Antidepressants?

[Disturbance]

A while ago I suffered a year from hell. I experienced six major life traumas in a very shirt period if time, and I just can't seem to recover. My life has done a total 180 from where it was a few years ago. I'm not the same person.

I'm in the very same shoes as you are right now.
My advice is that you never take drugs for something like this.

You must learn to cope with the situation, there is no other way that is worth taking. I couldn't sleep, so I threw my blanket on the floor and slept there, it was hard, but the lack of comfort took my mind off things, I got really tired and fell asleep.
Later I developed a technique to put my mind to sleep. Take deep breaths, and think about not thinking, letting things go, and purposefully avoid thoughts that make you think about anything. Repeat the word "sleep" in your mind until you don't remember anything.

Now is the time for you to find something in life that makes you feel better about yourself when you do it. Keep in mind that some of theese activities are hard to exercise, and require discipline.

Another thing I would strongly recommend for you is that you learn relaxation techniques. I know it is hard, and it doesn't seem to worth it at all, but if you can manage to relax and let things go when you feel like you are overwhelmed, you can let go of a significant amount of stress.

If you need any help, I am happy to help you out.

 

[KaraBulut]

I'm in the very same shoes as you are right now.
My advice is that you never take drugs for something like this.

It's difficult to make determinations on whether an antidepressant would be of benefit. The issue with profound depression- whether innate (as in bipolar disorder) or temporary (as in the case of loss and grief)- is that the person can be so overwhelmed that traditional therapy is ineffective. In order to work on getting better, it's necessarily in some cases to treat the depression with medication first. That determination must be made after personal interviews, and it's not something that we could determine over an internet forum.

One important thing for those in US- something that has not been covered well in the media: mental health care is now covered as a medical benefit under group and individual insurance policies. In the past, insurance policies excluded or limited mental health therapy. Starting 1-Jan-2014, all mental health services are covered under the medical benefits and are not subject to limitations.

Why is this change important? One of the reasons that antidepressants have been prescribed (or over-prescribed) is that the drugs were covered under the medical benefits of the policy but therapy was not covered. Now, you can see a therapist and your insurance will cover it. So, this presents new options so that drugs don't have to be the primary treatment for things like depression. In the US, those with insurance can obtain therapy and medication- both will be covered.

 

[mikey3000]

Hey all, well I think I'm ready to stop my antidepressants now. Been on them for over a year, and though I think they did help me get over the worst, now that she passed on, there is much less stress. Also comming to terms with the sexual abuse I suffered at her hands has helped as well. Therapy was a blessing. So me going to talk to my doctor about getting off the meds. Thanks guys for all your input and support. Much appreciated.