• The Dark Side 💕 Welcome Guest 💕
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Notable Threads Urgent Hotlines
    Bereavement Mindfulness
    Suicide Support Anger Management
  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Mental Health Amphetamine cure my depression/anxiety? Can it? what should I do?

S

Swam

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 31, 2013
Messages
60
I have severe depression, PTSD, bi polar, and anxiety NNOS. I take seroquel, lamotragine, and recently added sertraline for my PTSD.

Long story (TL;DR at bottom):This summer I felt things were going bad again (I seriously attempted two or so years ago and through some miracle survived with no long term side effects). I knew that if I was going to live, I had to want to live, and in order to want to live, I had to want something. I decided after trying virtually everything else in the way of clubs, friends, etc, that I was going to try pretty much all of the drugs I could and see if I got addicted to any of them (that way my drive to use the drug would give me a reason to live [I need to stay alive for my little brother, but it hasn't been enough just to stay alive for him]). So I tried a tonne of em, from acid to IV cocaine, nothing made me really want any more of it. So then I got Amphetamine Paste, tried it, and I was blown away. Not because I got really high and what not, but because my depression totally went away when I was on it. My depression gets very very intense when I think about metaphysics and ethics, I worry that this world is such a terrible place and it shouldn't be so terrible since the fact that a consciousness exists implies some sort of "higher power" (I wont get into it, but that is just part of it). Anyway, I also just had generalized depression and anxiety and while on amphetamine, all of it is cured. When I think about metaphysics and ethics on amphetamine, I think "Well, the world is the world, and its all about feeling good, so I will feel good." When I am off amphetamine, I try to think that, but it doesn't even come close to working. And so, I was wondering if this really does cure my depression, how it does this, what does this say about me?

TL;DR: Amphetamine use seems to cure my depression, anxiety, (maybe my bi polar too). Is this possible? How does it do this? Should I ask my psychiatrist to be put on some prescription? (Yes, I told my psychiatrist [etc for all mental health personnel] about my drug use).

Thanks in advance!
 
^ That is a fantastic link posted above. I highly suggest, OP, learning why a dopamine releasing agent appears to "cure" your depression, and why that impression might indicate a trial with an atypical antidepressant such as bupropion (Wellbutrin), whose mechanism of action is that of a dopamine/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. There is a widespread misconception that manipulation of the 5-HT (serotonin) receptors is the most effective way to combat all forms of depression.
 
there's a huge difference between a cure..
and temporarily masking your symptoms.

wellbutrin has worked for a few people I know who's depression
seemed quite atypical and treatment resistant.
best option is if you've a dr. you feel you can trust that much
to be open with..to go ahead and do so.
good luck
 
Maybe your anxiety is caused by not being able to have that reward center. I have ADHD but my anxiety is cause of OCD so I can't be on a stim....If you just talk to your doc and see your options.
 
Great points; another to be made (piggybacking off of what's been posted above) is that because of its mechanism of action Wellbutrin can make anxious symptoms worse, but this should all be discussed between yourself and a professional.
 
I'm very interested in the above, Amphetamines seemingly help greatly with my depression and anxiety issues but I have issues with substance abuse and dependence that leave me unable to use Amphetamines, or almost anything else sensibly.

SSRIs do not work for me at all, I have been in Venlfaxine for a good while with some success but side effects have eventually made it intolerable so I've every recently switched to Amiltrptyline.

I really feel my depression is very much a physical ( or neurological ) issue, I'm sure in earlier years it was more cyclical but the last 5 years or so it's been relentless without medication, even during fairly lengthy period of abstinence from all non prescription drugs.

I'm going to give the Amitriptyline a go fro another month but I seem to be having to push quite hard to get my doctor to try anything beyond the obvious ADs and I've pretty ,much been through all those.

The lure of Amphetamines and benzos is proving difficult to control, I'm not in deep now but I can see how I slip into that routine unless I can find the reasons not to...ones I really believe...that probably makes no sense :\
 
it can help possibly indefinitely if you're careful about your use but it could make things worse if you become addicted and build a tolerance and start taking larger and larger doses typically uppers are very hard on ones mental health
 
mrflowers00 said:
it can help possibly indefinitely if you're careful about your use but it could make things worse if you become addicted and build a tolerance and start taking larger and larger doses typically uppers are very hard on ones mental health
Click to expand...

Hey mrflowers, I'm coming to the same conclusion, therapeutic use is so far below the quantities I tend to use I think there is more abuse than medication in my use.

I've been lucky over the years despite messing with various stimulants for 20+ years psychosis has never been an issue but I do have mental health issues, I really struggling right now not to get drawn back into Amphetamine and benzo abuse.

I think it's time I went to see my local addiction service, I've used them in the past and found the counselling useful, my current doctor is nice enough but seems to know almost nothing about drug abuse issues.
 
No medication has been shown to "cure" depression or any mental disorder. It may address the biological causes but does nothing to improve any traumatic memories, negative thought patterns or external circumstances that contribute to your condition.

Amphetamine has been used for decades as an off-label treatment for resistant depression, so it's definitely worth a try. Just don't stop working on yourself and your life in hopes of an easy cure.
 
Last edited:
Yeah I always find amps to alleviate any kind of depression I may be experiencing, but its always a temp. fix. And it seems bingeing ends up worse for wear; one definitely pays a price.

Spiritual/religious practice such as chanting/prayer/meditation, or just gratitude.......now that shit kicks depression's ass!!!
 
Amphetamines will relieve depression. They are dopamine-releasing agents, and the reward pathway's appetite cannot help but be whetted by their presence. As for "curing" depression, they are about as useful as ibuprofen is for curing a sprained ankle. In other words, not at all effective.

For those interested, I do commiserate with amphetamines and related compounds providing temporary freedom from depressive symptoms. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. However, I've just made the decision to use supplements - specifically, L-Tyrosine in the form of N-Acetyl-Tyrosine - which is a precursor of both dopamine and norepinephrine. I've experienced some success already, and it feels physiologically more "right" to stimulate the production of more DA and NE, rather than forcibly release the limited stores of it already in my brain by using drugs like amphetamines.

Food for thought.

~ Vaya
 
I'm not sure that makes sense. Amphetamine sure makes on feel "right" more than supplements. I think it can confuse people though.
 
No mental illness has a medicinal cure, only treatments. Semantics really.
 
I think this is pretty spot on. What I don't understand, however, is how I'm diagnosed as bipolar and taking medications that stop the production of dopamine, when wellbutrin, for example, seemed to give me way more benefit than any other AD. And, if taking supplements to help stimulate production isn't enough, so essentially there is a problem inherent with our own brain's ability to regulate dopamine, how do we carefully balance the flood and true relief that comes from using drugs with the eventual dependence and crash when the drug wears off? As another poster mentioned, wellubtrin can also exacerbate anxiety, which is definitely did for me, but I was no where nearly as depressed. With the new diagnosis and new medication, I definitely feel more balanced... perhaps this the mood medication rather than the abilify?

At any rate, good post and information.

Vaya said:
Amphetamines will relieve depression. They are dopamine-releasing agents, and the reward pathway's appetite cannot help but be whetted by their presence. As for "curing" depression, they are about as useful as ibuprofen is for curing a sprained ankle. In other words, not at all effective.

For those interested, I do commiserate with amphetamines and related compounds providing temporary freedom from depressive symptoms. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. However, I've just made the decision to use supplements - specifically, L-Tyrosine in the form of N-Acetyl-Tyrosine - which is a precursor of both dopamine and norepinephrine. I've experienced some success already, and it feels physiologically more "right" to stimulate the production of more DA and NE, rather than forcibly release the limited stores of it already in my brain by using drugs like amphetamines.

Food for thought.

~ Vaya
Click to expand...
 
Having a very similar contemplation myself.
I'm not using amphetamine but am prescribed Ritalin. Concerta now. The ER version of Ritalin.

After trying in excess of 10 antidepressants my Psch finally after 2 years of appointments put me on ritalin.
In Australia the prescription of stimulants is almost non existant past ADHD in children. This is changing V slowly.

I have a history of substance abuse too so I was/am very lucky to have a dr that would go down this road.

When I am on a decent therapeutic dose. Say 72-90mg ritalin my depression is GONE. I crash a little at 5pm and my day is mostly over.

The hardest part with taking Stims is taking them as prescribed. They are super addictive and if they remove your depression the tendancy is to abuse them. When you run out and have to go without for days/ weeks it is HELL!!!!

Fuck they work though
 
Yes, this is an effect of all stimulants really. (Methylphenidate, Dextroamphetamine)

I definitely felt this when I started Adderall. Definitely very euphoric, very anxiolytic, very antidepressant. But this wares off and it wares off fast. Tolerance is a bitch and I hate it. I wish the powerful antidepressant effect lasted forever, I wish the powerful anxiolytic effect lasted forever - but that shit ain't the truth. Eventually all Amphetamine does do is make you stimulated. Almost no antidepressant effect.

In fact once you develop tolerance, the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects turn into rather mild depressant effects and powerful anxiety-inducing effects. Obsessions-Compulsions and other forms of anxiety manifest themselves with long-term use. Take it from an everyday user of Amphetamine - the positive effects go away.

Maybe it's best if you don't use Amphetamine as an antidepressant. In the long-term, it's not effective and it actually causes depression and anxiety. I know you won't take my advice, I know I wouldn't have when I first started using it - it feels way too good. In fact I would go as far to say that no one should feel that good....

If you want to stop some of this from happening - don't bump up your dose. You'll want to very badly, but you can't. You will become very tolerant very quickly if you do and you'll realize that the amazing effects it gives you will quickly plummet and you'll become very depressed very fast.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top