how long can you stay on antidepressants?

[maglione]

Hey everyone, I am suffering from an anxiety disorder, I have been diagnosed with it a couple of months ago and I started to take an anti depressant one month ago which prescribed by my doctor (or maybe a little bit more), anyway, the point is that it does work for me very and very well, I do feel that it is beneficial for me and I am worried about being taken off this medication. that’s because I remember how I used to be without them in the past and I can see how I am feeling now when I am on it.

 

But, the problem is that my boyfriend does not accept this. he is very furious and mad at me about me using anything in this matter, he thinks that anti depressants are doing nothing else than damaging our brain and he told me that in a couple of years I won’t be the person who I am today. he told me that I need to choose between these medications or him and he wasn’t joking about it, he told me that he is very serious about it. generally we’ve been talking about this for hours and in the end I understood that he is a very big anti psychiatric medications guy, in fact, I have never seen anybody being so against them. even my parents that are not so happy about me taking them, they still accepted the fact  that I do use them. my parents does not believe in them, but my boyfriend kind of hates them, not mentioning that he is fully against them and that he does not believe in them. I am thinking that I might need to lie to him and to tell him that I am not taking them while I do take. I really don’t know what to do and I really want to talk with a person who has been taking this kind of drugs for many years so I would like to hear if these meds really changed your personality or these are just rumors. I don’t even know if this all even matters because he’s not near with me. I really care about him and I can even say that I love him, but he’s more than 5000 miles away from me. we’ve been talking on the net about this and we mostly see each other in summer and sometimes on winter holidays (this winter we haven’t seen each other).

 

I really do not want to lose him because I said, I really care about him, however, I want to take the medications because they do help me. I do understand the risks and I do understand that somehow he’s right but the effects on me are telling me something else. besides, I don’t even have side effects from the med, only good effects. is there somebody who has been taking anti depressants for years and could tell me what do YOU think about them? how they affected them and what would you suggest me to do? thanks in advance.

 

[IsabelIsabel2]

Hi maglione, I will try to help you. firstly I need to say that people can and they really do stay on their anti depressants medications for many years without any harmful effects. I do know that there are very and very much of ignorant people all over the world that are saying that antidepressants are useless and/or even harmful, however they are not thinking that pretty often, in case you are really having a severe mental health issue then it is actually even more harmful for the person NOT to use those medications. but we should not forget the fact that all people are different and whereas for some certain people taking anti psychiatric meds really is harmful, there are others that are finding them very and very beneficial.

 

BUT, I also need to mention that medications are not the only solution for these kind of problems. personally, I can say that therapy it is just as important and many people are forgetting about this but they shouldn’t.

 

There are some people that are able to get their mental health issues under control in such cases when they are only using meds for a couple of months or/and if they are not using them at all, however they are doing counseling and/or exercises and/or many more regularly on a daily basis. I one think that somebody with a serious mental health problem should try anti depressants and notice how they work for them, if they are really helpful then they should continue with them as well as doing counseling and exercises, yoga and so on. And then, while they are continuing to do it for a couple of months this way, then they can start tapering down the meds slowly. I might be wrong, but it seems to me that this is the best way. However, once again, we should not forget the fact that it all varies from one person to another and I think that there is nobody that has the right to judge anybody else for using medication, especially when they do help. I would understand your boyfriend in case you would over abuse them but you don’t seem to do so.

 

And yeah my brother also is a very hard anti psych med guy either. Or better say that he used to be. now he’s still against them, but not as he used to be. I have finally gotten him to accept that fact (after a lot of talks and a lot of time) that I am using an anti depressant by telling and showing him that from my own experience it is showing that I can be pretty much non functional (nearly completely non functional) without the anti depressant. I have also mentioned that I do understand it very well that sometimes anti depressants as well as some other meds (like pain killing meds) are pretty often over prescribed and over abused and that these pills are not meant to be anything like “happy pills”, however, they are do making a good job in restoring the natural balance of chemicals in the brain. And that’s in only some people and I’m one of them, you seem to be too. as I said, we’re all different and it is different from a person to other in the way of how they work and affect us.

 

Anyway, if your bf is seriously demanding that you need to choose between him and your HELPFUL meds then I guess that only you know what exactly these meds are doing for you and what it is your life like in case you are not using them and what it is like when you do use them. mostly, it depends only on you. but I am sure that it is definitely not his place to tell you what you need to do. it is your own body and it is your own life and only you know which is better to live a miserable life with him or an answer life without him? But once again, it depends only on you, it depends on how you feel with and without meds and how you feel with and without him. Either way, you should not forget that there are a lot of guys that are going to accept and are going to respect this, I mean the fact that you are using some medications that are helping you to be more healthy and a more functional person than without them. generally, to be honest, I think that your bf is very selfish and he mostly thinks only about himself.  Does he thinks about you and how you feel? If those meds were prescribed to you then with a reason. It is like his leg was injured and he wants to take pain killing meds but you demand him not to. once again, it is your life. you decide, don’t let him to decide, if he wants to leave you because of something that makes you feel and be a functional person then… make your conclusion. I’m sorry that I tell you, but I’m going to tell you once again: your bf is too selfish!

 

Maybe this would help you somehow, I really hope that I did. Plus, I really hope that whatever your decision would be – in the end you are going to be happy. Best of luck to you dear!

 

[debra]

Generally I think that’s a very simple question. I do understand that you have feelings for that guy, but everything you need to think of is what it is more important for you? your mental health or some guy that it is not even near you but is across the world. Suffering from anxiety it is not to be taken lightly or something like “meh”. Anxiety disorder is a serious thing and many people all around the world would be ready to do anything just to be free of it but they are not having any medications around them or they are not having money to pay for them. that’s something that should make you think more about that. what’s the point on NOT using the med in case it is a good and helpful thing? because of a guy that you’re not going to see more than half a year? Oh please… I think that you want to live a normal and a healthy life where you are functional… in such cases your option is very simple, I personally, if I would be you, would continue to stay on the medications and I wouldn’t even think about that, even if the person who I love tells me not to. just try to take the medications and not to prolong the time, only for as much as you need.  The Isabella’s suggestion on therapy and then slowly tapering off the meds is very good I think because if you do nothing about it except the fact that you use meds then you are going to need so more after a while in order to have the same effects, remaining on the same dosage won’t make a difference in a few months so you will need a stronger dose. You really might lie to your bf telling him that you are not taking meds while you really take. You have mentioned that you’ll see him in summer. You have half a year since then. Since that time you can get off meds with the method above. Try natural remedies and with time you would get off meds and you’ll feel fine by the times he’s going to come (or you’re going to go where he is). but choosing between my own well being and a guy… there’s nothing to choose.

 

[Highness]

 Hi there. there are some people that are using anti depressant throughout their entire lifetime. There are other people that are finding them beneficial from shorter term use (like for example brief period of time that are scattered throughout their lifetime) as it was said, depending from a person to other. it doesn’t really matter of how long you are going to require those medications I need to say that your decision about taking them or not should NOT be based on your ignorant online boyfriend who most likely doesn’t know anything about anti depressants or has heard one vague story about somebody telling him that he or she has found the anti depressants detrimental.  What I can assure you is that that’s not the kind of a man that you would want to have in your life (for a lifetime), the kind of an obnoxious enough to give you such a ridiculous ultimatum. Besides, think about it more, in case he gives such an ultimatum and you choose him then what would be later in life if you are going to be with him? He is surely going to give you more stupid ultimatums. As it was stated here, in case you need to choose between your health and well being and between your ignorant boyfriend then I think that the choice is pretty clear here, you need your health more than him, that’s for sure – anytime, anywhere. Plus, he’s not your husband and I assume you don’t have kids together. That’s even a lot easier, but even so, the choice, for me, would be the same. I just wish you to be happy and healthy and I think that you don’t need anybody in your life who is standing between you and your happiness and health. Such kind of people should be left in the past.

 

[Julieta]

I am suffering from panic disorder (I have been diagnosed by my doc) and I have been put on Lexapro for a couple of months now. I have had a similar situation to yours because in the beginning my husband did not like it at all too. I basically told him that I don’t care about his opinion as much as this drug does help me a lot and that I’m going to continue to take it. now he’s fine about it as long as I am happy with it but if it would come to more serious problems then I would surely choose my meds. it is not that I choose between a tablet and my husband but between my functionality and health. Why would somebody (even my husband) would stop me from doing it? your doc, is most likely going to keep you on those medicines for no less than half a year or so, from as much as I can understand. In my case, my doc has no intentions to take me off from using the drug any time soon. I am going to take my drug for as much as I would need it regardless of what my husband tells me (even though, as I said, lately he doesn’t have any problems with it). if I would be you and in case that guy doesn’t change his mind and his ultimatum stands still then I would ditch him, especially due to the fact that you don’t even live near each other or even more – you live together! I am pretty sure that your happiness is all that matters now! as you can see, everyone tells you the same and that’s the right thing to do. I do understand that you need to think about that since you don’t want to lose him, but better to lose such a person than to lose your health! As much as I understood – you wanted to know for how long you can take these drugs – for as long as they help you, if they help you for your entire life then you can take it for your entire life. also you wanted to know which is better your bf or your med. I guess the answer is clear here. I’m just telling you this because I want you to be happy, even though I don’t know you, but since you’re here – you need help!

 

[Silva]

Yeah, you can lie then and you shouldn’t be feeling bad about that because you are helping yourself in order to get better and to deal with life better and easier. It’s easier for him to talk when he’s not suffering from anxiety and depression. there are some people who simply cannot deal with all of it alone and I’m certainly one of those people who would not overcome depression and anxiety if there would not be my medications. it is either because we are too weak or it is either because we have too tough tasks to deal with or both, the point is that there are a lot of people who do take them and there are even more people who need them but unfortunately they are not getting any help and no meds. I honestly don’t like such kind of guys, what a jerk it seems to me. I personally would def choose my health over some kind of internet relationship and a guy that I will see only once or twice per year. Generally I’m against internet relationship but let it be, but when something like this happens then fu*k it! one single month it is not nearly long enough to be on a chemical inducing/stimulating medication. I have been on my anti-depressants for nearly one year taken daily. It is taking more than simply the med in order to feel better, that’s true no doubts, however it is surely one very big boost for your life, energy, mood etc. etc. that can help you to function properly in the future and achieve your tasks and your natural remedy without drugs. It’s like something that boosts you, that pushes you ahead to do something, to want to do something. I know it very well, as I said, I’ve been there.

 

But, this is a question that you need to ask your doc better and I can bet that he is not going to advise you to get off an anti-anxiety or anti-depressant med after you have used it for only one month. That’s only 4 weeks but it is taking nearly 3 weeks or so for some people just to kick in. maybe its effects kicked in earlier for you but that’s still not enough. You either lie or tell him the truth, the final result, I assume, should be the same – you need to take the meds if they help you. I wish you good luck!

 

[Michelle7878]

Oh my god. What kind of a question is that? seriously, leave him. What kind of ultimatum is that? you need to feel bad but to choose an internet guy? He’s a loser, sorry, I need to say that. go get yourself a normal boyfriend, a real life one. I’m sure you deserve it. surely, it is absolutely none of his business of what medications are being prescribed to you. he disagrees with your doc’s opinion. is he a doc or what? he’s a loser, as I said. even your parents are not so against them. who the hell is he? Dear, I really hope that you are going to be confident enough and in no time you are going to get yourself a real life boyfriend and you need to choose well not to be another loser who tells you such kind of crap.