Alternatives for antidepressants

[kiki24]

Hello everyone,
I'm here today to ask you if you know of any other option except for antidepressants to make depression better.

I've tryed a lot of different antidepressants over the last four years, but all of them, when they really started to have the desired effect, made me behave in a strange way, meaning that i couldn't sleep cause i had too much energy, i was euphoric, i couldn't concentrate on anything for too long, i talked really fast, almost without a connection between the topics i was talking about.

This as lead both me and my doctor to believe that antidepressants are not for me. I do fall into periods of depression, though, (usually short ones, from 3 days to a week or two) where i cannot seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and in those periods i am plagued by suicidal ideation or attempts and self-injurious behavior (which are the two things that concern me the most).
I don't want to go through another one of those bad moods again.

Does anybody suffer from this same problem? How have you dealt with it?

Thank you in advance to anyone who will answer me!

Kiki

[LaLa]

Hi, Kiki,

I'm glad to see you're asking about treatment options - it means you are trying to find healing for yourself  .

The best "alternative" can be an appropriate psychotherapy ("talk therapy"), but it really depends also on the causes of depression; if they are very much biological (/pathophysiological), then medication is... if not truly necessary, then at least much more helpful - for instance, its positive effects enable the psychotherapy.

You have tried several AD, but certainly not all the options; I would, besides seeking psychotherapy, still try new medical approaches. Personally, I have experience only with this med - and it's also sedative, so you certainly wouldn't lack sleep (-it's taken in the evening and makes one have a deep, 8-hrs sleep, at least in my case it was like that):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirtazapine

There are also activities (mainly exercise, walks in nature, ...) and dietetic recommendations that are more or less helpful against depression - mainly depending on if you're able to keep doing / following them more or less regularly. You can google such recommendations, but some are posted also somewhere on this forum.

Good luck! Mainly; don't give it up! Finding the appropriate psychiatric medication is, unfortunately, always done by trial and error, but often it can 

[kiki24]

Thank you very much LaLa! i will try to bring it up again to my psychiatrist, so that she can maybe point out to me other possible medication or treatments!

[LaLa]

You're welcome, K. I hope she'll be open to discussion about the options - perhaps you'll need to be more assertive and show more interest (sometimes it happens that doctors are not motivated enough to explain everything properly  ),  perhaps - if she'll be of no help even after some time - it will be better to see another psychiatrist. But I hope it won't take much time and you'll feel better relatively soon... In the meantime, feel free to share your concerns, problems and questions here  .

[IrmaJean]

Talk therapy combined with medication can be helpful. Working with a therapist to learn coping skills, gain self-awareness, and cultivate self-compassion might be beneficial. Self-care is always very important too, I think. Try to be mindful of responses, feelings, and needs. Also, listen closely to self-talk.

This is a question that likely has no simple answers, though I wish it did. I think maybe what is effective may vary too according to a person's needs, temperament, attachment style, even different times in their lives..

Every day presents the opportunity to learn, I have found. It's an ongoing process. Challenging and painful at times for sure. I'm glad you reached out, kiki. I wish you healing and serenity.


 

[Victimorthecrime]

Hey Kiki when depression hits me I try to change my focus to what lies ahead and not behind and I engage to the extent that I am able in activities that bring me some measure of satisfaction.  Does it always work? - hell no but it's the best I've come up with.  

[kiki24]

Thank you all so much for your answers.
I have an appointment scheduled with my psychiatrist tomorrow, so we will discuss this matter and I will try as hard as i can to find a solution to this.

Thank you again, hope you are doing well

Kiki

[LaLa]

You're welcome, kiki! Good luck!  (And let us know how it went! ) 

[MAK KAME]

Anxiety and Depression are really life-threatening. People don't take it seriously but these can actually lead you to suicide. I had been combating depression for many years. The suffering, the ignorance, and feeling of low self-esteem is so worse. I use to ground myself in my room for days and got totally anti-social. I was recommended alternate therapy to cope up with my anxiety and depression. Since last year I'm better than before. It's not easy to get rid of something once you are in it. I know Drug addiction can be life-threatening. Never stop using a drug all of sudden. Your body is immune and used to getting a particular dosage of that drug so stopping it can cause major withdrawal symptoms and is very uncomfortable. That is why I didn't rely on opioids for my treatment. I read how experts appreciate alternate treatments for coping up with depression and I took that. Trust me I am much better than before. In fact back to normal. Raise your head, man up, and combat this depression.
 

[Victimorthecrime]

19 hours ago, MAK KAME said:

I was recommended alternate therapy

What was the alternative therapy? What did it consist of?  

[MAK KAME]

On 2/20/2021 at 3:59 PM, Victimorthecrime said:

What was the alternative therapy? What did it consist of?  

Dear, read this article there is detailed guideline about alternate therapies.
https://ezcareclinic.com/methods-to-cope-with-anxiety/

[Victimorthecrime]

@MAK KAME thanks I read & saved the link.  I would add to the list to just make your own philosophy that helps you. That’s what I’ve done and at least helps me survive.

Hope all is well 🙂