Anti-Depressants Long Term?

[JasmineRose]

I've been taking anti-depressants for about 7 years, my current one for just over 6. When things were very stable in my life a couple of years ago I managed, with medical consent, to halve the dose. But when I was at risk of redundancy a year later and was struggling, we put the dose back up. I'm pretty stable on my medication, and certainly don't want to rock the boat. I am diagnosed medically with Recurrent Depression, and significant anxieties included in that. I accept that I will probably need to be on medication for the foreseeable future, a year or more at the very least. Early trauma has effected my brain chemistry, and I do find that medication helps take the edge of things so that I can sleep and work in therapy and come back to my equilibrium after severe wobbles. I had depressions and anxiety long before I entered therapy, was put on medication, or medically diagnosed.

But today I was talking with a colleague at work. She had suffered PND when younger, and only needed medication for a year or so. She couldn't understand why I am still taking my medication after so many years. She asked me why didn't I stop it, as I'm ok now. I felt a bit on my defensive. Bear in mind she's from a different culture to me.

I'm not quite sure what I'm asking here. For reassurance maybe. I don't want people to think I am weak or such.

[Lily-Bee]

Its different for different people! Like with psychical illness some need meds longer,some shorter.

Ive been on anti p for 12 years and on anti d for about 7. Recently I went off them and crashed......so back on now.

Im sure your co worker means well but she is not a doctor. It greatly depends on peoples symptoms and the duration of them. With all mental illnesses there is a sliding scale,say depression for instance some people get one take anti d for year and are fine further on, others have depression much longer and cant go without meds or the depression keeps coming back. And thats not including the fact that depression in itself has different scales from mild to severe.

I know youre having a hard time right now and to think about stopping meds now I think is asking for trouble.

[JasmineRose]

Thanks Lily.

I tried to explain. But it's hard.

My GP and therapist would I'm sure both agree that coming off my medication wouldn't be a great idea. I don't even think reducing it is a good plan either.

I just don't know how to approach people when they say things like my colleague did, without coming across as defensive.

Does anyone else have any thoughts.

[imdebbiem]

I have been on anti-depressants since I was 17 (I am 26 now), I have tried several times to gradually stop medication but I have always had to go back on them cos the depression got very intense and the thoughts go very dark without them. Even when I was pregnant I tried to stop meds but midwife and consultant agreed the risk to the baby without me on meds was significantly greater than if I carried on with the medication!.

I have come to accept that I will probably be on medication for the rest of my life, but I haven't ruled out the chance that one day I may feel strong enough to successfully stop meds. xx

[JasmineRose]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Debbie.

I guess I should ask my GP her perspective when I see her next week. But I really feel that the consensus is that I am managing and stable on the medication as it is, alongside my psychotherapy, which is the most important facet of my treatment, as well as various complementary health options I use.

My therapist says that I am not clinically depressed at the moment, though I am indeed feeling low and sad and depressed - it's part of my healing, as I've described in another thread. I know that my depressions will never be medicated away, as it were, but medication helps me manage them more safely.

[Myla]

I'm generalising obviously but one thing I've noticed is that women who have PND, but who had no previous mental health illnesses, do seem to come off ads without much problem and without depression occuring. I have been on and off ads a number of times over the past 15 or so years and like yourself experienced depression long before being treated. This time the phrase "ads for life" has been stated by my gp. I've always dreaded the idea of this because I was paranoid about pregnancies etc on meds. However, as I won't be having another child I'm not as daunted by the prospect. I think you really shouldn't have to defend yourself. But maybe something along the lines of "I'm glad it worked out ok for you but everyone is different" is enough to stifle any further discussion. xx

[doormouse]

PND is really a totally different ball game to 'severe enduring' MH problems - the term that would be used to describe most of us!

Yes - most women without previous MH problems tend to come off meds 6months to 1 year after they start, but its just not the same disease. It can be devastating, and dreadful in its own right, but its just not the same thing..

[JasmineRose]

Thank you both.

I'll reply properly later, as I have to pop out now.

[Myla]

PND is really a totally different ball game to 'severe enduring' MH problems - the term that would be used to describe most of us!

Yes - most women without previous MH problems tend to come off meds 6months to 1 year after they start, but its just not the same disease. It can be devastating, and dreadful in its own right, but its just not the same thing..

So eloquent yet concise . Much better than my ramble, lol! xx

[JasmineRose]

You see, though, my problems aren't what would be classed as severe [apart from occasionally], although they definitely are enduring, albeit that I am making good progress.

[lonelyheartemma]

its very difficult to explain things to people when its something they can't see. at my last doctors appt my (really lovely) Gp started talking about cutting it down and i was just like wtf????? tho obviously i didnt say wtf because my mum was there. it wasnt the GPs fault, its just my mum has been taking over my appts and saying i'm fine. so even a really good doctor who obviously knows about depression can look at someone and not see the feelings under the surface.

I would say often its not worth explaining things, it can end up making things worse but i so understand the urge to want to explain things and make everything right, idk if its true for everyone but it hurts me more when someone thinks badly of me for something that isnt true than for something that is true. The urge to explain and make things right can be so strong but some people can't understand things that are outside their expeirence. it can actually be even harder when people have had a 'similar' type of mental illness because they asssume it was the same for us as it was for them. so the reaction to your explanation can end up with you feeling even more hurt.

one way of explaining it could be to say you'll stay on the meds for as long as the doctors think you need them. idk if that will help but with every medical problem the usual thing is to follow the doctors advice. there are of course times when you know they are wrong, times when following there advice is impossible but i suppose the best way of explaining anything is to explain it in a way people can understand. I think most people will understand that doing what the doctors say is the sensible thing to do.

[JasmineRose]

Thanks Emma.

My head's in a bit of a tangle over this. I'll hopefully be able to post something coherent in response soon.

[doormouse]

Don't worry bout 'responding' jasmine - just hope something helps you!

I've been on antidepressants for almost ten years and mood stabilisers for about seven or eight. I guess I've learned to look at it like medication for any other disease - I take inhalers for my asthsma, and will have to do so forever. If I had diabetes, I would always need insulin. If I were on lithium for bipolar, I would always need that. It may be that I always need medication, but if that's what it takes for me to have something resembling a normal life then so be it.

There are elements which worry me - what are the effects over, say, forty or fifty years? Although I often meet patients in their eighties or older, who have been on meds for manic depression or scizophrenia for much of their lives, and have done just fine.... .... More pressingly (I hope!) I wonder about pregnancy and having children some day and how that will work - but one thing at a time! I'd like to be able to reduce/stop at some stage, but it may not happen.

You have to do whats right for you - what other people don't know about, they can't really comment on - trust yourself, and your doctors

Mousexx

[doormouse]

Myla - you made me giggle!

I try........ lol

[JasmineRose]

Thanks Mouse.