How to overcome a battle with severe depression

[DeezNuts515]

I'm presently in the dumps so badly that I barely even get out of bed. I won't take any prescription meds. I was prescribed Effexor in the past and it really messed me up.

Any survivors of a similar situation care to provide some insight?

[Dudedude12345]

Go talk to somebody, that's how I got over it. If you have friends, make sure you talk to him

[SXFX]

BIG MASSIVE HUGZ!
I know from someone you don't know it's a crock of shit but i hope this helps!

Look depression SUCKS! Sadly a vast majority of the meds out there work but they have side effects. But nothing bad! So first off see if you can get some professional help....don't be ashamed it happens.
Also if you have insurance get your hormones checked.....i was very very sad to the point where i was within minutes of offing myself.....turns out my testosterone was 200 when it needed to be 600....i now get a shot once a week and i feel much better.....more resilient.
Lastly.....try joining a gym, going for a walk to just visiting a tanning salon for a quick hit of UV rays and Vitamin D.

Best of luck huge hugs and i hope you feel better!

[dytmook]

I'm presently in the dumps so badly that I barely even get out of bed. I won't take any prescription meds. I was prescribed Effexor in the past and it really messed me up.

Any survivors of a similar situation care to provide some insight?

It's not easy but there are different meds to help too. Just because one didn't work doesn't mean give up. Also finding a good doctor to treat all of you instead of throwing pills at a problem is key. It's a tough road. I'm having s down day myself. Gotta chip away sometimes. Little changes can help a lot

[broncofan]

I have tried effexor and had a bad response. It also is one of the worst antidepressants when it comes to withdrawal symptoms (along with paxil). Effexor is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, which may cause more anxiety than a plain ssri, because increased norepinephrine can have an activating effect.

Another problem I had is that doctors did not explain to me that it will often take 6 weeks for an antidepressant to have a therapeutic effect, which meant I would make up my mind about whether it was working before having enough info. The reason it may take some time to improve symptoms of depression is that antidepressants are now thought to work by increasing neurogenesis in the hippocampus. I can link a number of pubmed articles about this, as it is one of theories explaining the origin of affective disorders. Either way it seems the immediate effect of an acute increase in serotonin, or norepinephrine or dopamine if you take wellbutrin, is different from the therapeutic effect of taking the medicine longer term.

I began taking lexapro about 6 years ago. I have tinkered with other antidepressants but I have had great results with lexapro. Prior to taking it, I did not want to go to work, I did not want to do anything. After about six months of being on 20 mg, my life had improved quite a bit. It required some effort, but the lexapro allowed me to make choices without being hindered by a constant stream of negative thoughts. The side effects have not been too severe. There is some emotional blunting, slight weight gain, but often the side effects are dose dependent and will abate if you lower the dose.

[broncofan]

..turns out my testosterone was 200 when it needed to be 600....i now get a shot once a week and i feel much better.....more resilient.

Good point. Another thing to look out for is thyroid. People with atypical depression often have subtle thyroid problems. Doctors will often not to make the distinction, but there is a difference between melancholic and atypical depression.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melancholic_depression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atypical_depression

Atypical depressives often respond to more activating meds because anergia is one of their main symptoms.

[broncofan]

As non-doctors, it would obviously be reckless to recommend something in particular. A doctor would probably even be reckless to do so without seeing you. But I just wanted to say I had many failed antidepressant trials before finding one that worked. And as I said, effexor is notorious for having discontinuation symptoms, so what you experienced is not unusual, but I definitely empathize with you.

I only got a benefit when I had a doctor tell me to try an ssri (one with a lower side effect profile like lexapro or zoloft) and if I could tolerate the side effects, not to make up my mind about its efficacy for four to six weeks. That is a hell of a lot harder to do than it sounds when you have depression.

[runningdownthatdream]

For me, it helps to get out of the house even if to just wander aimlessly about. Maybe go see a movie, go to a bookstore, anything that gets the mind distracted from sordid thoughts. Sometimes it takes tremendous willpower but usually it does work even if only temporarily. The thing is not to get caught in an ever-descending spiral. Also, vitamin B100 complex helps raise my energy and alertness which again helps to distract my thoughts. Once you become self-aware you should know when its coming on and become pro-active. I've never taken any medications to treat it.

[joyboy123]

I've been there. Hot Yoga (Bikram if there is one near you). Every day for about a month can help turn things around. The yoga itself is not pleasant, but the heat will take you to a different place outside of your head.

[holzz]

get a therapist. and find out the cause of it.

if it's your environment, change it.