Thoughts on antidepressants?

[Illusory Self]

I have been completely off antidepresants since April, but the last few months I find I am struggling to get the motivation to do anything at all. Not sure if I should go back on them or not. Maybe my brain naturally produces low serotonin or something. I just find myself feeling very lethargic & tired during the day, like I want to be in bed all day. 

Feels like I am wasting my life right now. 

[Cathal]

waste of your fucking time

[silene]

They worked for me (although with some side effects). I guess it's an individual thing. 

[Illusory Self]

1 hour ago, silene said:

They worked for me (although with some side effects). I guess it's an individual thing. 

Yeah it’s a very controversial topic.

[silene]

@Illusory Self what would you say are the pros and cons in your experience? Also, how long were you on the anti-depressents for? For me it was about 6 months, then I came off them and haven't needed them again (touch wood!). 

[Michael569]

You could try some herbal remedies that offer similar effects such as St John's Wort or Saffron. They take a while to kick in but can produce similar benefits. 

But that lethargy and lack of motivation could be coming down to other things in your lifestyle such as lack of sleep, too much refined carbs, maybe feeling a bit out of alignment with your passion. 

Do you know what drives it? 

[soos_mite_ah]

@Illusory Self I don't see anything wrong with doing them for a short term basis with therapy because a lot of people really do hit some difficult times. In many cases, adding medication can be beneficial to the therapeautic process because it can help you calm down and settle your thoughts down so you can work through things more efficiently. Sometimes, not taking meds during therapy can be the equivalent of a nurse trying to heal someone in a battlefield. It makes more sense to take that person to a calm, safe place to effectively treat them in this analogy and it's a similar case to introducing meds vs helping someone when they are all over the place without meds. 

However, I also think that it's important to not get dependent on them because it takes a while to wean off of them and because it's important to know how to self regulate and address any underlying issue instead of using a pill for a quick fix. Medication is a temporary thing to get you started on the path of addressing your issues imo. 

[Gianna]

If you need to lay in bed all day, then lay in bed all day. Your judgement towards what you should/shouldn't be doing is the only problem here. When we judge we are not allowing the natural unfolding of being. Maybe being in bed is exactly what you need to realign with yourself, to re-enlighten. Maybe your body is trying to communicate something to you. You do not need to take antidepressants to numb out the incredible wisdom your body is communicating to you. You need to listen to it and you need to trust yourself. Trust your body and stop telling yourself that you should or shouldn't be living a certain way. Antidepressants are not the answer. 

[OneHandClap]

I've taken Lexapro. It helped my life immensely. My entire family, generations and generations, has struggled with panic disorder. I'm down with spirituality and have done retreats, tripped hundreds of time, reached godhead, yadda yadda, but there are biological truths as well. Without SSRIs, I may have ended my life. They were a temporary fix that showed me a different way to engage with my neural chemistry and remain centered. 

So with all due respect to the posters above who are ardently against antidepressants, it's fairly clear that none of you have ever experienced the depths of misery that are possible for some people with genetic predispositions to mental illness. But whatever makes you feel holy and enlightened, I guess. Lol. 

Edit: I think @soos_mite_ah's take is a good one. They are temporary and not the end-all-be-all magic fix to life. But it's like insulin for diabetics. Most people do not need it, and that's great. But the few who thrive on them may need them. Life is not black and white. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by OneHandClap

[Loba]

I take them to stabilize my bipolar and they help a lot.  I generally am manic/catatonic and need something to help stabilize the chemicals in my brain.
I tried the spiritual route and ended up in the hospital.  They put me back on meds and I can still do my work, in fact, even better, and I don't feel like the world is falling apart and I can MOVE around and do things.

It's great.  If you need them, and nothing else works and without them you are sick, then take them, but if not, you could try other methods.  
They help to fix my thinking as well.

[Allizmade]

I've practiced spirituality while being on medication and off. SSRI. It's always been the amount I put in is the very exact I get out spiritually. Gratefully medication providing stability enough to build a new foundation in my life to start practices again. Every experience is different either way for me.

 

[Nahm]

On 11/30/2021 at 0:20 PM, Illusory Self said:

I have been completely off antidepresants since April, but the last few months I find I am struggling to get the motivation to do anything at all. Not sure if I should go back on them or not. Maybe my brain naturally produces low serotonin or something. I just find myself feeling very lethargic & tired during the day, like I want to be in bed all day. 

Feels like I am wasting my life right now. 

You’re not wasting your life, you’re discovering our source, and the discord & alignment of thoughts & perspectives therein. It’s good. 

Let go of the struggle for motivation, if and only because, it’s not working for ya. See that the energy & inspiration of our true nature arises like a cork let go. Less is more. 

If what the brain is producing is in question, see a nutritionist & a neurologist. Maybe an issue is resolved, and maybe not, but even if not, you have put a concern to bed. 

The experiential accumulation of discord is felt as present momentum. Antidepressant can help ease the discord, which can help ‘get you back on your feet again’. There is nothing wrong with shorter term solutions which help you & help you get your life on track. I suggest the longer term is communion, or, understanding & fully receiving the guidance that you are always feeling, and ultimately of course self realization. 

Much love. Let go of discordant thoughts - but in spirit, don’t give up. It’ll all get better, and it’ll all make sense, and it’ll all propel you forward in life like you’ve yet to taste. And it is Good. God is Good, sofa king Good. 

Emotional Guidance. 

[hamedsf]

An antidepressant has too many side effects!
drink coffee, eat dark chocolate. regulate your hormones with natural stuff.

[PurpleTree]

i have been on ssri's twice for anxiety

each time about 6 months

they had pros and cons

pros: they made me less sensitive and less self conscious

cons: slept even worse, found it harder to keep information

both times i stopped taking them because i had some tests or exams and found it harder to keep information

but maybe i'll try them again after i tried many other things

Edited December 20, 2021 by PurpleTree

[KatiesKarma]

I tried fluvoxamine and fluoxetine. They rendered me unable to laugh and gave me cramps in my right leg. Careful with these

[TheSomeBody]

have you tried cbt or some kind of psycological treatment?