I (F20) have depression and undiagnosed adhd (adult adhd doesn’t exist in my country). I believe my depression was caused by the lack of treatment and educational accommodations for my adhd. So I’ve been on 20mg Escitalopram (Lexapro) for about a year, ever since I almost kms, then I switched to some other SSRI for about a week but immediately got bad side effects and my psychiatrist decided to let me quit SSRIs altogether, but keep some other “mood stabilizing pills” (perphenazine, valporate).
It’s been more than a month since then and my mood has been way better than before, my IBS went away and I stopped being super sleepy and became more productive.
What the hell is happening? Aren’t pills supposed to make you feel better?
(Tho they definitely saved me in the beginning. If you are considering going on medication I say go for it.)
Here is a cat for any kind stranger who decides to answer to my questions:
This is strictly my own experience, your mileage may vary. I’ve been on the SSRI fluoxetine (a.k.a. Prozac) for a long time now and it feels to me like it (at least when it’s not combined with other meds) dials down the intensity of all my emotions, positive or negative. If you’re in a situation where your negative emotions are strong enough to put you in danger, I can see how that would be a worthwhile trade-off. It also has the effect of making me sleepier / more lethargic.
Thanks