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Evie81 Terrible withdrawals from antipsychotic
  • replies: 3

I'm bipolar and prescribed a combination of an anticonvulsant with well-known antidepressant properties and a second generation antipsychotic. I know I'm not supposed to mention names here so I'm hoping this is allowed. I recently had a slight manic ... View more

I'm bipolar and prescribed a combination of an anticonvulsant with well-known antidepressant properties and a second generation antipsychotic. I know I'm not supposed to mention names here so I'm hoping this is allowed. I recently had a slight manic episode and, of course, the antipsychotic was pushed heavily again. I have no problem with this med other than it causes weight gain and massive withdrawal symptoms. In the past I quit this med because of these reasons but 'when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail' to a psychiatrist, so round again you go. I've now, unwittingly, missed two doses of the antipsychotic and I'm feeling like a junkie looking for a fix. So dizzy, nauseous, feelings of 'unrealness', difficulty focussing my gaze, motion sickness. The feeling can probably be best described as just stepping out of the fairground centrifuge, when your brain adjusts to its new reality of not being spun around and you're best off closing your eyes or you might vomit, but this 24 hours a day. This is just 2 doses! I've spoken to my pdoc about this in the past as one of my objections for going back onto this med but it seems these claims are not being taken very seriously. He shrugged it off saying it was very unusual and it was only a small dose. Well, the dose is as large as I allowed it to be (he pushed for much higher and I told him he as joking) and these accounts of withdrawal are found all over the internet, so I know it is not that unusual . Either way, large dose or not, the effects are just the same. Having these symptoms again makes me wonder if I should even be on this stuff. I recall the days when they said that benzos were not addictive. Oh oops, those were addictive. Wait, have some of these Z-class sleeping pills. Oh wait, those were addictive too. Now, here, have some second generation antipsychotics... only a matter of time you reckon. Do any of you experience withdrawals even at small doses and how did you approach this with your pdoc?

AlexH Should I get a new referral?
  • replies: 4

Hi, so. In my 20s here and trying to get an ADHD diagnosis. I have already been to my GP and got a referral to a doctor who could assess me. However, that was almost a year ago now. The delay was due to a) my anxiety at having to call up during work ... View more

Hi, so. In my 20s here and trying to get an ADHD diagnosis. I have already been to my GP and got a referral to a doctor who could assess me. However, that was almost a year ago now. The delay was due to a) my anxiety at having to call up during work hours, while at work, and then ask for time off, b) self-doubt overtaking again, c) anxiety over leaving it for so long, d) classic ADHD-style procrastination. Should I get a new referral, or will that one still work? I’m really worried it’s going to look like I don’t need a diagnosis since I left it for so long, and I’m really anxious now because I don’t know what I’d do if this avenue’s been messed up, too. I’ve already had bad experiences trying to get people to take me seriously, but over time by symptoms have only gotten worse and it’s becoming really clear that this IS impacting on my life a lot. It’s too late to do this part right but I don’t know if I should even try to set up an appointment today like this - I really don’t want to waste anyone’s time by trying if I need a new referral. Anyone have any ideas?

AnotherOne12 Did anyone experience increased physical symptoms when starting ssri?
  • replies: 4

Hello. Just wondering if anyone experienced increased physical symptoms when you first started or increased ssri dose? When i speak to my doctor i feel like they dont really know whats going on so im turning to this thread to see if i can get a bette... View more

Hello. Just wondering if anyone experienced increased physical symptoms when you first started or increased ssri dose? When i speak to my doctor i feel like they dont really know whats going on so im turning to this thread to see if i can get a better understanding. Thank you

Porcu Anger
  • replies: 3

Hello, I recently got so angry I hit my boyfriend. I punched him in the arm. Where can I get help?

Hello, I recently got so angry I hit my boyfriend. I punched him in the arm. Where can I get help?

Melb1972 Stopping SSRI's
  • replies: 3

I first had symptoms of depression in my late teens, with it peaking in my late twenties, fifteen years later I decided to do something when my son asked me why 'does mum make you so sad?'. Went to my GP and was prescribed meds which I proceeded to t... View more

I first had symptoms of depression in my late teens, with it peaking in my late twenties, fifteen years later I decided to do something when my son asked me why 'does mum make you so sad?'. Went to my GP and was prescribed meds which I proceeded to take for the next 4 years. It was messy to start but after that it seemed to lift my base level so didn't feel so low, immediately noticed some side effects, such as foginess but happy to concede that for the upside. I noticed throughout my life I have worked hard (knowingly and unknowingly) against my depression, I exercise regularly, take beneficial supplements, eat well, get lots of rest and avoid alcohol and 'bad' situations when I am on the skids. Only a few people know about my depression, my wife, my doctor and a friend of mine who suffers from mental health issues as well. I tend not to tell my wife too much, for all her good qualities she tends to use it against me and is not really understanding of it. About 9 weeks ago I hit a bad patch, I was having headaches (strange pressure in my head) and a lot of aching in my joints (common), it was the longest sustained bought of depression I have had. I went to the Doctor he decided to change my medication, I started taking it and it sent me to an even darker place, after 2 weeks I'd had enough, I was so spent, so self loathing, ready to end it. I decided, against my Dr's wishes, to stop cold turkey as I felt I had nothing to lose. I tried to discuss the inflammation which I felt could be related, it seemed to go hand in hand with the depression, he was uninterested, felt it was a symptom of the depression. That was nearly 2 weeks ago, since then to say I have bounced back is an understatement. The headaches left almost within 3-4 days, my achy 47 yr old body that I have had 95% of the time over the last 4 years has disappeared (I used to get so angry, I'm not that old, I shouldn't feel this bad), I would hobble down the stairs in the morning now I bound. My thoughts and memory are so clear. I'm not the self hating zombie shuffling about using every bit of energy to get through till bedtime. I believe it is not Psychological but I have a chemical imbalance in my body, inflammation being the first symptom followed by the depression/headaches. I am glad to be off SSRIs and I am praying this is not going to be a short term thing. Are their others who have had similar experiences? Am I just in a honeymoon period?

Jane90 Hi 👋🏼
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, struggling with start up side effects with anti-depressants and don’t know what I should do. On my 3rd week on SSRI medication and started an increased dosage two days ago. Have never felt worse. Feel worse than before I started taking t... View more

Hi everyone, struggling with start up side effects with anti-depressants and don’t know what I should do. On my 3rd week on SSRI medication and started an increased dosage two days ago. Have never felt worse. Feel worse than before I started taking them. I just want to cry all day and the negative thoughts are consuming my mind. Have lost interest in doing things and also have taken sick days from work. Trying to decide whether I need to come off them or push through. Can anyone give me any reassurance/advice based on their experiences? thanks, ally

sparrowhawk Getting over stigma about seeking help
  • replies: 13

This is probably something many can get or relate to... I have been seeing a psychologist for the past few months, she recommended I try some medication to help me with my sleep and mood, and yesterday my GP prescribed me an antidepressant. When medi... View more

This is probably something many can get or relate to... I have been seeing a psychologist for the past few months, she recommended I try some medication to help me with my sleep and mood, and yesterday my GP prescribed me an antidepressant. When medication was recommended to me I was surprised, as I hadn't really expected that, and felt a bit disappointed. As a teenager I had depression and was treated with psychiatry and antidepressants. My parents, especially my dad, were not happy about that and carried a lot of stigma about medication and about seeking help. I even remember at one stage my dad told me that mental health help would "go on my record", whatever that meant. A few similar things have been said to me throughout my life, along the lines of "you won't be accepted for X/Y/Z because you have had depression". This always made me very afraid to acknowledge I was going through a rough time because I thought I'd be rejected. I guess I carry that with me. I'm ready to try anything but I can't shake the feeling of being a failure, of letting people down, and of not being accepted because I have a mental illness. My mother is against me taking any antidepressants, as is a good friend of mine. It all actually makes me feel more depressed. I am just wondering how you guys get through that stigma. I know the stigma and stereotyping is a real problem which can lead to tragic circumstances and I really want to be able to move from that critical judgement of myself. I really want to get help and I don't know if the medication will work until I try it, so I want to go for it. I just want to fight for myself instead of always doing what others say I should do.

Sylvester101 SSRI ups and downs
  • replies: 8

Hi All, I've had severe anxiety a few times before and always struggled a bit when starting out on meds but they generally come good (except one). So I started one 4 weeks ago and increased after 2 weeks and I really began feeling so much better and ... View more

Hi All, I've had severe anxiety a few times before and always struggled a bit when starting out on meds but they generally come good (except one). So I started one 4 weeks ago and increased after 2 weeks and I really began feeling so much better and felt vaguely normal again, it was great. However, the last 4 days I have felt extreme anxiety again, so I'm wondering why everything was going so well and now I feel back to awful again. Can this happen? and why? It's so debilitating and I feel so defeated. Thanks.

Auralay Tired of it all...
  • replies: 6

I'm a little surprised to find myself writing here. But I am just so tired, physically, mentally emotionally. I was on an SSRI for the past 5-6 years which thankfully I had tolerated well and though I never got to the point where I was fully enjoying... View more

I'm a little surprised to find myself writing here. But I am just so tired, physically, mentally emotionally. I was on an SSRI for the past 5-6 years which thankfully I had tolerated well and though I never got to the point where I was fully enjoying life, I was able to cope better. I did see a psychologist for a while, but honestly my brain was still pretty mushy at that point. I'm married and have 2 young kids, one now at school. The end of last year the SSRI "pooped out" and the GP changed me to an SNRI. After a couple different doses of that changed to another and increased the doses in that one as well. I feel like i do ok for a week or two and then crash again. The past few days I have just been so exhausted and don't want to do anything. I'm so tired and tired of depression. I don't want to have to live the rest of my life like this. I feel like I just get dragged along by life (or worse, run over by it), which is only being made worse by having a child at school and I have more things I need to stay on top of. I'm skeptical that another medication change will make a difference and worried that being truly well will never be possible for me. Even if other things can help eg diet, exercise, counselling etc, it's not like life is going to stop for me to allow me time to get better...

Garfunkel_Keeps_Me_Hopefu First time seeking professional help
  • replies: 15

Hi everyone, I finally plucked up the courage to see my GP about my anxiety and feelings of depression a couple of months ago and she asked if i'd like to start medication or give seeing a psychologist a go first. I asked to see the psychologist as I... View more

Hi everyone, I finally plucked up the courage to see my GP about my anxiety and feelings of depression a couple of months ago and she asked if i'd like to start medication or give seeing a psychologist a go first. I asked to see the psychologist as I still feel quite wary about going onto medication. She referred me and I made an appointment but an hour beforehand called and cancelled, pretending I had been called in to work. I've made another appointment for this Tuesday but I just feel so anxious about it. And I feel ridiculous for being too anxious to go and see someone for help with my anxiety. I don't know how to get the courage to go, I'm so uncomfortable talking about my feelings, even with my fiancee but I really need help, because it's exhausting feeling this way every day. I was hoping for some advice about what to expect for a first appointment and maybe if possible advice about how to be brave enough to get over this first hurdle? I'm awful for ditching things due to anxiety, usually at the last minute and then hating myself for it. Thanks