Should I wean off my Antidepressants?

[cmw43]

What incentive could a doctor possibly have to prescribe an unnecessary antidepressant to a patient?

A lot of patients demand them thinking they'll fix their problems.

I remember my sister was convinced by her friends as a teenager that she needed them because they were on them too.

"Most people taking antidepressants are not mentally ill. They are suffering from natural, normal – albeit painful – human responses to the different things they have got themselves caught up in – things that these medicines were never designed to treat.

“People are presenting to their GPs with common life problems and the GPs don’t want to send them away empty-handed.”

While GPs are “wonderful people who do great work”, he said, “serious questions need to be raised” about whether family doctors are the best people to decide whether patients will benefit from antidepressants."

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-antidepressants

 

[Midnighter]

My doctor just prescribed me some for insomnia, but I'm thinking that taking an SSRI to get some sleep is not the best idea.

 

[Lubaolong]

Well you will believe what you want. The article makes it clear that Big Pharma is not required to disclose the reasons they give Doctors and hospitals money directly but its long understood that at least some is tied to high usage rates of their products.

In the US, you can search how much physicians are paid by drug companies and generally what the money is for (lodging, speaking fees,etc).

https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/

What you're describing is illegal, and everyone in the healthcare market is very aware this is a crime.

No one is getting kickbacks for prescribing $4 antidepressants.

If there is some shady pill mill getting some form of kickback from a pharmaceutical company for prescribing millions of addictive pills, well, they're just begging to get caught, lose their licenses, and go to prison. It probably has happened, but it's certainly not something that's a widespread problem.

Companies don't just give away money typically that is not tied to their bottom line growth.

Drug reps are salesmen. They will cater your lunch while they give presentations and try to influence you with shitty studies to prescribe their medications. This definitely influences prescribing of some doctors. This is why many academic hospitals, training programs, and more academically minded clinics ban drug reps.

 

[Pugilistic]

A lot of patients demand them thinking they'll fix their problems.

I remember my sister was convinced by her friends as a teenager that she needed them because they were on them too.

"Most people taking antidepressants are not mentally ill. They are suffering from natural, normal – albeit painful – human responses to the different things they have got themselves caught up in – things that these medicines were never designed to treat.

“People are presenting to their GPs with common life problems and the GPs don’t want to send them away empty-handed.”

While GPs are “wonderful people who do great work”, he said, “serious questions need to be raised” about whether family doctors are the best people to decide whether patients will benefit from antidepressants."

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-antidepressants

I don't know where you're from but I found Americans to be much more quick to run to medication as a solution to their psychological issues. Feel a bit down? Take drugs!

 

[Tuf_guy]

Can't decide.

I started weaning off them without consulting my Doctor. This is the second time I've done this...it's perfectly safe...

Just can't decide if I want off them. I'm feeling real emotions again, but it's harder to love because of them.

Seek the therapy. You should address the underlying issues, or at least learn the tools to help you reduce and manage them.
Similar to how an anti-anxiety med can make you not anxious in a given moment you've taken it, but it doesn't help you to not be anxious when you haven't taken it - while you can learn ways to deal with it, or potentially overcome it altogether with good therapy.
You could also take this approach before ending the med, and discuss it with your doctor and therapist.

 

[BJ@LW&WW]

I started weaning off them without consulting my Doctor

why not consult your doc?

at the worst, he gives you an answer you dont like, but youre still in charge of your own actions. but at least you might get some beneficial information out of it.


what the fuck do we know? we dont know shit about you, or shit about antidepressants.

 

[Pressure Project]

I did it years ago. Got the brain zaps then went off slower.

I got to where I’d count the grains or whatever the fk they are in the capsules. Just decreased one grain a day. No more head zaps.

If you have the hard pills then I guess you can’t do that but still...try the same idea.

I had enough of the lifeless numb feel.

 

[Strychnine]

Can't decide.

I started weaning off them without consulting my Doctor. This is the second time I've done this...it's perfectly safe...

Just can't decide if I want off them. I'm feeling real emotions again, but it's harder to love because of them.

You shouldn't mess with your prescription medication dosage unless directly told so by your doctor. You don't want to be that guy who wigs out and does something stupid.

 

[Grassshoppa]

You've come to the right place. Everyone on Sherdog is a doctor. Then when you have issues and need to sue your doctor. We're all lawyers.

 

[ocfightfan]

I took them briefly when I was a teenager, but it was never clear they did much for me so I ditched them.

Personally I prefer natural cures whenever possible.

Eat more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and dairy.

Get more and better sleep. At least 7.5 to 8 hours most nights.

Exercise 3-7 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Meditate 4-7 days a week one or two times per day for 5-10 minutes. Self-hypnosis several times a week.

Positive thinking/programming (not pollyanna bullshit but an empowering frame where you are at cause, rather than adrift on the winds of fate).

Positive actions like being organized and productive.

Seeking out a social life with positive people doing positive things. Like Church or charity or some enjoyable outdoor activity.

Now full disclosure, I'm not exactly a role model in all these things. These are just the areas that I'm trying to improve in every day and I believe they work if you really put in some quality effort.

 

[colby25]

I took them briefly when I was a teenager, but it was never clear they did much for me so I ditched them.

Personally I prefer natural cures whenever possible.

Eat more fruits and vegetables and less sugar and dairy.

Get more and better sleep. At least 7.5 to 8 hours most nights.

Exercise 3-7 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

Meditate 4-7 days a week one or two times per day for 5-10 minutes. Self-hypnosis several times a week.

Positive thinking/programming (not pollyanna bullshit but an empowering frame where you are at cause, rather than adrift on the winds of fate).

Positive actions like being organized and productive.

Seeking out a social life with positive people doing positive things. Like Church or charity or some enjoyable outdoor activity.

Now full disclosure, I'm not exactly a role model in all these things. These are just the areas that I'm trying to improve in every day and I believe they work if you really put in some quality effort.

Fun fact-

Meditation is a biblical concept.

Buut its the opposite of what we think about. We think meditation we think empty your thoughts.

Meditation in the bible is to fill your head with Gods words. Meditate on His word. Like a cow grazing the field chewing the cud. Processing it. So too are we to meditate on His Word

Starting every day off with it is a great way to start your day off in the righr direction.

As far as op is concerned i believe antidepressants are treating symptoms not the root. Like if you were to go to the dr causw of chest pain and they give you meds to mask the chest pain but address nothing else... Like whats causing the chest pain??

Similar i believe alot of these issues are and could be spirtual- maybe even an overhaul on your diet is needed. You are what you eat. But idk... Im no doc.

Good luck though!

 

[tonysmasseuse]

Damn is everyone on this forum on antidepressants?

Lots of Americans on here. Popping pills seem as natural to them as breathing...

I'm sure more people in Europe would too, if medication was as easily obtainable here as it is in US.

Everyone loves the idea of a quick fix in all things. Present day version of magic.

 

[Nimrod]

Can't decide.

I started weaning off them without consulting my Doctor. This is the second time I've done this...it's perfectly safe...

Just can't decide if I want off them. I'm feeling real emotions again, but it's harder to love because of them.

I'm no dr.. but I do have experience with drugs and mental health issues.

And I can only give advice from my point of view and this is not what you should do..

I stopped taking everything and started exercise.

I still have problem with mood swings and other abstract shit .. but I manage it without drugs .. it can be done ..

 

[machidafan99]

I would take a bath in the shit. Life is too hard.
I took life straight on the rocks, not recommended.

 

[SugarKrok]

Quick background...

Takes effexor
Attempted suicide legit once. Jumped.
Not being in love sort of the cause of depression.
Use to run 5 miles a day way back and train. Did jack shit for depression. Was just in great shape.

No time to r2qd all post right now. Will get to

 

[Straight_Edge]

Can't decide.

I started weaning off them without consulting my Doctor. This is the second time I've done this...it's perfectly safe...

Just can't decide if I want off them. I'm feeling real emotions again, but it's harder to love because of them.

It isn't safe and you shouldn't do it

 

[Midnighter]

Fun fact-

Meditation is a biblical concept.

Buut its the opposite of what we think about. We think meditation we think empty your thoughts.

Meditation in the bible is to fill your head with Gods words. Meditate on His word. Like a cow grazing the field chewing the cud. Processing it. So too are we to meditate on His Word

Starting every day off with it is a great way to start your day off in the righr direction.

As far as op is concerned i believe antidepressants are treating symptoms not the root. Like if you were to go to the dr causw of chest pain and they give you meds to mask the chest pain but address nothing else... Like whats causing the chest pain??

Similar i believe alot of these issues are and could be spirtual- maybe even an overhaul on your diet is needed. You are what you eat. But idk... Im no doc.

Good luck though!

Meditating was around before the bible existed.

Or did you just mean it was also talked about in the bible?

 

[Hatukai]

I once cut them completely and next few months were disaster. But somehow i endured it.

 

[Which Doctor]

See the thread was started a couple days ago: just happy that TS is still alive.

 

[Cole train]

Damn is everyone on this forum on antidepressants?

Nah some of us are on heroin