lasting effects of anti-deppresants

I have severe deppresion and have been on a number of these drugs Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, Prosac, and one other. I went through high school with horrible anxiety and deppresion. It was so bad that when I went to jail for a drunk driving ticket jail wasn't even close to as bad as school was. Anyway I have been on anti-depresents for about eight years. I have also smoked marijuana almost everyday may miss a day or two not by choice. I recently quit the anti-depressants because through my own research and feelings on the drugs there were not helping me but making me worse. I felt like a zomby all my feelings were numb to things happening around me. I have been off the anti-depressants for about three months now, and have just been smoking. I don't feel depressed at all and believe marijuana is best for me in dealing with the deppresion although it is illigal in my state I have a good connect to get high grade pot. My real question is how long will it take my body to get all the bad effects of anti-deppresants out of my system and when will my brain relearn its thinking patterns without the pills. I would still be on this pill rollercoaster if it wasn't for herb and am determined to stay off of them for good. I hope my brain aint damaged from ant-depressants

Well I believe it takes a few months for them to be out of your system, I would just be careful and watch your anxiety there is no better judge then ones self. Just think positive, and know that your in the great hands of Mary Jane!:thumbsup:

some of that ready clean stuff that people use to flush their system before a drug test might get the pills out of you a little quicker

Just my advice, im no doctor. Research NLP. Its a form of programming your brain to work through cognitive learning skills. Its extremely powerful. A good hypnotherapist could calapse negative anchors through your past and install pleasant positive motivating triggers deep in your unconscience.
I believe that depression is a learn skill, and takes work. You can discover how you make yourself depressed, ie. make pictures of depressing things, and change the way you view these pictures and sounds. You can understand better how the brain works.
I believe therapists are misguided from school they teach you that your body is missing a chemical and needs to be replaced, or you were not loved as a child and its your parents fault. Or that anger dwells inside you and needs to come out. All of these do not help but only practices more depression.
Please look into Lucinda Bassett, she has a good start for you, maybe you can find her audio on limewire or something. I did.
If you learn NLP, you will become so confident that women will be attracted to you. :D Enough said. I do wish you the best and keep smokin. :jointsmile:
BB

The drugs will be out of your system in about 3 months or so but the affects of the drugs themselves are'nt really known for long term

SSRI's (the class of drug you listed most frequently) are generally non-symptomatic is regards to issues associated with the drug.

Sadly, most psychiatrists try a trial and error method of seeing if these medications work and are happy to prescribe these pills without knowning too much about them and is a debated topic within the APA society (American Psychology Assossciation)

Wow,...lucky you. I've had the same problems with clinical depression as you have and even had several suicide attempts and involountary commitments due to mental troubles.

I LOVE my Prozac and I love weed......but I don't at all pretend to compare the two. Prozac not only saved my life, it makes it possible for me to LIVE my life whereas mmj only helps somewhat.....and in some situations can make your depression worse.

If you feel better without the pills great......maybe you didn't need them. I do, and so do many people I know.

So I don't think theyv'e seriously damaged you in any way despite the general sneer everyone like to give to "anti-depressents." It makes me laugh to think that drugging yourself with marijuana is somehow "better" than drugging yourself with anything else.....like maybe an important chemical (seratonin) in your brain causing depression which Prozac and those like it help regulate. It's your body so you get to play doctor all you want.......just be careful taking all the other "doctor" advice so freely handed out here.

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Originally Posted by Revanche21

The drugs will be out of your system in about 3 months or so but the affects of the drugs themselves are'nt really known for long term

SSRI's (the class of drug you listed most frequently) are generally non-symptomatic is regards to issues associated with the drug.

Sadly, most psychiatrists try a trial and error method of seeing if these medications work and are happy to prescribe these pills without knowning too much about them and is a debated topic within the APA society (American Psychology Assossciation)

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Seriously.. When I tried the prescription medication method I went through some screwed up stuff. Like nope that one makes you not be able to stand, nope that one makes you violent and aggressive, nope that one dropped your blood pressure so low the walls started falling down... Human guinea pig anyone?

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Originally Posted by Weedhound

Wow,...lucky you. I've had the same problems with clinical depression as you have and even had several suicide attempts and involountary commitments due to mental troubles.

I LOVE my Prozac and I love weed......but I don't at all pretend to compare the two. Prozac not only saved my life, it makes it possible for me to LIVE my life whereas mmj only helps somewhat.....and in some situations can make your depression worse.

If you feel better without the pills great......maybe you didn't need them. I do, and so do many people I know.

So I don't think theyv'e seriously damaged you in any way despite the general sneer everyone like to give to "anti-depressents." It makes me laugh to think that drugging yourself with marijuana is somehow "better" than drugging yourself with anything else.....like maybe an important chemical (seratonin) in your brain causing depression which Prozac and those like it help regulate. It's your body so you get to play doctor all you want.......just be careful taking all the other "doctor" advice so freely handed out here.

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People think cannabis is better because of the lack of most of the side effects, and it's not physically addicting. SSRI's are horrible for you but yes they do help some people. More power to you! Whatever helps, do it.
In my experience it takes about a month to start to feel "normal" again...whatever that is...just make sure you can handle your issues without the meds, or you'll be back on them soon enough. good luck. Oh and cannabis will most likely help with the withdrawals you will be having soon, if you haven't already.

I have been feeling fairly well so far without the pills. The main thing I noticed is better so far is my compassion about things. I went for so long not having feelings it seemed like. I didn't get emotionally upset about normal things that would upset people. I kind of was in a no care, no feelings state. It was kind of weird dealing with all of these feelings rushing back but it does feel good in a way. I hope to stay on this good path and have a good feeling about things so far. Winter was always my most depressed time of the year but am not feeling like that this year. I look forward to snowmobiling and next spring. Just scored some great medicine by the way all natural!

Please link me to whatever infomation you have saying SSRI's are "horrible" for you. This is the kind of statement that just makes me so sad because it's obviously said out of complete ignorance or from someone who has no REAL idea of what clinical depression really is. Are they more horrible than being so unhappy you want to die....you actually do things to yourself to try to die?? Yes, they're horrible all right; so horrible that I'm still alive. How come mj didn't fix that? (and yes, i was using it at the time.)

That's why I don't offer more on this board. I've been treated for clinical depression, including suicide attempts, alcoholism and am now facing lung cancer. So anyone who answered this question who has been through more will be someone I will listen to. The rest of you are just guesses, wishes, and ignorance.

I also have been diagnosed with clinical depression, I am currently Celexa, Generic for citalopram. Their are many side effects associated with anti-depressants; for example I am feeling one of the more advanced side-effects. Lack of energy is caused by the pills, muscle minimization, and sleeping disorders. The comparison between feeling depressed and not feeling depressed is well worth the side-effects. I to had attempted suicide, if i have to live with these side-effects until I do not need the pills anymore, I will be happy to have taken the pills. Death is not pretty, fucks up your family and friends, it is not fair to others to commit suicide. The pills are not that bad, believe me. :) Stay strong and live happy, smoke bud and be marry. :)
PS.... Do not drink alcohol with any of these drugs, for they enhance the side-effects.

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Originally Posted by Weedhound

Please link me to whatever infomation you have saying SSRI's are "horrible" for you. This is the kind of statement that just makes me so sad because it's obviously said out of complete ignorance or from someone who has no REAL idea of what clinical depression really is. Are they more horrible than being so unhappy you want to die....you actually do things to yourself to try to die?? Yes, they're horrible all right; so horrible that I'm still alive. How come mj didn't fix that? (and yes, i was using it at the time.)

That's why I don't offer more on this board. I've been treated for clinical depression, including suicide attempts, alcoholism and am now facing lung cancer. So anyone who answered this question who has been through more will be someone I will listen to. The rest of you are just guesses, wishes, and ignorance.

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You're getting mad at the wrong person. I've been through a bunch of different medications and still fight everyday to stay alive. I've been treated for bipolar disorder and panic disorder, along with a small list of other problems. Don't dare to tell me I have no idea what clinical depression is like, MJ might not fix that, every drug effects everyone differently. Anti-depressants without mood stabilizers would make me manic to the point of psychosis but MJ completely stabilizes my mood, better than any pill medication, but it does not completely relieve my anxiety, nor is it a practical single solution for my problems. You also have to live a healthy lifestyle and go to therapy if you plan to see real results. I don't need to look anything up online I know that SSRI's cause physical dependence and can make some people very suicidal and depressed. I know the withdrawals are horrible, some of the worst i've ever had. I'm too lazy to look anything up but I know I've seen evidence of these medications being physically harmful, I apologize in advance if I am wrong.

EDIT: I realize that I don't necessarily mean the medications themselves are horrible, but how overprescribed they are without anyone looking at the risks. I am sorry, it's frustration from being bent over by pill pushing docs.

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Originally Posted by Hollywierdtoker

You're getting mad at the wrong person. I've been through a bunch of different medications and still fight everyday to stay alive. I've been treated for bipolar disorder and panic disorder, along with a small list of other problems. Don't dare to tell me I have no idea what clinical depression is like, MJ might not fix that, every drug effects everyone differently. Anti-depressants without mood stabilizers would make me manic to the point of psychosis but MJ completely stabilizes my mood, better than any pill medication, but it does not completely relieve my anxiety, nor is it a practical single solution for my problems. You also have to live a healthy lifestyle and go to therapy if you plan to see real results. I don't need to look anything up online I know that SSRI's cause physical dependence and can make some people very suicidal and depressed. I know the withdrawals are horrible, some of the worst i've ever had. I'm too lazy to look anything up but I know I've seen evidence of these medications being physically harmful, I apologize in advance if I am wrong.

EDIT: I realize that I don't necessarily mean the medications themselves are horrible, but how overprescribed they are without anyone looking at the risks. I am sorry, it's frustration from being bent over by pill pushing docs.

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Theres a major split between Psychologists regarding the problem of SSRI's and other anti-depressants.

On one hand, some studys conclude that SSRI's and other Anti-depressants increase the chance of someone commiting suicide up to 5%, while helping others dramatically.

It's a real mix of incomplete studies and mixed messages. You gotta remember there is a huge pharmacological industry that pushes the view that in today's day and age, "there's a pill for every problem".

While a simple prescribed pill can help alleviate symptoms of depression, the symptoms return after going off these pills.

A better method to treating clinical depression is to address issues of the person's life by having sessions with a psychologist.

Most often in my experience, a psychiatrist will prescribe a pill and forget about you. :(