I Battle Depression and Anxiety
I got diagnosed with depression with anxiety yesterday. I start medication and counseling soon. I know I'm not alone in this, but out of everyone I know, it's abnormal... So now I feel like the odd one out.
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
Well you're deffo not alone. I had it for years and years in varying degrees and medication/therapy really helped me. Meds might feel weird at first as it takes your body time to re-adjust. If you wanna know about SSRI's i can tell you what you might expect when you're on them. Ps most of the people i know are depressed or have been depressed at some point in their lives, s'all good :)
MomOfTwo · 31-35, F
Thank you! I've never been on any kind of medication so I'm just worried about it I guess. I'm hoping it helps tho.
Ah the worry's the worst part but its not too bad. Its different for everyone.
Your frontal lobe is very sensitive to changes in serotonin and it also controls things like facial muscles with the jaw. So you might get a bit of slight grinding at first while you're adjusting. Also, you can feel a bit nauseous for the first couple weeks but i didn't get that personally. It might effect your bowel movements a bit, and you'll feel a bit fuzzy in general.
Btw you will have very vivid dreams for a bit, it's pretty cool actually but they can be pretty lucid. You're appetite will change a bit too, and you might start yawning at first/feeling awake at the same time.
Thats the general symptoms you're most likely to experience above most, they have to have that massive list on the pack just for disclosure, a lot of them are rare but they legally have to put them on so don't freak about it lol. I'd say if you can, take a bit of time off to adjust, keep yourself hydrated for the dry mouth (goes away pretty soon) and get lots of sleep.
All these things go away and are temporary, it usually takes 2-4 weeks for them to go away totally and about 4-6 to start feeling the accumulative effect of the SSRI. You should notice a difference sooner than that anyway but thats the general consensus :)
Depends what med you're on but lemme know what it is if you wanna know, i've been on citalopram, ecitalopram (lexapro) and mirtazapine. Hope this helps
Your frontal lobe is very sensitive to changes in serotonin and it also controls things like facial muscles with the jaw. So you might get a bit of slight grinding at first while you're adjusting. Also, you can feel a bit nauseous for the first couple weeks but i didn't get that personally. It might effect your bowel movements a bit, and you'll feel a bit fuzzy in general.
Btw you will have very vivid dreams for a bit, it's pretty cool actually but they can be pretty lucid. You're appetite will change a bit too, and you might start yawning at first/feeling awake at the same time.
Thats the general symptoms you're most likely to experience above most, they have to have that massive list on the pack just for disclosure, a lot of them are rare but they legally have to put them on so don't freak about it lol. I'd say if you can, take a bit of time off to adjust, keep yourself hydrated for the dry mouth (goes away pretty soon) and get lots of sleep.
All these things go away and are temporary, it usually takes 2-4 weeks for them to go away totally and about 4-6 to start feeling the accumulative effect of the SSRI. You should notice a difference sooner than that anyway but thats the general consensus :)
Depends what med you're on but lemme know what it is if you wanna know, i've been on citalopram, ecitalopram (lexapro) and mirtazapine. Hope this helps
MomOfTwo · 31-35, F
Oh wow! Thank you. They are putting me on Effexor? I looked at the side effects. I'm not super worried about them though... Except it says weight loss and I don't have a lot to lose lol. And I'm to take it in the morning so it doesn't keep me up at night lol
Ah so its an SSNRI, works almost the same but slightly different mechanisms.
Yeah you'll be fine, i was on one to gain weight. Might stunt your sex drive as well if i remember correctly/make it "difficult" lol.
Either way try and be excited about the change, i saw it as every day i was getting better and i did :) to a silly extent, i knew i was miserable but i didn't even understand the depths of it until i saw the other side.
Yeah you'll be fine, i was on one to gain weight. Might stunt your sex drive as well if i remember correctly/make it "difficult" lol.
Either way try and be excited about the change, i saw it as every day i was getting better and i did :) to a silly extent, i knew i was miserable but i didn't even understand the depths of it until i saw the other side.
MomOfTwo · 31-35, F
@Outoforbits: that is what people have said... That once I get "better" I'll realize just how miserable I was. But that's hard because this is normal and I don't always feel bad.
It kind of levels out the lows, i noticed i wouldn't dwell on negative thoughts at all i'd just let them pass me by without even trying to. It's the change in your thought processes thats the most profound i think. Well i think if you've had this for a while you'll probably be surprised by the results.
MomOfTwo · 31-35, F
I hope so :) I really appreciate you explaining all of this.
MomOfTwo · 31-35, F
@Outoforbits: I got my meds today. She said to take them in the morning and for about 2 weeks I'll be drowsy. Easy enough. But she said I can't just stop taking them because there will be issues?