I Am Against Antidepressants - Forum & Chat Board | SSRI controversy

Personally, I don't need scientific evidence to come to my own conclusions. We will probably never figure out exactly how the brain works. I can give you some facts of my own, though.



-I take the medication.

-I know what life is like with and without it.

-Not only is my depression under control, but my migraines are as well. Both have been linked to serotonin levels.

-SSRI's do not boost the brain's level of serotonin, they just make your brain use what is there.

-I know they do not know why SSRI's do what they do. Frankly, I don't care why they work. I just know they work.



I challenge any research scientist to dispute my personal results. They can no more prove that the medication doesn't work, than researchers can prove how they work. As for group trials and placebos, my personal opinion is that individuals who benefit from a placebo are not truly clinically depressed. They may be experiencing feelings of depression, but probably nothing that couldn't be helped by a good roll in the hay. Also, if you listen to advertisements for these studies, their criteria is usually that patients have experienced depression for at least two weeks. Two weeks? That's not depression, that's glorified bad hair day. Try experiencing it for 35 out of 39 years. Then I might consider their results.

Taking cocaine makes you feel better too! That does NOT prove it's good for you, or that there will not be long term consequences from taking it.  I am not discounting the person that says they couldn't live without them. There are a lot of addicts that would say the same thing of their 'drug of choice'.  You DO need them now.  I come from a family that suffers from depression (myself included), so I can appreciate the suffering that comes with it. But until you've exhausted EVERY alternative of religion, exercise, diet, supplements, talk therapy, hypnosis, meditation, changing your life, and changing your circumstances, you can NOT tell me that drugs are the only thing that work. I am living proof of that. That doesn't mean that I am never down, never conflicted, never have days I don't want to face the world - but that is called BEING HUMAN.   I can't tell you how many times in my life a doctor tried to put me on SSRIs...and I thank God everyday that refused. 

You say, "Taking cocaine makes you feel better too! That does NOT prove it's good for you, or that there will not be long term consequences from taking it. . . . There are a lot of addicts that would say the same thing of their 'drug of choice'.  . . . But until you've exhausted EVERY alternative of religion, exercise, diet, supplements, talk therapy, hypnosis, meditation, changing your life, and changing your circumstances, you can NOT tell me that drugs are the only thing that work."

OK, now that I've stopped laughing - cocaine is an addictive narcotic that gets a person high. SSRIs do NOT get you high, nor are they intended to do so. To even compare the two is completely asinine. As for your term "drug of choice," if you mean that I'm choosing to do something about my condition to improve my life, then I guess you're right. And yes I CAN tell you that it works better then other alternatives because I've exhausted them all. What I finally learned in the process is that true clinical depression is a chemical disorder, one that cannot be dealt with by taking vitamins, exercising, or a special diet. As for religion, I've been a close, personal friend of God since I was born. You know what he did for me? He pointed me to a fine Doctor who knew what would help me. As far as therapy and meditation go, they are both great SUPPLEMENTAL treatments, but by themselves did not do a fraction of the good Zoloft has done. Don't get me wrong, they're great at assisting the medication.

And while I'm getting a few things off my chest, not saying that you, luls7, are one of these, but one of the biggest problems I've seen with a lot of people on this site is the fact that so many of them are dead set against any legitimate pharmaceutical, but will try any illicit street drug that someone throws at them. Until they're willing to honestly try a solution - which means giving up the drugs and drinking - they'll never, I repeat, NEVER gain control over their circumstances. It always amazes me when I hear someone say that antidepressants don't work when I that person continues to drink and smoke pot. Alcohol, pot, and other drugs are called depressants for a reason!

So it is YOU who cannot tell me that they will not work until YOU have tried them.

The cocaine analogy was obviously an extreme exaggeration of my point. Which is that whenever a person ingests ANYTHING (as you've pointed out, smoking, drinking included), it might make you 'feel' better, but that does not mean they are a solution.  No more than feeling better after drinking a beer is proof that you had a beer deficiency. But I don't dispute that you believe zoloft makes you feel better.  But I've suffered from depression, as has my sister, my brother and my mother. My husband was suffering from some minor anxiety and was immediately put on zoloft. The zoloft ROBBED me of the man I knew and loved for 20 years...in a matter of weeks. He became a cold and cruel zombie.  But if you asked him, he would say he 'never felt better' because he didn't care about anything anymore. I suppose there is freedom in that, but not the kind I would ever want. I would rather cry a million tears, if it meant that I wouldn't miss one moment of genuine joy.  I wish you well with your zoloft, but I would never advocate it for anyone I love (again). 

 My partner of ten years has suffered from deression for the 10 years. He has had periods of sadness and a maniac phase. He went to the dr's 2 months ago and they gave him an anti depressant and he has become nasty and obsessed with what he did as a young man. He is seeing four other women and moved into the spare room. He says we don't have sex but the truth is he is unable to *********.

It feels like he died two months ago and Im no longer living with the man I love. i don't know what to do. I cry myself to sleep which makes him angry but I feel like I'm grieving. He suggested I try them I don't think so . One self obessed adult is enough. Has anyone else seen there partner change?

I felt the same way when my husband started zoloft.  Withing 3 months of taking them, he left me, his son, our family, job...and pets. EVERYTHING he loved.  When I would cry myself to sleep every night (before he left) he didn't even flinch.  My husband was the guy who cried during sappy movies (before I did) and was really sensitive. The pills made him a cold snake.  But he felt happy that he didn't have to care anymore. Go to this site to see the countless people like us who suddenly found themselves in the same situation you describe. It's a real eye opener! The subject line says effexor, but people write of all the SSRIs and SNRIs. 

http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/effexor/TQ4I2UR28DFD3N759