Psychiatrist Tells the Truth About Anti Depressants
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- Dr. Kanojia is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and cofounder of Healthy Gamer who now focusses full-time on creating mental health resources for young people.
More information from Dr. K on depression, anxiety, ADHD & meditation here: www.healthygamer.gg/about/guide
Work with a Healthy Gamer Coach: bit.ly/3RmksZU
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more here: wlo.link/@healthygamer
▼ Timestamps ▼
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00:00 - Preview
00:13 - Introduction
02:22 - Paper review
04:18 - Biological involvement
08:31 - Quick recap
11:08 - How serotonin works
13:42 - Efficacy of SSRIs
21:23 - Side effects
23:43 - Conclusion
25:12 - Questions
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All guests of Healthy Gamer are informed of the public, non-medical nature of the content and have expressly agreed to share their story.
I had no idea that depression was supposed to be episodic. In my experience it's simply a state of being. I can laugh, smile, work, flirt, workout, play video games, and listen to music all while remaining in a depressive state. In my case I would say that happiness is more episodic than depression.
In Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), there tends to be episodes (aka Major Depressive Episodes) which may or may not be triggered by an identifiable stressor. There is another diagnosis called Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD; also formerly called Dysthymia), in which people have chronic depressive symptoms for most days over a 2+ year period. Usually these symptoms do not reach the severity of a major depressive episode (which would match your description). People can have both MDD and PDD, which is sometimes called "Double Depression". First line treatment for both MDD and PDD is SSRIs + psychotherapy.
- Psychiatry resident
@@PTrey I have my doubts about taking medication. Even if I didn't I couldn't afford it anyway.
Really? I can only play video games and listen to music and it takes significant effort to do anything else
It sounds like dysthymia or "high-functioning deppression". That, or an underlying issue you haven't thought of yet.
I was always feeling pretty shit from teenage until recently, because I was struggling with everything to do with social performance and accomplishment. It didn't feel like I had a problem in social skills or accomplishments though. I was ambitious, made my friends laugh, and worked hard, I even thought I was smart. I just failed a lot in small things all the time, that made me constantly feel like a loser. That feeling disappeared when I learned about adhd, and how much I relate to it. Sometimes your feeling of "I suck in most things" is more than just a delusion. Your feelings could be telling you about something real. Or they could be a symptom of many different things.
So many things could make you feel like shit, that the 'shit feeling' is not necessarily the root issue.
@@caralho5237 this becomes difficult as well
Thanks for bringing up dual-diagnosis cases. So many people in my life tried to push me towards anti depressants even though they don’t work for me. Once I addressed my trauma in therapy my depression is virtually gone. I still get depressed for max 1 week at time about 2-3x year but my episodes are much shorter and way more manageable. I look at it now like an indication something needs adjustment in my life, meaning depression is not a “problem” for me it’s become a helpful reminder to check in on myself
That's amazing, thanks for sharing your experience. I hope to get to that point.
My depression is getting better now that I am working through my CPTSD in therapy.
That’s awesome! Sometimes we just need a healthy coping mechanism. What has worked in resolving the trauma? Is it the talking them out with a professional that address the issue?
Cheers bud.
hell yeah, good for you. rock on!
Sounds very healthy :) makes me a little more comfortable with my own episodes.
I’ve had chronic major depressive disorder (diagnosed) and General Anxiety Disorder (diagnosed) since i was 13, I’m now 28 and I’ve never known life without it since. On and off medications (6 different types over the years) and none of it worked, Prozac made me mentally numb and not care about anyone or anything else, as a result the anxiety was improved, but i still had Self-deletion ideation.
The closest I’ve gotten to finding happiness in the last 15 years was going to church and spending time in person with my best friend, which i no longer live near enough to hang out with.
I think we underestimate the power of forming healthy relationships and connecting to others.
Have you tried Opiates or Uppers?
Here are the people that saved me, whom I discovered in this order at the worst time (when it was either _make it or break it_ ), but YMMV and I don't know which did it and which didn't (all seemed to be part of it). If it can help you man, then I'm happy to pass that torch. All UA-cam channels unless specified.
- *The Perception Trainers PT* 🡪 any video that speaks to you, especially the old 10-15-20 minutes ones. This young woman is wise beyond her age. She's got a knack for reaching deep right where it hurts. I cried so much at first. It's liberating. I don't know what miracle made her be a real person, but she was the person I needed at my worst, and her magic worked right through the screen.
- *Infinite Waters (Diving Deep)* 🡪 I trust this man and time proved me right; beneath or beyond his style of delivery, his advice is sound (he's a trained psychologist initially, with so much more to offer). I find that simply going with his flow helps me emotionally and mentally, to this day. A soothing and positive figure if there ever was one online.
- *Bulldog Mindset* (formerly "Simple Programmer") 🡪 John is a super-nerdy guy who transformed in ways only seen in movies tbh). He put me on the path of philosophy, his reading suggestions (back in 2016 or so) got me to the next level, and helped me heal and grow immensely. He actually answers to many comments if you can find him at the right time. I will never be grateful enough for John.
- *Valuetainment* 🡪 Patrick Bet-David (PBD) has one hell of a story and there again, his reading list (seek the website to find it) is a gem. Look at his older & shorter videos aiming at building you, personally and professionally.
- *Tom Bilyeu "Impact Theory"* 🡪 if you want to push yourself really hard, his reading list is also great. Go to impacttheory .com 🡪 "Learn" menu 🡪 Reading list
The point is that only you can heal yourself, you have to become the expert at yourself and at life that no one else can ever be for you.
You also have to let go of any preconceived notion, any pre-made judgment, any preexisting bias about anything. Re-become naive again, even like a child computing the world for the first time; allow yourself the freedom to doubt, to rethink and re-feel things, to reform opinions, to reshape your inner world. Evidently, your ways haven't worked thus far if they led you here. So give yourself the right, the opportunity, the honor and joy to simply drop it. Let go. See what else you can be. It begins with changing your thoughts. I did it by letting go of all my beliefs and simply listening to these people and reading those books. First take it all in and just give it a try, see for yourself, most of it is innocuous good advice. Your critical thinking will kick back in once you're on your way and regain enough means to have options -until then, it's a tunnel, you just have to trust the process and go through one day at a time, one thing after another. The outside world is all new if you change the inside, because it's a different machine processing it, it's a new thing.
It's the hardest but most beautiful journey. I'll see you on the other side, brother! 🤜 I trust in you
PS: If I had one book to recommend, a simple one and to the point, which literally was all I could read when I was down, and which changed my mind forever and immediately (I even read it twice that day… it was Christmas and I was alone… I want to give you that moment too) 🡪 *"The Obstacle is the Way" by Ryan Holiday* (who also has a UA-cam channel now, but in writing that book I think he touched grace in ways hard to describe, only to receive it seems).
I had a major depressive period in my life. Looking back it was the people around me who caused it, along with the lack of any decent people who cared for me. Makes more sense than 'unlucky you born with a broken brain, take these pills to fix you' - because when I moved away the depression has mostly lifted.
Thats only 1 standout case everyone is different, everyone has depression for different reason
My friend is depressed because he doesnt work enough and gets bored.
I get depressed if i have to work too much as i like my quiet time and relaxing. @@PopeCromwell
I had a traumatic childhood and have been depressed my whole life and there was nobody to even explain to me, that I am depressed and that this is not just the way I am. It took me years to eventually get to the the point where I was ready to admit my weakness and ask for help. I was prescribed SSRI's and after 32 years of being absolutely unable to function as a human being, it took 4 weeks to SSRI's to kick in and my life has changed completely. It led me to taking care of my mental health and I was diagnosed with severe ADHD. Now I am also on stimulants. This has been the healthiest I have every felt in my life. Every single aspect of my life has improved. And occasional negatives are absolute joke compared to what depression feels like. Things like video games just lost their appeal without any effort - so called "addiction" was a result of trying to numb the pain, and if anything I think video games saved my life, because the alternatives were much much worse. The only downside (which really isn't, just a consequence) is that I come to realize that I have never had a chance to really learn how to life a healthy sctructured life with healthy relationship. So I almost feel like a kid that learns to live, learns to manage time, learns to manage emotions, etc. Big part of the fear, was really fear of medication changing my perception, in other words changing who I am. And it's ironical, because if you would ask me before, I would love to not be myself, but that ego and inner self is the only things that is left in a endless pit of misery and hopelessness. You feel like this ego of yours is the only last thing left, as corrupted as it is. IN reality, my real self was in chains and abused all the time and now I have an opportunity to be myself without being in a constant sense of falling and trying to grab anything that flies past me and can give me any sense of relief. So to anyone who is scared to get help and get treatment, just do it. You real self wouldn't be scared to help someone you love and that someone should be you.
I’m 38 and was diagnosed with mild-moderate depression and anxiety in 2018. At first I thought my on and off funk was too small to be anxiety and depression (because they’re more high functioning and not the stereotypical versions).
I was scared to try antidepressant medication and therapy at first. For the medication, it’s the first longer-term medication I’ve taken so there’s not knowing the long-term effects it might have. And not knowing how long I might be on it. There was also the stigma around both.
I first tried Prozac and found that didn’t help at all so I weaned myself off (had read not to stop it cold turkey). After several more months, I tried Lexapro and that helped more. I switched to Zoloft a few months ago.
I also am also grateful for my therapist. The beginning was definitely hard and I often brought a plushie or doll with me as well as writing out my thoughts. For a little bit, I had my therapist read what I wrote. Eventually I started reading them out loud but struggled with feeling embarrassed and self conscious. Over time it’s become easier and also when it became telehealth that helped as well because I was then in the comfort of my own home. My insurance also has allowed me to have as many therapy sessions as I need (currently I do every three weeks or so; I did recently have to do an extra session because we put one of my cats to sleep a couple of weeks ago and that was really hard for me as it wasn’t fully expected so soon and we had that special bond).
One of my doctors has also been helping me with trying to work on exercising more and eating healthier. She reminds me to try to focus on the positives and knows I can be hard on myself.
I sometimes think that if I had been born decades earlier, I might have ended up with a lobotomy.
I tried ssri also. Especially zoloft. But all i get is more laziness and sleeping too much that i can't even go to job normally.. Is that the case with you folks??
Pretty much Identify with everything you said. I've recently gone back on anti depressants as my life had got so out of control and was spiritalling down further into a mess. My sucidal thoughts are at bay now and I'm currently waiting to get diagnosed with ADHD. I went back on anti depressants to get me started in becoming more stable again and then ideally transition to ADHD meds which I know is what I need. How long were you on anti depresants before changing to adhd meds and are you still taking an anti depressant along side?
@@alexguitarman100So I was taking SSRI's maybe 4 months before starting Concerta. It seems to be not recommended, but I am still after almost a year taking both Concerta and SSRI and it works for me and ironically as soon as I started taking stimulats it helped with some sideeffects of SSRI like drowsiness and fatigue or maybe I just got used to it, not entirely sure. Anyway, that combo works for me. It's important to note if I may, that neither of those are an ultimate cure and I've learned that the hard way after having a major depressive episode not so long ago and the only reason was contempt. Now I see it as you still need to keep digging or you will get buried, with medication instead of digging with bare hands, you have gloves and a shovel, but you still need to keep digging and acknowledge, that the responsibility is even higher now that you have tools. So yeah, still need to do everything to have a control over your life. Planning and scheduling, physical activity even just small walks, forcing yourself to have social interactions occasionally, eating healthy (huge one) and so on. And the big encouragement here is that it's much easier to do all those things with medication, but it still requires to put effort and develop character. Good luck my friend.
Also weirdly enough, Fluoxetine hasn't affected my sexuality that much, rather contrary, helped with impulsivity, which improves your sexual life as you are more stable, that I guess that varies from person to person.
Last section was spot on. I definitely remember SSRI's improving mood but not suicidality, if only because the thought process shifted from "damn, this all sucks, I can't do anything," to "I can make a difference! I can kill myself today!"
I totally agree but in my case it increased my sucidiality and made me have another attempt. I told the doctors but they never changed it or whatever yesterday I was finally able to get the doctor to listen. Hopefully it’ll work this time
@@ranmouri69 good for you for advocating for yourself! It's really hard sometimes to get people to understand what you're experiencing, but there are professionals out there who genuinely care and will take the time to hear your voice. Don't give up. You deserve a life you get to live, not just survive from. Healing and peace is possible. 🖤
That's exactly how it was described to me at medical university: SSRIs improve volition before they improve mood. So you recover your will of doing something, but you are still suffering.
@@stefanopaolini1345 that’s really interesting to me! i’ve tried many different medications (a few different ssri’s) and combinations and they always seemed to have the opposite effect on me. it improved my overall mood but i still really suffered in terms of motivation and energy levels
I have the belief that SSRIs are an attempt to replace the fake society we're unable to connect with (thus causing serotonin deficiency) with a pill that allows us to more efficiently lie to ourselves that we can connect with it.
The truth is, this is a world where everyone has become a disposable commodity. No one forms lifelong friendships and love lives any more. It's just swipe when you want them, and swipe again when you're done with them.
This society will collapse, and it doesn't matter how high you want to get to try to escape that fact. You will never escape the truth.
I've had bipolar disorder for 18+ years. It boils down to stress. If I could live a life where I was never stressed out, mental illness would not be a problem for me. But, we do live in a society.
This
We live in a society that just says deal with it
If I'm ever rich I'm putting my money against them and telling them to deal with it
Damn straight
we live in a society
If that's what you want to call it. I'd call it an anti-social, post-modern slave factory.
I'm a senior and have been through treatments. I found this to be very helpful, accurate, and well-explained. Thank you.
Bringing up the link between alcohol and depression is so important. I have quit drinking and it made such a positive impact on literally everything in my life, especially the depression symptoms. Thanks for what you do!
Quitting sugar is difficult too, and that's a depressant for sure.
@@aleksandrakowalczyk6043it in everything
@@aleksandrakowalczyk6043This is simply incorrect. Sugar does not depress the central nervous system. If anything it is mildly stimulating as it gives an instant energy boost. If you actually feel bad when you consume any sugar, you should consult a doctor, because something odd is going on with your metabolism in that case.
@@diarmuidkuhle8181 i think she meant that overconsumption of (or addiction to) processed sugar over time can lead to a dopamine deficit state (depressive feelings)
Awesome, good for you! I quit drinking too (7 months ago) and so many areas have improved in my life:) God bless.
SSRI changed my life, it took a year and X months trying and error changing antidepressants every 2 months before finding the one that worked without side effects but once I found the one my life improved significantly, I finally have a decent hygiene and eat 3 times a day and started socializing again.
Don't give up friends you can do this
Good it helped for you!
Which medication works for you?
I started taking antidepressants about a week ago. Wish me luck :)
Ssri helped me come along way
It is worth it
But
Doctors downplayed it the whole time
My psychiatrists told me there were no side effects
My current reason for stopping ssris [ prozac ] is major memory issues
My working memory is terrible on prozac
Ssris are worth a shot
I hate being on them personally you just feel numb and even less you
I've gotten more useful information from this channel then I ever have from a Psychiatrist in person
For me SSRI caused erectile dysfunction that lasted for over 5 years (you can read about PSSD online). After taking it I felt nothing, no anxiety, no fear, no hapiness, nothing at all. I felt like zombie. Sadly no antidepressants worked on me.
My issue with antidepressants is that I feel like many doctors will throw it at any mental health issue without trying to get to the root cause of what's happening to you. I was put on SSRIs after suffering what was basically a nervous breakdown compounded by too much social media use, alcohol use, marijuana use, and being put in an environment in my college where I wasn't comfortable. The doctor looked at me for all of three minutes before deciding to put me on it. After being put on an antidepressant, I became manic and had thoughts of suicide. My mental issues only continued and (at least outwardly) seemed to get worse. This led, I believe, to years of depression and social withdrawal. That would have been a great time for me to learn about and adopt healthy coping habits, rather than thinking that my only salvation was through medical intervention.
That being said, I wish there was a more coordinated effort in the healthcare system to keep you in therapy for a certain amount of time if you switch locations. The semester before everything came crashing down, I had been in therapy which seemed to be helping with the panic attacks I was having. Once I went back home for the summer I stopped going to therapy and fell back into my bad habits. Especially if you're an 18 year old kid like I was who was in denial about the fact that he needed to make changes, you're not going to take the initiative to find a therapist on your own. I wish that my university's counseling department had kept the therapy going during that crucial time.
That is harrowing, hope you're doing well today friend
Wow that's fuckin rough. Thank you for sharing your experience!
As someone with ADHD and frequent depressive episodes which are almost always related to my adhd and lack of sleep lowkey ruining my day for multiple days in a row, I agree - a lot of GP's and also one psychiatrist have offered to put me on SSRI's in situations where I feel that my depression is caused by external factors that I ultimately will be able to address with the right support structures. My current psychiatrist kinda blew my mind because instead of offering me SSRI's or a dose increase on vyvanse when I was struggling a lot he offered me melatonin and let me
tell you sleep improvement was revolutionary for me. I still have sleep
issues and melatonin doesn't always work for me but every time I find myself in a depressive episode or feeling like my stimulants aren't working I can directly link it to how much (or rather little) sleep I've been getting lately. So rather than taking SSRI's, what I really need to do is address my sleeping habits and maybe take more melatonin.
That being said, I know people who have been enormously helped by SSRI's and definitely think they have their place in mental health treatment. Just don't think they are the answer to everything like GP's sometimes hope they are.
One possible reason that your university's counseling department might not have continued the therapy when you went back home is that students are flooding the counseling departments at universities for help and treatment, and there just isn't enough people to keep treatment going for all of them. I encountered that problem directly; I tried to get therapy at my school when I was in the roughest spot of my life, and I had a GRAND TOTAL of 2 sessions before the semester ended and I was dropped like a sack of bricks. I did survive, and I hold no hard feelings (that's gotta hurt when a therapist at a college KNOWS X person needs help but so do other patients A through W and there just isn't enough time to treat them all) and I found other ways to heal outside of the school. I would suggest getting therapy OUTSIDE of your college; all mental health professionals are swamped with patients at this point in time, but it's not as severe outside of the colleges to my knowledge.
@@gnatdagnat Thanks for the kind words! I am doing much better today.
@@outsidethewall8488 I'm glad that your treatment has been working! I also think that SSRIs can work, if they're prescribed when appropriate. Years after that incident I was talking about, a different SSRI actually helped me pull out of depression and get my shit together (along with exercise and going to bed at a proper time). I don't take them anymore though, thank god. I just stick to running a bunch of miles a day now.
This summary was excellent to hear, I'm reminded of a particular lesson in causality from when I studied neuroscience in university. The professor said antidepressants and the chemical imbalance theory is like looking at Advil and saying headaches must be caused by an Advil deficiency, but that doesn't mean Advil is not an effective tool for helping headaches. Thanks for putting this out there with optimism, I may not like having to take SSRIs but they have 100% been a life saving medication for me.
Thanks! You make so much sense. And that you're brave enough to tell what you know is priceless! Please don't stop!
I have a friend that thought she was asexual for until she was 25. She changed meds and she all of a sudden experienced sexual desire. This is a huge potential side effect.
yeah stopped my medication after 3 pills because I already noticed strong side effects, and read on internet that it can be permanent even after stopping the medication in some cases, why the fuck nobody tells you about it? Not even the doctor who prescribed it... It seems to be really common too, not like it's just 1 case out of a thousand people, it's seems to be much more than that...
Do you know what med she switched to?
@@Core-Poration I was put on so many different meds from age 10 to around 23-24 where I quietly stopped taking them. Around that time I looked up some names I could remember and read the side-effects, and thought of how strong these things can be that they can easily give you semi-permanent undesirable effects, and started wondering where and how I would be as an adult if my parents looked in the appropriate places to help their child...
@@alvareo92 That's rough :( But I feel like sometimes there's not even any (or very few) good places to help you with mental issues whether you're a child or an adult...
Maybe a few "okayish" places, but very far from ideal.
@@clinton4161 I never asked her specifics. I think I will though because I am genuinely curious what it was. We went camping and she told me and I was like damn! Thats some news!
“In effect antidepressants are a means of modifying an individual's internal state in such a way as to enable him to tolerate social conditions that he would otherwise find intolerable.” -Theodore John Kazinsky
Hence why one of the most reported side effects is feeling numb.
The industrial revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for mankind.
so thats why doctors prescribe them like they bottles of water and healthy food? lol.
@@ciscornBIG hey it's an efficient, well-oiled dystopia at least. our superficial needs are covered, in exchange for some of our more stratified goals (self-actualizing etc) 🙂
Misanthropic gibberish
I just took myself off of antidepressants that I was taking for 4 years for anxiety. I feel much more like myself (more talkative and fluid in convo) and am now taking buspirone for the anxiety. It turns out, being off of them allowed me to regain a lot of self awareness and I realized I have bipolar disorder (officially diagnosed TODAY). My anxiety symptoms on the other hand are very isolated to specific situations, and so I still feel iffy about basically being on medication all day every day. I would much rather be taking an as-needed benzodiazepine, but it is very difficult to get prescribed these now because doctors will treat you like you are a casual drug user and fear being sued.
Well said!
hold up benzodiazepine is that drug that Jordan Peterson took to handle the anxiety from his wife getting cancer. When he tried to get off of them he suffered extreme physical pain for like a year, personally I wouldn't resort to it but then again idk your situation. Stay safe and happy to see you're getting you mental health in order!
Happy diagnosis day! For me anyway, those days always feel like such a relief, even if they make me mad at those who failed me and should have caught the obvious warnings way sooner
Theres also in between, i was prescribed promethazin to calm me down when I have anxiety / depression attacks. They numb you out and make you sleepy but don’t get you high. They were actually amazing to me and prescribed cause I didn’t love the idea of benzos
@@MsJassi13promethazine is an anti nausea medication.
Thank you for the education. I have PTSD and night terrors. Never thought i would be dealing with this. The onset started when i got out of Military and many years of being on the front line in the medical field. I personally hate medications, but they worked it took time of course. Stopping the meds reverted back. I don't drink alcohol or do drugs especially with meds. My psych doc at VA is phenomenal. After a month or so of starting meds it helped you don't even realize. Great information.
listen to a book "Complex PTSD from surviving to thriving ", very helpful
The journey of finding what medications work for you was so damn difficult. I have ADHD and depression and going down the list of medications to find what works is so inefficient. It's literally a game of fuck around and find out and you're the test subject.
I tried 12 different compounds (14 when including St. Johns Wort and CBD), but in the end it was totally worth it.
yep same, venlafaxine has worked somewhat for me but trying the ADHD medication fucks with me and turns me into a zombie
I’ve tried every single med my doctor could think of and NONE of them worked for me (side effects bad or med ineffective or both). There are “no more to try” per my doctor. I have to fight to not be put on ones that make me miserable because “they might work now”. I didn’t keep a good record myself of the meds and I should have!
@phillip wareham THC cannabis can cause anxiety disorders, and promotes rumination, both of which can in turn lead to or worsen depression. It's by far not suitable for everybody.
Besides, one isn't able to operate machines, drive or perform well in tasks requiring a lot of focus for a few hours after consuming it.
@phillip wareham All of them (except for shrooms maybe due to HPPD) are proven to have a more favourable risk/benefit ratio however. Also, you gotta try SSRI/SNRI for at least 4-6 weeks before you can see if they work. 3 days is completely pointless from a medicinal perspective FYI, since they don't work i.e. like painkillers or heartburn medication.
Thank you for being a stand up psychiatrist with a well rounded perspective on mental health. The field needs more folks like you!
You mean like yall
Now, if only the world doesn't meme on or make fun of mental health/mental illnesses that would make things just a bit better.
@@morgadoapi4431 He was referring to a singular person, so not really like ‘y’all’…
Is he a psychiatrist?
They need to stop calling it "mental health" - it's emotions/emotional. Emotions aren't always a reflection of reality. Pills won't fix anything.
I’m in my 50’s. I have had persistent depression since my teens that was exacerbated by a few situations during my late teens and 20’s. SSRI’s have never been effective for me. I did get a lot of help from studies in psychology and particularly mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, Williams, Teasdale and Segal). This YT channel has also been especially helpful to me, much mire than SSRI medication. While medication can be a “treat the symptoms” approach, it can never substitute for addressing the underlying causes of depression and anxiety
I was always depressed as a teen and misdiagnosed as a young adult with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder but after years of being off of medication I was just anxious and stressed out.
The whole mental health thing for me was caused by bad habits and a lack of stability in my personal life.
Having a good job, a network of friends and family, hobbies, healthy food choices, and an exercise routine completely rewired my brain.
Also meditation and yoga really helps
Anti depressants helped me a lot, I took escitalopram and quetiapine (and clonazepam but to only take if I am really restless) for two years. It just made me familiarize myself on how it actually feels not being tensed or too emotional, roo negative.. too worrisome.. I felt nothing and it really bothered me for weeks.. “training wheels” as my psychiatrist told me. I no longer take them but now I can manage my episodes wayyy better than before.
You should talk about sexual dysfunction that results from ssri's, I have been off lexapro for around 2 years at this point and I am effectively asexual. Not only do I feel like I was lied to when I was told there are no irreversible side effects, but it has ruined multiple relationships. It isn't talked about enough, this part of my life has been stolen from me.
Bless you for your courage in expressing your loss. It’s a loss that’s hard to be able to speak about. Like we live in some Nazi concentration camp where we have to concentrate on things that we don’t want to. Such as Will I ever have love in my life without it being taken ? And at the same time have to do all the work Like Cinderella who cannot ever go to the ball but has to watch every one else because she’s gotta walk on glass slippers. And not say anything about her insight into how to heal the world. Here it is : Trust Jesus. Obey Jesus. To the best of everyone’s ability. It brings peace that passes all understanding. On earth too.
Believing in Jesus is Literally the definition of Delusional and mental illness.
(faith is a mental illness)
Please seek help and move on / grow
@@lisablount7578
Ritalin did this to me. I can't function cognitively either. I could before. I was lied to about adhd. I never had an issue with focus - and reading up on adhd and the drugs for it I firmly don't believe in the disorder. Psychiatry is a scam.
and the kicker is that they don't even really work!!! shitty stuff
I chose sex with my wife over being a sexless stable flatlined zombie. I said no to the drugs even though I suffer. Very much.
one psychiatrist wanted to put me on SSRis for depression and OCD but I've always had a feeling all my problems are ADHD related. I'm on stimulants now and I've never been more stable and content. it's so important that mental health professional don't just assume you're a 'regularly' depressed person. There's so many cases where sth else is at root
my doctor thought I had ocd and depression and I actually did get put on SSRIs, after a suicidal episode where I ended up at the hospital I was diagnosed with BPD and ADHD. lmao. I totally agree the stimulants make me feel more calm and stable, much more than Ive ever been. even my bpd symptoms are not too bad anymore. and to think i could’ve avoided all that by just getting to the root of the issue from the beginning.
@@elentiyafae wow i'm very sorry you had to go through that !! i'm glad you got a right diagnosis in the end !!
Makes me curious if stimulants could be good for me.
@@elentiyafae it took me forever to find someone who would listen to me when i said i thought i have adhd, and none of the antidepressants i took helped
About a third of people with ADHD also have OCD for reasons that aren't entirely clear. It's common for the dual-diagnosis to be missed because the conditions are more or less polar opposites of each other.
Thank you for this video! I really learned *a lot* from this. Clearly explained, including at what level of evidence or anecdotal evidence respectively we are for the different aspects of understanding SSRIs. Very helpful.
A good friend has depression, and I was trying to understand a bit better what this means, and what treatment means. - For myself I am looking at ADHD, ASD, anxiety / GAD, trauma etc., maybe dysthymia, but not major depression / bipolar. I don’t expect SSRIs to be part of my treatment, but who knows - it helps with anxiety as well, right? But besides this, I believe we all could benefit from learning more about mental health and treatments in general, to understand and support each other better.
Very balanced, clear, contextualized and organized discussion of a loaded and complex topic. It takes a lot of discretion as consumers of UA-cam information, and I appreciate quality content like this. Well done and thank you.
Congrats on hitting one million subscribers! As a fellow psychiatrist thank you for all the great information you provide. I’ve been following you for a while and incorporate ideas you present into my practice and it helps my patients. Keep up the great videos as you inspiring people to take charge of their mental health!
i cant stress enough how important your channel and work is. very glad youre doing all this. i wish you a good life
What you say makes a lot of sense. It's hard to consolidate my thoughts into something that I could type in some sort of coherent manner but I appreciate your content and hope to be able to contribute meaningfully in the future.
I recently went to a Psychiatrist, after telling my psycologist I felt like I had depression, and was diagnosed with a sleeping disorder and an anxiety disorder episode. After this video, I feel much more comfortable with the decision of starting treatment. Thank you!
I was put on a number of SSRIs because I was having panic attacks. They all had awful side effects (emotional numbing, trance-like feelings), and they didn't stop the panic attacks. I was tested for food allergies, and found I was allergic to milk products. I went off milk products, which lowered my anxiety level very quickly. That was 22 years ago, and I have never had another panic attack. I am no longer taking any psychiatric drugs. Food allergies are at the root of a lot of problems.
Wow that milk allergy! Cause of your psychiatric problems! I must remember your experience because this same might affect someone else. Glad you're doing life well!
@@hulamei3117A good psychiatrist will actually tell you to get checked for various possible organic causes of your symptoms in order to rule those out, before prescribing anything like an anti-depressant or anxiolytic.
She used muscle testing, but I suppose any standard allergy test should work. In muscle testing you hold the allergen in one hand, and hold up the other arm. The doctor presses down on the upraised arm. If you show weakness, you are allergic; if you resist well, you are not allergic. I know it sounds like voodoo medicine, and I'm sure the AMA would not approve. Still, it works.@@joshkrolicki9631
have your emotional blunting cured after stoppage of SSRi? How you cured the emotional blunting ?
I recovered from the emotional numbing of SSRIs almost immediately after I stopped using them.
Fun fact about SSRIs, if you have untreated or undiagnosed ADHD, they can make symptoms of both ADHD and depression worse. I had no idea about this until getting diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago, and it explained why no SSRI really worked for me but when I started an NDRI a few years ago I started to actually see a difference in my major depression.
Obviously if SSRIs don't work for you it doesn't mean you have ADHD, but if you have other symptoms and haven't been diagnosed, it could be worth looking into.
Thank you for sharing. I also have ADHD, SSRIs didn't work for me but SNRI did. I might want to ask my doc about NDRIs since you said it works for you.
That's interesting. For me with adhd, some meds worked and some made it much worse.
You sure it's ADHD and not bipolar?
@@grantsmith3312 I don't think so, I was screened for bipolar disorder twice, once at about 16 and again around 22 and both times they said it was unlikely. Is there a correlation between SSRIs and bipolar disorder too?
@@adam_roman yes, most of what I've read is that if SSRIs lead to manic like symptoms then its probably bipolar...
Connection between serotonin and peristalsis. THAT IS SO MAJOR. The gut mind connection is so powerful in every bodily function. Wow. I will be able to make more connections with this information. Thank you😢❤
In all your videos, I really appreciate your way of taking a charged topic and breaking it down to find the truth without being dismissive or derogatory to either side.
Hey, it's maybe anecdotal but for me side effect included very annoying sexual dysfunction as well as a change of personality that I didn't really like (sort of apathy). I also found it hard to fully enjoy or immerse in things or see the beauty in life in general, I had the general feeling of being robotic, unable to experience life normally.
Needless to say I stopped them after two years, haven't returned to complete baseline even after 3 years off them.
I'm not regretting trying them, I had a crisis and I was ready for extreme measures, but I'm still unhappy with the results.
That’s so frustrating because I feel what you are describing are some of the symptoms I’m ALREADY experiencing with depression that I would really want resolved using antidepressants 🙄 I’m sorry you had to experience that.
@@SF-op5ix
It's a bit different for everyone, without a doubt I was more highly functioning, things didn't bother me as much (for good or bad), and it allowed me to excel in medschool.
I guess there is not way to know until you try, sadly you might have effects way longer than you wish for.
I truly believe that your baseline is everything. If quality of life is bad for a long period of time despite exhausting all other measures, SSRIs (or SNRIs) are a no-brainer.
it’s almost like you feel apathy but you aren’t sad about it, but when you’re baseline depressed you feel apathy and you feel like shit. i felt the exact same way, i was on 125mg for a year. also digestion problems and sexual dysfunction :/
exactly the same experience as mine
People should also know about PSSD before starting SSRIs; for some people the sexual side effects and emotional numbness never go away and they are permanently stuck without sensation in their genitals
Im glad I found your channel. I resonate so much with what your saying. After years of my symptoms being dismissed I am glad to hear a medical professional process information and see things the same way I do. Thank you I will keep listening in.
As someone who has been working through my depression. I met with a therapist online and I was suggested medication. I tried the medication for a week but as I worked through things mentally I felt better. Not only was it the mental overcome of it to me, but I heard from parents how hard it is to get off of medication. That said I was skeptical of the medication because I always felt like my thoughts were precious to me. So bending down to consciousness and the brain is all chemicals scared me even more. As someone who went from haha brains are funny things to wait no "I" am a brain and it sunk deep. This set me off deeper and made me even more scared.
Just my two cents from my perspective. What did help me a lot was Dr.K's approach and videos. How he approaches the mind as a subjective experience as a monk but also as a psychiatrist.
Thank you for providing some perspective on this... I'm currently more energetic and have had more guilt and sadness... Suffering quite a bit but this helps. Thank you 🙏
I was on Sertraline and like Dr.k mentioned, it just kind of damps down the depression. It only gives you the breathing room to work on yourself while going through a hard time. They DEFINATELY work but not in a "take this pill to be happy" kind of way. It's all about the therapy and self love and work you give to yourself that makes the change.
To me half a pill is enough to improve not just happiness, but also the feeling of producitivty, wich seems to improve suicidality at least for me. Because well my depression was very multi-factorial, but it was a mix of extreme self doubt (lack of productivity basically) and being sorrounded by bullies who i now have no empathy for, so if i meet one on the street they're just gonna regret their entire self worth.
exactly
100% agree. From my experience, for moderate-severe depression and anxiety, they only work 10%-20%. I feel like those who have 100% success would have overcome their depression anyway (naturally). I also feel like the positive effects quickly wear off after a few months, and that placebo is involved.
@@loganwolv3393 the moment Zoloft started to work against my anxiety, I lowered the dose to an absolute minimum. 1 pill in 5 days. Did that for a year and lowered slowly to 0. That took me a year.
After 3 years anxiety came back, now I use ecitalopram, 5mg, and that seems to work better than Zoloft. Luckily this medication is for free here.
I got a perfect advice from a psychiatrist.
He gave me the SSRIs and with them my mood was elevated.
It was elevated to the point where my problems were still there but I didn't really worry about them so much since the mood elevation I was kind of in a state where everything was more exciting to do. Reading, meditating, playing games.
More motivation, more interest for life.
So that's how it kind of works as far as it did for me.
After sometimes they kind of stop working and your mood returns to normal since problems return, not return but you become more aware of them.
The advice I was really given was while taking antidepressants to slow down my living, to try and just slow down, since we are all living in a world of technology. That's the best advise I was given.
After slowing down I realized what was going on and how to deal with the issues, recognizing when they pop up.
I'm still struggling but not as much as I did before.
interesting.
ADVICE
I corrected it, so that you can be happy.@@mem1701movies
I definitely remember slowing down when I was on Cymbalta. And when something popped up in my mind that bothered me, I could CHOOSE to not care. It became so easy that I thought I could do this without the meds. I was wrong.
Yes! In my experience with medicating for depression, SSRIs have served as a “step stool” for getting me back on track and enabling me to make behavioral adjustments that lead to a happier life. I think one reason antidepressants can have such different success rates for different people is that there’s a large component of how the patient emotionally reacts to the drug and what steps they’re taking to improve their health. It’s like an assistance band for pull ups. You still have to do the work to pull yourself up, but the antidepressant can make the work feel manageable when it otherwise feels like an impossible task.
In fifteen years of taking SSRIs this is the best explanation I've heard of what they are and how they work. In my experience (with Major Depression, O.C.D, Anxiety) The main effects seem to be that they curtail the extremes of emotion, they just take the sharpest edges off, which is pretty important. I've been through them all at this point, each one seems to effect each person differently.
Thanking 🙏 you for this information and what you do. Found you recently and really get a lot out of your work on here. I can recognize that this is coming from the right motives, is a passionate personal, caring and helpful intent. I hope I could show you at least a little appreciation through this mechanism.
When I was put on an SNRI, I ended up going into a psychosis and was left with worse and new symptoms after coming off of it for weeks. The flat affect was horrible and I’d rather be depressed while I go through therapy than being so spiritually and emotionally dead that I stop caring about therapy
May I ask what SNRI?
@@kobebryant-cl7ul shoot, my bad, I've been prescribed SNRIs before (atomoxetine) but the drug that gave me issues was a tetracyclic antidepressant (mirtazapine). sorry for any confusion, I haven't had those side effects from atomoxetine.
I was on trazadone and developed severe depression and psychosis after being on it it. Every week gets a little better after stopping it
@johndeaux8815 I was prescribed mirtazipine for sleep a while back. Man did that drug make me groggy and loopy the next day, and it was a low dose.
Flouxitine was making things worse for me, prescribed as an antidepressant, and sabotaged my sleep worse. I got off everything when the next solution was to get another prescription for a preexisting prescription I had to sleep... Worst 2 months of my life
I take a DNRI and it's awesome. Makes me have a not dead inside feeling and flat affect.
I also take adderall for adhd so that helps too.
I started having suicidal thoughts when I tried SSRIs for anxiety, even though I had no such thoughts before taking the medication. When I stopped taking the medication, these bad thoughts went away. And, in contrast with what was theorized in the video, I had higher levels of energy before starting the medication. My energy levels went reeeaaly low when taking the meds, so I really don't think "high levels of energy" were to blame. The meds also gave me several side effects; most notably extremely low libido and no pleasure in doing anything.
Thank you for sharing your experience
I started an ssri for anxiety and the same thing is happening to me right now. I don't know what to do. We're still figuring it out.
Same, I was prescribed anti-depressants to help with my anxiety and the depression that came from that anxiety, about a year ago. When I took them I found that my anxiety actually really healed. My intrusive thoughts were gone which was such a blessing, but replaced by it was just depression by itself which was worse. It was like I was living in a bubble. I remember I got 0 work done for the entire month. It just felt like I sat at my desk watching the time go past. I stopped them and instead focused on myself (it took about 4 months to get the courage to start working on myself after the hit the anti depressants gave me) and now I'm feeling a lot better. I have my days still, like everyone, but I feel like I've healed and reflected on a lot more than I was previously.
@@magnificloud I'm not saying you should do the same as I did (always listen to your doctors and do what you think is best), but when it happened to me I stopped taking meds and continued doing therapy. I also did the best I could to tackle the issues I had going in my life and it all worked to improve my mental health. The side effects from the meds went away and I also improved my life without needing them. Therapy still helps a lot and is important, so always try that (with or without meds).
@@g3orgie764 That's wonderful that you were able to improve!
The thing about placebo strikes me right now. I haven't been able to sleep ever since my mom died a year ago.
Now I started taking melatonin pills, and it really helps. My suspicion is that at least part of the improvement is the placebo effect. But I don't care what the mechanism is. I take them and then I can sleep, when alcohol and weed failed to help.
I took an SSRI while going through a separation, it helped with that intense feeling of grief you can feel after a break up, and the depression that comes along with it. It actually helped me get out of my head, I was much less reactive, and I felt more social and extroverted. The only thing I hated was I felt I couldn't feel my emotions as deeply anymore. I eventually got off of them, after I had an ECG scan on my heart and we found out it was giving me a sort of irregular heartbeat. I just felt uncomfortable with that even though it wasn't dangerous, it just weirded me out. Luckily I think I was on them long enough to sort of get through the bulk of my depression, but it still comes back sometimes. Although it is less intense, I also go to therapy. I try to follow my therapists advice and let myself feel my emotions. It is hard, yes, but I think after lots of practice, it does help you gain control of your feelings and your state of mind.
I have very limited experience* with SSRIs, but I appreciated your explanation nonetheless! This channel is fascinating, even if the particular subject isn't personal. Thank you!
*I was on them for a few weeks in college which caused me to have a full manic episode with psychotic symptoms, resulting in a diagnosis of bipolar.
I wanna thank Dr K for his guidebook and his deep dive explanations of anxiety and depression with meds.
Years ago, i was put on anti depressant meds, had a terrible time, and quit within a week. But learning more about SSRI’s and how they slowly work overtime convinced me to try again.
Now it’s been about a month and a half since I started taking Zoloft and I can confidently say that my depression and anxiety has significantly reduced and my overall mood is so much better 😁
I most definitely had a reservation against SSRIs because of risk of dependence, so I'm glad i watched your video. Also, on social media, SSRIs are often paired with bizarre behavior and dark humor, so i also have this association in my mind. My guess is that's what happens when you're severely depressed, but your energy is high. It's tough but it's a world off my shoulders to know the symptoms are tolerable and the potential is high! Thank you for that
it is not xd
Anti depressants have been a major benefit to me- there’s so much scare mongering around them that I was afraid to start taking them. I’m glad I did though. I used to get depressive episodes constantly, often times I felt physically paralyzed. On anti depressants it’s much less frequent and even when I do feel depressed it feels much more manageable. Luckily I haven’t really had any noticeable side effects from them either after I got the correct dosage sorted out. I don’t feel “numb” like many people say.
There's not enough scare mongering.
But the effectiveness wears off long term so have you successfully come off them and are still good? That's the true test. The withdrawal from SSRIs can be unbearable and then you're stuck taking them just to continue feeling how you did before when you were depressed + the sexual side effects and emotional blunting which destroys relationships.
@@austecon6818 I’ve been on them for 3 years and haven’t experienced any side effects. It didn’t change my capacity to be emotional at all. It just made it so I’m not miserable all day. There is a big difference between Depression and normal sadness/emotions. If I want to get off of them one day I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it but I’m not worried about it.
@@Repetoire True, the only people I've heard that had no side effects were random people on the internet. None of my friends or relatives found AD's helpful in any way, including myself. Rather the absolute opposite.
@@austecon6818I have no sex drive if I'm not on antidepressants. Also, switching antidepressants stops them from not being effective anymore. You can basically just cycle between a couple different ones
I was briefly on an SSRI and had some pretty wild side effects. I honestly don’t think my doc believed they were side effects of the SSRI but there isn’t any other obvious explanation.
After about a week of taking it I noticed my entire body felt tingly for most of the day. I definitely felt less “anxious” so it didn’t really bother me all that much at first, but after a few days it became really annoying. I also had 2 occasions where I was running on a field and completely lost control of my legs and fell. It felt as if I tripped over my shoe laces or something. I was just running and out of nowhere my legs gave out under me. I was completely fine otherwise, no pain. The only thing I can remember was feeling kind of spaced out. After that I stopped taking it and all of these symptoms went away. Luckily, I also got over my PTSD in that time so all worked out I guess.
I’ve never had anything like that happen to me except for the short period of time I was on SSRI. Weird stuff.
I used to take Escitalopram and anti-anxiety/anti-psychotics... and I don't anymore. I determine the mood I'm in at all times. I can let things get to me or choose not to. Years of mental health counseling has led me to believe that I am not ever going to be reliant on medication to help with my problems. I just don't want it, don't need it. This has helped rid my drug and alcohol addiction and gambling problem as well. I control my life, mood, emotions and feelings. It's on me!
When I started taking antidepressants, I pretended to my psychiatrist that it was working because I didn't want to feel like I'm more abnormal even in people with depression standards. Like I'm already depressed and that made me feel abnormal to normal people and now antidepressants don't work on me even though I really do have depression, "does that mean there's no actual cure for me? I should just pretent that it's working so that I don't look abnormal even compared to people like me who are depressed" is what I thought to myself. In a weird way, it's nice to hear that I'm not the only one that doesn't get affected by antidepressants.
I hope you've been honest with a psychiatrist by now?? Every psychiatrist worth their salt will tell their patients the meds might not work and we might have to try something else instead
I'm gonna hijack this comment to say that maybe there are different types of depression, some of you may have an actual chemical inbalance (which I personally don't think is the cause ever), but some may have real problems to deal and no magic pill is going to fix that. For those people we need to study and push psychedelic therapy, because this is the only way to make sad, hopeless people see the light and start fixing their fucked up lives. And it's probably very hard to do so, but there is really no other way. For example can't be in toxic relationships and remain happy, one has to leave.
Did they forget to tell you that not all antidepressants work for everyone? They take a while to start working and you gotta tune it. If you're not being truthful about their effects then you're not going to get them tuned right. You often gotta try different doses and different medications before you find one that works.
I was struggling with major depression and when I found an antidepressant that worked (sertraline, an ssri), it felt like a literal miracle. Miracle, as in "something that was impossible to happen happend". However antidepressants did very little to help with "minor" depression that I'm still dealing with. In that instance medication is less effective than things like proper sleep schedule or physical activity and medication helps with other things than depression itself. So basically what the research is saying in regards to how and when antidepressants work.
As a side note, my psychiatrist asked about thyroid on the first visit and the visit was an half hour of talking about my life situation, habits etc. It baffles my how in some places someone can get prescribed a cocktail of medications after a short visit without even being asked about their life situation. I guess living in a country with a little "backward" approach to metal health can be a good thing when the most current approach gets simplistic and goes too much into the wrong direction ("it's just a chemical imbalance bro, it has nothing to do with your life, just take those pills").
I believe in the coming years the emphasis of gut microbiome, hormones, nutrition and exercise will get bigger and hopefully that can solve a lot of issues. I think the society we have built since the industrial revolution has slowly and surely eroded the human body. Antibiotics and hormones in the food supply, microplastics in EVERYTHING, the work environment and technology have ruined human posture, which affects breathing which affects your thinking. The world today as a kid is so insanely different than it was even 10 years ago, it blows my mind that we are still using THEORIES from the 90s.
The brain can get inflamed from "bad" food choices (sugar, seed oils, refined/ processed junk). I have a sensitivity to gluten/ wheat. When I eat it, several days later I feel like I'm falling into the dark pit of depression. Most of my childhood I felt this. I finally figured it out in my 30s and I feel so much more clear and mentally stable.
How can we have healthy brains if we're not giving our body the nutrients it needs to function?
So many buzzwords
Pls discuss how SSRIs can sometimes be extremely effective for anxiety disorders(panic disorder, GAD, OCD, social anxiety disorder etc.) compared to more potent medications such as benzodiazepines.
My sister has been on an anti-depressant since she was 10. Our parents split and had an incredibly nasty separation and she was OBVIOUSLY very distraught about it.
She's now 23 and has been on them since she was 10. She's never known a normal day as an adult. It deeply bothers me how they're prescribed to children like they're candy.
The prescription isn't that much of an issue, it's when they're prescribed without therapy that it's a particular problem. Antidepressants do not address the underlying issues.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade antidepressants are pretty rough on a kids brain... Have you read the research? Know anything about serotonin syndrome?
@@SmallSpoonBrigade antidepressants are also more often contributors to depression than not, and when they do work it's placebo. The shit is poison. They give children amphetamines... as a chemist it blows my mind that we would have children taking phenethlyamines is INSANE because of how they work on our brain...
@@SmallSpoonBrigade I mean... it kind of is? Why are we prescribing something that actively fucks with your brain in a brain that is rapidly developing, this seems like a horrible fucking idea especially given it's almost guaranteed you're going to experience serious behavior altering side affects that seems like it could completely ruin a child's development. It's an even worse idea to present the idea to kids that they're unhappy because of an unchangeable physical issue in your brain that you solve with meds like they were marketed back in the 2010s.
The problem is they're prescribed extremely lightly with zero attempt to understand the patients situation. If you're in a shit situation you should probably never take a anti-depressant because you can't expect to be happy in a situation humans shouldn't be happy in.
Same with ADHD meds
I've been on Lexapro for about 10 years now. Even when I taper off, my depression comes back after about 4-6 months like clockwork. I also have ADHD and autism, which could be related to why the depression comes back. There are downsides to taking the medicine of course, but it has improved my life massively, whereas previously I wasn't able to get myself to do much of anything.
I know that it's not solely related to serotonin, deep down. On a surface level, there seems to be a problem as well with dopamine since things that are normally rewarding don't feel so. Ultimately I'm sure that there are many neurotransmitters that affect how we experience depression, it could be different for everyone, and serotonin is only one part of the whole equation. That being said, I'm glad something exists that can treat my issues despite the fact that we don't entirely know how it works.
If you are able to live without it you would benefit
interesting, i suspect i have a mild case of ADHD and autism, and have been on an antidepressant my entire adult life. They only have a moderate effect on me, but i do notice the difference.
I feel the same. Lexapro has made my emotions manageable. I’ve tried coming off of it but within a few months, I realize I’m not okay without it. These people can say what they want, but Lexapro has saved me from myself.
@@user-p6-3561This person is clearly stating they do better with Lexapro than without. I myself clearly do better with SAM-e (an OTC supplement that is a prescription antidepressant in Europe). Some people would do no better, or even worse, on either or both of those. These are highly individual experiences, as indicated by this comment section.
It's probably just numbing your painful emotions.
i had like a 3 years long unending cycle of deppression fighting it everyday without finding the exit and logic to overcome it, and this was because of hypothroidism because i was rebelling against my thyroxine medication which ended up with with my thyroid levels decreasing to dangerous levels and when i finally realized this with help of a psychologist and got back on my medication i almost insantly overcome my deppression because i was kinda just dwelling on bad memories and trauma again and again like living in bubble shield surrounded by my demons trying to break in day to day, and then i just realized how the demons didnt even exist anymore after such a long time of working on overcoming my trauma, that they were just echoes of my memories playing on my fears and insecurities so there was no point to any of it.
Man please dont fuck with your thyroid medication. The only reason people like us can live normal lives is because it exists
@@mashaa.7509 I had to undergo radioactive iodine to remove my thyroid due to overactiveness. This disease affects every aspect of my mental and physical health and makes diagnosis and treatment that much harder and more delicate, due to the fact of needing to keep all of my levels in check as my medications change/diet changes ect.
One of the symptoms of anti-depressants:
Depression
_HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!_
Everything is a scam
@@PhenomRom everything comes with side effects (consequences)
@@SilverShadow02 my doctor forced me to try anti depressants for adhd. It's been over a year and I'm still not back to my baseline. Western medicine is weak.
@@PhenomRom that sounds like the wrong medication lol
@@enthiegavoir5955 sounds like they have no idea what they're doing
I've been on every ssri, been on many antipsychotics, often combinations, probably 60 medications altogether. Turns out I was never psychotic just very traumatized. I have c-ptsd and now as an adult, I am on medications, in therapy, etc. but I still have yet to ENJOY life. Working towards it. I'm so glad for people like this having REAL discussions breaking down the truth of these often dangerous and difficult to navigate medications and their side effects.
I'm sure you'll get there Juliana, best of luck!
prayers for your continued healing...
'science' today wants to separate the parts of a human, which is mind, body and spirit, two of the three can't be put in a test tube; the current model of Western medicine is flawed.
may joy fill your spirit and know that you are loved!
@@Warlanda exactly the conclusion I came to! They only strive to dumb down the symptoms, not get to the cause and resolve it.
For Juliana: I can highly recommend you a book by Stanislav Grof about psychedelic assisted therapy. I started to research it recently, as I myself also suffer from a lot of psychological issues. You have to approach it with an open mind, as USA's war on drugs made us all fear all drugs the same, be it heroin (just terrible) or shrooms (ok in some circumstances). I don't suggest you try anything, especially without studying the subject extensively! But it's important to know your options, and this is potentially life-changing stuff. I know of a debilitating case of OCD (a guy was washing himself in the morning and evening for 3 hours straight) and he was healed from LSD psychotherapy alone (under the supervision of doctors). It's all very promising and I hope this was helpful
@@Warlanda what a sweet comment! Thank you so much, and you're absolutely correct...we are mind body and spirit, so intertwined that one part cannot heal without the others. Wise words. Thank you for the kind message❤️
@@dbi1485 wow...same. Benzodiazepines are the closest thing to "comfortable" or relaxed or even OKAY I often feel like I will EVER feel. I am also an addict and had a problem when I was taking large amounts of benzos, before diving into mēth.
I am about 5.5 years clean from drugs, although I do still take benzos to sleep (but tightly controlled and prescribed doses), along with therapy I don't quite feel the need to take drugs like I used to.
It's a battle, and it always will be. It's something baked into the foundation of this lifetime, the trauma. But, the important part is that there is still progress. I'm not at the same place in the battle that I was 5 years ago, or 2 years ago, or 6 months ago. If you're still alive, there is still opportunity for improvement in quality of life. I hope you find your way to the peace and happiness you deserve❤️
It has also been found that the sexual dysfunction described as a temporary side effect persists in most users even after discontinuation.
Think twice about SSRIs, especially if you are somewhere between 15-35!
Did he even mention this aspect of SSRIs?
@@fireinacan nope, I don’t think so. This seems to be “fresh”. I told my psychiatrist about this (2019) and pulled up the paper during session, he was stoked, worried and curious at the same time - kinda weird but nice experience. Since then we’re completely on eye-lvl which is the most awesome clinician-patient relationship you can imagine. He takes my opinions frkn serious
Yep no sex on SSRI s
One of the most prominent side effects for quite a lot of people is the sexual disfunction (loss of libido etc.) I myself experienced complete genital numbness. My member would just feel like touching a finger. Also PSSD exists, for some people the genital and emotional numbness never goes away and they are permanently stuck without any sort of sexuality, which can happen even only after a couple of doses.
A couple of doses? I thought real risk would only comes after at least month or so, after only 2 days I already had strong side effect like that, so I got scared when I read that it was because of the antideppressant I stopped rigth away, but I thought that I was totally safe since I took only 3 doses... thankfully I am better now, fuck that GP who was "Oooh but you should at least try it 1 month" THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DON'T PLAN TO TRY YOU COULDN'T EVEN WARN ME ABOUT THESE SIDES EFFECT HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU ABLE TO PRESCRIBE ANTIDEPRESSANT???
Same here, it's horrible. I got temporary relief with TRT and supplements that lower SHBG. The numbness seems to go away if my libido is high enough. How good of a day I have seems to have an effect too. I think PSSD is depression related and hormone related.
There is a theory that SSRIs cause epigenetic changes in some. Lots of people are discussing on the subreddit, since there is no real research yet.
PSSD sufferer as well, thanks for commenting about it
Unfortunately that didn’t happen for me. Still stuck with the curse of sexuality being an endless source of pain and frustration.
Love you Dr.K Thanks for everything you do for us
SSRIs and NDRIs saved my life. I was able to actually address all the things in my life that I needed to after some time. I still have the challenges of what autism brings but I don't have crippling anxiety anymore which has been an absolute game changer. I can now get regular sleep. I really appreciate you talking about this Dr. K because it is soooo important right now. Especially with the information about how ssris are a scam etc. Most doctors would not take the time of day to talk about this. I would love for you to talk more about how SSRIs affect our gut microbiome and if increasing certain foods, pro/pre/post biotics that affect the serotonin in our gut microbiome as well, potentially improving the effects of SSRIs.
Which ndri do you take? I take bupropion
@@elin_ me 2
@@elin_what does Wellbutrin feel like! Does it feel super stimulating or make you anxious at all?
@kobebryant-cl7ul I am really bad at recognizing if a medication does anything for me, but I've noticed that I'm a little bit less tired, and it has also helped my libido to become more normal.
@@kobebryant-cl7ul It works but I have to put out there that I had *severe* short term memory loss on it, and know others who’ve experienced the same
My doc warned me that Prozac might not work until I take it regularly on schedule for months. I guess I can't really say for sure what it was that helped me get through my severe episode. However, considering I could only get 1 therapy session every few months, it certainly SEEMED like Prozac was working for me - I actually had the energy to take a shower, eat, etc. (Basic needs) which allowed me to take the bigger steps to healing myself
My friend got put on anti depressants and it changed almost every single thing about him. His whole personality changed, but he didn't lose the depression. It actually made it worse. He doesn't want to stop taking it even though its clearly destructive. He's not the same person I used to know and horrible as it sounds I don't even want to be around him anymore because of it... They are 100% overprescribing anti depressants, that's an objective truth. They'll give them to anyone who goes to the doctor and says they've been feeling a little sad lately
Only your friend can talk about whether it's working or not, but for some people the point is to change and the fear of change is exactly what holds them back from 'getting better', 'making improvements', etc. Not that it can't also bring about destruction but there is a full possibility that your friendship might change or end.
well said.
Medication shouldn't change your personality
@@mirandaniemeyer6425if medication isn’t changing you there’s no purpose in it existing
@@p0k3mn1 it's supposed to help you with symptoms that you're experiencing not change your personality, just because that's your uneducated expectation good luck in life.
Ive struggled with anxiety and depression for 12 years. I tried medication year 1 and again year 2 - both times it increased suicidal thoughts significantly, so I swore off them.
Fast forward 10 years later, I’ve addressed a lot of issues in my life, but I continued having depressive episodes and suicidal thoughts, and they became more frequent for seemingly no reason. I tried SSRIs again and they’re having an incredibly positive effect on me now
did you try the same ssri or a totally new one 10 years later?
Interesting. I was on zoloft for 6 years before d/cing due to loss of healthcare. Ive been off it for 6 or 7 months now. The only difference i ever noticed was that while on zoloft, I often found it difficult to FEEL my emotions fully, even when i was fully depressed and drinking heavily wanting to die, i still struggled to cry, and it felt like the emotions were wound up tightly inside me and couldn't release. I could usually only cry at movies oddly enough. Now that i am back off i find it easy to cry again and i definitely feel my emotions more strongly again, but other than that, the frequency of depression seems about the same?
Maybe it's too early to say. When i think of my life before i was on zoloft, i remember feeling like i was constantly swinging from okay to heartbroken from month to month, from probably middle school all the way through college. While i was on zoloft, i can think of 2-5 major episodes of severe depression/anxiety in that 6 year span. So maybe it really did decrease the frequency!
Something to think about. I am re-establishing healthcare with a new GP in September and honestly dont know if i want to go back on zoloft or not, this has given me something to chew on...
Dr. K is underestimating the side effects of SSRIs. These include permanent neurological side effects, permanent sleep side effects and permanent sexual side effects.
This. SSRIs permanently altered my libido, I don't genuinely get into the mood more than a single digit amount per year, before I was on them, I was ready to go roughly once a week
I'm pretty sure he knows because he's....A psychiatrist. If he went really in depth with it this would be a really really long video that people wouldn't pay attention to.
@@infinitecurlie "trusting the professionals" is how we ended up with lobotomies just fyi
@@fencingfireferret1188 she didn't say anything about "trusting the professionals," just that someone with both clinical experience and an in depth knowledge of how psych meds work probably understands the side effects. Obviously the way the brain/mind works is largely not understood but that doesn't mean that we should simply disregard everything we hear from doctors and form our own conclusions based on... well, basically nothing.
@@fencingfireferret1188 To begin with, correlation != causation, your N=1 anecdote of *permanent* change to libido could have been caused by a whole laundry list of different things that happened to you at the same time as you were taking them. And if it did happen due to SSRIs, which is a very big IF, then the fact that it is not observed in the clinical litreature at scale means that for the vast majority of people, the benefits of SSRIs are worth it.
As someone who is going into psychology this was really helpful :) thanks Dr. K!
I've been on zoloft (sertraline) for a bit over a year for anxiety and panic attacks mostly but also major depressive disorder. I can deal with the depression other than having really bad days-weeks here and there not anything I would take an anti-depressive drug for but the anxiety and panic attacks were something I could not live with. The feeling of a panic attack is like you're having a heart attack for hours at a time, you hyperventilate and your face/jaw goes numb, you really feel like you're going to die. Zoloft has helped me for the most part with this, I haven't had a panic attack since i've been on it but i've came really close and calmed myself down or got out of the situation when my head starts spinning out of no where. I'm afraid for any long term effects the drug may have but it came to a point where I would rather have semi-awful long term effects than a panic disorder. I'm afraid to go on a roller coaster or on a plane because I don't want to risk getting a panic attack, even on a ferris wheel I could feel one coming on, but yeah that's just my experience with one specific SSRI.
How you doing now? How is your experience? Sound like your agoraphobic. At least i am. I tried cbr and emdr which helped a lot but, not enough to get me doing the real exposure. Little things work but too afraid for the real exposure.. i wanna go on zoloft to get me going and used to exposure
I have PMDD and can say fluoxetine (Prozac) has kept me alive. It's been extensively studied for the condition, and I frankly feel lucky I found something that makes me able to cope with that week of potentially dangerous symptoms. I do have some side effects but overall it's been huge for my healing. I do other types of treatment too, like talk therapy, and this has kept me stable for years while I worked on those.
do you take it intermittently or every day? i’ve just started prozac and it’s making me feel a bit numb
I've been continuously taking anti-depressants for the last 23 years. I'm currently taking 3 different ones and only 1 was originally prescribed for depression. One other is for chronic headaches as it blocks the pain receptors in the brain and another helps me drop off to sleep at night because I suffer from a widespread chronic pain condition which was seriously disturbing my sleep. Now at age 40 i've just been diagnosed with a heart problem which my doctor contributes to me taking anti-depressants for so long. Fun times.
Which antidepresssant were you using. Fluoxetine?
@@brunispero9301 I've used many different ones (fluoxitine, venlafaxine, amytripteline, mertazipine, sertraline and many more I can't remember the name of) over the years but my point is I've been on anti-depressants for 23 years non-stop.
Sertraline caused my depression ‘coma’. I lost years before a new psychiatrist finally believed me that this was not working.
Patient reported outcomes needs to be researched and applied after the initial studies. Seems SSRI’s maintained my anhedonia.
A switch to MAOI helped, but now have actual relief with modafinil.
I wish retrospectively I was someone that did not take medication as prescribed more information is better.
@Tdawgtgmi I was never switched to Prozac, but I think everything else and then 3 at once where my pharmacist had to call and intervene.
Very glad this made all the difference for you. I so relate to the lethargic and then feeling guilt over not being able to get up until noon, then needing a nap and then back in bed at 7pm, only to wake more tired then when I went to bed. Of course I lost my work during this time.
For me this was before the current practice of changing ( upping and or switching) if no change on 2 to 8 weeks. It would be months and years before a change and even that was because I moved and needed a new psychiatrist.
Even then it was a couple of years before I mentioned the nightmares and before I was told this was part of depression, but he said that there is medication for that Prazosin and almost instant relief from nightmares. And a few months no need for this medication. Sleep quality is so important.
I was put on an SSRI and and the only effect I got was a headache. It turned out I didn't have mental illness but was gaslit for years by my doctors as so many people are, now my diagnosis are several neurological illnesses that I was always physically disabled from but denied proper examination and treatment for. In turn dismissal from doctors and psychs as well as mistreatment (in a rich country with 'good' treatment) gave me panic anxiety and mental trauma I have to deal with today ontop of my physical illness >:(
This is true, many doctors are so fed up with essential oil Karens. Now many of them treat everyone who disagrees with them or googles something as a Karen and think they themselves know everything the best. But I don't completely blame them, they have so many patients they cannot afford to spend time with an individual to see if they are somewhat competent in their self-observation and googling literacy.
@@yummy8074 it’s sad how many doctors just act as prescription consultants for many patients who have already diagnosed and convinced themselves of what ailment they have. This has become a real problem with ADHD medications for example
This happened to me, too. They just kept writing off my complaints as "depression and anxiety". Turns out that I actually do have a medical condition (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - I ended up suggesting that I had it myself, because nobody listened to me). I'd been having symptoms of it for 20+ years before I got officially diagnosed. Eventually, they gave me a diagnosis and medication after my Dad threatened to sue them. I believe it's quite common for medical professionals to not believe women. And I live in a country with (supposedly) very good medical care (Canada).
@@hollyhayes9640 So sorry you had to experience this as well, it's such a classic with autoimmune conditions, conditions that affect mainly women to be subject to medical bias
Exactly the same experience after being deceived into taking ritalin. It has completely ruined my life.
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation of the science behind SSRIs and that recent study.
Is there any research on how SSRIs impact people (like myself) with Autism?
I took anti-anxiety medication for about 7 years and anti-depressants for about 3 years, daily. After I was done with my army service at 21, I decided to stop taking both meds at once.
For me personally, there were no side effects after suddenly stopping taking either of them. I just stopped one day and never looked back.
I don’t know if they really worked or not. While I was on them, I still suffered from anxiety and later down the line depression, but idk if it would have been worse if I hadn’t taken medication.
What I do know is this. I’ve been off meds for a year and a half now. I have never felt the urge to take medication again. I haven’t felt depressed at all, and yeah sometimes I get anxious, but it’s a part of my daily life now.
I wanted to be my natural self again, and.. that was it. I made a decision and stopped.
I don’t regret taking the medications, but I do feel like my family and my therapist hurried too much to try and give me medication, just because they didn’t really understand what was wrong with me. They heard of “a cure” and wanted to give it to me.
Anyways, I feel better now. I don’t think it’s because of the meds, I think it’s because I’ve grown up a lot since I was that socially anxious depressed teenager
I thought people in the armed forces need to have a year of not taking medication in order to enter?
@@allegrobeats611 where I’m from that’s not the case, not from USA so. Yeah.
There’s no requirement like that here, it’s a mandatory service, because we don’t have a lot of population and we have too many enemies, so the army is way less picky.
the fact is, you took drugs for few years and now you feel good, so let's don't under appreciate effects of them because of that fact.
I had a similar experience. Do to family problems I became depressed and had very bad anxiety. I was quickly put on meds. First I got the anti-depressant which worsened my anxiety. Then I got ansialitics, but my anxiety never went down even on the highest dose and it gave me insomnia. Then I got a sleeping pill which gave me very vivid nightmares every night. Then I started looking into Adhd and felt very identified. I found out that depression and Adhd are treated differently and that people with Adhd can go with out meds. So I made the decision to drop my meds(didn't know that dropping such high doses was dangerous). But thankfully all went well. My depression gradually disappeared. Now I only struggle with anxiety but it's not as bad as before and my insomnia went away. I went to the psychiatrist to request a test for Adhd but instead I got Wellbutrin. The damn pill started to depress me again so I dropped it. I prefer my brain going a thousand miles per hour over depression. Now I'm looking for a better psychiatrist. Even tho I still struggle I feel very contempt with my life and have hope for the future.
@@islalarose4750 I think you mean "content" - contempt means the opposite!
Sertraline helps me with my anxiety, intrusive thoughts, acid reflux, and paranoia so much that no other medication has managed to do. Sometimes you just have to find the right one.
I would be interested to hear you talk about the link between antidepressant use and increased risk of dementia and memory problems. I came off Effexor and it was so bad that I couldn't find my clothes for a while. It was super scary and I didn't know what was going on. I eventually figured it out and fortunately it got better. However, I'm not where I was before I came off the medication. I used to be able to track where I left things like my keys super well and now I struggle with it all the time.
I'm a therapist and I didn't even know this sort of thing could happen until I went through it. I'm no longer experiencing symptoms of stage 1 suicidal ideation, but I'm not sure that replacing those symptoms with memory problems and increased risk of dementia and heart problems was really worth it. I'm glad I don't sit around and think about what a relief it would be to die in a car accident or something anymore, but I lost a job because of the memory issues I experienced and it still affects my work performance to this day. I'm a lot more cautious as a therapist about recommending antidepressants unless clients are self harming or have a plan to commit suicide.
depression for me seems to just come from life, its hard to feel happy when u feel doomed to poverty
Had a bad experience with an ssri a couple years ago, the side effects were so strong that I had to get off them after a month. Sleeping, digestive issues and paranoia and anger were what made me get off them. Also for some strange reason it also caused my sinuses to be inflamed idk why. My siblings also didn’t do well on them either so maybe its genetics. Nowadays I feel a bit better and have been keeping myself busy and working on addressing my anxiety and possible adhd. It works for some ppl and I guess not for others.
I was put on an SSRI due to mistaking my Bipolar type 2 for depression (it's very common) and switching meds made me realize that I do have a sex drive. It is wild.
@@NuttyNoel666 lamotrigine. Lamictal generic. So much better.
@@dyalinohera5712
I have Bipolar as well and lithium prevents me from having an episode (and treats mania), but it doesn’t treat the depression side once I have symptoms. Through the years I have tried antipsychotics (abilify, seroqul, olanzapine, latuda, and something else), anti seizure (valproic acid, Lamotrigine, and there was one more that I can’t remember), and a handful of other things and none of it worked. Once I have symptoms it’s just going to be a rough 6-10 months and it’s a coin flip if I will be hospitalized (I get psychosis in both the manic and depressive phases).
How did you find out its bipolar instead of depression? Im on an ssri but wondering if its smth else
@@georgianacojocaru4842 SSRI's threw me into manic swings. Talk to your doctor about those fears. they should be able to help way more than me.
As someone who has type 2 bi-polar disorder for me SSRI and other medication really didn’t help me more than hurt. I am not saying anyone should stop taking them or that they don’t work but CBT and implementation of those techniques along with mindfulness has helped me far more than SSRI’s ever did.
i believe this to be true for most, but not all, cases of mood disorders.
It's pretty common knowledge in the medical profession (at least in my country of Canada) to not prescribe antidepressants to people with bipolar disorder because they can cause hypomania/mania.
Great to hear those work for you!
This past summer I went to a GI doctor since I was getting really bad IBS and, surprisingly, she said that antidepressants can help! She explained that the stomach is like a "second brain" which I though was really interesting.
They can totally help, yes. In terms of IBS and an overreactive digestive tract, especially the old ADs, like Amitriptyline for example - it also acts as an anticholinergic, which directly reduces digestive motility. Digestion is also controlled via Serotonin pathways, and there it's a trial and error kind of thing. Some people benefit from pure SSRI, others need drugs that (also) act as serotonin modulators (i.e. Fluoxetine, Mirtazapine or said Amitriptylin).
I also had a doctor this year tell me the stomach is like a second brain, full of neurons! And that that's why they call it "irritable" bowel syndrome. Ever since I've been noticing way more clearly that whenever I'm tense or nervous or anxious, even if it's not that conscious, I start having digestive problems!
@@alvareo92 Yes, the bowels directly react to stressors. Look up the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system - the two parts have opposing regulatory functions on the body and usually balance each other out.
In a state of alert, the overall influence of the sympathetic ns is stronger, while during resting, it's the parasympathetic ns.
There are certain exercises (i.e. breathing techniques, gentle massages, eye focus techniques, aswell as physical stretching and relaxation excersises, self-acupressure, etc.) that can be used to stimulate a nerve fiber that runs along the neck, called the Vagus nerve.
It's part of the parasympathetic nervous system and its stimulation leads to the relaxation and the alleviation of stress. The pulse goes down, muscle tension gets reduced, etc.
In combination with mindfulness practices, you can use such exercises to take the edge off of stressful moments, nervousness and acute anxiety, which also tells your bowels to chill a bit and absorb more water from its contents before passing them on.
I've been on/off anti-depressants since I was ~18. I'm 29 now. Unfortunately, I think I'm one of the few who will have to remain on them for the majority of my life. That being said, I'm just happy that there's something that helps. Thanks for all of the info!
Got diagnosed at age 29. I am now 69 and still need medication. Not perfect meds, but it did help give me some good years. Good luck.
I took SSRI for anxiety, it made my anxiety worse because now I was anxious about the medication and what it was doing to my brain.
SSRI reduced my anxiety 20% and also increased it 200%.
Net effect 180% worse.
Anxiety is mostly psychological, people with anxiety are already prone to fear, SSRI just gave me another big thing to be fearful of.
Of all the classes of anti-depressants, SSRIs are known to be the ones with the highest likelihood of producing a so-called 'paradoxical effect', that's to say they can do the opposite in some people than what they're supposed to. I turned suicidal on them when I hadn't been before, but did extremely well on a different type of medication.
@@diarmuidkuhle8181 Which type of medication did you switch to that did so well?
I would love to hear you talk about ketamine therapy and whether or not it’s a viable option for treatment. I’ve been severely anxious and depressed since I was around 9 years old. I started having manic episodes in my middle teens. I’m diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 2, generalized anxiety disorder, OCD (skin excoriation), and ADHD. I’ve tried 21 different medications and any improvement is minimal. Celexa has helped the most, but wow, I still feel like there’s still this giant hole inside me. My therapist and I have thrown the idea of alternative treatment around. I keep seeing stuff about ketamine therapy and a lot of people are saying that it’s changed their lives. I’m so very tired of trying different meds lol
Ketamine works. I took it for 1 month, 300mg a day (from my dr) and it got rid of my suicidal thoughts. Before ketamine I was suicidal every day. Always wanted to die and made a few attempts. After ketamine I am very rarely suicidal! And I only took it for 1 month. It’s been like 2 years since I took it and I still don’t have suicidal thoughts. Still have depression, but it’s mild rather than severe. Highly recommend ketamine!!
I'm not a mental health specialist, but I did survive my own suicide attempt, and later went on anti depressants. I feel your second theory on why antidepressants cause suicidal thoughts is spot on. I was thinking that exact thing (without the scientific understanding/ explainablity). Something that delayed my suicide was procrastination and I knew what day I was going to do it putting it off, (extremely high risk factor) but when I was on anti depressants i felt the will to do what i wanted, but I still didn't want to live.
Hugs
This is my biggest fear some days
How are you doing these days ? Hope all is well.
@digitalheaven_ doing great now, thanks. Couldn't find any antidepressants that worked for me and I had to fight with my doctor if I wanted to change my prescription. I took myself off cold turkey and started microdosing mushrooms, and it fixed my brain.
@@aliejoe5622 Glad to hear you're doing better. Hugs xx
I've once heard that the technical definition of depression is distress caused by not meeting your own expectations and anxiety is distress caused by not meeting the expectations of others.
The SSRI really was helpful with anxiety when I fisrt took it, but after some months I didn't like the way it made me feel - side effects - and I was depressed again, more in a lethargic way than anxious. The bupropion worked somewhat better for me...
But the thing is, I do feel that it's hard to stop taking medication, specially when most doctors will incentivate you to take them continually.
I hope to be able to make my life better with just actions soon.
which side effects have you experienced?
@@brunispero9301 From the SSRI the most obvious ones were stomach ache and lack of libido. But here's the thing... after some time the lack of libido was in many areas, I didn't feel hungry for food or excited to do anything. If you're someone with a lot of energy it might not be a problem, but if you tend to be lethargic like me, it takes away your shine.
they dull feelings and emotions, both the positive and negative@@soffaerie
SSRI's can be more dangerous than illicit drugs
What a shock it was when I learned that growing up
Very true. For example, sertraline makes me extremely motivated to solve problems. The danger is that sometimes the "solution" to a problem could be extremely violent or illegal. If you do some googling around for sertraline and violence, you'll find a lot of articles where people did extremely violent things while taking that specific medication. If you're in a bad state of mind, something that gives you motivation could give you motivation to do something that you've been thinking about but never actually did. Possibly something involving self deletion, for example. Possibly something involving the deletion of others. Or maybe it could motivate you to get a different job and reach a new high point in your life. You never know which way it will go.
@@shawn576 Sounds like an unnecessary risk to me. I think its reckless to give these things to people without understanding how they work. Relying solely on correlation to see if something has a desired outcome, its minimizing the complexity
I stayed significantly stuck for years because SSRIs didn't help. I reacted better to anti-psychotics and much, much better to Rexulti (my problem was dissociation) but for years my doctors just kept trying the same thing and expecting a different result. Thank you for speaking out.
But you went from one bad class of drugs to a a worse one, so…
@@shawnleong3605 and yet, I’m thriving. Maybe you should get to the bottom of your own prejudices instead of questioning what worked for me.
As someone who was on an SSRI for almost three years and the side effects ruining two relationships, clinical psilocybin research should be more of a thing. I used 2.5 grams of mushrooms to dig deep into myself on a trip, and then 1 drag of a joint every weekend to help with mediation, and now I’m fixed. No more extensional dread, no more suicidal ideation, and in a loving relationship now.
The medicine of the past works.
I’ve been on Lexapro for around 10 years now to mainly treat my panic attacks/anxiety but also some depression. I tried to taper down recently and while initially in the first few days I felt much more energy, after awhile I ended up feeling horribly anxious and dissociated which was discouraging. But I’m back to my normal dose now and feel fine (minus the usual side effects i.e. no libido) . I’m curious about the brain changes in long term SSRI users.
@LunarBreeze I started with 10, then 6 years or so went up to 20, but it was making me want to sleep constantly, so after talking with my psychiatrist I went down to 15 and that seemed to be a sweet spot, but I still have side effects and hate being on meds. He forgot to write me refills for a few days so I started taking 10 mg again so my meds would last during that time and I initially felt great, so I kept it up, but after a few weeks I started getting panic attacks and feeling like I was in another world, so I went back on my 15mg. That being said I also was sick, and that is an anxiety trigger for me, so that probably contributed as well. I hope your tapering goes well!
Thank you so much. I don't know how I haven't seen your channel before. I have only seen the how to go outside more and this one now.
I absolutely loved this video, LOVED it. I’m not sure if you already are, but you should totally become a professor. You are a fantastic explainer.
Disappointed this video really didn't address the significant side effects a lot of people experience on SSRIs, namely mood-dampening and worsening of depression. It's something I myself have experienced and it's taken a huge toll on my life that I'm still trying to recover from.
Yup, and loss of sex drive, emotions....
I'm on Cymbalta, which is an SNRI, not SSRI....and it works for me well in some regards. With therapy I've largely gotten over PTSD (anaphylaxis that led to cardiac arrest to dead for 3 minutes, all of which I was painfully awake/aware of...the "heart stopper" IV injections in the ER were the most excruciating thing I've ever felt). Still have some mild anxiety times. I've slowly weened off Cymbalta 3 times in the last 10 years to see how I did. After all, things seemed to be good. 3 things were very obvious very quickly once it was entirely out of my system. My daily, constant GERD returned and was near crippling. I started grinding my teeth at night, which led to TMJ and all kinds of other pains. And my back pain increased again (car accident). I tried all kinds of natural remedies, dietary changes, habit changes (even more exercise, meditation, etc) and I suffered for 6 damn months each time. The basic stresser side effects was where the Cymbalta really shined for me. As for depression, it does help, but by no means prevents it. But being a sober alcoholic, any elevation of depression while not on Cymblata is not a risk I want to take. Go back on Cymbalta and my life goes back to normal; Very little teeth grinding, rare GERD issues, etc. It's aggravating now that all these health nuts on social media have taken the "anti-depressants are entirely placebo" narrative and run with it when they're people who've never experienced it.
God bless you dude, I feel you
what was wrong with iv injection? lol.
@@bendikklungsyr2393 The heart stopper feels like you're burning alive from the inside out. It's very "lol"
I'm glad you touched on things that can cause SSRIs to be less effective. I dealt with this issue for a while because I smoked pot and I had no idea what was going on. One day when doing research on how these medicines affect the body I found out that THC bonds to many of the same receptors as most SSRIs. This blew my mind because I've never heard anyone talking about this. I stopped smoking, and I feel so much better, despite that I started smoking pot because I was depressed and anxious. The best way I can put it is that pot was more of a reactive approach where I'd smoke because I felt depressed or anxious, but SSRIs are a proactive approach. I haven't felt the need to smoke in months.
Thanks for sharing this information! I hear it in school and it needs a wider audience.
I am 80 years old. I was 60 years old when I finally found the right combination of meds including SSRI that helped me feel normal. I did not have the horrible mood swings anymore. I had been on meds for a year before I confessed to my daughter because I was ashamed of needing an antidepressant. She said she had noticed there was something different about me. For me I would rather be boiled in oil than give up my SSRI. There is more to this story, but suffice to say, I am a happy camper.
Can you be sure it's the right combination you found, and not other changes, e.g. age related?
Glad you're doing well! I understand the feeling of shame. Society needs to evolve more.