Posted by Philip N. on September 28, 2006, at 19:16:59
In reply to Re: Long Term Antidepressant Withdrawal Success » Philip N., posted by SLS on September 28, 2006, at 15:07:29
Hi Scott. I am 49 years old. I began on AD's roughly 10 years back during an extremely stressfull job transfer where I had no input. I thought the medications would embolden me to carry through when I didn't think I could. 2 years later I stopped drinking alcohol and thought again that the ADs were able to assist me in that life changing event. I am still with the same psych I've had throughout although the time on the meds just seem to fly away. I figured back in December that it was time to move on from that long ago period and assumed I was strong enough now for the graduation from the ADs. I felt fairly OK through May to JUne when I started a slow withdrawal from my life as I was living. I was never agoraphobic before and the anxiety and depression set in with a vengeance by late July -early August. I have looked all over the web trying to understand my situation and most everything I see on the sites about SSRIs is negative concerning long term dependence and repeat depression. Some are saying that it could involve the rest of one's life. Many can't get past the initial discontinuation. My doc is pushing for me to return to medication and I'm getting to the point now where I don't think that I can maintain this road without them. In fact, my family has been really concerned for these past 2 months. I had to have a hernia operation 4 weeks ago and I really stressed over that also for the 2 months before the operation. But prior to that I was already developing some OCD behavior and feeling alot more emotional than when I was on the meds. ( I thought the feeling of emotions was a good thing) I never really looked into the literature on AD therapy before now and I'm shocked at what I deem is mostly negative regarding side effects, duration, switching, discontinuation, etc.. My fear now is that I'm in a double jeopardy. I know I can't fulfill my role as a father, husband and friend in my current shape and I feel my self dwindling like I've never felt before. Most on these sites seem to want off the meds. Maybe I've been reading too much of the negatives but I do have several friends that have been unsuccessful at staying off there medication when they have tried. The longest went for about 1 year. My concern is with my seeming inabilty to function the harder I try without them either. I feel that my doctor knows what she is doing but I was trying to believe in myself. I'm thinking now that I will have to start back and maybe try a slow taper if and when I inmprove enough but it seems that there are alot of people that don't succeed with that avenue either. I've run myself nuts looking at some of the alternatives such as the herbs and such but now it's become imperative that I do something other than what I've been doing. THANK YOU for your reply. Let me know!
poster:Philip N.
thread:689687
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060927/msgs/690034.html