New to the forum

PixieD, what kind of meds were you on?  How long did you take them for?  What kind of therapy are you going through? Not everyone reacts the same to treatments, both medicine and therapy.  I'm sure someone here can provide good advice but could we have a little idea of what's up?  Don't need to get personal and if you don't want to that's O.K. too!

I was lucky years ago to have a therapist who really was good. I called him out of the yellow pages. Just lucky I guess.

I say this because I learned later on how lucky I was to get someone really good. Not everyone does.

Perhaps you need a different therapist. I think three years is long enough to see a positive difference.

Ed

Ok Pixie,  Here's the thing the birth control patch Ortho Evra - Can cause severe depression.  You have had some serious upsets in your life as you have explained in your posts.  You may not think that they have effected you all that much but it is possible that they have.  And by the way you write it sounds as if they have.  My one question is do you have a family practice doctor?  If so call him or her today.  Get an appointment to be seen this week and stress that it is important that you be seen.  As MIgrunt said there are lots of meds out there to help.  You can make an appointment with a counselor later.  Please keep us informed of how you are doing......

~elisha

I also am not a fan of medicine. The thing is you really need to use it when you get as low as you sound like you are. I would call your general doctor if you don't have a psychiatrist to explain what you have been on, what your concerns are and see what they can offer. Just taking that action might make you feel better.

I fight taking medicine alot. I hate having to try new ones only to find they don't work. When you find the right one though it is great. The same thing goes for a therapist. I have been through a few, but have finally found one that works good for me. I has to do with how the two of you work together and if you make progress.

Best of luck to you,

Pixie, I am so glad that you have come to this conclusion.  I think it is a wise decision.  Sometimes it is just a matter of finding the right medication for you.  Antidepressants do not cause dependency.  This is a major misconception with a lot of people because when they go off of the meds (hopefully they taper off with phys. supervision) they usually have adverse side effects.  This is because the medications are keeping a normal balance or levels of Serotonin and Norepinephrine in the brain and going off the meds disrupts this balance.  You should still be able to function through out the day as normal on an antidepressant if you are on the right medication.  You just need to communicate with you doctor on how you feel.   Please keep us informed of what happens.  I hope that you are able to get an appointment soon.  My thoughts are with you......

pixieD,
elisha is correct, they are not habit forming - but they are had to discontinue. Some people have to cut back really slowly to not get side effects when quitting anti-depressants. BUT, communicate your concerns with your doctor when you feel it's time to go off of them, and tell him/her that you want to take it very slow and cautiously.
Starting medicine again is a tough decision to make. I'm just starting on meds again, and avoided it for too long. Good luck with your journey - I think this is a good place for people like us to be able to talk and share!

I started the Effexor today at lunch and I'm feeling dizzy. I know it is a side effect but is it something that goes away or you get used to?

Pixie, I really hope that this helps for you.  For a lot of people depression can be just a situational thing but most is caused by something more deep rooted such as abuse issues.  Whatever the cause therapy is always a good idea.  Please keep us updated on how you are doing and feel free to come back and post anytime you are much welcome here.

 I'm back and so is my depression. I've been up and down a lot since my first post but it's really bad again. I have had some bad experiences with medication and after nearly killing myself from the hormones in the BC patch I don't trust medications anymore. I'm still so angry about what happpened with the birth control. I started CBT and left my old therapist which I think was a smart move but I'm still very depressed. I'm not sure if anxiety is causing depression or vice versa.  Nothing seems to be working for me and I'm just getting worse. I'm starting to realize just how crazy I am and how poor my self-esteem is.  I have trust issues that are getting really bad and I'm anxious and seemingly paranoid. I wish I could just go back to how I was a year and a half ago before the Major Depression started but I can't seem to get there and it just feels hopeless.  I have lost interest in the things I used to do, I have gained so much weight that I feel uncomfortable in my own skin, I'm tired all the time, I can't relax, I can't concentrate, and I have no self esteem. I've spent my whole life since I was diagnosed with thyroid disease at 15 trying to have what seems so natural for everyone else and I'm so tired of fighting to be a healthy person. I really don't know what to do anymore, medication, therapy, books, nothing seems to make it go away. I don't even know what kind of advice I'm expecting, I don't think I'm fixable, but if anyone has found other ways that I'm not thinking of to get better I'd really like to hear about them.

Thanks

Thanks for your respons els. I know I have a hormonal imbalance but I can't find anything that works. I really do not want to go on medication again. I haven't found one that worked for me and for the one that wasn't horrific to be on, I hated the side effects and they made me emotionally numb. Maybe there isn't a medication out there for me. I don't know. I'll bring it up with my CB Therapist but I'm really against it. I'm not going to start another drug until I research it completely and talk to a number of people who have used it. If I had done that with the patch I wouldn't be going through all of this in the first place. Sometimes we really have to pay an undue amount for the stupid decisions that we make.

My depression wasn't so bad yesterday. It's really terrible today, I've been crying all morning and I'm at work. My weight is becoming a huge issue for me. Someone has suggested taking Selenium because it's supposed to help people with Hashimotos (thyroid disease) and depression. Has anyone tried this?

Makenzie - I'll look into Remeron but I won't take it if it makes me gain weight and from what you're saying it seems like it does.