Take your meds. Mental disorders can be temporary-transient. Many are a CHEMICAL IMBALANCE that can only be treated with meds. Just like high BP, Cancer, thyroid disorders, Lupus and many other illnesses. Many issues such as Depression, OCD, Bi-polar and others can also be helped with counseling. The type of counseling that may be helpful is dependant upon the disorder. OCD is helped alot with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as is bi-polar disorder. Depression is helped (only in my opinion) more with a "talk therapy" such as Client-centered therapy. What works for one person may not work with another! Also a therapist good at one type of therapy may not be good with another. (I was lousy with cognitive therapy, great with Rogerian or cleint-centered therapy).
Yes, MOST meds cause side effects and depression is one of the most frequent ones. What does that tell you? Depression can and often is caused by a chemical imbalance. If one med doesn't work, you should NOT feel like a zombie! then tell your doctor and try another one. Different anti-depresants work on different chemical in the brain. Some SSRI's work on only seratoin levels, some work on dopamine, some on other chemicals. there is no test to tell the doctor which chemical you need to control, so trail and error are the only way to find the right meds for you. it can take up to two months (yes a very long time when you are suffering) to work, it can also take up to two months for a med to stop working, so just because you stop your meds and feel fine for a month does NOT mean you are no longer suffering from what ever it is you are suffering from! The things YOU must take responsibility for is being aware of how you feel. You should feel (or begin to feel) NORMAL. Not overly happy, not overly unhappy, just normal. Laugh at things that are funny, cry at things that are sad. No feelings are NOT normal.
Sorry to make this so long, but being a retired psychotherapist, I understand that these issues are really very very common, and also very very misunderstood.
Hope I had shed a little light and have been a little helpful.
Yes, MOST meds cause side effects and depression is one of the most frequent ones. What does that tell you? Depression can and often is caused by a chemical imbalance. If one med doesn't work, you should NOT feel like a zombie! then tell your doctor and try another one. Different anti-depresants work on different chemical in the brain. Some SSRI's work on only seratoin levels, some work on dopamine, some on other chemicals. there is no test to tell the doctor which chemical you need to control, so trail and error are the only way to find the right meds for you. it can take up to two months (yes a very long time when you are suffering) to work, it can also take up to two months for a med to stop working, so just because you stop your meds and feel fine for a month does NOT mean you are no longer suffering from what ever it is you are suffering from! The things YOU must take responsibility for is being aware of how you feel. You should feel (or begin to feel) NORMAL. Not overly happy, not overly unhappy, just normal. Laugh at things that are funny, cry at things that are sad. No feelings are NOT normal.
Sorry to make this so long, but being a retired psychotherapist, I understand that these issues are really very very common, and also very very misunderstood.
Hope I had shed a little light and have been a little helpful.
