Anti depressants?
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| Wed, 02-17-2010 - 4:59pm |
I had a doctor appointment this morning, which was a follow up from a month ago when I went for my annual check up. At my last visit I had lost 15lbs in the last 9 months; putting me in the "very underweight" category. I told my doctor I was stressed out with work and home; special needs child etc. etc.
I went back today; day 2 of NC and of course I was a mess. Didn't tell him about the A, but said there was a lot going on that I wasn't coping very well with. I had lost another 2lbs - down to 96!
So - he has given me a prescription for an anti-depressant, which has the added benefit of being an appetite stimulant and helping with sleep!
I really didn't want to take anything for this; but feeling like this for so long is not good.
Is/Has anyone else taken something? Does it help? Thanks.

Loopy,
A lot of gals have needed a little extra help in the RX department, and there is nothing wrong with that. I started taking Zoloft before my A ended because I was so depressed over what I was doing and feeling. It actually numbed me enough to end the affair because I was no longer feeling any highs or lows. Kind of defeats having an A, KWIM? ;-) They enabled me to simply not care that I was going to hurt him, and when it ended, I could function near normal as I continued working for him. After a while though, I really needed to feel something, so I went off of them when I felt strong enough to stand on my own two feet. That was when the real work began because pushing down your emotions will only cause other problems to manifest. Sooner or later we have to deal with them, but initially, meds can really get us through those first few months. You have a lot on your plate other than this ending, so you may want to stay on them even longer.
There's nothing to be embarrassed about either. Affairs do a lot of damage to our inner core, not to mention how it depletes our self esteem. You need to balance those chemicals that are out of whack and an anti-depressant will help with that. I like the added benefit that yours will also give you an appetite. Many of us would shy away from that brand. LOL.
Let us know if they are helping you. It may take a couple of weeks before you may notice any change, but don't give up on them. It takes time for them to kick in.
(((Hugs)))
~ Iddy~
~Iddy~
I guess this is a personal choice but I don't have a problem
NC since 2/4/2010
Paxil for me. I started it right after the A ended. I was raging and it was really effecting my poor family. Highs and lows evened out but I was still feeling a LOT of emotions; only, now, better able to deal with them instead of spinning out of control. It took several weeks for me to notice any real difference, so don't stop taking your RX until you give it some time, and don't end them abruptly, either. Your Dr. can advise you about that. My meds made me a little queasy in the beginning, too. That went away, thank goodness.
I am 42 and beginning to notice hormonal changes. Whoo-hoo, talk about crazy-making!! Consider getting your thyroid and hormones checked. Don't forget IC and MC, too. If you're not doing IC or MC, you should!
Best!
Dee
loopy,
i have always dug in my heels and resisted anti-depressant medication---something in me would always tell me to "suck it up and tough it out." that was before my son was deployed to iraq for a year. when that happened, i stopped being able to function, would close my office door so people wouldn't see me crying, was basically a mess. i was started on an SSRI and was on it for about a year. it helped me tremendously--it really did make it possible for me to survive his year of deployment without completely losing my mind. i weaned myself off of it when he came back to the states.
fast-forward now---five years later. i have been struggling and resisting the suggestion of my therapist that i take an anti-depressant for the past six months, and i finally started back last sunday when i ended my affair. i disagree with another poster who said something about medication prolonging the dealing with emotional issues. i think that medication helps enormously in dealing with emotional issues--but with substantially less pain. all of us have similar issues which must and WILL be addressed whether we are on meds or not. the question is how much suffering and pain can you bear? i think the SSRIs are an excellent choice for medication management of situational depression and anxiety---which is the category i would put most of our baggage in.
i am hoping that i will only have to be on the medication for a few months, until i am coping better and can more reliably make better choices and care for myself.
the question i would pose to you is this: if you had strep throat, you would take penicillin, wouldn't you? if you had diabetes, you would take insulin, yes? if you have depression, which is a debilitating and painful condition, there IS treatment for it. don't deny yourself that if you feel you would benefit.
that's all. rant done. :)
lillie