Antidepressants Prove Addictive to Some

Karas · August 2006

this is about an article on the following page,

http://www.sabaidi.net/talk_about.htm

I think this is an interesting article. It definately rasises the question of whether or not we live in an over medicated world by bringing to light the downside to the easy answer; medication.

What is most dangerous about this is when Young Teenagers are given Paxil and other similar medication. Its just setting them off on a bumpy road.

I'll leave the quesion up for discussion though...

Are anti depressants such as paxil causing more harm than good ??

sponger · August 2006

I don't know anything about Effexor, but Paxil is bad shit. Basically, those are the only two drugs that the article discusses. Prozac is briefly mentioned, but it is not described as causing a large number of complaints.

It's a good idea to be aware of the potential side effects, but in no way should these drugs be written off entirely. People do benefit from them. Every drug has its side effects. It's up to the doctor to decide if the patient's quality of life will improve enough to justify the risks.

Ahnimus · August 2006

Some doctors believe that prolonged use of medication significantly damages the brain. My ex-girlfriend took Paxil and when she quit she was no better off. It did her no good, she had panic attacks even with it. She's just mental and needs to realize that life sucks for everyone. Most of these problems I imagine are psychological and should be dealt with without medication.

Heatherj43 · August 2006

It is my opinion that Paxil sux! I have been on Paxil and on other kinds of antidepressants. Paxil has these weird side effects. Not ALL anti-depressants are like that.
I am on Remeron now and it is okay.

PaperPlates · August 2006

The doctor said I'd be alright, but I still feel blue.

Karas · August 2006

i imagine that long term use of these anti depressants has to do some damage...dependancy if nothing else. I have seriously considered taking some but have always shyed away from it...to afraid of the dependancy issues...

I know some people on paxil, and seem alright, but I dont really spend enough time to see the whole picture...

do you think most of these issues are chemical, and can only be solved by chemicals, or do you think the issues are personal problems ??

For me i was going through a lot of personal stuff, that took me really deep, and fortunately had a rebirth...I also think that naturally I am inclined towards depression, which I have just worked hard at dealing with in a constructive way(writing, etc. ) and then pulling myself out of it...

know1 · August 2006

We definitely live in an overmedicated world. I believe most people do not need most of the medicines they are taking - especially for depression/anxiety reasons.

suffragette · August 2006

Meds help initially. It's the maintenance that kills you. In many cases, when it comes to MH, the cure is worse that the disease in the long run. But unfortunately, most of us do not have the resources to take a year off to detox. I take the smallest dose possible. I've always been noncompliant.

O-ren Ishii · August 2006

This is an article full of opinion and little science. It takes weeks for these medications to achieve an appropriate level in the bloodstream to have any effects. The idea of developing symptoms within hours of stopping the meds is absurd, especially if the person is taking Paxil. It's dosed once daily, so why would someone suddenly develop all of these symptoms just because they know it's their last dose? They usually have 24 hours between doses.

It's too bad that people who need lifelong medication are branded "addicted". Would you say that a person with high blood pressure is addicted to their meds or a diabetic is? Some people have mental illness that isn't cured by medication but it's managed so they can live their lives. Is that wrong?

A single course of medication can "cure" depression in some people, and they never have problems again. But it's simply not that way with everyone.

Spartanacus · August 2006

know1 wrote:

We definitely live in an overmedicated world. I believe most people do not need most of the medicines they are taking - especially for depression/anxiety reasons.

Wow know1...I actually agree with part of what you said.

Karas...what know1 meant to say is that we're all better off smoking a little of the whacky tobacky instead of popping anti-depressants and who knows what else for the rest of our lives.

See the "Rx, Meth, Coke" thread below if you haven't already...

http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=208398

binauralsounds · August 2006

I was put on Paxil to wean myself off of xanax (been on it way too long, prescribed of course) and I took that dam bottle of paxil and threw it in the garbage. That shit is horrible!!!!!!

suffragette · August 2006

O-ren Ishii wrote:

This is an article full of opinion and little science. It takes weeks for these medications to achieve an appropriate level in the bloodstream to have any effects. The idea of developing symptoms within hours of stopping the meds is absurd, especially if the person is taking Paxil. It's dosed once daily, so why would someone suddenly develop all of these symptoms just because they know it's their last dose? They usually have 24 hours between doses.

It's too bad that people who need lifelong medication are branded "addicted". Would you say that a person with high blood pressure is addicted to their meds or a diabetic is? Some people have mental illness that isn't cured by medication but it's managed so they can live their lives. Is that wrong?

A single course of medication can "cure" depression in some people, and they never have problems again. But it's simply not that way with everyone.

I agree. But people with mental illness are often treated as guinea pigs for meds, whereas those with "real" (sarcasm intended) illnesses are not.

We now have a generation of mi consumers shaking away because of the wonder drugs Haldol and Thorazine. How do we know those who took Prozac (me included) will not develop something like that in the future?

MI drugs are often used for the wrong reasons and prescribed by family doctors, not psychiatrists. For that reason, people are taking drugs that they shouldn't be taking. Remember how Prozac was prescribed for shyness?

Karas · August 2006

thats crazy man...The whole idea of weening yourself off of perscription drugs is serious, but kind of funny...

I mean no disrespect...It just makes me happy to have found, and been content with, alternative natural methods, like Spartanacus says...

Although, I must admit, it made the situation worse many times, and put me on border line of my sanity for a while in College...It brought me to zero, which i attribute for allowing me to have a "rebirth"...in the long run I know it was the best thing for me...

I dont think its for everyone...

binauralsounds · August 2006

Karas wrote:

thats crazy man...The whole idea of weening yourself off of perscription drugs is serious, but kind of funny...

I mean no disrespect...It just makes me happy to have found, and been content with, alternative natural methods, like Spartanacus says...

Although, I must admit, it made the situation worse many times, and put me on border line of my sanity for a while in College...It brought me to zero, which i attribute for allowing me to have a "rebirth"...in the long run I know it was the best thing for me...

I dont think its for everyone...

I have to ween myself off of xanax because I take xanax for attacks stemming from exposure to nerve gas in the 1st gulf war. not kind of funny at all!
I'm seeking other ways other than meds.

Karas · August 2006

I'm sorry man...like I said, i mean no disrespect.

I didn'r really mean ha ha funny, as much as an ironic sense of funny, in that prescription drugs are meant to help, but to have to wean off them alludes to the fact that they are causing you harm...

binauralsounds · August 2006

Karas wrote:

I'm sorry man...like I said, i mean no disrespect.

I didn'r really mean ha ha funny, as much as an ironic sense of funny, in that prescription drugs are meant to help, but to have to wean off them alludes to the fact that they are causing you harm...

no prob. I get what your'e sayin now! Yeah, prety messed up. They said it's better to slowly get off the xanax so i won't have withdrawls and that paxil would help with anxiety attacks. YEAH RIGHT! Dam that. I pitched em!

Heatherj43 · August 2006

binauralsounds wrote:

no prob. I get what your'e sayin now! Yeah, prety messed up. They said it's better to slowly get off the xanax so i won't have withdrawls and that paxil would help with anxiety attacks. YEAH RIGHT! Dam that. I pitched em!

I'm licensed in my state to do substance abuse counseling. Along the way, I learned that only alcohol and benzodiazapenes, which is xanax, can cause death while withdrawing. Heroin may feel like you are going to die, but the two I named can kill you if stopped abruptly.
Paxil is horrible! I wish doctors would realize that. There are many other drugs that are fine that can help with withdrawing that don't have side effects.

I want to comment here too about addiction to anti-depressants. I have yet to hear of anyone getting "addicted" to anti-depressants.
They don't have any properties that are addictive and there is not a high you get from them to make someone abuse them.
Many people NEED these types of medications. I do think docs put people on them for too long of a time, but if given on a short term basis to people with depression, while conjointly doing therapy, in abut 6-9 months there is improvement.
I get very annoyed with articles like this one. As someone pointed out, the article is an opinion. Facts do not support the claims. Also, even if a drug has side effects, one must weigh the consequences of what the mental illness is doing to their life as opposed to the side effects.

binauralsounds · August 2006

Heatherj43 wrote:

I'm licensed in my state to do substance abuse counseling. Along the way, I learned that only alcohol and benzodiazapenes, which is xanax, can cause death while withdrawing. Heroin may feel like you are going to die, but the two I named can kill you if stopped abruptly.
Paxil is horrible! I wish doctors would realize that. There are many other drugs that are fine that can help with withdrawing that don't have side effects.

I want to comment here too about addiction to anti-depressants. I have yet to hear of anyone getting "addicted" to anti-depressants.
They don't have any properties that are addictive and there is not a high you get from them to make someone abuse them.
Many people NEED these types of medications. I do think docs put people on them for too long of a time, but if given on a short term basis to people with depression, while conjointly doing therapy, in abut 6-9 months there is improvement.
I get very annoyed with articles like this one. As someone pointed out, the article is an opinion. Facts do not support the claims. Also, even if a drug has side effects, one must weigh the consequences of what the mental illness is doing to their life as opposed to the side effects.

Thank you for your input!!

Heatherj43 · August 2006

Karas wrote:

I'm sorry man...like I said, i mean no disrespect.

I didn'r really mean ha ha funny, as much as an ironic sense of funny, in that prescription drugs are meant to help, but to have to wean off them alludes to the fact that they are causing you harm...

Many people NEED these medications. While they may have side effects, the good outweoghs the bad and they save many people's lives.
The side effects are less harmful than suicide.

Ahnimus · August 2006

My mother was diagnosed Manic Depressive a long time ago. They put her on drugs and then more drugs to combat her addiction to the first drugs. She kept taking more than she was supposed to and the doctor would just increase her perscription. She was highly energetic while on the drugs, eventually she torqued out too much and a disk exploded in her back and now she is disabled. She is on even more drugs now to fight the pain in her back. She has always been an extremist, screaming a lot and crying, getting very emotional and violent. Except... when she wasn't taking the drugs....

shiraz · August 2006

O-ren Ishii wrote:

This is an article full of opinion and little science. It takes weeks for these medications to achieve an appropriate level in the bloodstream to have any effects. The idea of developing symptoms within hours of stopping the meds is absurd, especially if the person is taking Paxil. It's dosed once daily, so why would someone suddenly develop all of these symptoms just because they know it's their last dose? They usually have 24 hours between doses.

It's too bad that people who need lifelong medication are branded "addicted". Would you say that a person with high blood pressure is addicted to their meds or a diabetic is? Some people have mental illness that isn't cured by medication but it's managed so they can live their lives. Is that wrong?

A single course of medication can "cure" depression in some people, and they never have problems again. But it's simply not that way with everyone.

You just took the words out of my mouth.

Antidepressants Prove Addictive to Some

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