I don't take my meds.... anyone have suggestions?

No one gets better by stopping an antidepressant after a few months. A minimum of six to nine months is considered standard before even considering weaning off and that's if you've had only one episode. Most of the time, people need to stay on it for much longer, sometimes for life.

I think you need to discuss these issues with your psychiatrist and explore what your issues are here.

You state in your posting that you "don't know how to stay on track with your meds". The best way is to use a pill box and take the medication every day at the same time.

But I have a feeling the problem is not that you don't know how to keep track of your meds. It's that you don't want to be on the meds in the first place and you find reasons to get off them. So, my point is you need to take responsibility for getting well and exploring in therapy why you are doing that.

Sometimes we have to accept that we need medication to stay well and this is OK. There's nothing wrong with that, but there is something wrong with stopping the medication and then acting out by eating, drinking, shopping or whatever.

Hi, Boston--

I was the same way with my meds previously. Especially since they completely murdered my libido (which has yet to resurface).

I've resigned myself to taking them again consistently, because if I don't take the $%# meds, I'm $%#'d. I do it first thing in the morning so that 1) I get it out of the way; 2) I can tell myself that I at least did -something- today. Sigh.

As far as appetite-- I've started eating a lot of baby carrots. Maybe I'll turn orange.

 

I think the problems runs much deeper than only forgetfulness. You are the only one who can maintain consistency with your med program. Ask yourself exactly what are you getting from not taking the antidepressants? Really is it the side effects? Try another one. Are you feeling forced to maintain a schedule and appearances for the rest of the world? Do you think you are worthy of health, absence of depression or whatever level you are able to achieve with AntiDepressants? Are you uneasy with the thought of being self-sufficient? Even with the help of a therapist you still need to take an active role in achieving your goal. This is a passive approach by thinking someone can give you a magic routine or peptalk. If you need help with other issues--find help, look for help, tell a friend, tell a mental health worker. And I know everyone says exercise but it does help especially after work. It helps to bring life into perspective. Bring the kids along. You'll be developing good habits with them. Same old cliche --- proactive not reactive but it's true. It's hard I know. I'm not speaking from the perspective of someone who has never experienced depression. Sometimes a different antidepressant may be what you need. Some antidepressants cause weight gain so talk to the doc.
I've tried every single antidepressant known to womankind but it hasn't been until two years ago one of the newer SSRIs finally worked moderately well to me. Keep trying and count what's right with your life. Just by reaching out to this forum you've made a step. At one particularly bad period I started keeping a diary and I just wrote one thing that went right that day. It helped. vmarier

My doc said to me, "If you were diabetic would you stop taking your insulin? I'm sure you'd be ok for at least a few days." It got through to me.

Redrose