So I just started antidepressents a couple days ago and i'm feeling a little strange about the whole thing, if anyone can answer ANY of the following questions about their own experience please do so.
1. Do you eventually feel smarter as you're less focused on depression?
2. Did you retain, gain or get back comedic qualities?
3. Did past traumas seem to lift from you. E.G ones that my cause self hatred, self sabotage or stop you from doing certain things?
4. any other positive things that happened?
P.S I know theese arn't happy pills or magic beans but i'm curious about what to be hopeful for.
Ben
It would concern me more if you had just started on anti-depressants and said you weren't feeling a bit strange. Don't fret too much over these, as most of them will be typical side-effects and may well be listed on the information leaflet that came with the meds.
Regarding your questions, I am only in a position to comment on two of them;
1. I didn't feel any "smarter", and there is nothing about anti-depressants per se that would raise your IQ! However, to the extent that my depression meant lack of concentration, poor memory, and inability to think cognitively, the relief from these symptoms meant I just really got back to the natural level of stupidity I had before I was depressed.
3. In my case, yes, to a degree. The medication helped me to break a cycle of brooding introspection and going over the past repeatedly searching for answers to what was happening to me and why. I think in this case, every individual will have a different experience.
I hope this helps you a little. I send you my best wishes, and I hope that you begin to feel an improvement soon. :-)
Thanks for the testimonial. Making me want to keep at it, even with side effects.
HI Ben,
i can can only give you my experience so remembers yours may be different.
1/ sometimes it depends on the med, how you react to it and type of depression.
2/ fortunately yes but may take time.
3/ honestly I think counciling is better for that. Meds help stop you worrying about them so much but long term I think counciling I is the way forward.
4/ with the right treatment and time you will improve.
above is in relation to me and my wife. Mine was situational depression but my wife's was past trauma. Meds helped me but private counciling helped her better than the meds.
ps if side effects get too much or last longer than 6 weeks don't stop go back to the go and ask to try something else. I hated citalopram due to sexual sides but found fluoxetine better.