Has this become the "pill popping generation"?

[CaptainQuantum]

To Dussicar, it was actually my idea to try meds for depression. At the time I was only in counseling and making some progress. But the way I felt about 6 weeks ago was awesome! Not high or manic or anything like that (not that I even know what being manic feels like and don't want to), just really calm and feeling like whatever happens, I can handle it. My low self-esteem wasn't even an issue for me. So I'm debating whether or not to get my Effexor raised when I see my psychiatrist on 10/11.

 

[AquaFeline]

I couldn't get to raising my self esteem without some kind of outside help. Now that I'm doing better I think I will try to wean myself off the antidepressant but I'm reluctant to give up the mood stablizer because every time I went a couple of days without my mind would go fuzzy. Speaking from personal experience, I think for kids sometimes drugs ARE the answer, at least temporarily, in the case that the parents are too depressed to take care of the child properly themselves. Obviously it's a crappy solution but it's better than nothing. Ideally someone would take in the child and give them what their parents can't but that's a rare situation when someone is not being outright abused. Psychologists can provide feedback but due to professionalism or whatever don't give genuine support or affection.

 

[CaptainQuantum]

Saw my therapist today

Basically she said don't get too dependent on the meds to make me feel good, which I can see her point. Even though the Effexor (when it seemed to be doing more than it is now) did take most of the effort out of having a good attitude, which was nice. But she said anything having to do with meds I would have to talk to my psychiatrist on the 11th.

I did ask her if meds are supposed to be taken by someone like me, who only gets depressed when he doesn't like his circumstances. And she used the example of someone grieving after a loved one dies. That's situational depression. But if the person is depressed no matter what is going on, then that's different. So I guess following that logic, I guess meds weren't really meant for someone like me. But I remember one time talking to my pdoc about this, and explained that I only get depressed under certain circumstances, and he reminded me "yes, but you get TOO depressed when you don't like your circumstances, and you get suicidal." I'm paraphrasing. So I kinda got 2 different answers.

I know that if I won the lottery tomorrow, I can honestly say I'd never be depressed again because I'm happy as long as things are going my way, and if I was wealthy, I would have more control over things in my life than I feel like I do now. Plus I'm extremely shallow. You have no idea. I read something one time that I never forgot. This one religious type guy was dying and he said "there's 3 things you need to be happy in this world. Good enough health, enough money, and don't give a damn about the less fortunate." Well I have 2 out of 3. I'm relatively healthy and I don't give a damn about the less fortunate, unless of course the less fortunate is me (sorry but it's true). It's so frustrating to know that following that logic, I'm this close to being really happy. All I need is the money.

As I typed that about feeling in control, I remembered that's the whole point of the book Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman; that optimistic people always believe they have more control over things than pessimistic people. When things go good anyway; when things go bad, in their mind it was "dumb luck" or a fluke. He says depression results from what he calls "learned helplessness". A person's susceptibility to depression depends on their susceptibility to feeling helpless.

Sorry about getting so off topic 😛 Basically I will know more when I see my psychiatrist. I have a number of questions I'm going to ask him.

 

[isabeau]

ok i was against meds if possible because my mom abused prescription meds. all i would take was some liquid motrin and benadryl to sleep. but after mom died and i went into my depression i knew i needed help since she didnt die normally. so now i am on paxil and without it i[m not sure what would happen. what i found out about paxil is this. its made me more carefree more reckless maybe. i'm not sure if that is good or bad, but i do know this. i no longer worry and obsess about things like i used to. i wish i knew someone else who was taking paxil so i could compare and see if this is normal. heck i dont even care about my health, have been smoking more. i've changed so much since being on paxil and i dont know if its the paxil, moms death, or a combo of the two.

isabeau