Monday, April 03, 2006

Kendle's Question

How do you feel about people that take antidepressants? Do you think they help? Do you think that doctors prescribe them as the "easy answer"? Have you ever taken antidepressants? (don't have to answer) If so, how would you descibe your experience with them?

10 comments:

English student said...

I was on Zoloft during my first year of college (first time around) and felt it helped me on some days. When on the drug, I felt I could fall a certain distance toward depression but then be prevented from falling further. Zoloft was like a cushion. And like a bed, in that it made me sleepy. I appreciated the effects of the drug on many days, because I was severely depressed for a period of time.

But I think for some people, myself included, they have to get off the drug and recognize, even appreciate, their nondrugged state of mind before they can move forward and get over it. While I was on Zoloft, if I went off it a few days, all I wanted to do was go back on it. Once I was finally off it (because I moved and had no $$ and no insurance for a while and couldn't afford it), I was able to kick my depression on my own (through reading, of all things).

But bodies are different. That was my experience, as I've described, but I believe that some people are simply fucked up in their body chemistry and need an antidepressant to balance their chemistry deficits and be "normal."


I do think ADs are overly prescribed, as many medicines are today, but I'd guess maybe it's better to err on the side of overcaution rather than allow young people to try to sort through their problems (which seem so huge when you're young) with no help.

Jason Horath

English student said...

I have never really felt depressed on a regular basis and i don't think that i will ever be. Which is suprising to many people that meet me and know about the things i have been through in life. But a couple years ago, i was prescribed some antidepressant. I don't remember what it was called because i don't much care for medicine, always feeling better about myself to work through whatever is wrong with me. But i took the drug and followed the directions, not really sure why i was on them to begin with. My brother is the same way. But i do know that i started having really irrational thoughts while i was taking them, like wanting to know how sharp knives would feel against my neck, or what my face would feel like after pressing it to a red glowing stove burner, or even how far i could fly if i drove off the overpass at a high speed. I wanted to find these things out, but not because i wanted to hurt myself. Ive always had thoughts like these, but while i was taking the anti depressants, they came at me so thick that it started to scare me. I quit taking them because of that. But again, i didn't feel depressed, and didn't complain about much, so i really don't know why i was put on them. hope this helps
drew funkhouser

English student said...

I think if people need help and they can find the right prescripion tha works without susuide intention or harming another person then Why Not? I do think their are doctors out that push these meds withourt keeping a eye on that person, I have used antidepressents in my lifetime that have help me get through the humbs but, I still think peeple need to adjust to life and if once in awhile meds help and they don't become addictive to it it shouldn'nt be a problem, Most meds it takes a while to get thru the hairy part but usually right away you can tell if they are not torleable.
jena

English student said...

I think people who take antidepressents have to take them for a reason because something is seriously wrong with them. If a doctor prescribes a certain kind of antidepressent then that mean there is a problem there. Maybe some people may want the drug just to have when there is nothing wrong with them so they can abuse it, i dont think that they should have a prescripton of it then.
Lakesha SPurlock

English student said...

Your questions: How do you feel about people that take antidepressants? Do you think they help? Do you think that doctors prescribe them as the "easy answer"? Have you ever taken antidepressants? (don't have to answer) If so, how would you descibe your experience with them?

My responses: (1) I don't feel anything much about them-I'm just glad I'm not one of them! (2)Yes, I think they help a small minority of people who have big depression problems. (3) Yes, I know that many doctors overprescribe antidepressants. I know this because I used to work in a doctors' office and the doctors used to talk about how many people are overusing anitidepressants. (4) No, I have never taken them and never will. (5) Not applicable.

Other comments: Our society in general is overmedicated. Yes, we live longer than any generations before us, but the quality of our lives often isn't any better during those last 10 or 15 years. Why not let depressed people learn to cope before zonking them out with some zombi pill? Why not let kids run out their energy outside instead of plugging them in fron of the TV and feeding them medicine for their hyperactivity? Kids are supposed to be extremely active, right? People are supposed to be able to get sad now and then, right? Otherwise, they have nothing to compare their happiness against.

James Burke

English student said...

i feel that people who take antidepressants are people who need some sort of help. Yes i think they help in some cases but the person has to be willing to take them. sometimes i believe doctors prescribe them as an easy way out. no i have never taken antidepressants. leah perdue

English student said...

Some people have a biological deffect just like diabetes and such. Something wrong with their brains and they can't cope by themselves so it isn't a bad thing if they take antidepressants with visits to a psychiatrist to talk to a regulate the medication properly so they don't over do it yes I whole heartedly agree with it.
I've never taken any drugs for depression and don't plan on it but if just seeing a psychiatrist doesn't help and they sugest I do it to get better I will.
Natasha

English student said...

I used to be friends with a girl who was on antidepressants. Since I didn't know her too well at first, I had no idea she was on antidepressants - I just thought she was always an extremely happy person. One day, she decided she didn't want to take them everyday anymore. You could tell because there was a drastic change in her personality. I think that antidepressants don't really show people the real you, because you hold in all the stressful situations with a smile because that is how the medicine makes you feel. I do think that it is the easy way out, and people who doctors think should be on antidepressants should probably go to therapy for the long term recovery.

Elizabeth Moody

English student said...

I've never been on any medication like that: Although sometimes I think I should be on something. I would assume most of the medicines do something positive. Some people can't handle the everyday struggle of regular life and they need a little boost. I think the medication will only work if you take it everyday, that's the down fall of many: they don't take like their supposed to.
Tamika Newbern

English student said...

I really haven't met someone who has been on antidepressants. I understand why people take them, but I really don't know how they work. Base off the comment that I read I could say they do work. People who are depress need these antidepressants to better themselves. Doctors prescribe them not as an easy way out but a way for people not to do anything bad to themselves, or so they won't end up in a clinic. I know that people who are depress have a higher change of doing something to themselves. People who are on antidepressants make me feel sore of depress because when someone is depress you could easily see it in their eyes and how their body is position.

Orlando Ontiveros