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Antidepressants; What to expect?

Gerald Wilgus

Gerald Wilgus

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
As you may be aware, I am getting psychological counseling for PTSD. i like my psychologist who has been giving me a lot of work to do. Yet, I have been emotionally numb to internalizing positive messages about myself. I met with a psychologist yesterday to discuss any medical ajuncts to therapy. Alas, there is nobody here licensed for the investigative use of MDMA which seems to work significantly well to bend people suffering with PTSD towards the positive (and I do not know anybody from whom I can get some to test).

The Psychiatrist has recommended Duloxetine (Cymbalta) for an antidepressant. Many years ago I had been on Zoloft and the sexual side effects were significant. I dropped it cold turkey and that did not go well. Because one trigger of my PTSD has been issues with sexuality, I do not know what to expect from Duloxetine.

Can anybody here tell me what to expect and be aware of when using the recommended antidepressant? I do not know much about the pharmacognacy of those agents.
 
@Gerald Wilgus,
I have never taken any anti depressants. Did you look on line for support groups for that specific medication? Might be worth a look. Something like this
My experience starting Duloxetine (Cymbalta)

Just about every drug scares me but, like you, I have significant negative programing. I have found mindfulness and meditation to be be a life safer.

Meditation helped me to learn to ignore the negative thought patterns without trying to replace them with positive messages I don't believe. And my mind is simply cleared so that there is room and energy for positve messages I do believe.
 
Not sure what l took about 20 years ago but it was antidepressant. I had the absolute numb stage from shock and disbelief. My daughter took them for about a year. Maybe can you view it as a temp fix for up to a year until you change your thought patterns? And that your spouse should try to work with you on being understanding? There are other forms of fun where you can bring in *items* to increase her fun and you will enjoy the outcome and ask her for her understanding as that you will transition off the antidepressant in about 9-12 months.

It's a step in the journey to better yourself and you are work in progress. Your spouse must be very happy you are moving forward.

At some point, your thought process becomes chemically altered depending on what type of depressant you are taking. Then the outcome the doc is looking for is that you aren't held hostage by your debilitating thought process. However, you need to immediately let the doc know if the meds push you into more depressive thoughts or if you have some type of medical complication. Those are warning signs to take seriously. At some point, you realize you don't need the pills anymore.

I almost died from anxiety meds and the emergency room doctor was unable to link the extreme allergic rash l had to my pills. They thought it was due to a jacuzzi. Finally the doc told me if l didn't check myself in, l would die.
 
Last edited:
Suzette said:
@Gerald Wilgus,
I have never taken any anti depressants. Did you look on line for support groups for that specific medication? Might be worth a look. Something like this
My experience starting Duloxetine (Cymbalta)

Just about every drug scares me but, like you, I have significant negative programing. I have found mindfulness and meditation to be be a life safer.

Meditation helped me to learn to ignore the negative thought patterns without trying to replace them with positive messages I don't believe. And my mind is simply cleared so that there is room and energy for positve messages I do believe.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I am practicing daily introspection and that is helping. I will look at the link.
 
Aspychata said:
Not sure what l took about 20 years ago but it was antidepressant. I had the absolute numb stage from shock and disbelief. My daughter took them for about a year. Maybe can you view it as a temp fix for up to a year until you change your thought patterns? And that your spouse should try to work with you on being understanding? There are other forms of fun where you can bring in *items* to increase her fun and you will enjoy the outcome and ask her for her understanding as that you will transition off the antidepressant in about 9-12 months.

It's a step in the journey to better yourself and you are work in progress. Your spouse must be very happy you are moving forward.

At some point, your thought process becomes chemically altered depending on what type of depressant you are taking. Then the outcome the doc is looking for is that you aren't held hostage by your debilitating thought process. However, you need to immediately let the doc know if the meds push you into more depressive thoughts or if you have some type of medical complication. Those are warning signs to take seriously. At some point, you realize you don't need the pills anymore.

I almost died from anxiety meds and the emergency room doctor was unable to link the extreme allergic rash l had to my pills. They thought it was due to a jacuzzi. Finally the doc told me if l didn't check myself in, l would die.
Click to expand...
We did discuss using the antidepressant for a limited time, and I will be watching for any negative effects.
 
Haven’t taken those specific anti depressants but I’ve been on ones that have ranged from keeping my anxiety in relative control, so less meltdowns but I got really bad headaches afterwards. The ones that I was on last year made me feel extremely sick, dizzy, drowsy.
 
Gerald Wilgus said:
Alas, there is nobody here licensed for the investigative use of MDMA which seems to work significantly well to bend people suffering with PTSD towards the positive (and I do not know anybody from whom I can get some to test).
Click to expand...

Have you considered ayahuasca? They say one session is equivalent to about a decade of therapy. I just poked around online, and there appear to be regular retreats held in Michigan.
 
Have you tried SAM-e? Apparently that is a good one.
 
Aspychata said:
Maybe can you view it as a temp fix for up to a year until you change your thought patterns? And that your spouse should try to work with you on being understanding?
Click to expand...
I am very fortunate that she has been understanding. At our age we have introduced some *items* that we both enjoy. I delight in showing her that she is desirable
 
OkRad said:
Have you tried SAM-e? Apparently that is a good one.
Click to expand...

@Gerald Wilgus SAM-e is also a biomedical treatment for autism that some parents give their kids to make them less autistic. It's produced naturally in the body from the amino acid methionine but I read that some autistic people have genes that impair their ability to create SAM-e from methionine which results in a deficiency that may contribute to social deficits. It's supposed to work as well as most antidepressants but without major side-effects.
 
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