My doctor has put me on an anti depressant called cipralex. At first I was very resistant to go on them because I've heard bad things about anti depressants. But I am sick and tired of not feeling myself and want to feel happy again!

Anyhow, my questions are- has anyone been on anti depressants, did they have any side effects and how long did they take to work? :(

This is different for everyone, hon, and don't be surprised if it might take a couple of tries to get the right one.

Effexor is the fourth drug I have been on and it has worked wonders. Most anti-depressants take about four weeks to fully kick in, with improvements beginning the second week. If that isn't true for you, see your doctor.

Anti depressants without counseling to help you to understand and deal with what got you so depressed in ther first place is akin to putting a band-aid on an amputation. Make sure that you are getting the help you need with them. Your doctor and your psych should both know what you are taking and what your course of treatment will be with both doctors, and they should communicate regularly. If you can't afford treatment, you can still find the help you need. PM me and I will help to get you started.

Anti depressants get a bad rep when they are given to people who don't really need them, or to those who abuse them. They are a tool that will help you get back to feeling like yourself again, but they are not the only thing you need to get there.

These drugs can have some side effects, and some of the common ones are dehydration (drink extra water), lowered libido, some can raise or lower blood pressure, some can make you feel jittery, etc. If you find anything out of the ordinary, contact your doc for a new dosage or new drugs.

I felt the very same way you did, sweetie, I was scared, but I was way more scared waking up in a hospital bed somewhere because I had tried to harm myself. Believe me--they don't have to be a forever thing for all people, but if you need them, you really should take them.

There is no shame in this. It's not a cop-out, it doesn't make you a weak person or a dullard, or any of the other things that add to the stigma. If you had a wound, would you not take antibiotics if it were very infected? If your brain is sick, that is the same thing. You need to be well again, you deserve it.

Good for you for being so brave! This is a fantastic start and I wish you all the best. I wish I had started getting help long before I had. :rose:

Good luck to you, I know what it feels like to not feel like "yourself". The symptoms are hard to describe, and hard to understand if you haven't gone through it yourself. It seems like you don't have the energy to move even if you wanted to.

While, I did have one counseling session (my health insurance at the time, only allowed for a preliminary diagnostic visit, which afterwards, the doctor didn't seem too concerned about a return visit. :( ). I don't have health insurance at all now, so I started taking a vitamin supplement called Sam-E. It does seem to help me. A word of caution, do not take this with any prescribed medication. It's just an alternative that worked for me. You can find it in the vitamin section for about $20.