Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants • Hacker News Board

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#51

Post by Fnoord » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:31 PM UTC

throwaway895237 wrote: post #36

ssorina wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am also a bit skeptical when strong anti-Pharma opinions are expressed, based on personal experience only. Meta-analyses have shown that for severe depression, antidepressants are a first line of attack, only seconded or aided by CBT, but not interchangeable in terms of efficacy. It's kind of stupid to counterargue with yet another personal story, but for me not being able to take SSRIs has proven to be a real prob…

> I hope big pharma comes up with something else than benzos and SSRIs for anxiety, so that I can be relieved from the task of living my life spiting anxiety 70% of the day. Have you tried psilocybin mushrooms or DMT? I'd been on meds for years treating depression and anxiety. A few mushroom and DMT experiences have basically cured my depression and anxiety and opened up a whole new way of looking at things.

Yeah, I have used psilocybin mushrooms, DMT, and MDMA (and marihuana as well) before I went to seek professional help (or, rather, after I was disappointed with a previous professional endeavour and discredited the psych scientific community as a whole). After that, I tried the psychiatrist route (got a prescription) and eventually tried chronic gaming and alcoholism. None of that helped. Until I once more went via the professional route, and they found out I have ASD. Now I have SSRIs to cut off the sharp edges related to being oversensitive.

The great thing about the SSRI I use is verified content (I'm sensitive to drugs..), its standardised (I'm still sensitive to drugs) and it has a high half-life (again, I am very sensitive to drugs and if I forget to take a dose in the morning I will notice it in the afternoon even with a half-life of a few days). With the stuff you're suggesting though, you either don't know what you get, you don't know how strong it is, or you're otherwise experimenting.

An accurate diagnosis was all it took. Its hindsight 20/20 but I wish I never went with the routes which didn't work. I recommend to follow conventional science first, and only if that is fully exhausted follow the path of unconventional science (full with pseudoscience, charlatans, illegal drugs, and what have you -- btw I used psilocybin and DMT when they were legal in my country, and the amount of marihuana and MDMA was well within the decriminalised amount).

TL;DR my advice, follow the scientific route, get professional help, get second opinions. If its costing you your savings even though you don't get immediate effect I have been there as well. I know that sucks, but it'll get you further than the dark route I sketched above.

With regards to those drugs parent mentioned lets wait till there's scientific consensus on these.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#52

Post by Vaslo » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:36 PM UTC

I take a very small amount of Nortriptyline for horrible IBS. It has changed my life. In addition, while the small dose does make me a little more tired, my anxiety has improved and the debilitating effects of IBS have all but vanished. These pills are like any treatment, they can open the gate to Heaven, or if poorly managed, can open the gate to Hell.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#53

Post by ocdtrekkie » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

I was forced into antidepressants by my parents when I was younger, and after coming off of them, I realized I hadn't enjoyed things like music for years while I was on them. Definitely something that had a negative impact on my teen years and it took me years to recover.

But I recognize that for others it can be crucially necessary.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#54

Post by lprubin » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

joflicu wrote: post #44

throwaway895237 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I hope big pharma comes up with something else than benzos and SSRIs for anxiety, so that I can be relieved from the task of living my life spiting anxiety 70% of the day. Have you tried psilocybin mushrooms or DMT? I'd been on meds for years treating depression and anxiety. A few mushroom and DMT experiences have basically cured my depression and anxiety and opened up a whole new way of looking at things.

I have been curious about this as well especially since Michael Pollan's book "How to change your mind" came out. How did your experience go? I am not by any means a recreational drug user so have no idea where I can get DMT or mushrooms.

The legality of mushrooms is fairly varied around the world. If you're willing to travel you've got some options. However, if you have no prior experience, I'd recommend bringing a friend to be your sober sitter, ideally somebody who has their own prior experience.

https://thethirdwave.co/legality-psilocybin-mushrooms/

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#55

Post by snegu » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:46 PM UTC

nicoburns wrote: post #20

psergeant wrote: post #4

The only thing that seems to be universally true about mental health is that we’re all different, and someone else’s experiences rarely apply perfectly to your own. I put off getting on the meds for at least 15 years longer than I should have done because of stories like this. They have been life changing lot positive for me with almost no downsides. In addition, I’ve read more than one story like this where the pers…

Out of interest, how long have you been taking them for? I've heard lots of stories of fantastic short-term benefits, but not very many (in fact, not any that I can think of) where they continued to work long term. I'm not saying they can't work long term, in fact I guess that's why I'm asking, to see whether you are or know of examples where they have worked out long term.

I took them for about 15 years (with a couple of little breaks), and they helped significantly the whole time. I went off them when I got pregnant (did CBT), and am still off 3 years later. I would love to go back on because the anxiety has come back (though not the panic) and I know I don't have to feel like this. However, the stigma keeps me off. Kinda sad.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#56

Post by JustThrowMeAway » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:48 PM UTC

JustThrowMeAway wrote: post #30

After almost 25 years of taking antidepressants, I had no emotion left whatsoever. I felt dead and wanted to be dead. I wonder how to understand this. If you have no emotions, can you still want something? Why would you want to die? I tend to understand this sentence in a way that means she was suffering. But isn't suffering the same as experiencing negative emotions? Or is this supposed to mean that she had no good…

Man, all of my comments end up on the bottom of the discussions I try to take part in.

This one for example. It raises a question that I truely find interesting. Does nobody else think so? It ranks as the last comment of all. Even below a single line comment "depression is not fun".

Depressing.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#57

Post by JustThrowMeAway » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:51 PM UTC

op00to wrote: post #47

This article is absolute bullshit and quite frankly dangerous. It seems to me this woman was emotionally vulnerable and taken in by a snake oil huckster masquerading as a doctor. > Shortly after I started seeing him, my new doctor had me read the book Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. Robert Whitaker's theses in that book have repeatedly been scientifically disproven. It's anti-science drivel. > The pharmace…

    a pretty clear statement that there are
    biological processes at play in mental illness

It's a statement that biological processes can cause mental illness. That does not mean that mental illness has to be caused by biological processes.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#58

Post by mgamache » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:53 PM UTC

op00to wrote: post #47

This article is absolute bullshit and quite frankly dangerous. It seems to me this woman was emotionally vulnerable and taken in by a snake oil huckster masquerading as a doctor. > Shortly after I started seeing him, my new doctor had me read the book Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. Robert Whitaker's theses in that book have repeatedly been scientifically disproven. It's anti-science drivel. > The pharmace…

There are issues with the simple Serotonin model:

With SSRIs it takes weeks to see an effect, but Serotonin levels are elevated within days why the delay? (There are theories, but all point to Serotonin as a secondary effect)

Also, antidepressants work in a minority of people (20%-25%), but Serotonin levels are effected in almost all users. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0087089/

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#59

Post by DenisM » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 2:54 PM UTC

FourthProtocol wrote: post #26

American use of antidepressants comes up at dinner conversation every so often. Stats are readily available, but what's less apparent is why it's so widespread in the US. Does anyone have any ideas why this is?

I’m guessing that population density has a negative effect on social interactions, plus having to drive everywhere reduces physical exertion, plus larger distances are more likely to cut one off from their extended family, plus industrially-made produce is less nutritious, plus non-universal healthcare is non-universal.

Re: Recovering Emotions After 24 Years on Antidepressants

#60

Post by justin_ht_dang » Sun, Oct 07, 2018, 3:02 PM UTC

These type of personal anecdote fuelled by a general distrust of 'big pharma' can be very misleading and discourage patients from seeking professional help.

I also want to point out that the author of that book she speaks highly of also happened to be the Presiden of the publication[1]. I think not mentioning this fact make the article even less credible.

[1] https://www.madinamerica.com/staff-page/