Ask HN: Beating depression with or without anti-depressants?

TLDR Its thought LSD sort of mimics SSRI's and locks into the serotonin receptor, but which receptor I dont know as I havent read the article and there will be a few different one's if other receptors are to go by, like histamine.

SSRI's can affect your sleep which will affect your memories and possibly your work. If you program then not being able to remember where code is could be a problem but it might not be. Escitalopram is like doing Ecstasy (MDMA) if you drink copious amounts of black tea and sugar when on them, ie you will have little E rushes throughout the day which could send your life off the rails. Melatonin besides being the sleep hormone is an anti oxidant and helps release stem cells and SSRI's can affect this hormone.

The older MAOI's maybe better, but OD on those and you will literally lights out and have no recollection of passing out. Popular with those looking to end it which is why SSRI's came to be. Problem with some of the SSRI's is they can also affect other parts of the brain which could heighten aggression and other less than desirable effects. You will reports of some SSRI's even on here https://www.erowid.org/pharms/fluoxetine/fluoxetine.shtml

I'd also look into the metals that make up various SOD's. Super Oxide Dismutase's they reduces Free Radicals and these can contribute enormously to stress, and other less than desirable effects in the body. Start with copper.

An inorganic Carbonate would probably be the only form of a metal I'd touch not chloride & sulfate, the others I would get chelated ie a metal bound to something like Glycine, which causes vasodilation and reduces inflammation , and happens to be the one chemical that has significantly increased the life span of rats more than anything else. It powers up the mitochondria.

I'd take a serious look at your diet though, your environment and even your sleep habits. Identify what it is that gets you down and see if you can resolve them. Easier said than down when considering how stubborn or criminal people can be which may be contributing your depression, but I'd start with diet and environment, and I'm not qualified in anything except my own opinion!

Therapist is good, exercise and sun too but the rest is so bad I really would not know where to begin.

It's important to understand the economic pressures in psychiatry. I went to see a psychiatrist, who prescribed me antidepressants. They helped give be a baseline level of energy to get me out of my acute depression, but they addressed none of my underlying issues that caused me to get depressed in the first place, and a couple years later I was right back in the depths again. And I'm fine if my dr's economic model meant he couldn't do psychotherapy with me, but he never recommended I get therapy, and that's what I'm so bitter about regarding him.

I've heard it said that giving antidepressants to a depressed person, without any therapy, is like giving amphetamines to a tired person: yes, they may temporarily cure your "tiredness", but what you really need is to go to sleep.

So while I don't think OP should take detailed advice from random strangers, he should be aware of his options. Talk to a therapist first to see if they can uncover what some of the root cause issues are. Be open to medication - some mental issues really are largely organic in nature, but a good doctor and therapist will know they are just one tool to improve your mental health.

Fisher Wallace for the higher powered more-supervised insurance-covered version.

I think if you get to magnetic stimulation then IV Ketamine has similar raw costs but less time and better success rates.

That said tDCS has helped me when I get negative-value spirals and I need to suppress/quiet that part of the brain a bit.

Minimum induction that basically every clinic follows is the 6 session schedule.

From there the standard is to slowly taper down to once every 4-6 weeks. Some patients cannot taper and so need more constant.

For example, I'm more "Ketamine resistant" so I was on 2 weeks for a while, then 3, then about a year in I made it to 4, 5, then 6 with the help of doctor prescribed at home dosing.

About $10,000-$12,000 out of pocket for a year's worth of infusions for me. Saved my life and turned it around, so totally worth it.

Also...the spiritual benefits. I think that alone, having that seed planted is invaluable. To me.

But for nearly everyone the effect wears off after 4 weeks (hence the need for a response w/ Ketamine). So it's what one does over a few years to shift their brain superstructure that I think weans them off. And all that BDNF + everything else flying around in there haha.