Depression is something that I have to deal with from time to time. It comes up seemingly without connection to events or level of general happiness/unhappiness. Doctors have given me various drugs at various times, but I don't think they did much good. Nowadays I have other ways of dealing with it.

I included myself as currently taking them, because I took the last one so recently.

I have no doubt that they helped me get through the worst of my depression - there were days when I sat on the sofa in pain from a full bladder unable to talk myself into going to the toilet for example. I'm not sure that I could have pulled myself out of that alone. My whole personality felt like it had been tied in a sack and dropped into the deep, dark well of my brain - I was cut off from my normal thoughts and totally hopeless that I would ever be "me" again.

I was started on fluoxetine (Prozac), but within 10 days I was back at the Doctors because I was having intense and recurrent suicidal thoughts. I couldn't even pick up the phone to make an appointment - I had to walk in there and sit in the surgery until someone was free to see me.

I settled on paroxetine (Paxil), which was increased from 20 to 30mg when it didn't have enough effect for the GP's liking. The most recent prescription I had was back to 20, and I felt I was beginning to get my life back.

I decided to stop taking them because although it's only been a short time (comparitely speaking) I hate the idea of being dependent on them for normality. I have a history of depression which has simply not been diagnosed before - this was the worst episode but I am aware they do pass.

Hence trying to work on my thinking and subsequent behaviour for the future.

I accept that some people need the medication on a long term basis - I honestly don't feel I am one of them and the previous month has helped confirm this for me.

Rite now I take simvastatin anti-depressent, trazadone for sleep, valium for anger managment. and cannibis to get stoned.
Alcohol is yucky!

Simvastatin is a cholesterol lowering drug (and it's engraved on my eyeballs at the moment as we're trying to switch 60% of patients on atorvastatin to simva to save money)

I wish I found alcohol yucky. I have finally decided to cut it out completely, but the decision took me a long time to implement. Teetotal total - 4 days so far.

I put no, never. My black moods are part of my charm...

I monitor my alcohol use pretty closely, I know I like it too much.

Oop's I farked up it's setraline thats the anti deppresant. i have no less than meds fhat I take twice a day. Thats down from 15 I was taking.

I've come to the conclusion that proper diet, exercise, and coping methods (cognitive therapy, etc) are better for me than any meds and the side effects that come with them.

Plus, dealing with insurance companies on this is a nightmare. I had a waiver on my last policy that stems from me seeing the doctor due to heart palpitations and since the diagnosis was stress, they declined to cover me for any neurological disease of any kind from that point, forward. "Neurological disease" could include damn near anything, including cancer.

Insurance companies are run by the devil.

Insurance companies are so the wrong people to be deciding on health care costs. If ever there was a case of the service users needs being in direct conflict with those of the service provider/facillitator it's insurers -v- patients.

I've been on Lexapro, 20mg (max single dose) for...well...several years now. It does what I need it to do. When I am depressed, I am angry. The drug levels all that out for me, making me a considerably less angry person.

Interesting. Another reason I refuse meds: my creativity stems directly from my issues. I don't want it to go away.

My camera is my therapy.

There really is nothing pretty about my moods but my reasons for living with them are similar to yours. I don't want to lose "me" in the process of becoming a socially acceptable person. Beyond the psych pills, I'm getting off of meds of all kinds now that I've reached middle age. I really don't want to end up over-medicated when I'm an oldster. Does it say something about us/me that I feel the need to explain why I don't med-up?

It says you have valid and interesting input on this thread. Also that you don't want other people assuming you disapprove of their medication and sharing the fact that you have chosen alternative methods of coping.

I think anyway.

yeah. that's why the poll. i feel like the oddball because i take nothing.... other than advil for a headache, occasional decongestants and sometimes vit C if i get a cold. i try to avoid antibiotics, too.

I don't like taking my antidepressant in general, it makes me a bit too flat. I totally agree, that I don't feel as creative without the moodiness. However, In the interest of my marriage and my daughter's quality of life I take my medicine regularly. A small sacrifice by me to make the lives of those I made a commitment to, or chose to bring into this world, better. Should I find myself alone and my child(ren?) grown, I would likely go off of them. However, my depressions were getting worse before I trid a new drug, to the point of days of continual suicidal thoughts, so it my be that as I age, (stay on meds?) my brain is getting worse at making the right balance of chemicals so that this might not be possible.

Bottom line, I am not the only one who is affected by my depression, so I take my meds for everyone that I love including myself.

I'm definitely not saying adults shouldn't be free to decide what works for them. What we are doing to our children is a whole other thread.