Antidepressants

[viking22]

I've had mild-moderate depression most of my life but avoided antidepressants in part because of the sexual side effects but also because a lot of studies say they are no more effective than placebo and I am also worried that once you start taking it is difficult to come off them and when you do you can end up worse off than you started.

But the pandemic has been rough and my life is at a crossroads and I do not have the energy and motivation to change things and am seriously considering it. I am guessing some guys on here have experience so have a few questions.

Firstly with the sexual side effects....were you able to manage with the help of Viagra etc and are girls generally quite understanding about this? I have a bit of ED anyway because of stress/anxiety and it has had a negative impact on casual relationships but I am guessing if a girl really likes you she will be understanding and work around it.

Secondly did you see any benefits and in what dimensions e.g. sleep, energy, motivation, mood, anxiety, interest in life etc.

Thirdly were you able to discontinue and retain some of the benefits and manage depression via exercise/diet/meditation etc. or did you have to stay on them for the long term?

Cheers

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

Personally I would advise steering clear of antidepressants. It turns out, many of them (mainly SSRIs) don't relieve depression by increasing serotonin, but by increasing BDNF levels. That said, their overall pharmacology is still rather complex. Some antidepressants are SNRIs or DRIs, and those are a different story, probably even worse to take.

The issue is that they tend cause all sorts of weird side effects, some of which seem to stick even when coming off, or worse you cannot function once you try to quit. We really don't fully understand how they work, and there's so many out there.

Psychiatrists know almost nothing of pharmacology, doctors too. Don't take them thinking it's okay just because it was prescribed to you.

If there's any one thing to get on that can help you dig yourself out of a pit of despair, it's TRT. Doesn't have to be anything crazy. But you also need to make sure you aren't letting yourself go, and avoiding responsibilities.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Don’t do it. I took one in college during a difficult period. They just blunt your emotions altogether. Withdrawal symptoms are real also.

 

[Scaramouche]

Hi Viking,
Suffering acute work place stress I went on Valium for about four months yes they certainly helped the stress and there were np svexual problems,but despite not being an addictive personality I was hooked and had a hell of a time weaning myself off them....Good Luck Mate.

 

[Machine10033]

I would go get your hormones checked first. A few years back I felt similar.. no drive.. no matter how hard I trained or how clean I ate I just stayed the same. I got my hormones checked and had normal testosterone but my shbg was thru the roof so it was all getting binded up and essentially useless so I had nearly no testosterone.

got on TRT and it was amazing. I had a new outlook on life and my body completely morphed. The more I eat the more muscular and strong I get.... putting on very little fat...I cut back and I get shredded super quick. I have more energy than I did 20 years ago.

 

[SW15]

Do a hormone check, eat healthy (no processed foods or soy-based products), lift weights, and do no porn/no fap. In many cases, that will resolve most of the issues.

 

[IKO69]

Trust your doctors advice, but do rule out all things before going down the road of chemical dependency. Doctor's love to dole out drugs and sometimes it is unnecessary. For what it is worth I went through a rough patch in my early 20's (inability to sleep, gloominess etc) and a doctor I saw at the time had suggested them to me. I rejected them & supplemented with different foods/vitamins-minerals, took up regular exercise etc and eventually it helped lift my mood.

If you have a genuine chemical imbalance it's a different story obviously; like I said work with your doctor and get their opinion on any alternatives. If he/she is rigid and want to push the drug route right off the bat, maybe consider a second opinion before ultimately going down the route.

 

[Doctor Europeo]

I used to take pills to help me sleep. Then a friend of my aunt was selling one of those miracle cures.

I was like nah, thanks, Im good. She was like, try it for a week, on the house.

I tried it. It did help me sleep better, not taking any pills anymore for that. It also helped me with stomach problems, and knee pain.

Maybe its a placebo effect, but it worked. Its called Nume card or something like that.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

Trust your doctors advice

No. Doctors are beyond worthless for treating mental health. Psychiatrists too.