Thread: Do antidepressants work?

Okay, well I don't like those. They turn you into a robot.

Originally Posted by CoLd BlooDed

Okay, well I don't like those. They turn you into a robot.

Yeah, I can't stand them either. I don't even like caffeine. I have really bad ADD, and my mother tried for many years to talk me into getting on ADD medicine. I tried a few different types and refused to stay on them. It would suck going through life on those drugs. Some people like them, but I don't.

On the subject of antidepressants...

saw the latest issue of Time magazine here in States has a big PILL on the cover and it reads ~ "The Military's Secret Weapon" - and what are they talking about?

Prozac!

As in giving it to soldiers....

You can read it here on the Time.com website.

Originally Posted by BenQ

On the subject of antidepressants...

saw the latest issue of Time magazine here in States has a big PILL on the cover and it reads ~ "The Military's Secret Weapon" - and what are they talking about?

Prozac!

As in giving it to soldiers....

You can read it here on the Time.com website.

Prozac is exactly the medicine that stopped me from committing suicide, twice.

My friend has a whole bunch at his house, I'm going to take some tomorrow just to see what it's like. I'm doubtful if it'll actually do anything except replenish some serotonin I've skimmed down over the years...

Originally Posted by CoLd BlooDed

My friend has a whole bunch at his house, I'm going to take some tomorrow just to see what it's like. I'm doubtful if it'll actually do anything except replenish some serotonin I've skimmed down over the years...

Most anti-depressant medications require long term use to have any effect. Taking some random, unprescribed pills only once will have little to no effect on you. If you want a quick boost of serotonin, have sex or smoke some pot.

Originally Posted by Sekhmet

Most anti-depressant medications require long term use to have any effect. Taking some random, unprescribed pills only once will have little to no effect on you. If you want a quick boost of serotonin, have sex or smoke some pot.

Pot boosts serotonin? It could have fooled me.

Well, I did it yesterday, and at the time it didn't really affect me. Then I blazed after school and I was hit so unbelievably hard it was embarrasing. Couldn't think or talk. Really weird, I think Prozac takes your tolerance down a few notches.

I tried to find any articles published anywhere (trustworthy or not) that stated that antidepressants cause pedophilia and was unable to find anything. However, that doesn't mean they aren't out there, just hard to find. I did find several articles discussing TREATING pedophilia with antidepressants.

Two types of treatment still being investigated are antiandrogens, which reduce male sex hormone levels, and medications that increase serotonin, such as fluoxetine (Prozac).

Intensity of sex drive is not consistently related to the behavior of paraphiliacs and high levels of circulating testosterone do not predispose a male to paraphilias. Hormones such as medroxyprogesterone acetate and cyproterone acetate decrease the level of circulating testosterone thereby reducing sex drive and aggression. These hormones reduce the frequency of erections, sexual fantasies, and initiations of sexual behaviors including masturbation and intercourse. Hormones are typically used in tandem with behavioral and cognitive treatments. Antidepressants such as fluoxetine have also successfully decreased sex drive but have not effectively targeted sexual fantasies.

The above quote is from the web site psychology today: http://psychologytoday.com/conditions/pedophilia.html
The article on pedophilia goes on to state that the causes of pedophilia are not clear, but it may be genetic and it may be caused by sexual abuse in childhood.

I found several articles talking about the effeciveness of anitdepressants. Even a quick search shows that they ARE somewhat effective.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors. A review of antidepressant effectiveness

F. Quitkin, A. Rifkin and D. F. Klein

Data from double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors show that phenelzine is clearly effective in neurotic or atypical depressives, but the findings concerning its effect in endogenous depressives are inconclusive. Although few controlled studies have been done with tranylcypromine, similar conclusions are warranted.

The above quote states that some antidepressants are "clearly effective" in treating some kinds of depression. This quote came from a study of only the MAO type antidepressant. The quote came from The Archives of General Psychiatry at this link:
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/con...tract/36/7/749

Are Antidepressants Effective?
They're Just Slightly More Effective Than Dummy Pills, Research Shows
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD

July 10, 2002 -- In the 14 years since they hit the market, Prozac, Paxil, and the other SSRIs have changed the face of depression treatment. Some 7 million Americans now take the antidepressant drugs for everything from generalized anxiety to PMS, but there is growing evidence that their effectiveness may be more marketing hype than miracle cure.

The latest scientific study to weigh in on the subject finds that the antidepressants worked only marginally better than placebos in a group of studies submitted to the FDA. Study participants taking the dummy pills had approximately 80% of the response seen in patients taking one of the six most widely prescribed antidepressants.

Lead researcher Irving Kirsch, PhD, tells WebMD that in many of the studies, while the difference between drug and placebo was significant from a statistical standpoint, it did not represent a significant difference for patients. His study appears July 15 in the American Psychological Association's electronic publication, Prevention and Treatment.

"We are not saying that people don't respond to these medications," says Kirsch, who is a psychology professor at the University of Connecticut. "On the contrary, the response is very large, and that is why there has been this so-called revolution in the treatment of depression. The catch is that the response to placebo is almost as large."

...(I removed a bit here that has no bearing on the overall tone of the article)

Kirsh and colleagues pooled data from roughly 40 studies of six SSRIs that won FDA approval between 1987 and 1999. The drugs included Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, and Serzone. All of the studies compared depression relief among patients treated with the SSRIs with those given placebos. The patients were not told which treatment they were getting, and both groups improved. Using a standardized 50-point depression scale, the pooled results showed that patients treated with antidepressants had a 10-point improvement, while those given placebos improved by 8 points.

Kirsch concedes that the design of the placebo-controlled studies may mask the true effectiveness of the antidepressants and overstate the effectiveness of the placebos. But he adds that the finding also clearly suggests that too many people are relying on unproven drugs to treat the symptoms of depression.

This states basically that antidepressants DO work, but only about 20% better than a placebo. This came from the web site WebMD. The link is here:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/news...ants-effective

Yes it is true that antidepressants can increase suicide in the young. It is also true that a depressed person who was previously too bogged down to kill themselves will sometimes feel well enough EARLY in antidepressant treatment (and not yet well enough to not feel suicidal) that they will kill themselves rather than wait for full effect and the end of their depression. Both of these things are generally stated in the information that is given to a patent when they get their antidepressant prescription filled at a pharmacy. This is why it is important when a person first goes on antidepressants to be careful and watch for any signs that they may harm themselves.

However, I feel that the article was overly sensationalized, made untrue statements, generalizations, and used fear to pretty much tell a lie that is easily discredited with a few web searches.

In my own experience with mental illness antidepressants can work. Not every type will work for everyone. They are not perfect, but they are getting better. In the 15+ years that I have personally dealth with mental illness antidepressants have drastically improved. The side effects have gotten easier to deal with and not as common, and the effectiveness has improved.

Do I think they are over prescribed? Yes, especially to the young. I think they shouldn't be the first choice when dealing with mild to moderate depression. Exercize, counseling, vitamins, and life changes can all do wonders for mild to moderate depression.

But when it comes to soul-crushing sever depression, especially with suicidal feelings, I think they are a powerful and apropriate tool for healing.

Antidepressants don't adress the whole issue of depression. They can help the chemicals in the brain to work better, but without some changes they are not going to cause a "complete cure." I think anyone with depression would be wise (and feel better) if they exercize; talk about their feelings (not just to a counseler); and change things in their life to allow for more happiness, enjoyment, and fun.

After the experience I had last night, I felt compelled to return here and dig up this old thread.

I dated a girl for 7 years. Last December, we broke up and I hadn't heard from her until about a month ago. The last 2-3 years of our relationship were total hell for both of us, but we stuck through it anyway. So after making a break from her, I was more than happy to never see her again for the rest of my life.

So after a month of ignoring her, I got a letter in the mail. Telling me that she had been diagnosed with severe depression, and she's had a chemical imbalance for basically her entire life. She's been on anti-depressants for the last 5 weeks, and last night at 1am was the first time I've seen her in 7 months, but it may as well have been for the first time in my life.

She's totally different. I've never seen her so happy. She was positively GLOWING, even her hair was brighter, it was amazing. I tried everything I could think of to make her happy over the years and nothing worked, I convinced myself that she just hated happiness and enjoyed being miserable. It's nothing short of a complete and utter transformation, I was floored. She smiles, she laughs, she actually has a sense of humor now. She's a real human being for the first time in her life and she feels like she's been reborn.

I wasn't a believer in anti-depressants until last night. I've known her too long, and know her too well, to know that she couldn't fake what I saw in her eyes last night.

The damn pills work.

Originally Posted by Alextanium with pro-life active solution

She's totally different. I've never seen her so happy. She was positively GLOWING, even her hair was brighter, it was amazing. I tried everything I could think of to make her happy over the years and nothing worked, I convinced myself that she just hated happiness and enjoyed being miserable. It's nothing short of a complete and utter transformation, I was floored. She smiles, she laughs, she actually has a sense of humor now. She's a real human being for the first time in her life and she feels like she's been reborn

Said Jessica Simpson. Upon reading this I thought you've got to be kidding me. I instantly recognized we could all have clear skin with pro-active. Alextanium it was just like this commercial only more exaggerated and lame. Even your entire post looks like something she wrote. I actually herd her voice when I was reading the words and it was utterly glowing. For the first time in your life you were a real human being telling a real story and I was positively floored.

Originally Posted by Minervas Phoenix

Said Jessica Simpson. Upon reading this I thought you've got to be kidding me. I instantly recognized we could all have clear skin with pro-active. Alextanium it was just like this commercial only more exaggerated and lame. Even your entire post looks like something she wrote. I actually herd her voice when I was reading the words and it was utterly glowing. For the first time in your life you were a real human being telling a real story and I was positively floored.

Except he wasn't selling anything? You sound very moved by the story. Stop caring so much about fixing depression.

Jessica Simpson is pretty hot, but a bit bland.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Except he wasn't selling anything? You sound very moved by the story. Stop caring so much about fixing depression.

Originally Posted by Serkat

Jessica Simpson is pretty hot, but a bit bland.

How bout Jessica alba

Originally Posted by Alextanium

I wasn't a believer in anti-depressants until last night. I've known her too long, and know her too well, to know that she couldn't fake what I saw in her eyes last night.

The damn pills work.

This was the response of Alextanium the alleged non believer of anti-depressants. One of many responses to the thread in which he passionately debates the effectiveness of the drugs before his story of the cured girlfriend appeared.

Originally Posted by Alextanium

This thread is the reason why you shouldn't let your children play with lead-painted toys from China.

In future, provide a real source or just keep your mouth shut. Better to have people think you might be an idiot, than open your mouth and remove all doubt.

I think Jessica Alba looks like someone mashed her face up when she was 5. Not cool.

Lol, the dad in the video has a hilariously low voice. He sounds like they anonymized it.

I should have articulated that better. I wasn't a believer in a 100% turn around in mood and attitude across the board, as other anti-depressant users I know are very hot/cold people. They're moods still swing rather quickly and while a difference in them is noticeable, it is not total or complete.

This girl on the other hand, is a 180-about-face. I've never seen anything like it.

And I couldn't care less if you don't believe me Minerva, because you're clearly a bitch

Universal Mind you changed your avatar to dice just when I found the 60's twirl Dr evil background and it finally made sense then you had to change your swirl.

my friend took anti-depressants

I noticed no significant changes

you shouldn't ignore the placebo test. really ask yourself why it only worked 20% better. for a while my friend was happy to be taking drugs, because it gave her the comfort that this means she would be better. just imagine, if you were suffering from anxiety, wouldn't the comfort of knowing you are going to get better, make you feel better?

its like telling a kid you are going to give him a lucky shoe to make him run fast. chemical imbalance? these words still ignore the question of why the imbalance was there to begin with. we are still dealing with a psychological issue.

what is it like to feel nothing in this world can possibly make you better, but a magical pill? then your own belief has created the outcome, nothing will make you better that magical pill.

why didn't the pill work so nicely for my friend? the truth is, she was a bit skeptical it would work. some change. not magical. just like she imagined it would be. and has admitted that having a pet to snuggle with had more positive results.

if you understand why we do placebo tests, then you understand that the human mind in its own right does create its own problems, and solutions. that belief is powerful and does affect our chemical balances. we can't ignore this forever. I'm happy to see that the pill has helped people out of the darkness. But I'm not happy to see them so dependent on the pill that they believe they can never be a happy and normal functioning human with out it. We are doing them an injustice by not looking further into the cause and roots and true cure of depression, where the person is free.

They might as well just sell it over the counter. Because if you say the magic words :IM DEPRESSED they will give it to you like candy. They seriously need to stop exploiting it so much. Good thing it isnt use to get high or something like that. Well you probably can ............

Yet this probably isnt the place for telling people to stop exploiting a drug.

Prepare for defense

Originally Posted by juroara

my friend took anti-depressants

I noticed no significant changes

Not all antidepressants work on all depressed people.

Originally Posted by juroara

you shouldn't ignore the placebo test.

There is something to the placebo effect, especially with anxiety. However, antidepressants have pulled people out of the depths of depressions way too deep to be handled by a simple placebo. Some people have serotonin imbalances and other imbalances for whatever reasons at a given time, and certain antidepressants can pull them out of the abyss and make them healthy and happy again. The differences can be overwhelming.

The fact is that some depressions are completely chemical in nature, and another fact is that certain antidepressants can get brain chemistry balanced back out.

Originally Posted by Halocuber

They might as well just sell it over the counter. Because if you say the magic words :IM DEPRESSED they will give it to you like candy. They seriously need to stop exploiting it so much. Good thing it isnt use to get high or something like that. Well you probably can ............

Yet this probably isnt the place for telling people to stop exploiting a drug.

Prepare for defense

?

If you say the magic words :IM DEPRESSED they will give it to you like candy

The kind that pops in your mouth costs a bit extra though because of it's crackle. Which need a few extra ingredients. Stay away from the lollipops they make you really angry and suicidal unless you get your hands on another one. That's only if they are blue. Red ones just give you a migraine. They also make you want to start smoking. While is entirely bizarre. But you know you're sick you have to take something. The doctor will prescribe these lollipops especially to children. As long as you let them inject them with some disease first. You need to make a few sacrifices to stay healthy. Drugs are a part of that.

Originally Posted by Half/Dreaming

Depression is a result of life events that cause a chemical imbalance..

Well.. from a UK perspective, that's not strictly true. What you're referring to is known over here as Clinical Depression, which is distinct from other types such as Treatment-Resistant Chronic Severe Depression.

I've read two sweeping statements in this thread:

1) Antidepressants don't work;

2) Antidepressants do work.

Neither of these statements rings true to me. Anecdotal evidence suggests that for some people, number 2) is true, but I would suggest not for everybody..

Otherwise, "Treatment-Resistant Chronic Severe Depression" would not exist. Those who suffer this horrendous condition would surely concur with number 1), but it surely is subjective.

Of course, one can never eradicate fully the "Placebo Effect" either.