I have sold antidepressants for a pharmaceutical company for many years. The changes they have made in some patients lives are remarkable. The key to success is having therapy along with medication. None of these drugs are a magic bullet. It takes a complete plan of sessions with a professional and medications together. Depression is a disease of the neurotransmitters in the brain and sometimes it takes trying different medications until you get one that works for you. For anyone to minimize the impact of depression does not have a good understanding of the problem.

By Michael on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:39PM

All I have to say is be careful with the antidepressants listed above! VERY careful! I was treated for years for depression and took each and every one of those medications at some point but got worse. When I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder and put on lamictal, the light at the end of the tunnel became apparent! Those meds up there are the WORST thing a bipolar person can take....antidepressants- "agitate" a person out of their depression- however, it creates pure bedlam in bipolar people because we are already agitated.
Please ask your de because I wish someone had found me out sooner- spare yourself many years of agony- I wish I could have!

By Julie on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:41PM

ive suffered with major depression my entire life.i ve seen doctors since i was 9 years old.the only thing keeping me alive is a combination of prozac and zyprexa,the drugs main side effects are weight gain,but without them i probably wouldnt be here.i highly recomened drug thereapy.give the drugs about 3 months to work.you will feel much better!:)

By rory on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:45PM

CAROL IS RIGHT. I HAVE LOST ALMOST EVERYBODY AT AGE 46, AND THE ANTI DEPRESSANT I USE IS A MILD VALIUM. I STAY ON MY FEET WITH IT. I PRAY FOR CAROL TO GET ANY HAPPINESS SHE CAN. DEPRESSION IS A STRUGGLE.

By Dona Cross on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:44PM

My doctor put my on zoloft because I told him I was struggling with depression at times but I honestly felt like an old stump after I started taking it ...I was in a cloud most of the time and my husband said it was very hard trying to communicate with me. I threw the medicine away and haven't told my doctor yet because I don't want to go thru any more different kinds of antidepressants. Don't know what the answer is for sure.

By Bmarsh on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:43PM

Hello,
I have been fighting depression since I was 6 and 32 years later it was discovered that I did not have severe clinical depression but I was Bi-Polar. What a relief!! I saw a therapist & physicalogist and my medication is finally in balance. They many never know what truly causes depression but if medications help ease you, either temporary or life lasting treatment, at least you have the courage to know you have a problem and asked for help! Taking anti-depressant medications does not make you a drug addict (comment by tommy about) - no more than high blood pressure medicine, birth control, pills for diabetes, migranes, etc... They were created to help when you ask or can not do it on your own.

By Mary Hughes on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:48PM

Carol... please accept my condolences on your losses. I can't imagine losing my husband and parents around the same time. How horrible for you. You might look into some grief counseling to help you through this unbelievably difficult time in your life.

There is a difference between situational depression that is caused by life circumstances, depression that is caused by an organic chemical imbalance, and depression that is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. People who have an organic chemical imbalance need medication to support the right level of neurotransmitters that affect mood, motivation, memory, and other things that are affected by depression. (Remember that depression is not just sadness.) Sometimes we can be predisposed to depression and have it come on as a result of a life event or poor lifestyle choices. I believe that I fall into that category. I am currently weaning myself from antidepressants because, although they do help to stabalize my affective state, they make me so tired and spaced out that I cannot function. This has happened with Effexor XR and Lexapro. On the other hand, Wellbutrin made me feel like I was about to jump through my skin, and it gave me strange muscle spasms and visualizations.

I'm going to try to get daily exercise and eat a healthier diet that is rich in vegetables and fruits. I have no evidence that this works, but looking back on my life, I have been happiest when I have been active and healthy. I currently get no exercise and live on fatty, processed foods. Hopefully an extreme change in lifestyle will help me to feel more like myself.

Good luck to everybody in finding their own best solution. It truly is an individual choice that each person must make, based upon their own circumstances. I would never judge someone for choosing medication, therapy, vitamins, exercise, or whatever works for them!!!

By Sarah on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:47PM

I'VE BEEN ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE TRIED MANY MANY DRUGS. I HAVE HAD SIDE EFFECTS FROM ALL OF THEM. SOME WERE SEVERE SOME NOT SO BAD. BUT THE THING IS I HAD THEM. AND THEY DON'T GO AWAY UNLESS YOU STOP THEM. I AM PRESENTLY ON PROZAC AND IT IS WORKING SOMEWHAT. I AM ON A VERY SMALL DOSAGE. I STILL HAVE MY UPS AND DOWNS. I AM ALSO ON KLONAPIN OR MY ANXIETIES. MOST OF MY PROBLEMS ARE WITH FEARS. WHETHER IT BE GETTING THINGS DONE IN THE HOUSE BY A CERTAIN TIME, THE KIDS, OR FEAR OF DYING OR GETTING SOME INCURABLE DISEASE. I STILL HAVE MY DAYS, BUT SOME ARE GOOD. I ALWAYS PRAY THAT SOMEDAY I'LL BE A HAPPY PERSON. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I'M NOT. THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN MY LIFE MOSTLY WITH MY HUSBAND THAT DOESN'T HELP MY SITUATION.

By DEBBIE on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:46PM

Dear Dona. Valium is not an antidepressant. It is a depressant. It will not lift your mood. Rather, it will sedate you into not caring about your life circumstances.

By Sarah on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:47PM

St. Johns Wort worked form me but
now I can't find anyone who carries
it in my area.

By notpc4u on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:47PM

I also have had depression through out my life and now @ the age 49 it has hit like a hurricane. Chemical changes I do believe have alot to do with the symptoms on a daily basis. Every day I struggle, waiting for the night to come, Lexapro does help along with counseling...childhood experiences are a big part of my troubles.

By donna on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:48PM

Meds vs holistic: there is no black and white, one answer for everyone. I've been struggling with depression on and off all my life. I'm in my 40's. The last time, it was determined that I am unable to effectively absorb B12 (vitamin) and that caused my depression. But that was not the only source of my depression. There was sexual assault, physical abuse and other reasons. I never dealt with any of it, and it had to surface as depression. So, don't poo-poo the vitamin theory. It's just as real as any other real source of depression. There isn't just one. Whatever it is, get help. Give it a fair chance to work and if it doesn't, tell your doctor, your therapist, and move on to another way of dealing with it. Good luck!

By Zoe on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:49PM

I have taken amitryptiline for IBS since 1983. I have taken Wellbutrin and Buspar for anxiety and depression since 1994.I also took Diovan for hypertension. I came upon a website called doctoryourself.com about 6 weeks ago. I have taken no medicine for 6 weeks and feel the best I have since probably since birth. I take 5mg NADH and 500mg niacin daily; I have taken several other vitamins for years, but those two are the only additions along with celery extract for hypertension. Investigate the website; I never would have believed freedom from the medicines was possible

By bob on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:54PM

I've suffered from depression for years. It is hereditary. My mother and my mother's mother suffered from it also. Until you have actually suffered from it, you don't understand. I didn't until it hit me. It comes in all forms. Some depression is temporary caused by life events. It may pass and it may not. For some, it is a "chemical imbalance." It is unfortunate how society has labeled those who may suffer from mental depression. The best way it was put to me from a doctor which helped me to not be afraid to tell people I suffer from it is the brain is an organ...just like the heart. You have a heart attack, you change your diet, exercise and yes, typically you are put on a medication for the rest of your life. Depression is the same thing...my brain doesn't always function properly and exercise, diet and YES, medication all make a difference. Unfortunately, the downside is, there aren't many tests or enough study to "cure" someone. There is no cure. For those of you who have tried medications and find they don't work...don't give up, keep going to your doctor and push them to find a type of medication or a dose that works. They are also finding that sometimes every few months the type or dose needs to be change (yes, even a lower dose). They are finding people will do good for a few months and it seems to wear off. So you have to change. It is frustrating and it is a tough road and some weeks, it hits you and you just have to know it will pass. It sucks and it is a horrible disease but don't be ashamed of it. Sometimes talking to a professional helps also. And yes, just like the meds, you can't just do it once and you are all better. You have to stick with it and sometimes go see a different doc because you definitely have to find someone you feel comfortable with. For those of you who suffer, I know what it is like...I truly truly do. Sometimes the most simple decisions cannot be made when you are in the "funk". Get help, whatever form you choose and don't give up on it and if it doesn't work, try something else.

By T on Aug 13th 2007 at 8:06PM

There is not just one cure for everyone that is depressed. Each one of us is different and how we deal with our depression is also different. For some it could be a matter of going to a spa and using vitamins, althought, I personally don't see how that would work for me. I deal with my level of depression, going to counselling, and taking medication as prescibed. I get out of the house, when I would prefer to stay in, I force myself to do things like write this comment, I exercise, when I find no joy in it, but know that it is the thing to do. I hope to one day over come this darkness that I live in, before it over shadows me. People who don't live with depression, always seems to know whats best. They make comments to me all the time about what I should be doing and what I have going for me if I would just over come this depression. Some come up with their great solutions but they never really understand why those solutions will not work unless the person who is sick, is somewhere in their mind where they can accept that particular solution. I have been in group situations where one of the patients come in and said that he was leaving to go experience being a budda for 6 months. When he came back from that experience he was much better and slowing getting off medication. So, it's like I have said everyone is different. Some of us luck out and find something that will help to take away the darkness and some of us continue to go to counselling and take our medication so that we may continue to walk around this earth.

By sis1oftwo on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:59PM

30% of the people diagnosed with major depression cannot be effectively treated with drugs (e.g., SSRI's, tricyclics, etc.). Exercise helps but is a limited remedy. Vitamins and herbal remedies have to be regarded with suspicion although St. John's Wort and myo-inositol may be helpful for some. After this, the only FDA-approved treatments are electro-convulsive treatment and vagus nerve stimulation. Other forms of treatment are in the experimental stage. Unfortunately, I am one of those who are "treat-resistant": I have a genetic predisposition to depression, and no amount of medication, exercise, vitamins, and carping about how I should change situations in my life is going to help. Frankly, I now just sit at home, watch TV, and wait to die. For that is the lot left to many of us.

By cresence on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:58PM

Spavelous....How about you don't use this as advertising for your website??? Vitamins and holistic medicine DO NOT fix everything.

By Jen on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:56PM

To the person who extolled limictal: this can be used as an adjunct to anti-depressants but is quite dangerous. 10% of the test populations receiving limictal experienced skin rashes, and the rashs proved fatal for 10% of that number. Limictal is a last resort, to be sued with extreme caution.

By cresence on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:58PM

I don't know whether drugs are the answer for everyone or not, but they pulled me out of it and like others have said, if you haven't been through it, you haven't got a clue. Maybe with me it is something in my life that brings it on, but if so, I don't know what it is; so drugs work for me. If Wellbutrin or Paxil or Prozac or any of the others work, then go for it. I may not have been suicidal, but I sure as heck found out how others can get to that point. Pop all the B-Complex you want and chant all day long or go cleanse your liver...good for you if any of that works. As for me, thank God for my doctor and Eli Lilly and the rest of the drug companies.

By pmastery on Aug 12th 2007 at 8:58PM

medical qigong has a form for releasing challenges past, present and future. i used to work in a jail with youth waiting trial for murder and it worked with even them. if you would like a copy of the bridge form. email at emiton1@aol.com. it requires time to learn but when it is mastered it works every time.

By jim on Aug 12th 2007 at 9:13PM