Depression buddy

[Aussiegirl1]

Hi everyone, I am new here and I have been suffering from depression for a few years now. I have gone off my medication, thinking that I was finally well but it seems to have come back. I don't really want to go back on anti depressants, I'd like to try and fix this without it. I think it would be helpful to have someone to talk to when things get hard and to share ideas with. Is anyone interested in being a support buddy?

[Touille]

Hey Aussiegirl,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm currently taking medication for anxiety and mild depression, but I'm not a big fan of pills, so hopefully I don't have to take them for long.

Did you slowly stop your medication?

Touille

[SourceShield]

Hey!

I am willing to do that for you - I could be a SupportBuddy.

If you're still needing this, let me know, and we can go from there.

I run a coaching company.

It would be a win-win.

You get a SupportBuddy, and I get to practice my coaching skills.

Let me know!

Thanks.

Kaitoa Wolfe

[Aussiegirl1]

Hey Touille,

yes I slowly went down in mg and then went off them. It didn't really affect me at all. I don't think the anti depressants I was on were very helpful..

[geoff]

hello Aussiegirl, welcome to the site and thanks for posting your comment, and yes we are always here for you to talk to whenever you feel as though you need to.
You're not the only person to stop taking their antidepressants (AD), especially once you are feeling better, however this is because your AD have helped you to regain your health, and I'm not going to say that you will need to start them again, because that a decision is only yours to make, but perhaps if I can provide feedback from both sides.
If you are feeling well then that's exactly what you want to happen, so after awhile of not having any type of depression then your doctor may suggest you slowly come off them, realising that now you are strong enough to get on with your life, that's what we all hope for, however if you decide to stop taking them because you feel on top of the world, then the result could be good or it may go belly-up.
You may feel that you have overcome your depression, again that's terrific and what you have achieved to do, possibly by walking, doing mindfulness, eating and sleeping well so everything has clicked in to having a better life and that's why you want to stop taking your AD, it sounds reasonable so why not.
Everything is going along well for the first couple of weeks, but then slowly you feel yourself falling once again, so you don't feel like walking etc and then slump into a hole, then try natural herbalist's all to no avail, so your back to square one.
This is not what I want to happen to you, but will certainly be a support for you and hope to hear back from you. Geoff.

[White_Rose]

Dear Aussiegirl

Hello and a warm welcome to Beyond Blue. I have not met anyone who likes taking medication no matter what the reason. We do it I suppose because trust our GP that this will set to rights whatever is the matter with us. We are happy to take antibiotics because we will get well and the meds are only for a week, our health picks up very quickly and off we go again.

Sadly AD do not work as quickly and the treatment of our depression/anxiety etc is a long term project. Like you I have gone off AD and again like you I felt they were not doing much for me. In fact the psychiatrist I saw many years ago said he could not prescribe a therapeutic dose because the side effects affected me too much. I tried many AD until I took one that made a difference, but I needed another AD to manage the side effects. Crazy!

Well that was some time ago. My GP prescribed a medication from the original group of AD and this works wonderfully for me. Yes I am still taking pills and no I don't really like it. I accept these meds in the same way I take meds prescribed by the oncologist to help block the return of my breast cancer. I will need to take these meds for five years. I also take meds for diabetes and this will probably be for the rest of my life.

Amongst all this is a moral I'm sure. 😊 If you are managing your depression successfully then I am pleased for you. It does help our egos to think we can cope with it. I want to ask you to be open to the possibility that your depression may return and this may need a return to meds. Many of the people who write in here have become accustomed to taking meds for their particular difficulty and lead full and satisfying lives.

It does not mean you are a weak person, which is the reason many people go off AD. On the contrary it means they have accepted the help offered and now concentrate on keeping themselves well and being part of the community.

We are always here to help, support, talk, laugh (I do that a lot), offer advice if requested. Stay and talk. I would love to walk with you on this journey.

Mary