I've been coming off my anti-depressants but now my mum's told me I'm a nicer person when I'm on them. Should I stay on them?

[Hannah591]

This has also really questioned my character. She said now, I'm really rude, snappy and generally pissed off with everyone which I've noticed. It's been really bad but I thought it was just withdrawal symptoms. But then she told me, it made her remember what I was like BEFORE I ever went on the medication. It saddened me to think that I was a generally horrible person when I don't have drugs pumping through me. :\

I asked her if she'd prefer it if I stayed on them and she said it was my choice but I feel like it's for the good of her and those around me if I stay on them.

Now I feel like my medication is not only treating depression and anxiety, but also a really shit, horrible personality. I feel like I've been putting on a medical facade that even I believed for a while. I knew I could be a bit of a bitch in certain situations, but not that bad. :s

Stay on them.

Come off them.

Other (comment)

Updates

+1 y

I have been given permission to come off them and know how to do it correctly.

[Anonymous]

ok so i don't have much experience with antidepressants so i don't know what you have been/are going through. so take my opinion with a grain of salt haha

you know yourself the best. if you felt comfortable coming off the antidepressants and that was something that you wanted for yourself, i think you should continue that path. your wellbeing is the most important thing. your job is not to make the other people around you "like" you. you are not obligated to be all sunshine and rainbows all the time. of course, no one wants to be a jerk. and i don't think that at your core you are a bad/irritable person. now that you recognize that you can come off snarky at times, you can focus your energy on working on that. taking a step back from situations to evaluate how you should react. deep breaths. maybe journaling about your experiences and how you reacted and how you wish you could have reacted. i'm not really sure what methods would work best but i don't think you should medicate yourself just so that you can be a more "appealing" person to be around.

we all have parts of our personality that we don't like. and we're working on it in our own ways

[Hannah591]

Good opinion actually! But now you've made me torn ha! I couldn't tackle the bitchy issues before the meds. I've also been having anxiety related symptoms since coming off. My friend things I should continue on them because of that.

[Opinion Owner]

if the anxiety related symptoms are damaging your emotional/mental well-being and interfering with your day-to-day activities (and you think going back on your medication will help ease those) then i think it would be a smart move to do that. i'm not sure just simply having some anxiety warrants it but you know yourself best and what your limits and capabilities are. if you think it is something that you can't handle just on your own, then i would team up with your antidepressants to tackle it.

[Hannah591]

Well I went on them because I started having constant panic attacks.

[Opinion Owner]

that sounds like a very legit reason to go on them haha

[Hannah591]

Yeah, I haven't had one since, but the anxiety is still there in the form of de-realisation which causes more brain fog than I already get from my other conditions.

[Opinion Owner]

aw
: /

[Anonymous]

I have been on and off antidepressants, personally. I sometimes don't realize when I'm starting to freak out, but my mom notices before I do. I generally brush her off when she suggests I should go back on, and then I end up having more intense symptoms in a month or so. Have you also seen a counselor? It needn't be a "sit around and talk" type of counseling, but more of cognitive behavioral therapy or something else that is based on developing skills to deal with situations and feelings. If you aren't a danger to yourself or others, trying different techniques until you find what works should be fine.

[Hannah591]

I have had counselling but it didn't really help and my doctor was kind of reluctant about CBT because of a long waiting list so he put me on meds. My mum's good at reading me, she notices when my depression is getting bad or I'm having bad mood swings.

[Opinion Owner]

You should do some online research about the kinds of things you learn in CBT. It won't hurt you to learn about on your own - it's mostly about learning how to cope with your symptoms better and help overcome flawed thinking patterns. I have more of an anxiety issue with only mild depression at times, but it's very similar. Meds work for me, though, I have to admit. It's something you may have to learn through trial and error. A healthy diet and exercise are also very important.

[gapminder]

Okay, I totally have been there. Antidepressants are terrible, and can totally screw you up. There are still plenty of people who really benefit from them and they serve as effective treatment for millions. However, I think what you are doing is necessary to truly assess the effectiveness of what you were taking. Most doctors in the USA just throw a dart at the symptoms and take a "wait and see" approach. So having been on them, you will be able to tell within a month if they were actually helping. I say a month because your entire brain and body has to balance itself back out chemically. You will have mood swings, you will fell like you are on a roller coaster emotionally so expect it, ride it out and see how you are thinking and feeling 4 weeks from now.

[Hannah591]

But thing is, she said how I was acting was how I was before the meds.

[gapminder]

I was put on Paxil, Welbutrin, Zoloft, Stratera, Prozac. ... and many flavors in between. All to treat my Anxiety and depression, but they all made it worse. At first I would always have a placebo effect and think it was helping, then 3 months later I would feel like shit.

[gapminder]

It is important to have a perspective from someone you trust like your mom. But parents also can think of themselves in situations like this and may want you to stay on meds, because it's easier for THEM to deal with. But your health and wellness are for you so take their perspective with a grain of salt. And get other opinions from people you trust.

[reptocarl]

We're not aware of the change going on or coming off psych meds. It's almost always others that notice. I suffer from major depression and have taken a variety of psych meds for years. Always follow your drs advice. Some of those you can't just stop you have to stair step down

[RainbowFanGirl]

Stop taking them if you feel like you don't need them anymore and see how you feel. I take Anti depressants too because I have clinical depressants and they made me gain weight, so as an alternative I went to the gym and exercised instead. It helped a lot and balanced out my mood. Maybe it will help with your recovery. Good luck. :)

[RainbowFanGirl]

Oh, but honestly you should ask your doctor first. If they say no then keep taking them.

[Hannah591]

I've already discussed it with a doctor. I'm just a generally irritable person I find, which makes me snap at people. :|

[Hannah591]

Today, I was zoning out again, not being in the moment which doesn't happen on the meds so I'm starting to think I should continue on them.

[RainbowFanGirl]

Me too. I get really snappy too. Try exercising, I find that it helps with that.

[RainbowFanGirl]

Well it that happened i think you should keep taking them just to be safe.

[Hannah591]

Well I have health conditions which are affecting my ability to exercise right now.

[RainbowFanGirl]

:( Sorry i didn't know.

[Hannah591]

It's fine, nothing too severe. :)

[RainbowFanGirl]

Good luck though.

[Confucius16]

Well, I don't really know you in real life but you seem like a good person.

I put "other". My beliefs say that you can try to look to the spiritual path to treat your depression. But if you're atheist that's okay too. No judging intended. I know what works for me but what works for me might not work for others.

[Prof_Don]

The drugs are to treat your depression, if your depression is controlled to the point that you don't need them, then you should get off the drugs.

Someone wanting you to be sedated on drugs because they like you better as a person on them, is a selfish twat (nothing personal against ur mom, but facts are facts).

[Hannah591]

She didn't tell me to stay on them, she said it was entirely up to me but she noticed I was nicer and less snappy when I'm on them. I'm going to stay on them though because I started having anxiety symptoms.

[Prof_Don]

*, hugs* whatever makes u feel best! :)

[RJGraveyTrain]

You should consult your doctor whether or not you should continue ANY medications. Don't assume that it's okay to suddenly stop or continue taking them unless your doctor indicates that you should. Messing with anti-depressants can be dangerous.

[Hannah591]

I've already discussed it with a doctor.

[RJGraveyTrain]

And he advised you to?

[Hannah591]

She asked if I felt ready, I said I wasn't sure and she said, when you feel ready that I should stop them in a certain way which she explained. She didn't seem to want me to continue them though.

[RJGraveyTrain]

I think you should perhaps get a psychiatric evaluation and perhaps even a hormonal test, I know from having anxiety and depression that there can often be more going on than we realize. You could have a mild to moderate personality disorder or even a hormone imbalance that makes you more irritable. If you have any other symptoms too, like difficulty focusing, sudden paranoia, then you need to make your doctor aware of that. If your doctor suggest you stop, you should, so you don't become dependent.

[DanteSparda]

Take herbal/Ayurvedic medications which are very less harmful compared to standard antidepressants with almost same efficacy.

E. g. - Saint John's wort + Ginkgo Biloba

[douride2]

Your best to go back & see a doc before you make that decision.

[Hannah591]

Like I wrote in the question, I've already been to the doctors and discussed it.

[douride2]

Sorry I missed the update. In that case do what suits you best.

[apexalpha]

I dont think drugs should be a permanent solution try something like meditation to feel more relaxed

[Hannah591]

I can't meditate when I'm out, in situations that are demanding of me when I zone out, get rashes etc.

[Anonymous]

oo what medication are you on?(the actual drug rather than the brand name if you can)

[Hannah591]

I don't know the drug but Citalopram.

[Opinion Owner]

That is the drugs actual name, many of the generics will simply have the drugs name followed by some other defining name. Depression and anxiety are big things that influence your personality, you are treating both, if the drug works and doesn't have adverse side effects that out whey the positives stay on them. Citalopram is an ssri which has far less adverse effects than maoi's (the mechanism of action for a lot of other anti-depressants.

[Anonymous]

Maybe coming off em too fast, also you're not horrible it's just something ubcajt control

[Flex4Ever]

Do what makes YOU feel good.