Beetzart Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I think they can. When I was put on 60 mg of Citalopram and 600 mg of Priadel I am sure it saved my life. Nowadays I understand my mental health better and can tell when my moods starts to turn, hence the reason why I went to my GP to ask for an AD switch. I am sure this applies to others on this board. What gets me is 'normal' people at work mock me for taking these sort of drugs with great one-liners such as 'Why do you need to take stuff like that for, just cheer up!' etc. Yet if I had a physical illness people would make sure I never stopped taking any medication! I am enternally grateful to the doctors who have helped me and the drugs they have prescribed. Without them I feel I wouldn't be here now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I'm glad to hear that AD's work for you. I'm not sure what Priadel is. Carbamazepine (an AC) saved my life and did more for me than any AD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixstringkate Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I don't know why MI is so hard for people to understand. But yeah, it makes a hard thing harder when no one around you gets it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beetzart Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Sorry Priadel is just the brand of lithium carbonate I take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shimmeree Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 i tried to go without ADs for almost a year and became severely depressed and suicidal. went back on and i feel WAY better about life. most of the time, anyway. i recognize that i may always need ADs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamselODistress Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Having not yet found an AD that works and doesn't make me even more sick than before, I have to say that, honestly, I don't believe that in my case they'll be lifesavers. I was unmedicated for 20 miserable years, so people know how bad I can get. When your five year old is dealing with some of this, you sit up and take notice. I've had the coworkers try to get me off meds, though. Friends too. "Don't you know what those DO to you?? Try yoga!" Keeps life interesting, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 I don't think that ADs per se have saved my life, but I definitely feel that meds have saved my life on numerous occasions, yes. Have not had people try to talk me out of taking meds, but I don't tell people who are not going to understand, so eh. Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletomane Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I always tell them break both legs and walk it off. When they look at me strangely, I tell them that is, in effect, what they're asking me to do. No one would judge a diabetic for taking insulin. On topic, I think ADs made my life worse for about 8 years because I was on them with undiagnosed bipolar disorder and without a mood stabilizer I went wild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnapper Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 What gets me is 'normal' people at work mock me for taking these sort of drugs with great one-liners such as 'Why do you need to take stuff like that for, just cheer up!' etc. Yet if I had a physical illness people would make sure I never stopped taking any medication! ADs and mood stabilizers have definitely kept me alive, and allow me to enjoy life again. I have learned the hard way not to tell anyone at work, or anyone other than my closest friends and family, that I have a MI. There's still too much stigma and ignorance in the world, and at work I can't afford to be 'out'. I work in a very conservative industry and need my job. So although I'm not willing to be the poster child for MI at this time (looking forward to retirement when it won't matter anymore), I do speak up and correct someone if they make an ignorant comment, like the ones I've been hearing lately about bipolar - "She's so moody, she must be bipolar." At any rate, I'm glad you've found a treatment that works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I think the right AD can save your life, if you mean that it can lift the black cloud enough so that life seems worth living again. You still have to do all the other junk--eat well, get enough sleep and exercise regularly---but the right AD can make those things seem possible again. When you're deep in a depression, everything seems like an insurmountable obstacle. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaeden Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I think they definitely do make a difference. I think the one I am taking has stopped me from descending into the black pit again. But as for saving my life... I think ECT is the winner there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayEyes777 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 There's a commercial out lately for one of the antidepressants out there on the market. It's like a cartoon, and it shows a woman walking around with this big dark cloud all the time and then, as she gets on an antidepressant, the cloud is still there but it's smaller and more manageable so she can go back out and do things again. I specifically showed that commercial to my husband to make him realize that "it" is always there for me. Lurking in the shadows, hiding behind trees.....but the pills help keep most of it at bay, make me able to move beyond it. As has been said before, eating right, exercise, getting decent sleep - those are all key factors in keeping yourself stable. Have they saved my life? Yes, I shall always be indebted to the makers of Prozac . I still walk a tightrope on a daily basis, trying to keep everything "in balance", but my AD definitely makes it easier for me to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormBeforeCalm Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 A year and a half ago, my MI started accelerating out of control. I started taking ADs a year ago because I was suicidal, and they definitely saved my life. At the same time, my migraines started getting worse. I saw a neurologist yesterday and he told me that he is certain that the MI and migraines have the same underlying cause. No one would ever think twice about me taking migraine medicine, but MI medicine? Pfffft, tough it out, just think happy thoughts (that's my MIL's advice...ugh). If my brain chemistry is so screwed up that it's affecting my vision through daily ocular migraines, why is it so hard to believe that the same bad brain chemistry is making my emotions go out of whack? Prozac saved my life. I just wish I could tell everyone that without experiencing their derision and biases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallowedink Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I sure as heck hope they can. It looks like I'm going to be going back on an antidepressant when I see my doctor tomorrow, and I'm hoping and praying that it'll lift me from the fog of depression that has settled over my whole life... N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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