Psychotropic medication discussion thread

My doctor just put me on Haley (which is basically the same thing as Prozac, right?) and says I should probably be on it for about three years. Of course, he won't give me a straight answer on the exact timing because apparently, everyone’s recovery timeline is different.

What really gets under my skin is the idea of taking something like this long-term. Sure, maybe my head will finally stop spinning, but what does it do to the rest of me? What am I doing to my liver or my blood counts?

And honestly, how likely is it that the depression and anxiety just come crashing back once I finally stop the meds after all those years? What happens then? Do I just end up right back where I started, popping pills again?

brighttiger41 said:So, he’s taking Zoloft right now. After just one week, it’s already starting to bring some light back into his life—you know, that feeling of actually being okay again? It’s a start. As for side effects: there's some occasional nausea and a bit of digestive stuff, but honestly, it's nothing major. It hasn't been overwhelming. The real issue, though, is the impotence and the total loss of libido. That part really hit him hard... But then again, we’re all different, aren't we? One person might find relief with Xanax while someone else needs Zoloft. It’s all very individual.

Prozac is an antidepressant, whereas Xanax is a psychotic drug. If you take high doses of the latter, it'll absolutely wreck you during those first twenty days, just like it did to me.☕

I spent several months on a combination of Prozac and Xanax, and for me, the pairing seemed to work. It wasn't an easy transition, certainly, but once I adjusted after a month or two, things stabilized. I didn't deal with nausea or middle-of-the-night awakenings... My psychiatrist kept adjusting my dosage, but eventually, I decided to stop taking them on my own. At the time, I was also deeply committed to psychotherapy; I was putting in a significant amount of work on myself. I believe that was the deciding factor, as it allowed me to identify the underlying issue and address it. Of course, I still have to stay vigilant—things aren't quite as perfect as they were before the depression, and I suspect they may never return to that former state...
But is the actual solution to remain on medication for years, or perhaps even for a lifetime? I realize that regular therapy is a heavy financial burden, but medications aren't exactly cheap either, are they?
The situation regarding dosages is somewhat confusing to me. Doesn't your psychiatrist handle the prescriptions? Surely one cannot simply obtain these medications without a valid prescription...

Has anyone here been on antidepressants for the long haul—I mean, actually following the doctor's timeline—only to have the depression come crashing back once you finally stop?

Actually, let me rephrase that. Is there anyone out there who finished their course of antidepressants and... nothing? Like, the depression just stayed away for good? Anyone?

Based on my own journey and the experiences of people I know, this is how I’ve come to understand the process.
Medication should merely serve as a foundation—a tool to help you do the actual work of self-improvement, identifying the root causes, and finding healing. For instance, I used medication simply so I could find the strength to get out of bed, to function at all, to stay tethered to life, and to remain calm enough to prevent panic attacks or self-harm. Throughout that entire time, I was in psychotherapy. I was given numerous assignments that were incredibly difficult to complete due to a total lack of willpower, yet I somehow forced myself to follow through. It was an exhausting, uphill battle; I had to fight every single day just to make progress, but eventually, I succeeded. Since then, there have been setbacks, but I have changed fundamentally, and I now tackle problems differently than I did during those previous ten years. I still have to put in the effort, but I have managed to shed those devastating emotions that consumed me for an entire decade. It is truly remarkable how different life can become. During that recovery phase, I attended therapy once or twice a week, and during that window, I didn't focus on anything else besides my treatment, all while having the full support of my parents. That support is vital.
Now, there is a very different scenario where someone starts medication but avoids psychotherapy entirely, seeing a psychiatrist perhaps once every two months just to get new prescriptions or minor dosage adjustments. I have friends who have lived this way for years, and when I ask them where they see this going, they just respond with a hollow, "for the rest of my life." One friend has already resigned herself to it. When I asked her why she wouldn't try psychotherapy to actually uproot the depression and its accompanying disorders, she paused and admitted she wasn't ready for that level of work. Of course, it is much easier to simply rely on pills indefinitely.
In closing... No, I don't know anyone who relied solely on medication without the depression returning once they stopped taking it.

Sam Peterson7 said:Based on my own journey and the experiences of people I know, this is how I’ve come to understand the process.
Medication should merely serve as a foundation—a tool to help you do the actual work of self-improvement, identifying the root causes, and finding healing. For instance, I used medication simply so I could find the strength to get out of bed, to function at all, to stay tethered to life, and to remain calm enough to prevent panic attacks or self-harm. Throughout that entire time, I was in psychotherapy. I was given numerous assignments that were incredibly difficult to complete due to a total lack of willpower, yet I somehow forced myself to follow through. It was an exhausting, uphill battle; I had to fight every single day just to make progress, but eventually, I succeeded. Since then, there have been setbacks, but I have changed fundamentally, and I now tackle problems differently than I did during those previous ten years. I still have to put in the effort, but I have managed to shed those devastating emotions that consumed me for an entire decade. It is truly remarkable how different life can become. During that recovery phase, I attended therapy once or twice a week, and during that window, I didn't focus on anything else besides my treatment, all while having the full support of my parents. That support is vital.
Now, there is a very different scenario where someone starts medication but avoids psychotherapy entirely, seeing a psychiatrist perhaps once every two months just to get new prescriptions or minor dosage adjustments. I have friends who have lived this way for years, and when I ask them where they see this going, they just respond with a hollow, "for the rest of my life." One friend has already resigned herself to it. When I asked her why she wouldn't try psychotherapy to actually uproot the depression and its accompanying disorders, she paused and admitted she wasn't ready for that level of work. Of course, it is much easier to simply rely on pills indefinitely.
In closing... No, I don't know anyone who relied solely on medication without the depression returning once they stopped taking it.

Oh, wonderful. So what you're actually saying is that if someone didn't JUST pop pills—meaning they actually did the work, went to therapy regularly, and tackled the root cause—then the depression is bound to come crawling back the second they quit the antidepressants. Brilliant.🙂

Heh, I suppose it isn't as if anyone 🙂
...

frozenbear52 said:I was wondering if anyone here has experience using Zoloft. If you have, did you notice any positive shifts in how you were feeling? Also, what was the situation with side effects?

Personally, I think I experienced pretty much every single side effect listed in the manual. It wasn't exactly a smooth ride for me—I dealt with insomnia, nausea, and even tremors in my hands and legs. Honestly, if you do end up taking it, it feels like you might need to pair it with a mild sedative because it used to trigger such intense bouts of restlessness in me.
But of course, everyone reacts differently! It’s worth giving it a shot to see how your body handles it. Word on the street is that it's currently one of the top options on the market, so...🙄

So, I haven't been taking Prozac for about two or three months now. My psychiatrist actually suggested I stop since she felt the dosage was too low to be effective anyway... but I don't know if it's just a feeling or maybe just some anxiety about slipping back into a depressive episode, but I've been noticing some slight negative shifts lately. I’m starting to stay up way too late again, and I find myself getting irritated by almost everything.

I'd say a solid 5 out of 5 for Celexa. I guess it really boosted my mood.🙏🙏🙏🙏

Has anyone here actually dealt with this medication before? I’m trying to figure out how long it takes to actually kick in—like, did it work for you overnight or was it more of a slow burn? Also, what was the reason you were even put on it in the first place? I'm curious about the transition too... how rough was the initial adjustment period versus how things are feeling for you guys now?

I realize you're new here, but it would be a huge help if you could do a little digging on Google or elsewhere before starting a new thread...

I saw that, but I didn't want to go digging through that old thread again.

Wait, is there seriously nobody here who’s actually tried this med before?

Michelle Thomas45 said:Wait, is there seriously nobody here who’s actually tried this med before?

Look, I was on it for about a year, taking it three times a day, and I handled it pretty well. My doctor put me on it to deal with a mix of depression and anxiety.
But after a while, it just felt too weak... like the depressive symptoms were starting to punch right through it. Coaxil is a pretty mild antidepressant, and honestly, the side effects are super minimal.
There's really no reason to be scared of it!🙂

Matthew White4 said:Look, I was on it for about a year, taking it three times a day, and I handled it pretty well. My doctor put me on it to deal with a mix of depression and anxiety.
But after a while, it just felt too weak... like the depressive symptoms were starting to punch right through it. Coaxil is a pretty mild antidepressant, and honestly, the side effects are super minimal.
There's really no reason to be scared of it!🙂

I actually got prescribed this for the exact same thing—anxiety and depression combo—and I'm currently on my fifth day, taking it three times a day. For the first two days, I actually felt a bit better, but then by day three, it was like... nothing. Just total radio silence. How long did it take before you actually started feeling the difference?

I’ve been on it for about three weeks now... I only just started feeling the effects. Honestly, I assume this improvement in my mood is thanks to the 🙂 pills.

Amanda Myers3 said:I’ve been on it for about three weeks now... I only just started feeling the effects. Honestly, I assume this improvement in my mood is thanks to the 🙂 pills.

Well, great—so it’s working exactly how the manual says it should! What was the original reason your doctor put you on this stuff anyway? And how exactly did that "better" feeling start creeping in?

I've been on it for about ten days now. I've been dealing with some insomnia over the last week, but other than that... nothing else so far.

Michelle Thomas45 said:Well, great—so it’s working exactly how the manual says it should! What was the original reason your doctor put you on this stuff anyway? And how exactly did that "better" feeling start creeping in?

It's a mild antidepressant—I actually took it for a full year without seeing any real results, unfortunately. I spent a lot of time struggling and just hoping things would eventually turn around, but Paxil ended up being much more effective for me.🤷