Venting finally trying to get treatment (do meds even help?)

[chudeatte]

sorry if this is a rant. ive decided to finally see someone about my problems. its not necessarily for wanting to die but for my increasing depression and my unpredictable behaviour and strange beliefs. im just worried I will do something ill never be able to take back since my mindset has been on a rapid decline for the past month, getting significantly worse these past few days.

I know medication is what I want because I dont like talking to people and I know my problems can't be fixed by therapy. they'll probably give me antidepressants or antipsychotics or even both if thats possible idk much.

my worry is that even this won't fix me, that somehow it will make it worse. or it will make me some kind of shell of a human, making my feelings of being 'other' a hundred times worse. has anyone had experience with these types of meds and how did they make you feel about the everlasting thought of catching the bus? I might bail on help if it could make me worse, but idk it doesn't hurt to try.

 

[ALonelyFreak]

I think both antidepressants and antipsychotics are possible if you don't have any other health problems.
Don't worry if your problems are "just" depression and some form of psychosis then meds will help you a lot. I used to take some antidepressants and it helped for a while. Fixed my mood but it didn't fix my autism

 

[chudeatte]

I think both antidepressants and antipsychotics are possible if you don't have any other health problems.
Don't worry if your problems are "just" depression and some form of psychosis then meds will help you a lot. I used to take some antidepressants and it helped for a while. Fixed my mood but it didn't fix my autism

the best case scenario is that I do just have those things sometimes I feel like I have everything wrong with me lol. im glad to hear meds helped your mood even if only for a while, hopefully ill be able to see some positive changes too if I get them

 

[Hollowman]

"Doesn't hurt to try"? They have a huge list of side effects. Some are permanent and life ruining. They gave me PSSD. I'm an empty shell. But maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones who benefits. Good luck.

 

[SchizoGymnast]

Unfortunately, with medication it's trial and error, and even if they don't work, you still get the side effects. I would still say medication is worth trying but have a thorough talk with you psych not only about the possible side effects of each drug, but the drug's mechanism of action. That can give you some insight into how the drug will affect you.

A word about side effects: As someone who has experienced damaging side effects from medication, I don't want to minimize them. But I want to remind you that most of the more serious side effects are relatively rare, and they can be managed. It's not a given that you'll be saddled with these horrible ailments and there's nothing you can do about it. Something else to keep in mind is that, if the medication works in improving your mood and motivation, you will be much better able to handle any adverse effects.

Lastly, keep in mind that even if the meds work and your side effects are minimal, you will likely have to do additional work on yourself to get the most benefit. It doesn't have to be talk therapy, but it could be, say, a light exercise regimen or prioritizing sleep.

 

[chudeatte]

Unfortunately, with medication it's trial and error, and even if they don't work, you still get the side effects. I would still say medication is worth trying but have a thorough talk with you psych not only about the possible side effects of each drug, but the drug's mechanism of action. That can give you some insight into how the drug will affect you.

A word about side effects: As someone who has experienced damaging side effects from medication, I don't want to minimize them. But I want to remind you that most of the more serious side effects are relatively rare, and they can be managed. It's not a given that you'll be saddled with these horrible ailments and there's nothing you can do about it. Something else to keep in mind is that, if the medication works in improving your mood and motivation, you will be much better able to handle any adverse effects.

Lastly, keep in mind that even if the meds work and your side effects are minimal, you will likely have to do additional work on yourself to get the most benefit. It doesn't have to be talk therapy, but it could be, say, a light exercise regimen or prioritizing sleep.

i know the side effects will be difficult but as you said they can be managed so im less concerned, but ofc ill ask my doctor abt everything I need to know. until now I have always worked on myself and worked my issues out on my own, but now its so bad I can't do that. if the meds help at all, I can go back to working on myself like I used to and hopefully ill be able to feel better. thank you for all the advice im super grateful

 

[Nightfoot]

sorry if this is a rant. ive decided to finally see someone about my problems. its not necessarily for wanting to die but for my increasing depression and my unpredictable behaviour and strange beliefs. im just worried I will do something ill never be able to take back since my mindset has been on a rapid decline for the past month, getting significantly worse these past few days.

I know medication is what I want because I dont like talking to people and I know my problems can't be fixed by therapy. they'll probably give me antidepressants or antipsychotics or even both if thats possible idk much.

my worry is that even this won't fix me, that somehow it will make it worse. or it will make me some kind of shell of a human, making my feelings of being 'other' a hundred times worse. has anyone had experience with these types of meds and how did they make you feel about the everlasting thought of catching the bus? I might bail on help if it could make me worse, but idk it doesn't hurt to try.

Medications work for some, but not everyone. Unfortunately the only way to know if they work for you is to try them.

 

[fedup1982]

i know the side effects will be difficult but as you said they can be managed so im less concerned, but ofc ill ask my doctor abt everything I need to know. until now I have always worked on myself and worked my issues out on my own, but now its so bad I can't do that. if the meds help at all, I can go back to working on myself like I used to and hopefully ill be able to feel better. thank you for all the advice im super grateful

I've had repeated depression and psychosis and each time they've put me on different antidepressants or antipsychotics. And every time I've been glad they did.

The worst side effects have been decreased libido from antidepressants. Not a problem. Weight gain from antipsychotics. Much needed, actually. The only thing I didn't like was restlessness from Seroquel but when I told them, they changed it to Olanzapine, all good now.

I'd actually recommend you try Seroquel especially if you have sleeping problems, the lower dose helped me massively. Higher dose not so much though. I'd also recommend Olanzapine and Amisulpride. Amisulpride gave me literally no side effects

How glad am I they put me on the meds? 10 out of 10, would recommend any of them.

Any questions just let me know

 

[chudeatte]

I've had repeated depression and psychosis and each time they've put me on different antidepressants or antipsychotics. And every time I've been glad they did.

The worst side effects have been decreased libido from antidepressants. Not a problem. Weight gain from antipsychotics. Much needed, actually. The only thing I didn't like was restlessness from Seroquel but when I told them, they changed it to Olanzapine, all good now.

I'd actually recommend you try Seroquel especially if you have sleeping problems, the lower dose helped me massively. Higher dose not so much though. I'd also recommend Olanzapine and Amisulpride. Amisulpride gave me literally no side effects

How glad am I they put me on the meds? 10 out of 10, would recommend any of them.

Any questions just let me know

thank you for sharing! sleeping problems are definitely an issue rn, ill ask about Seroquel specifically to see if they think it'll be good for me. can I ask how bad the restlessness was for you? im already a restless person but I think that stems from the lack of sleep so im not sure if that will get better or worse with the meds

 

[fedup1982]

thank you for sharing! sleeping problems are definitely an issue rn, ill ask about Seroquel specifically to see if they think it'll be good for me. can I ask how bad the restlessness was for you? im already a restless person but I think that stems from the lack of sleep so im not sure if that will get better or worse with the meds

On 200mg I'd get restlessness a bit at night about one night per fortnight but I could get past it by just clenching my buttocks on and off every few minutes for about 20 minutes. On 300mg that rose to once a week. But on 600mg it was hell. It would last all day and was unbearable. Also above 300mg the sleepiness it caused at lower doses did not happen.

At first they tried treating it with benzos hoping it would be a short term thing. Then they tried to fix it with Pregabalin but that didn't help either so they just took me off it and put me on Olanzapine instead. And then I got fat

 

[chudeatte]

damn, seems like a lot of trial and error but I guess thats to be expected with meds. thank you for the response ill keep it in mind when I see the doctor soon

 

[fedup1982]

damn, seems like a lot of trial and error but I guess thats to be expected with meds. thank you for the response ill keep it in mind when I see the doctor soon

It wasn't that much trial and error actually. It was my own damn fault for smoking weed, it brought new psychosis and stopped meds at those times working so thats when/why they did most of the changes for my antipsychotic meds. Please don't be discouraged, I promise if you have faith and are open with them and honest and up front and trust them you'll have the best chance of being really happy and content with life. They spend their lives improving the lives of other people, they know what they're doing. I was just a difficult case for various reasons

 

[Hollowman]

It wasn't that much trial and error actually. It was my own damn fault for smoking weed, it brought new psychosis and stopped meds at those times working so thats when/why they did most of the changes for my antipsychotic meds. Please don't be discouraged, I promise if you have faith and are open with them and honest and up front and trust them you'll have the best chance of being really happy and content with life. They spend their lives improving the lives of other people, they know what they're doing. I was just a difficult case for various reasons

If they knew what they were doing their whole field wouldn't be based on theories. Pharma ads even admit it, "the medication is thought to work like this" not it does work like this.

 

[fedup1982]

If they knew what they were doing their whole field wouldn't be based on theories. Pharma ads even admit it, "the medication is thought to work like this" not it does work like this.

Please don't steal someone's chance of an easy fix to such a debilitating condition by spouting stuff that is not based on first hand experience or balanced rational appraisals

Unwarranted fear mongering at the cost of anyone's wellbeing is unwelcome.

If you'd given me this advice before I'd tried these medications years ago, having now gone through what I've gone through, I'd tell you to shove your advice where the sun doesn't shine. You'd have caused immeasurable suffering to me

 

[chudeatte]

It wasn't that much trial and error actually. It was my own damn fault for smoking weed, it brought new psychosis and stopped meds at those times working so thats when/why they did most of the changes for my antipsychotic meds. Please don't be discouraged, I promise if you have faith and are open with them and honest and up front and trust them you'll have the best chance of being really happy and content with life. They spend their lives improving the lives of other people, they know what they're doing. I was just a difficult case for various reasons

im sorry that was your experience. im not discouraged at all, your advice is really helpful im glad I get to hear it. even now when I am feeing all these terrible things I have some optimism for when I get treatment hopefully ill get something that works for me eventually

If they knew what they were doing their whole field wouldn't be based on theories. Pharma ads even admit it, "the medication is thought to work like this" not it does work like this.

its thought to work some ways because everyone is different and they respond to the chemicals differently. but they can broadly generalise based on the principle of the pills like 'this boosts serotonin' to try and combat specific issues. one persons experience with treatment will differ widely from another like the people in this thread have showed, some see their treatment as positive while others dont. maybe meds dont work exactly as they think, but thats mainly just individual differences tbh

 

[Hollowman]

Please don't steal someone's chance of an easy fix to such a debilitating condition by spouting stuff that is not based on first hand experience or balanced rational appraisals

Unwarranted fear mongering at the cost of anyone's wellbeing is unwelcome

I'm not stealing anything. The last psych Dr. I saw asked me what I wanted to do with my meds. If they knew what they were doing they wouldn't have asked me that. Easy fix huh? Lol

 

[fedup1982]

I'm not stealing anything. The last psych Dr. I saw asked me what I wanted to do with my meds. If they knew what they were doing they wouldn't have asked me that. Easy fix huh? Lol

Idk what you're trying to say. Sorry but you're not making sense to me now. It's probably a me thing but it might be a you thing. But to me, a doctor could legitimately ask that for 100 reasons imo

im sorry that was your experience. im not discouraged at all, your advice is really helpful im glad I get to hear it. even now when I am feeing all these terrible things I have some optimism for when I get treatment hopefully ill get something that works for me eventually

its thought to work some ways because everyone is different and they respond to the chemicals differently. but they can broadly generalise based on the principle of the pills like 'this boosts serotonin' to try and combat specific issues. one persons experience with treatment will differ widely from another like the people in this thread have showed, some see their treatment as positive while others dont. maybe meds dont work exactly as they think, but thats mainly just individual differences tbh

I have extremely high confidence that you'll be treated very successfully. I've had 10+ psychiatrists over the years and only one stood out as not being very helpful, but even he did do some good, even though he was an arsehole and a bit useless