Day 3 on antidepressant.. no effect seen yet..

FlyingSquirrel · Senior Member

Day 3 on antidepressant.. no effect seen yet..

happycamper · MIP Old Timer

I believe its in the BB that talks about God supplying us with good docs .

It has been my experience with myself as well as a current sponsee having used meds to combat depression never worked.

A cause of relapse is trying to use the program to fix everything ?? Hmm, that doesnt sound quite right to me. Im the cause of any relapse I might have. No program, pill, person, book , etc, makes me drink but me.

I am not a doctor and dont claim to be one either. I believe that certain ppl are in need of meds for diff reasons. I do know several diff doctors who are so very quick to write the script for meds cuz lets face it, drugs make money for ppl be them script or street drugs.

I am very thankful to know that for myself there is no magic pill that will cure any depression I might suffer. I have used practically all of them in the past, and all they did was treat a symptom , they were never a solution.

The only solution I have found that works IS the solution offered in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous where I found God and it is He who keeps me happy on a regular basis and that only happens when I rely on Him and seek His guidance.

TwelveSteps · Senior Member

I've been on Celexa for a few years now (20mg) and it works really well for me (especially now that I'm not sabotaging its effectiveness with booze) with a minimum of side effects. But it will definitely take a couple of weeks to feel any effect, especially if you are gradually increasing the dose. Hang in there!

GG

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

Squirrel,
I too have had to use antidepressants for years at a time to help with the chemical imbalance I seem to have. Enough doctors and personal experience have told me that I have one (imbalance), so I ceased fighting the idea that "Gee, maybe I need medical help along ith AA".

I dunno about you, but every time I put alcohol or a drug to my lips/nose, I was PHYSICALLY DESTROYING pathways within the normal feel-good centers of my brain. I did this for decades. Little wonder I don't "operate" with a full deck when it comes to normal, everyday "mood" issues. And the type of alcoholic I am, I just can't.... CAN'T always function to maximum capacity program-wise without having the biological/scientific/biochemical part of me straightened out first. Goes hand in hand, for this alkie.

You are right in that today's antidepressants are no "quick fix", and that it will take time. And your doc may find that you need to change to something else, or add something on top of that down the road. But I GET IT, when you said you are "too depressed" to exercise and eat better and so forth, and for a person with depression, asking for outside help is a great starting point, and I commend you!!

I was on Celexa for 4 and a half years, some years ago when it was a "newish" drug. It did what it was supposed to for a few years. Then either my life changed or my body/brain changed and I no longer found it effective. Have been on other combos in past years, but today I am on nothing, but that is subject to change at any time because I have the willingness to let it be known if I get to a point where I again need pharmacological help. And as before, and as you did, I will let a doctor know and let him make that call for me. I do know that I will certainly not allow anyone in or out of AA give me medical advice.

If medication isn't the "solution" for depression or alcoholism or whatever else, well it sure as hell helps a lot of people both in and out of AA, to have the motivation and the energy and sanity to FIND "the solution". Asking for help as you did shows your strength, and is not a weakness. Remember that.

In full support,
Joni

ferrisdp · Senior Member

For many depression is a chemical imbalance that is corrected through the use of medication. While other things like diet, excercise and working this great program can help, for some more is needed. I've been on Lexapro for about 6 months now and it's changed my life. My mother and sister are on it as well and they both have seen very positive results (they are not alcoholics). I am also on an anti-anxiety drug (non-benzo) and am very happy with it. I firmly believe this, along with working the program have helped me to stay sober. Would I have been successful without these? I don't know and at this point don't want to find out.

Aquaman · MIP Old Timer

I take citalopram daily. Have been for almost two years now. It takes a few days for the effects to fully take hold.

The worst of my symptoms was suicidal obsession. That was gone within 4 days. The lesser symptoms; the "why bothers" and the irrational thought patterns took a little longer.

Hang in there. Joni's right; seeking help was HUGE, especially "in-time".

Peace,
Rob

kld47 · Senior Member

I know how you feel. I was on Xanax for 2 months, 4 months ago and man what a difference coming off of it. I would rather be on this then valium.

Mostly need it at night--I have kept getting these weird zen like dreams, and over time some events have actually come true.

Due to things going on in my life right now I asked my doctor about being put back on it but in a lower dose. I am on a low dose, but cut it in half.

happinessisawarmgun · Veteran Member

Takes about a month to kick in

FlyingSquirrel · Senior Member

happycamper wrote:

A cause of relapse is trying to use the program to fix everything ?? Hmm, that doesnt sound quite right to me. Im the cause of any relapse I might have.

Actually technically the name of the book is "12 Stupid Things That Mess Up Recovery" so I guess it doesn't necessarily mean it is a cause of relapse -- you can avoid a drinking relapse but still mess up your recovery. That particular chapter was actually called "Using the Program to Handle Everything". The introduction to that chapter reads,

"No one can handle every personal issue with their program. Needing help is not an indication that something is wrong with our program. The truth is quite the contrary: Recognizing our need for additional help is an indication that we are working a good program."

happycamper wrote:

The only solution I have found that works IS the solution offered in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous where I found God and it is He who keeps me happy on a regular basis and that only happens when I rely on Him and seek His guidance.

I appreciate that and I'm glad it works for you. However it reminds me of the story of the man who was in a house and a flood was coming - he refused to leave when someone came to his door with a warning about the flood, saying that God would take care of him. Then when the water rose, a boat came by and he again refused help, saying that God would save him. Finally he was up on the roof and a helicopter came by, and he again refused help for the same reason. Eventually he drowned, went to Heaven and asked God why He hadn't saved him. God said, "I sent a car, a boat and a helicopter, what more do you want?"

Also something else that has stuck with me is, when in doubt, you should rely on the A.A. approved literature -- all of it, not just the Big Book -- and so I did read the one called "The A.A. Member - Medications & Other Drugs", http://aaportercounty.org/documents/p-11_aamembers.pdf

A couple of excerpts:

"3. No A.A. Member Plays Doctor" is a big one for me, and I'll certainly be trying to live up to that one myself.

"However, some alcoholics require medication... At the same time that we recognize this dangerous tendency to readdiction, we also recognize that alcoholics are not immune to other diseases. Some of us have had to cope with depressions that can be suicidal ... A.A. members and many of their physicians have described situations in which depressed patients have been told by A.A.s to throw away the pills, only to have depression return with all its difficulties, sometimes resulting in suicide ... Unfortunately, by following a layman's advice, the sufferers find that their conditions can return with all their previous intensity. On top of that, they feel guilty because they are convinced that 'A.A. is against pills.' "

This is A.A. approved literature. One other thing I always keep in mind is that final cautionary message at the end of the Big Book: "God will constantly disclose more to you and to us." I think He has done so, since the first publishing of that book in 1939.

I say all these things, not necessarily to defend my rightness -- because this is only an experiment, and I recognize that I could be wrong about needing antidepressants -- or to show you up, because we each have a different experience with this program; but simply to give you more information that you may not have already seen up to now, and let you make your own decision about it with regard to the way you might choose to respond (or not respond) to someone who is either taking or considering taking antidepressants.

-- Edited by FlyingSquirrel on Friday 6th of August 2010 10:08:07 PM

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

I have heard this story too, and my GOD I love it. I am glad you mentioned it again, it is something I want to share with my AA friends regarding ANY form of "asking for help". Thanks for posting it!

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Is this deja vu of did you have another thread or post about this pamphlet?

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

it will take up to 6 weeks to work FS

FlyingSquirrel · Senior Member

StPeteDean wrote:

Is this deja vu of did you have another thread or post about this pamphlet?

I posted the link on another thread discussing meds

http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=42735&p=3&topicID=37312582

leeu · MIP Old Timer

The time it takes to "work" varies with the dose and the individual. The average may be 4-6 weeks but in my case, would you believe less than 48 hours? Like flipping a switch.

I have tried to get back into denial...that I don't need the chemical help and each time I was proven horribly wrong. I don't fight it anymore, I just thank God that we have medications that make the difference between life and death.

If this one isn't the right one for your brain, be patient and work with your doc to try a different one. Celexa makes me, and keeps me, sane--but it makes my friend crazy---these medications are not one-shoe-fits-all. Zoloft makes her sane--me, I kept hearing the voice of my dead mother! Go figure.

Celexa was prescribed for me by an addiction and recovery MD psychiatric specialist because it has properties that seem to best target the neurotransmitters involved in alcoholism/addiction as well as those involved with depression/anxiety etc., compared to other formulas.