My life is going downhill. dr is offerring me antidepressents not sure whether to take them or not.?

The only person who can answer this question is yourself, but your GP and those around you can offer a friendly opinion - I guess thats why your here! Perhaps speaking to those who know you best is a good idea.

I recently have been prescribed anti-depressants about 8 weeks now (the doc tried to prescribe them to me on 3 previous occasions - i guess i wasnt ready to accept what was happening as i kept refusing them), people ask me how im getting on with them and the best answer i can give is that im not sure - the day i decided to start taking them was the day i decided to try and sort myself out. Previously i was wrapped up in a big downer - i couldnt tell you when it started but i think it had been coming for a long time untill one day i had no choice but to go with it (or did it just take me?) Essentially things are getting better - is it the meds or me? I dont know but i do know the day i first took them was a day i committed to getting better (through meds, sleep, eating, habits, counceling etc) So have they helped? I think they have.

I have never tried hypnotherapy an have heard little about it apart from hearing that it can help you stop smoking. I dont think there is anything wrong with alternative therapies I am trying in my own way to meditate - change behaviour and patterns. I guess hypnotherapy could be useful - just talk to people who know - they may include your GP, councellor or a hypnotherapist themselves. Try and make the best informed decision that you can and make sure that decision feels right to you.

Good luck

I have known a few people with depression and they all found Prozac to be a great help. They aren't happy pills, just anti-sad pills.

But be warned, drugs will only help to relieve symptoms they won't do anything for the cause. Depression is very common and affects a lot of people. I strongly recommend that any medical route you take is accompanied by some councelling of some kind. Find a professional in your area or better yet ask your GP to recommend someone/refer you. The tales I have heard of hypnotherapy from friends of mine are a bit hit and miss. It depends on the practicioner and also on the person, not all people are as susceptable to hypnosis. Yet everyone I know that has sought professional councelling has found it to be a great benefit.

Just recognising that you have a problem is the biggest step on the road to getting better. Speak to your GP and don't be afraid to speak to your partner about it to. Be clear that you are having a hard time personally, that you know it is affecting your relationship, but that you are taking measures to solve the problems. This will make you sound decisive instead of whiny, and if phrased right should make your partner feel supportive and not responsible for your depression. Depression is a difficult condition which can be caused by one big thing, or an accumulation of small things. It really varies a lot. Seeing a professional will help you to understand and address the causes.

Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.

Do NOT take antidepressants. My doctor offered me some, i took them, and sure it make me feel ok while i took them, but after you stop wanting to take him- everything in your life that you had before feel twice as bad after. I also gained too much weight off of it. Antidepressants aren't the way to go. If stuff in your life seems hard on you, push through it. Every single person in this ENTIRE world has problems. Some have it worse, some have it easier. Life is a test, whether its easy or hard for some people, its all a matter of passing it. As far as motivation and confidence goes...........sweetheart, you only live once- give it all you got while you can. Show people who you are and what you're made of- and not once be scared. Well, good luck.

Taking anti depressants is completely your choice but i know that your GP would not prescribe them if he didn't think you needed them. They do have a stigma attached to them but they really are not that bad. You start taking them in small doses and then the dose increases. You probably will not feel any difference to begin with but after a couple of weeks things will improve. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain and it needs to kinda be reset so it can work properly again.

Its difficult to describe depression to someone who has not experienced it but i do understand how you feel and it's not nice. There are loads of books and websites about that you can read, maybe if you understood depression and the medication you can make a more informed choice. I've got a book from The British Medical Association called Understanding Depression by Dr Kwame Mckenzie. I found it quite helpful as it takes you through depression step by step like what causes it and how to cure it etc.

I hope this helps and remember you are not on your own, there is always someone there for you. Try to focus on the positives no matter how small they are. Good luck x

You've gotten some good answers here. Mine is: Start on the medication, if it's not working in one month, talk to doctor again and he will either increase or change medication. The biggest thing you need to do for yourself is to get hooked up with a psychologist. They will sit with you for an hour at a time and talk about anything you want to talk about...They will help you figure out what you are feeling and why. It is not easy in the beginning to talk to a stranger, but it is the best person because they have no ulterior motives. You will not always feel better after a session, but I promise you, over time you will come to know yourself really well, what's good for you, whats bad, how to cope, how to work through your problems, etc....Basically it will help you to become a healthy adult.........I've been there, am there, and will probably be there again......It has helped me more than I can say.............God bless and hope you feel better...........

Anti depressants are no miracle cure, but they do help lift your mood and cope with things better. Have you thought about couselling (it doesnt work for everyone but again is another alternative)

I have been in your situation before - i have had a nervous breakdown recently, but cant take medication due to being pregnant so i have had to find other options and therapies. There is lots out there. It may be worth taking the anti depressants for a while looking for a therapy that can help get your life back on track. Its also good to have lots of support so try and tell the people around you whats going on so that they cant be there for you.

Hypnotherapy is not a good idea. Hypnotism just puts you in a very relaxed state where your inhibitions are lowered. You are then more open to suggestion, but would not do anything that you normally wouldn't do without a few beers.

It sounds like you are depressed. You don't have to be on drugs your whole life to be better. Try the drugs for a little while, but remember, they take a few weeks to take full effect. If you don't like the drugs, ease off of them. Most antidepressants can make things worse if you suddenly stop taking them.

The other option is just talking to someone. Talking to someone can help more than anything else.

Everyone is different, but I did not take antidepressants and got extremely bad. I could not get out of bed. I felt better within a few weeks with the antidepressants. They have not, of course, solved all of my problems, but they were a good start.

You can always try not taking them and then be honest with yourself and if things start to get worse, or your motivation really goes down, you can always go back to you doctor and try the medication.

You should try them. They help even out the brain receptors. Sometimes a persons brain receptors is not going at the normal speed and they need help. That is what the medication does and it allows for the process to speed up or slow down. The only downfall of the medication is the fact that its a guessing game which ones work and how much to prescribe. You might have to go back numerous times to get the correct dosage.

Vitamins are good, but if I were you, I would take the antidepressants. It will take awhile for them to start making you feel better about everything (including yourself), so you may want to start taking them right away. Psychiatric medication actually works. I am bipolar and I had doubts about the medications, but now I look back and wonder why I didn't take them earlier. There would have been so much more relief.