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Mental Health Will anti depressants turn me into a zombie?

yompf

yompf

Bluelighter
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
462
Hello , the only drug that really works for me is zanex. I feel NORMAL on it. Like myself.
I've never been to a doctor. I don't want to do zanex legal or otherwise because the withdrawals are so horrible. But don't you withdraw after psych meds too? I will likely get prescribed Zoloft right? To start with. I have bad anxiety. For some reason I think they give Zoloft to everyone.. or Prozac ..
I just want to feel NORMAL. Will this help or do some people HATE it. I might be one of those people who end up hating it... also
What is the comedown like .?
And do these drugs have a zombie like effect . ?????
 
Depends really which drug you are given. Prozac can be pretty stimulating initially. And as your anxiety lessens you very well may feel "normal."
 
Last I checked it was Lexapro that was today's Zoloft, and the day before that's Prozac.

These things go through trends. I've been on antidepressants before, they helped me. Usually for most people they either help or they don't do anything. I'd recommend trying them and seeing how you go. There is a withdrawal from antidepressants, but it's not even remotely like bento or opioid withdrawal. It's a walk in the park by comparison. Hell, I got off cymbalta which is widely considered to be one of the hardest to get off, I got off it so slowly I didn't notice any discontinuation symptoms whatsoever.
 
I didn't notice anything "zombie-like" about Prozac, personally. I'm tapering off right now (second time I've done this) and it's actually been really easy.

I have no experience with them, but according to friends and family who do, the "zombie-like" drugs are antipsychotics (stuff like Abilify, Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Haldol). It doesn't sound like you need them, and it's unlikely that you'd get prescribed any of them, but if they try to give you something like Abilify or Zyprexa (which are sometimes used as adjuvants to antidepressant treatment) I'd push back.

If you want a more activating or stimulating antidepressant, you might consider adding Wellbutrin to the SSRI. I had a bad time with it (for unrelated reasons) but it definitely helped my mood and increased my energy levels. It won't do anything for your anxiety though.
 
They never turned me into a zombie I would equate that feeling with anti-phychotic drugs like Seroquel. Remeron had some gnarly withdrawals when I jumped off without a taper. But if you do a proper taper to get off then they are very manageble in my experience. Not even in the same ballpark as Xanax. I was put on remeron after I detoxed from benzos and I found it to be a decent drug. It was somewhat sedating and in retrospect it gave me a mood lift. That's the big problem with anti depressants you can't really tell if they are working while your on them because they are so subtle. But now after being off for a few months I see they where working.

As far as which one. It's a crapshoot. Most docs have one they like for whatever reason and they start there. I think it's important to see a phychiatrist instead of a normal doctor because they have way more experience with treating depression anxiety ect. Talk therapy also helped me in the beginning.
 
Well how long do people normally stay on things like Lexapro. I sure don't want to be experimented on... I think I can get remeron from my friend..
 
Yes they cayse strong anhedonia, emotional blunting and loss of personality to a certain degree in most people who take them
 
yompf said:
Hello , the only drug that really works for me is zanex. I feel NORMAL on it. Like myself.
I've never been to a doctor. I don't want to do zanex legal or otherwise because the withdrawals are so horrible. But don't you withdraw after psych meds too? I will likely get prescribed Zoloft right? To start with. I have bad anxiety. For some reason I think they give Zoloft to everyone.. or Prozac ..
I just want to feel NORMAL. Will this help or do some people HATE it. I might be one of those people who end up hating it... also
What is the comedown like .?
And do these drugs have a zombie like effect . ?????
Click to expand...

As others have touched on, no one can give you a definitive answer to that. That being said, it has been my experience that SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa etc) often do just that. I've had it happen to me, and I've watched others lose all emotion and become, as you say, like zombies. It's for this very reason I despise these drugs and would never again touch one.

Other types of antidepressants actually tend to be somewhat stimulating (Wellbutrin, Effexor).

Although I'm currently on an antidepressant myself (mirtazapine), I'm of the opinion they largely don't do much good. If you're going to try one, you need to have someone observe the changes in your mood/personality, because often while on these drugs you aren't even cognizant of the changes yourself.
 
yompf said:
Well how long do people normally stay on things like Lexapro. I sure don't want to be experimented on... I think I can get remeron from my friend..
Click to expand...
They stay on them until they can't afford them or can't tolerate the side effects ime. These are not a cure only a treatment and it only works while your taking it.
 
Thank you all for the responses guys ... I'm really nervous about talking to a doctor because I don't trust them ... They don't know what's good for anyone Imo. They are just guessing.
And I have to be honest with them about all of my feelings?? , that's gonna be weird for me. Especially since I don't trust them .
And if I wont even know their helping, (the meds) @truenamebrand that sounds scary... Like the beginning of some kind of weird movie.
Maybe it's not that dramatic, maybe it's really boring and I'll start watching TV and it will make sense to me . Like I'll be ok with what I'm watching .... And I just won't think anything about it and I'll wake up and go to work the next day. ...
.......
I had to pause I scared myself...
I guess that might not happen.. I mean... Maybe it will just help me feel a little better , it won't solve any major problems, but it will help...
 
Psychiatrists aren't going to be as in depth about your feelings as a therapist.
When you start seeing a psychiatrist you do a pretty lengthy survey where you rate your feelings like depression or anxiety.
Might be less intimidating since you're not having to actually say these things to the doctor although they'll still ask you some questions, they'll want to make sure you aren't a danger to yourself but they're not going to go in depth into your childhood or show you inkblots. That's not saying they won't recommend therapy.
Everyone reacts to every anti-depressant differently. Some did make me exhausted and feeling like I couldn't drag myself out of bed but all you have to do is tell the doctor and they'll try something else.
 
Your run of the mill SSRI shoudn't zombify you. In cases of chronic depression seratonin won't flow properly from one nerve cell to the next across the synaptic cleft and will re-uptake into the originating nerve cell meaning lower levels of the neurotransmitter is flowing than there should be. SSRI's simply stop that reuptake from happening to allow your neurotransmitters to flow as they should. Many have already said it but your antipsychotics are really the ones that kinda zombify you or sedate. Seroquel will knock me completely on my ass and I've seen Haloperidol zonk out some pretty violent patients pretty quickly. Give them a shot, the psychiatrist is more interested in fixing the physical aspects of your brain. A psychologist or therapist is going to want to start digging and talking and sharing. Best success rates occur with a combination but if you aren't comfortable talking I don't think you need to worry about the psychiatrist getting too in depth with you. He's a doctor, explain your symptoms and he'll give you what he thinks is appropriate. Just know that sometimes there is a lot of trial and error with this type of medicine. There's no real tests or scans that can tell them exactly what the issue is so you try something for a while and if it works then great, if it doesn't than maybe try something else. Don't get discouraged - eventually you'll hit the sweet spot and things will be better.
 
I have been on ssris the last 7 years.

I was first on lexapro for 2 years and during that period I put on 40kgs and found it impossible to lose weight whilst on it so I then switched to Cymbalta.

During my course on meds I found it does help but I woukd refrain from comitting to using them as in the long run getting off them is a bitch. I still haven't bothered weaning off them yet want to. Just cant deal with the withdrawal.
 
It's true that SSRIs are the go-to medication for anxiety these days. Personally, my experiences with such drugs have been quite negative. However, I've not had long-term experience, so perhaps my issues would've resolved had I spent years on them, and adapted to the changes in brain chemistry that they cause. I was prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) briefly, but the effects were quite unpleasant. It killed all motivation I had; I could sit for hours in the same position, staring into space, desperately wanting to move and not to move at the same time, paralysed with indecision. I stopped taking it fairly quickly and chose instead to remain on benzodiazepines for anxiety. It took years to quit them.

Without a prescription, it becomes very easy to get lost in benzodiazepines; there's a "just one more" attitude that compels you to pop another pill with every slight sensation of anxiety. But I honestly don't think that high doses are truly necessary. The goal should be to get by with the lowest possible dose, because in the long-term it just causes pain and suffering when it's time to withdraw.

If you suffer from anxiety, you owe it to yourself to explore all of the available options through the guidance of a qualified physician, who can guide you to the treatment that works best for you.
 
I wanted to write a nuanced post with a really informed and good-faith approach to SSRI's, how they are different for everyone, blah blah.

But then I realized it was bullshit. Yeah, they'll kind of turn you into a zombie. I suppose the question is, is the zombification worth it?

One has to weigh their anxiety/phobias/depression etc against the emotional blunting and figure out which way is best for them, I reckon.
 
I'm just kinda like **** it . I'm just feeling like giving up on myself excepting that maybe I'm just meant to be alone. There are people whom exist that I click with really good. When I was traveling , I met some... Lost contact... So if the universe wants to send me someone fine. As is. Right now. If I just let it stop bothering me , then I think I'll feel better. Bitter. But not hurt so much.
I can stay in my room. I'm gonna get a car on the first . I can drive to the beach and just enjoy it.
I'm sick of needing people. I'm sick of being afraid of them.
My anxiety just stops me from interacting and leaves people think I'm either weird or unfriendly. Maybe both.
Idk . Screw it. I'm not even gonna try.
Screw meds. Zanex could change everything for me but screw that too.not worth it. I am who am.. a loner. So what. I don't want to be a zombie. Freaken weirdo loner zombie. Ya great
 
I personally did not like SSRIs for myself, it isn't a zombie like feeling, but too numb. I no longer medicate myself, but I work in psych and I have a lot of patients who find Buspar to help with anxiety. Particularly my pts that previously had benzo or alcohol addictions. Perhaps give that a discussion with your provider? Good luck. Finding the right course of medication and therapy is not easy.
 
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