anti-depressants Options

[Retrogressive]

what's your opinion on this generation using a lot of anti depressants? more than any other generation? could it be similiar to taking riddilin? sometmes it seems like our answers are always medicine nowdays... do you think anti-depressants are wrong or/and unhealthy? i read an article about how they can actually hurt people even more.

[nothing_plus_thi...]

my entire family is taking anti-depressants of some sort. including me.

without them, my father would no longer be here. he'd either be in another state or in jail. they helped him along with becoming sober.

my mother has HORRIBLE anxiety and would not be able to function AT ALL without her's.

and i have both anxiety and mood disorders and a depressive personality (diagnosed, treated, etc. shutup). so, i would also not be able to function normally without something helping me along. they stabilize my moods (i still have moods, just not EXTREMES that lead to me hurting myself, blacking out, ending up in hospital, or doing god knows what else). and have lessened the effect simple stress has on me. before i began taking the medication, i was a heavy drug user (i self-medicated to deal with the depression, manic episodes, etc.) and i had horrific mood swings and anxiety attacks. taking the medication allowed me to put my life in perspective and get my priorities straight, along with myself. and i no longer lose it whenever i break a glass, get a dirty look, say something wrong, or forget to do something. before, i would have attacks that would render me useless for entire days.

so, yes. i think anti-depressants are beneficial. to an extent. with a family like mine where mental illness runs strong throughout the entire family, they help people live normal lives. but, there is a downside to taking them. the whole..dependency thing. it's difficult to cope with knowing that you can't function properly without popping a pill or a few everyday. it's a struggle all on it's own. but, you need to figure what is more important and what you would be risking/losing/setting yourself up for if you were to stop taking them.

and i don't care what anyone says, depression...TRUE depression that causes the most horrible physical and mental pain...cannot be cured by exercising or eating right or studying. if you are unable to get out of bed in the morning or think clearly without wanting to kill yourself, you are obviously unable to get off your ass and exercise or study.