What to do?

[Rojo4]

Hello first time writing in a forum 👋🏼

I recently started seeing a psychologist for helping cope with the loss of my brother passing away. I had been avoiding my feeling completely for 2 years and it resulted in my partner of 10 years breaking up with me for being too sad

I have been to 8 therapy sessions and my psychologist has suggested i might benefit from anti depressants. I’m unsure about this as I don’t have any experience or know anyone who has been this type of medication. I don’t really like taking medication in general.

I want to feel better but since opening up in the sessions I find I cry all the time. In general I feel completely hopeless about my life now and have so many negative self thoughts that I really struggle to make go away.

I dont really know what I’m after with posting this, just I guess if antidepressants help with these problems

thanks for reading

[MsPurple]

Hi Rojo and welcome to the forums

Glad you have come to join this supportive community.

It can be hard dealing with depression and grief. I myself struggle with depression and anxiety. I was suggested medication. It took me a while to open up to the idea. I myself was in a dark place and therapy was helping but for me my doctor suggested I may benefit more from medicaton. It is an individual choice between you and your doctor. I think be open to it. Have an open conversation about it. You can discuss all your concerns with it. I mentioned one of my biggest concerns with weight gain (as I have previously had an eating disorder and didn't want to bring that back up). It is ok to question your doctors about it and mention all your concerns.

It can be tough making a decision. I just want to mention that taking medication doesn't mean you are weak or that you didn't try enough. It is yet another tool. It is used in conjunction to therapy. It doesn't mean you have to take it for life it can be just used temporarily.

Hope this has been helpful. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am an open book

[White_Rose]

Dear Rojo

Hello and welcome to the forum. It's great you are receiving help to manage your depression

I'm not sure if you have a specific question about antidepressants. Many people feel ashamed for taking them as it they believe taking meds are a sign of weakness, that it's not acceptable to take any medication, that it will cause all sorts of problems from weight gain to bad side effects. None of this is necessarily true. Meds are always a tricky subject. Some people are happy with the first one they try, others find side effects difficult. There is no way to know how anyone will react.

I tried the most commonly prescribed AD and had a bad time. A colleague at work took the same AD as me but she had no problems while I had a hard time. In the end my GP suggested a different group of AD and they are great. Talk to your GP who can give you a better picture on how they work. Remember it takes up to six weeks for the full effect to be established although you will find a gradual improvement before then. Keep a record of anything that happens with the meds and discuss with your GP.

Once we open the flood gates of our depression crying is usually the outcome. All the hurt you have stored up for years now has a way to come into the open. I know of a couple of people who have stopped therapy because "all I do is cry". It's actually a good thing though no doubt you feel a bit silly. I know I cried for many months. Simply letting go means you are on the way to healing. Keep it up.

Mary

[baet123]

Hey Rojo,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for posting and it is great to have you here. It takes a great deal of courage and bravery to post and express your emotions and you should be extremely proud of yourself!

Sorry to hear about your relationship. We each grieve differently and for some people it may take a few weeks to get back to "normality" whereas for others it takes a lot longer. It is extremely encouraging that you are actively seeking treatment and that you are motivated to get better and improve your situation. This is extremely important to your recovery and treatment.

Your concerns are extremely valid and genuine and understandable. I took antidepressants for two-three years and prior to commencing the medication, my concerns were similar to yours. Medication worked wonders for me in combination with therapy. Medication saved my life to an extent and enabled me to have a better outlook on life and it assisted my rationale and made me feel much better than I was prior to taking medicine. Of course, not one size fits all and medication impacts people differently but my experiences and many people I know in similar situations have all had an overwhelmingly positive experiences with medicine and it is definitely something you should consult with your GP about and possibly even a psychiatrist.

You will still have ups and downs even when your on medication but they have the ability to improve a person's quality of life and assist their recovery and treatment immensely.

Hope this helps and look forward to hearing back from you.

Nick.

[Rojo4]

Thanks for writing, what you said about taking medication not meaning I’m weak or that I didn’t try hard enough was exactly how I was feeling. I’ll have a discussion with my GP