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anti - depressants
im 16 and ive had depression for about 6 months and it has just gotten gradually worse. I have been seeing a therapist once a week for about the past 4 months and now she said that i should try anti depressants. my mom called another doctor who can presribe me the medication but im not sure when my appointment or if the doctor called back. Im really scared about taking the meds. but im at the point where I just want to be happy again. Ive been looking up on the internet about the medication and it says some of the side affects is weight gain. I really dont want to gain weight since im self concious to begin with. Are all anti depressents commonly diagnosed to teens have this side affect? if it comes down to it i dont know what i should choose... be happy and gain weight.. or be sad and stay the same
this is all too much for me to handle
advice is needed !
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Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
Hi........ If you truely want your happiness back.... you will learn to except you the way you are... but if not... you can just stay depressed I guess. I know it wasn't much help but Ihavent ever been depressed or anything soo... I did the best I could. (p.s. not all anti~depressants have a side affect of weight gain.)
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Although the advice you've recieved before is correct, that therapists have no medical diploma, that is why you've been refered to a doctor, who does.
Using the 'right medication' is often trial and error. You might need to try more then one, or try out different doses, before you find the mix that works properply for you.
Although weight gain is a side effect of anti-depressants, it's not the most common of them.
Just keep this in mind as you make the foray into mood-altering drugs: They don't fix you. They teach you what it means to feel normal. They help you see past the illness intellectually so that you can begin to gain the tools to defeat it.
Try everything once is my motto. Medication has been a great tool in my life. Although it is a rather extreme measure, it can be a great tool in yours too. Give it a chance and pay attention to what happens.
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The problem is you're seeing a therapist rather than a psychiatrist who knows whether you need certain medication and how to combat your illness so you feel in control and are happy and healthy.
The therapist has NO medical diploma, is not a doctor and doesn't know how anti-depressants work and what would be right for you. I would take her recommendation about anti-depressants with a grain of salt and see a psychiatrist who will assess your condition and come up with a plan.
A psychiatrist is the only person who should prescribe these drugs to you and not a family doctor as they prescribe medication without being a specialist and knowing how it works and or could be detrimental.
You need to document what has been happening in a journal and bring it to your appointment with your family doctor and how miserable you are. Ask him/her for a referral to a psychiatrist for an assessment and further support.
Don't be scared about taking the medication. As long as a psychiatrist prescribed it you'll be fine and on the road to feeling happier believe me. All this advice comes from personal experience with mental illness and treatment. The drugs won't harm you but will make you better in most cases.
Some anti-depressants do cause minor weight gain and increased appetite but it's worth it compared to being bloody miserable. You also can't mess around with your health here and need medical treatment.
Each drug has different side effects all of which can be told to you by the doctor before prescribing them as there's tips and ways to handle them so they have minimal effect on your day to day life.
Definitely see your family doctor and then a psychiatrist to assess your problems and depression. The therapist is trying to be of assistance but anyone without a medical degree or who treats depression should not be recommending any kind of drug to you much less anti-depressants.
You may in fact not need them but wind up on them based on her recommendation and doubt from that. See a mental health specialist and then go from there in dealing with this issue. You'll know for sure what the diagnosis really is or isn't.
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