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Diagnosed with Depression (course of citalopram)


goobertron

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Hi all, I have been an irregular poster on here for a couple of years now but haven't posted for a while. Having seen my GP last week, I have finally been diagnosed with 'Moderate Depression and Severe Anxiety". I won't go into the ins and outs of my symptoms other than I haven't been feeling 'myself' for a few years now and this feeling was heightened by the break up with my one long term gf in November 09. I can provide more details on my symptoms if needs be. However I am rambling and I will get to the point. The doctor has prescribed for me both CBT and a course of citalopram which I gather is a well known anti-depressant. Whilst the appointment at the GP's was last Tuesday I have yet to go and collect my prescription as I am 50/50 on whether taking them is a good idea. This post has http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=46980 has certainly gone some way towards alleviating my doubts about the drug. However, perhaps thanks to my Dad being a prominant Professor of Pharmacology I have heard varying stories regarding anti depressants. There is also the fact that perhaps I should try the CBT without the drugs but others have told me that the 2 are meant to go hand in hand. I am just wondering if people can give me any ideas as to taking citalopram is a good idea and if people need more details of my symptoms in order to answer this I am more than happy to.

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What is the source for the claim that CBT is meant to go with medication? It is true that CBT improves outcomes for people already under medication for anxiety, but that is a different idea than saying that one must be on medication to undergo CBT.

I have been through CBT and medication was not part of my treatment program at that time. This was some years ago and I had already tried meds and found them less than helpful. My diagnosis was similar to yours except it was severe depression with generalized anxiety disorder. CBT helped greatly with anxiety for me, yet I need to keep practicing the skills to keep anxiety issues from coming back. Currently I could do much better in practicing said skills but that is another topic :)

AFAIK, meds affect everyone so differently that it is impossible to predict how you will respond. You have to take them for weeks before you know how it works for you, and SSRI's are rather difficult to discontinue. Given the side effects and risks, I would suggest that medication not be taken unless the anxiety you currently have is so bad that gaining the possibility of relief is worth the side effects.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thank you for the response Ralph and sorry for the slow response in getting back to you. I have no source for the link with the taking of citalopram, it was merely a guess that logically the doctor maybe perhaps would be wanting the two to go hand in hand. As my father has imparted on me and as I have discovered myself after a little amount of googling is that indeed the meds have different impacts on different people and as you intimate, they can be hard to "come off". With a new job (first after graduation) coming up and and starting on the 3rd October, this is probably not the right time to be starting any new medication that will take a few weeks to settle. I have been in touch with my local authority re CBT appointments and hopefully will be having the first one soon. As you say I would rather keep the drugs as a last resort before taking them. Lets see how the CBT sessions go first!

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