Opinions of sertraline

[Forever Changes]

Actually, 60% of people experience at least a 50% reduction in symptoms after two months on an SSRI. The side-effects of SSRIs usually aren't that bad and almost always go away. Even if they didn't go away, it's better to have manageable side-effects from your medication than to be dead because you killed yourself.
And I'd say benzodiazapines work for well over 90% of people with anxiety.
We know about how MOST psych meds work. It's mainly the anti-psychotics that it's unknown and they are the one type of psych med I WOULD only suggest taking if absolutely necessary. I think it's insane that they get prescribed for sleep.

I use Queitiapine for sleep, and it usually works better than OTC sleep meds. But at small doses - I've tried larger doses and did not like the feeling one bit. I'm actually shocked to see how high the dosages for it go up to, but presumably some people can tolerate them. Or perhaps doctors are just using them to keep 'problem' patients permanently lobotomised. I don't know...

I've written about some of my thoughts on these issues earlier in the thread, and I do accept that SSRIs appear to work for some people and save some lives (whether that's the placebo effect in action or not), but it still doesn't change the fact that no doctor or psychiatrist really knows how the mind works, even if they can understand which areas of the brain do what.

SSRIs increase the amount of 'happy' neurotransmitters in the brain, but beyond that they don't really know why or even whether these neurotransmitters were 'depleted' in the first place, or what the effects of permanently changing them will be. They can't be measured with a blood test like hormones can be. Mental health is a very different kettle of fish to somatic health, but doctors in general want to believe they can treat mind problems as well as they can treat body problems.

 

[kush407smoke]

Personally I've tryed every ssri none of them worked

What worked is Wellbutrin it's worked great

I highly recommend it

Wellbutrin is an ndri

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

Actually, 60% of people experience at least a 50% reduction in symptoms after two months on an SSRI. The side-effects of SSRIs usually aren't that bad and almost always go away. Even if they didn't go away, it's better to have manageable side-effects from your medication than to be dead because you killed yourself.
And I'd say benzodiazapines work for well over 90% of people with anxiety.
We know about how MOST psych meds work. It's mainly the anti-psychotics that it's unknown and they are the one type of psych med I WOULD only suggest taking if absolutely necessary. I think it's insane that they get prescribed for sleep.

Not in my opinion after working over two decades in mental health related jobs
It's our difference in the conception of what the word 'works' means that's at play here I think.

Of course benzo's 'work' for anxiety, in that they (usually temporarily) reduce symptoms. Then tolerance and addiction set in and the game changes. The rebound anxiety after benzo cessation is often devastating. They (like ssri's) 'work' re symptom reduction, just like morphine will 'work' for pain caused by a broken leg. The leg however is still broken. Symptom relievers that lead to the original condition getting worse.

SSRI's are essentially numbing agents , they don't treat anything, exact same as benzos in that way. Of course, as I have said, I've seen them save lives so there's value in them. I've also seen them directly lead to many suicides and many more attempted ones. Also seen them lead to the worst cases of self harm I've ever seen... by people with no previous history of self harm. The side effects can be devastating, and are often (not rarely) extremely uncomfortable. I'd definitely put them in your "only if absolutely necessary" category alongside the anti-psychotics. I'd seriously urge anyone to check out environmental factors, sleep health, nutrition, excercise, meditation etc etc before even considering them. Last resort - imho.

Just to put above into context I've been open to trying pretty much every drug on planet earth in my lifetime. I also suffer from occasional but quite heavy depressive episodes, and I wouldn't touch ssri's with someone else's bargepole. Also it's prudent to remember that the chemical imbalance theory of depression is merely that - a theory.

 

[LoginNotSecure]

Not in my opinion after working over two decades in mental health related jobs

In what role though? Because I know someone who's worked in a "mental health related job" for near on 30 years. However, she's a cleaner in a MHSU.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

In what role though? Because I know someone who's worked in a "mental health related job" for near on 30 years. However, she's a cleaner in a MHSU.

I've done a lot of one to one work with many many people, and I'm not a cleaner. But that's all you're getting

EDIT also, I'm not claiming authority, merely that am likely plenty more informed than many. There is no authority in this field infact and any that is claimed is delusional imo. We're just scratching the surface when it comes to mental health

 

[Iceman1216]

sometimes paying for private health treatment is worth it if it's good and you get seen far quicker than the NHS's years long wating lists. Glad it's working out for your son

Yes as a cancer survivor , and paid for about 10% of my treatment , and had great success !! I agree!
He needed help NOW , Not three months from Now.
We are not taking anything with us when we go, so I look at all of it as Money well spent

 

[Iceman1216]

That's awesome that he's responding well to treatment! For me the pills were only ever a very superficial intervention for my depression/anxiety however I do believe they have allowed me to be well enough to talk about and develop coping strategies with my (very competent) therapist for many of the problems I face in life.

I think my takeaway from all these experiences and from reading about other people's experiences is that the best outcome will come from medication in combination with therapy from a good therapist (clinical psychologist, psychotherapist etc). I remember when I started antidepressants for the first time as a (late) teen being told If i took these pills i would get better, which ended up being completely untrue. I think in the majority of cases it's gonna take much more than just a pill to achieve true remission from depression/(anxiety).

Yes !! The mind is the most complex origan in or body !!! And it works on chemical and electrical interaction, which create REAL FEELINGS !! Now Feelings are not Facts yes, but I can say that they do effect me !!!!!!!

 

[Iceman1216]

Didn't anybody ever tell that just because something is difficult, it doesn't mean it's not worth doing?

Dude the whole world is trying , Not all for the same reasons , some the better good, some the almighty dollar, and the more sinister a better controlled soldier !!!! But trust me we are trying Hard !

 

[Iceman1216]

In what role though? Because I know someone who's worked in a "mental health related job" for near on 30 years. However, she's a cleaner in a MHSU.

Lighten up dude!!! You do really enjoy going Negative quickly!! Even if there are janitors on here trying to help good, in my experience those are the type of people that see and share the real truth on situations !!! Not trying to get funding or a paper published ?? Just an opinion

 

[Forever Changes]

Also it's prudent to remember that the chemical imbalance theory of depression is merely that - a theory.

that's the crux of the book 'Cracked' I mentioned earlier. But the pharmaceutical companies won't admit that

Environmental factors are almost certainly the reason many of us get depressed, and yet they can be the hardest to change. But going on a pill won't change those factors - it just numbs you from them. You're treating the symptoms but not the underlying causes

 

[Forever Changes]

Personally I've tryed every ssri none of them worked

What worked is Wellbutrin it's worked great

I highly recommend it

Wellbutrin is an ndri

did it give you any side effects?

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Just wanted to say thanks to all who have responded. I'm still very dubious about the efficacy of SSRIs having seen the wife pretty much destroyed by them back in the 90s. Having said that, my son does seem to be coping with his dose quite well so far, and it's got to the stage where he feels it may be the only option to improvement. He was actually prescribed an SSRI when he was 13, but refused to take it because he didnt want to become dependent upon a drug - for which we thoroughly supported him.

But now he feels that medication may be the only option to calm that storm in his head that prevents him from participating in life.

 

[steewith2ees]

I was going to give my 2 cents on SSRI's (I was prescribed Fluoxetine for 6 months back in my mid 20's) but I've waffled enough for one day on here, all I can say is that I hope he is ok for as tough as things can be at that age it is also the period of maximum dynamism - by all accounts he has an amazing and understanding mum and dad and as such there is no reason as to why he does not have the best of chances sorting through this. I can only begin to imagine how scary it must be for parents when a child is poorly, regardless of age or ailment x

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Thanks Stee.

Unfortunately, I fear that the biggest problem with my kids is that they've inherited their dad's faulty genes. That's what scares me the most...

 

[Hylight]

aww. he sounds very brave. he will pull through with your support. ♡. he can !

 

[Woodburner]

I use Queitiapine for sleep, and it usually works better than OTC sleep meds. But at small doses - I've tried larger doses and did not like the feeling one bit. I'm actually shocked to see how high the dosages for it go up to, but presumably some people can tolerate them. Or perhaps doctors are just using them to keep 'problem' patients permanently lobotomised. I don't know...

I've written about some of my thoughts on these issues earlier in the thread, and I do accept that SSRIs appear to work for some people and save some lives (whether that's the placebo effect in action or not), but it still doesn't change the fact that no doctor or psychiatrist really knows how the mind works, even if they can understand which areas of the brain do what.

SSRIs increase the amount of 'happy' neurotransmitters in the brain, but beyond that they don't really know why or even whether these neurotransmitters were 'depleted' in the first place, or what the effects of permanently changing them will be. They can't be measured with a blood test like hormones can be. Mental health is a very different kettle of fish to somatic health, but doctors in general want to believe they can treat mind problems as well as they can treat body problems.

I was on quetiapine for years as it helped me get to sleep, but it never made me feel like I had slept any better than nothing, and gradually gave me brain fog, which took almost a year to wear off enough for me to realise that I was actually getting better on nothing. It's definitely "lobotomising" in my personal experience. (Yes I do know that lobotomy is a type of brain surgery, but we all know what FC means.)
I've also had sertraline, but I've had so many different meds that I can't remember what the downside was. Palpitations? I got seriously hacked off with meds whose adverse effects were way more noticeable than any benefit, and just as hacked off with docs that said keep going even after weeks of no benefit and no reduction of side effects. Sertraline was either so bad I ditched it immediately or so useless that it wasn't worth keeping up with.

F.U.B.A.R. If your lad is ASD then he should definitely be avoiding dairy and gluten. The link is well known, and better established than for ADHD, which I have. I started recovering from mh problems first by cutting out all meds, after that I can't remember the precise order of discovery but, the things that have helped the most was increasing protein intake massively, and cutting out dairy and gluten. Mph aka Ritalin helped more than any other prescribed med, but more protein was more effective. Protein is very good for stress, and ditching dairy improved my sleep and fatigue issues dramatically, cutting out gluten helped a bit more, but only after I had cut out dairy.

 

[1394]

I've done a lot of one to one work with many many people, and I'm not a cleaner. But that's all you're getting

EDIT also, I'm not claiming authority, merely that am likely plenty more informed than many. There is no authority in this field infact and any that is claimed is delusional imo. We're just scratching the surface when it comes to mental health

As you had said in your previous post "SSRI's are essentially numbing agents , they don't treat anything, exact same as benzos in that way. " I believe this to be very very far from the truth. Benzos do not alter your neuro chemistry the way SSRIs do, as they can be very important for people who have OCD etc. Have you ever prescribed an SSRI for anyone?

My personal experience with an SSRI was very bad lose of appetite, should have continued taking it now in hindsight but was too busy drinking serious amounts of booze.

 

[Woodburner]

Just wanted to say thanks to all who have responded. I'm still very dubious about the efficacy of SSRIs having seen the wife pretty much destroyed by them back in the 90s. Having said that, my son does seem to be coping with his dose quite well so far, and it's got to the stage where he feels it may be the only option to improvement. He was actually prescribed an SSRI when he was 13, but refused to take it because he didnt want to become dependent upon a drug - for which we thoroughly supported him.

But now he feels that medication may be the only option to calm that storm in his head that prevents him from participating in life.

Ah, I think I know that storm. His mind goes off at tangents like a sparkler?

Thanks Stee.

Unfortunately, I fear that the biggest problem with my kids is that they've inherited their dad's faulty genes. That's what scares me the most...

It's not faulty, it's just different, perhaps the next evolutionary step. These days unfortunately it is more important to be able to learn by rote than to actually understand anything. Heck doctors are a classic example: it doesn't matter how much they might understand brain chemistry, if it's not in the NICE guidelines (=dsm-v for US) they can't even diagnose it. Unfortunately society favours sheeple atm.

 

[Forever Changes]

Thanks Stee.

Unfortunately, I fear that the biggest problem with my kids is that they've inherited their dad's faulty genes. That's what scares me the most...

I don't believe a person's fate is determined by their genes. People turn out the way they do due to experiences, particularly in early life, so raise your kids well, as I'm sure you do, and screw genes

 

[Forever Changes]

F.U.B.A.R. If your lad is ASD then he should definitely be avoiding dairy and gluten.

only if he has a legitimate intolerance to dairy or gluten, which has been tested.

But you're right about protein. Everybody should be upping their protein intake as much as possible and cutting down on carbohydrates - sugar is one of the most insidious drugs of all, and it's everywhere!