quote:Originally posted by Buttercup:quote:.
ms. wonka,
I would never wish for you (or anyone) to take your own life. If you've tried other options and they don't work, then certainly you should take anti-depressants and stay alive.
I have done research on the chemical causes of depression, low serotonin levels, etc., because I've had issues with depression too. I took an anti-depressant for several months and, yes, it leveled me out but it also dulled what I think is the best part of me: my creative side. And it didn't make the underlying cause of the depression go away because I wasn't dealing with it.
So then I started doing my own research about the long-term use of anti-depressants. They are drugs, you know, and all drugs come with risks to your organs, but I won't get into that. You're smart and can research it for yourself.
I finally made myself face what was causing my depression. I had serious trust issues because of a horrible step-father. So I talked to someone who helped me straighten it all out, got myself some very good books to read on alternatives to drug therapy, became a vegetarian and started exercising and basically stopped worrying about the future and the past.
I'm not saying that will work for everyone; it obviously won't for you. I'm just saying there are too many people relying on pills for too long and NOT EVEN LOOKING at other methods; I thought my earlier post cleared that up.
Some of these people need to do something as simple as turning off their t.v. and computer because all the negativity - from 24 hour news, etc. - can get to those who aren't equipped to handle it and that alone can cause depression.
Do you not think anti-depressants are over-prescribed in many cases? Do you really think everyone who's on them really needs to be taking them?
Not bad, I could not agree more about meds being over prescribed and to think I had you pegged as one of those "there's a pill for everything" types. I once followed the advice of a counselor and allowed one of my sons to be put on medication for ADD, sure it calmed him down and he did a better job of concentrating on the tasks at hand but at the same time my witty, funny, and very smart son was gone too. Long story short, I took him off the meds. After taking him off the meds he was back to his old self and I just whipped the hyperactivity out him (sorry I had to throw that in somewhere) not really, I just learned to embrace the good with the bad because the bad was not all that bad and the good is awesome. Growing up he just learned to deal with it and has grown into a well adjusted (although somewhat flakey) adult without having to be on meds.
You seem somewhat kinda alright for a liberal vegetarian.