Well were do I start! I'm 19 and i've been suffering with mood swings and anger problems for a while now its not like me at all! I feel as if everything which never used to be a problem is now becoming a problem and I could usually just be so calm about things and was so layed back! Now thats all changed I feel so low I wake up feeling angry somedays. Sometimes I wake up and I brake down into to tears! Its tearing my realtionship apart! I also have had alot of family problems in the past which i could cope with at the time i think this may have added to the depression but i had counselling when I was younger for that. I went to the doctors on Tuesday about it all thinking it may be due to my contraceptive pill, but my doctor thinks i have depression and has now put me on citalopram which ive never been on anti depressents before usually i'm so active and healthy and always on the go and i'm so scared of taking these as I feel tablets are a weakness and feel so young to be on tablets for the rest of my life. Can anyone recommend any advice as in how I should deal with how I feel and should I take the tablets as I've heard of a few people "ohh don't take them" etc... plus I'm worried about the side effects I feel I couldn't cope with more change to my body and my personality! HELP!
Hi Jessica
Hope your having a good!! day.
just thought I mention about my experiences on citalopram, I've been on them for about 4 months now, and they've made a huge difference. I suffer from anxiety/depression and might as well throw in panic attacks.
I started on 10mg for two weeks then moved up to 20mg, I, like you had heard stories about the awful side effects but lucky enough i didn't suffer too badly. What you need to remember is not everyone will get side effects from tablets, everyones bodies are different. Sounds strange, but one of the side effects for me was yawning alot, I did have a couple of panic attacks early on whilst taking them, but I was warned that cit can intensify anxiety for a couple of weeks while the body gets use to them.
Taking tablets is not a weakness, you should think that your strong and mature enough to know that there is a problem and you are addressing it, and the main thing is, what your going through is only temporary, you won't see that now, and no matter what anyone else tells your find it hard to belive. My anxiety took over my life, and I couldn't see it ending, but started cit and also CBT which helped alot, now I feel so much better in myself, also other work colleagues, who know nothing about my history or medication have commented on the difference in my personality how its improved.
So all I can say is citalopram is not a miracle cure, but it will help you get things together so you can get back to a life you back on track. I can also recommend CBT, sometimes talking to someone who understands is better then any drug.
Hope this helps a little bit.
Take care.
Hey, did you take them and how did you feel? I started 4 days ago and can say I feel awfull, cannot eat or get out of bed I feel so sick and washed out. I have always been so cheerful, never sad let alone depressed until my dad passed away 5 months ago so my doctor said cit would help! I am not convinced but many people have been helped, I guess it depends how you were managing before? I am seeing my doctor on Friday and I actually want to stop and grieve with councelling and not medication as the side effects I am experiencing are not worth it to me, but everybody is different and you have to go with what you feel best.
Hello, yeah i started to take them the only symptoms ive been gettting really is feeling constantly sick and have lost my appetite! i have a follow up appiontment in a couple of weeks to look at my progess but then im starting my councilling. To so hopefully the symptons will go! i dont no yet the bottom of whats causing my depression but thats what my councilling will be for! thats sounds probably best for your symptons as its like you say its how you started out before as i was and still have my down days but i supppose its a waiting game!
Hope all goes well with you!
Hey,
I'm the same age as you and have been on cit for 2 years/ish.
When I first started taking them I felt deeply ashamed of myself for being weak. I found as time went on that they helped me get some control back and give me the calm that I needed in order to properly tackle my problems. Don't look at them as something big and scary that will change you and try see them more of a fasilitator to getting happier.
I was lucky in that I never had any serious side affects. If anything I would say I felt less like myself when I was anxious than I do now.
Everyone gets low and angry and desperte at time, and for some people its worce than for others, its not a weakness and its nothing to be ashamed of.
I hope you pull through,
Sask.