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I've been thinking about them more and more. My therapists does not like AD's unless the case is extreme and feels I can get through this without them. The psychiatrist I saw at the hospital wanted to put me on them day one but was not comfortable prescribing them if I was going to continue to see mu regular IC. Lately I feel myself sinking into sadness. I go to school, take dance lessons, hang out....just still so sad. I've always been a homebody but lately curling up on the couch feels like I am useless and not worth much. Maybe its this week...I have to find another place to live, was 3 weeks late on my period and now I'm bleeding irregular, employer is challenging my unemployment for the 3rd time and the trial is on Friday and I'm just sinking faster. So should I go on AD's and see if they help or tough it out?

You are the best authority on your own mental and emotional state. The AD's should just be to help you through this period while you get through your issues in IC and develop coping tools of your own. It sounds like you might be a good candidate but you and your doc need to be on the same page on this.

Like Brandon said, you are the best judge on this.

Even though you are feeling the sadness, it does sound like you are functioning, attending school, dance class, hanging out with friends. All good things.

Whatever you decide, I am sure it will be the right decision for you.

A person who is significantly depressed is seldom the best judge of just what they need. That sort of thinking can lead to a downward spiral that can be difficult to pull out of.

Antidepressants have saved a lot of lives. They tend to work best in people with moderate to severe depressions that go beyond the 'situational' depressions we all tend to have here. They also work better if the person is undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy at the same time.

I'd be leery of any therapist who proclaims that they don't 'like' antidepressants. I'd also be leery of anyone who offers them up like breath mints.

And yes, I have credentials as a health professional.

[This message edited by Neithan at 7:36 PM, April 3rd (Wednesday)]

Personally, I have always seen ADs as "bonus hit points." Like, stress does 'damage' to me all day long, and if I don't have ADs in my system, I get to 'pissed off/depressed' waaaaaayyyyy sooner than if I have an AD buffer.

I thought you had to bail out of school?

ADs can be really beneficial, and they can just be for a short term. I took them for six months after I gave birth. I'm not sure I would have functioned normally without them.

I even remember saying to a friend, that I wasnt sure if it was the ADs talking or me, but I felt like I was happy and didn't need them anymore....she said, that is the ADs talking, lol.

I knew going in, it was just a transitional thing, and at six months I started slowly weaning myself off of them, and I am good now.

Your call, but keep in mind, you don't have to commit to them the rest of your life, they could just help you through this really rough time.

HL I had to drop some classes but not bail out completely. I thought I was going to have to but my friends convinced me to stay in state and live with them to finish school and hopefully work on my relationship with SO with some distance between us.

My IC is a cognitive specialist. She specializes in REBT therapy and she thinks AD's are for extreme cases. When the psychiatrist wanted to give me them I had just gotten past suicidal thought patterns and was diagnosed with moderate to severe depression and anxiety. I am functioning and maybe this is a dip in the roller coaster but I feel a little sadder every day and its hard to function sometimes. Sleep is a refuge some nights, other times the nightmares return and I barely get a couple hours. Thanks for all the advice.

Hey Unagie. I was just discussing the topic of ADs with my IC this week. She, like yours, feels that they should be used in the more extreme cases but not to treat sadness. I've been really down and sad lately, and of course she said she noticed that I was having a difficult time shaking my blue mood. She asked me if it felt more like a chemical change and I explained that it felt environmental and situational, but not chemical. We discussed healthy alternatives and outlets. In the past I've found guided meditation and simply writing to be therapeutic. I personally tend to lean towards the side of less medication. I've seen and felt the effects of being improperly medicated, and it can be hell. The choice of course is always yours, but my best advice would be for you and your therapist to weigh all the options, and if you're not comfortable taking the meds, ask what your other options may be. Take care.