you are seeking help and that you do care enough about your child to help yourself. As for the person who said "snap out of it" i'm sure they've never been as depressed. It's not something you can just snap out of and at least you're not at the point where you can't even think of your child...why is she so worried about being harsh in that sense? You're seeking help...let focus on the positive. It's not going to happen overnight, you're not just gonna snap out of it, but with therapy and med's or just getting the right treatment will help. Remember to take the time and DO YOU!! even if its a warm bath when the kids are sleeping or a walk to refresh your thoughts, just remember to breathe. Good Luck and trust that you will be ok.

Please, if the psych. prescribes you medication, take it! It helps immensely and you may only need it for a few months till the chemicla balance in your brain gets corrected. I took medication for this for about 2 years and am now completely weaned off it and feel better than I did before I had my son. With post-partum depression, especially, it is so important to get help before it can become worse. If you are in West Palm Beach, FL, I can suggest a great psychiatrist. Let me know!

Hi A..
Depression is horrible, I know. I am so sorry that you have to go through this.
You have recieved some good suggestions. There are a dew that jump out at me & I would loke to add my 2 cants.
Do have your thyroid checked and your blood sugar also with a 6 hour GTT. Hypoglycemia carries with it terrible depression bouts and only the 6 hour will catch many cases of it.
If you are going to take the antidepressant please be sure to check the side effects first. One person here mentioned the side effect of suicide. When I was in the hospital I was given Zoloft. Hello cataracs!
That is one of the possible side effects of Zoloft. When I came back to consciousness one night I thought the hispital was on fire but it was just the clouding of my vision fron cataracs. I scared them. I was alone in my room & U stripped down, sat on my pillow and scootched out in the hall before a nurse saw me. Don't ask me where I was going but I was gfoing to get out of there and for some reason I thought I would be less likely to catch on fire if I were naked. lol
But enough of the funnies. It sounds to me that your marriage is really the source of your depression. It makes the heavy responsibility of parenthood just too much to carry. I always tell people to work it out which is easier said than done. But try to bring harmony to the situation. Meditation can help you find inner peace and gain insight. Do a search under meditation.
There are also herbs and homeopathis which can help you. St John's Wort helps many. Valerin also is good & besides depression it will help w/ nerves. Skullcap works for many but only short term. In homeopathics that can be bought at WalMart, Calms for daytime and Calms Forte for night are good though to help sleep I luke Passion Flower better. It is softer sleep and not as much hang over.

Sue

Don't deal with your problems by taking medication. It will only numb the pain but not solve the problem. You need to figure out what changes you need to make in order for you and your child to be happy. My advise, take the medication to help you in the immidiate time, but also take the necessary steps to make changes to solve your problems. Talk to a counslor, friends, marriage counseling, etc., but don't only try to solve your problems with medication because it won't solve anything. Good luck and stay strong!

Anyone who would tell you NOT to take the medication, does not truly know what it is to be depressed.....I've been on a variety of antidepressants, I have found that Wellbutrin XL works the best for me, don't give up if you take a pill for a few weeks and you still feel miserable, it just might not be the right med or the right dose. Medication is not something that you'll need forever and it should be used in conjunction with some sort of counseling. Sometimes it would help to reevaluate your circumstances as well. If the marriage is so rocky, is there a reason to stay? If it simply a communication gap, get your husband to counseling with you (if he'll go), my husband and I did and it was the best decision that we ever made, we are finally happy together and we communicate so much better.

PS-the doctor also prescribed me Valium for when I get VERY overwhelmed, my kids are alot older than yours and the bigger they are, the bigger the problems!!! Since I have high blood pressure, she didn't want me to get too high-strung that would send my BP through the roof.

Good Luck with whatever you decide.

hello A. my names T. , i know what your going through , i have been on different medications for depression, one thing i can tell you is dont let him put you on effexor i was on that and tried to committe suciede. the doctor that put me on the effexor did not tell me that one of the sideeffects was it might make me sucidel. please be carefull about what you take. its verry dangerouse taking depression medicines. the best advice i can give is to get into a church and talk to the pastor about your depression. im sure he would be happy to help . and get some counoloing. and be at church every time the door opens and pray. praying really does help . going to church and praying really helped me . i still have problems but im able to handle them better and the lord will put a piece in your heart and mind and will be there and help you with what your going through, im sure of it.i hope this helps and godbless . smiles

I just wanted to reiterate what the other B. G said...please get your thyroid checked!!! I know so many moms who had problems with depression and anxiety that turned out to be thyroid trouble....it's so easy to fix!!!

in my personal opinion the thought of being on some kind of anti depressant is always scary. but beleive it or nto once you are on the right med its helps soooo much. i was diagnosed bipolar when i was 11 and i have been dealing with severe bouts of depression for years. i have tried it off my meds and on the meds and i can honestly say that the medication has helped. it just took me years to realize it. if you are havng feelings of not wanting to bother at all anymore with anything then i think that you should consider it. for your own health and sanity. not all anti depressants cause you not to functionwell during the day. most of them are great its as you get into the heavier anti depressants and mixing them with others that i have found causes problems. i have those same feelings on a daily basis and i wish i could even get someone to talk to me about it. if you can find that help than take it. once you are feeling better the whole household will feel better. and if you need to talk you can message me anytime and we can exchange emails.... good luck with your decision.

I have struggled with the idea of taking meds for depression for many years. My main issue was that I did not want to rely on a pill to make me feel normal. The reality of the situation for me is that if I had a vitamin deficiency, I would not hesitate to take a supplement because i know that it would correct my imbalance...It is no different for depression. I have taken several types...some of which worked better than others, and some that did not work at all. It is a process that you and your doctor must closely monitor. I know that for me, I am a better mother to my children because of my meds!