How to Quit DXM?

[Paracelsus]

SWIMs been using DXM for a while now. Yesterday he discovered that he already built up a quite strong tolerance, he doesn't get ANY effects even from 3mg/kg. Also, SWIM feels like he can not control his use anymore, although high-dose cronic abuse wouldn't be a description of SWIM's state.

These days, everything SWIMs close friends talk to him is about "you really have to quit. Otherwise you'll fuck with your health and be sorry some day, but too late."

Any suggests on what to take to make the kicking easier. SWIM thought of shrooms.

[StigmataLectron]

Shrooms, no, that'd just be subsituting one "addiction" for the other. I think you really answered your own question here: yes, you should stop using DXM. It's a crappy drug anyway after you've done it as many times as swiyou or swiI probably have. It's just predictable and afterwards lame, IMO.

IIRC DXM was thought to have mild physical addiction. So it might take some of the same methods that cigarette smokers use to quit. Or you could just stop using it and tough it out, like swim did. :P

[Forthesevenlakes]

Nothing will really make a DXM kick that much easier, unless SWIY tries to swap one addiction for another. If SWIY smokes cigarettes and drinks coffee, try doing those things with friends because it really helps take one's mind off tripping. Also keeping busy is the best thing SWIY can do, SWIM found that when he was using DXM habitually it was often because he was bored, which is a bad reason to do drugs.

SWIM would advise to steer clear of most other drugs for the first couple weeks of quitting DXM. Its unlikely that SWIY would get truly addicted to mushrooms, for example, but at the same time the trip won't neccessarily help SWIY go clean. SWIY has to want to do it, thats the only way. Not using alcohol or weed helped SWIM alot, since he didn't get as much of a depression when not using, and it helped the feeling of confusion brought on by too much dxm too often. Abstinence reverses the changes that DXM can cause much faster than just quitting dxm alone.

The good news is that once SWIY gets past the first week or two of quitting, it gets very easy. Its psychological hold on SWIY will weaken, most brain changes will be reversed within about a month if SWIY has any, and SWIY will stop thinking about it nearly as much. So just spend time with friends and family, and take part in alot of alternate activities to keep from getting bored. And, as always, get plenty of rest and proper nutrition. Keep us posted as to how SWIY is doing, we'll give you all the support we can =]

[desolated000]

swiy should smoke weed whenever he wants to trip.. swim can stop weed cold turkey any day of the week

[mordecai8614]

SWIM used to take DXM very often, and as SWIY stated, the tolerance build-up blows.

SWIM still has not been able to completely stop taking DXM, but his usage is in much better moderation. For SWIM, his "normal" dosage started to become less and less effective when he took DXM recreationally. That lead to increase in dosage... which lead to rough trips (vomiting, panic attacks, anxiety). SWIM didn't want to accept the fact that his tolerance was taking over, and his trips were becoming much more difficult to achieve.

For SWIM, cutting back from DXM addict to moderate tripper could only be done by neutralizing his mind by keeping himself very busy and distracted from the drug. SWIM ended up moving from North Carolina to Michigan (not because of drugs or anything), and that was a great stimulation that took his mind off DXM. For weeks SWIM was busy adjusting to a new lifestyle. After SWIM was able to go a month without taking DXM, the acceptance of the tolerance was much more easy to comprehend and understand. SWIM actually wanted to completely diminish his tolerance so he ended up going months without taking it (after the first month, it wasn't difficult). After those months, SWIM still didn't know how long it would take to destroy a tolerance, he ended up going more than a year without taking the drug. After the year passed, SWIM decided to enjoy a trip a down memory lane, and that trip was one of his bests. With that, of course the urge to take DXM the next weekend arose, but acceptance that a built tolerance will not allow SWIM to reach the trip he desires helps fight the urge.

That alone won't keep SWIM from abusing the drug though...A very active lifestyle REALLY helps keep the drug in moderation. That is the biggest piece of advice I have for cutting back/quitting DXM (any drugs for that matter). SWIM doesn't take DXM often now, not only for his conclusions about tolerance, but because his lifestyle won't let him. SWIM is a full-time college student, works 2 part-time jobs (one of which is a night job), when he's not working or going to school or studying...he's spending time with his girlfriend, when he's not doing that, he's with friends....and if for some odd reason there is some free time during the day from all that, SWIM has a membership to a gym.

SWIM hasn't taken DXM in about 2 months. He actually would love to, and knows his tolerance is down to the point where he will experience an enjoyable trip. With his schedule though he can't. SWIM knows one day he'll have a night off without having to wake up early the next day, and when that day comes he'll enjoy it. For now, it's actually nice, because the longer SWIM has to wait, the less his tolerance will be.

SWIM knows he is rambling like a mother f*cker (just got back from school, and now enjoying the fine presence of jagar). SWIM actually could have tripped tonight, but didn't realize it early enough, so had a big dinner. No point wasting the trip because his stomach wasn't empty. SWIM's two pieces of advice, and take it with a grain of salt, 1) Find acceptance that a built-up tolerance will not allow you to feel the effects desired, and that taking a break is good for you (for your health especially, recreational DXM use is bad news on your body) and 2) try to make your lifestyle as active and busy as you can (at least for the first month or so trying to quit/cut-back).

Again, not very sure how great SWIM's advice is, usually when he gives advice he trys to back it up with facts, statistics and sources, but right now SWIM's just talking on personal experience that his drunken mind is telling him is worthwhile (maybe)

Good luck to ya

[Paracelsus]

Thank you very much for your help everyone.
Actuall, mordecai, SWIM is not just trying to cut back, he doesn't want to see DXM again in his life. [EDIT: Changed my opinion]
SWIM made himself a big poster which he keeps on the wall beside his bed: "YOU ARE A PIECE OF SHIT. WHY ELSE WOULD YOU WANT TO SWALLOW 20 COUGH PILLS? YOU ARE A FILTHY MOTHERFUCKER."
hope this helps and btw SWIM will join some communities or something like that to help him keep busy. thanks again

peace

[Hlucn8]

Ooh! Addicted to "the Nasty!!!" Swim was a part of a group of young psychonauts who called themselves the "robo-warriors". Cool, huh? Any way, lots of interesting experiences. But in the end swIm realized that it was all non-sense, and led to nowhere productive.
I agree with swiSevenlakes, keep busy. And for goodness sakes, self loathing only leads to further destruction!!! Realize your worth.
I ask you a question, how do we place a value on a ware we plan to sell?

[Hlucn8]

Well, how do we determine the value of an object?

Reputation Comments on this post:

helpful for paracelsus

[Paracelsus]

jeez...ok whatever...made another poster: "YOU WILL KICK THE SHIT. YOU WILL BE CLEAN AND FEEL NO NEED TO SWALLOW 20 COUGH PILLS ANYMORE." i have to keep that with swallowing the 20 cough pills because thinking of this makes me feel more nauseous than actually doing it. I guess another thing I have to do is hate DXM from now on.

[RoboCop]

Swim was a big dxm user, it was his favorite drug. Used it for many years, eventually it was time for Swim to grow up and give up his habbit, it will always be his favorite drug. Still Swim dropped the habbit easily and painlessly and has gone a long time without using a year, maybe more. Swim has no desire to use it again and never will. If swim could do it you can do it, the amount of dxm swim went through was absured. Swim did not substitute it for any other drug, he uses pretty much nothing now. His life turned around full swing and things are going great for him. Go Swim!

[Riconoen {UGC}]

i've felt the only way to kick a psychological habit is by trading it. smoke a cigarette or something everytime you feel the need to swallow 20 robo gelcaps. you may be charring your lungs but you arent killing brain cells at least. some guy I know used to use dxm almost daily, his cognitive abilities suffered as a result, so he cut down majorly by doing something else (in his case smoking) when he felt the need to go robotrip and now he only does it once a month or something, his brain thanks him as a result lol.

[bewilderment]

Swim was using this drug for about two and a half years and for the last one and a half years was using it daily and sometimes redosing. It was SO difficult to quit. It became a simple habit...she would just casually go to the store to pick something or another up and while walking past the cough/cold aisle, just figure, why not? And pick up some zicam of cough gels or whatever. I think the cognitive decline is quite exaggerated, however, but I can only speak for swim who is telling me her experience. Now, the first few months after quitting, swim did think that she had done some serious brain damage but found that it was mostly depression and neurotranmitter depletion. Her cognitive abilities seem somewhat up to par now (it's been about a year since she quit as a habit, although, it hasn't been a year since she used...she can't recall the last time she did use but it most likely around February or so). People who use DXM are not losers unless you want to say that all people who use drugs are losers. It's mostly the method of ingestion that stigmatizes the drug so much. That and the fact that the primary population of users are teenagers who have no idea what they're doing. If one could simply ingest the drug itself without getting it from cough products then it would most likely not be as looked down upon. Although, it is certainly a harmful drug and quite a bit "dirtier" than most out there.

She doesn't regret her use of DXM in the least although she wishes she had the common sense to use in moderation. She's still learning her lessons concerning moderation, but is doing much better now. There is no drug that she uses daily. Actually, she would be willing to give up everything else at this moment if only she could get her weed connection back. That's the only drug she does not feel guilty about using on a day-to-day basis. Her mood swings have been a nightmare since she gave up the herb (this is due underlying mood disorder(s) that she's had before she ever touched drugs). But, the more she reads about psychiatric drugs, the more turned off she is by them although she has used her fair share and also been to many, many therapists beginning at the age of 12 or 13. The more she reads, the more she realizes that she's better off just sticking with the non-toxic cannabis whenever she is able to find it once again. But, as the months drag by she becomes more despondent. She hates alcohol and she hates cigarettes (although this wasn't always the case) she also has benzos around but hates those as well. The only thing helping her relax just a bit is kratom, but she knows better than to use on a daily basis and even her enjoyment of that is diminishing quickly and it doesn't help nearly as much with her moods.

Oops, went off on my own little rant, I apologize. One thing that swim does regret about the DXM abuse is that it greatly reduced her experiences with ketamine which is safer (not to say harmless) than DXM and always sounded like a much better high than DXM. When she has tried it, both insufflated and intramusclarly, it has been greatly disappointing. Her DXM experiences were much more rewarding and changed her for the better she feels as far as her outlook on life goes. She wishes that she could have gotten ketamine before she ever became dependent on DXM because she feels that she would have been better off that way although she hasn't noticed any damage as of yet...she worries that things will show up years from now, but she doesn't find it likely.

She simply has a preference for dissociatives over the classic 5HT2a agonist hallucinogens. She has some 2C-E right now as well as the materials to grow shrooms, but her heart's not in it and she rarely finds that she has the same intense spiritual/revelatory experiences on these hallucinogens than she did when using DXM.

Do be careful when switching addictions around though. Shrooms certainly aren't as harmful, but swim has found that using them frequently (which she defines as once a week) does take a toll on the body and mind. It can also throw one's emotions out whack as well. Swim was doing this a few months back and is now burnt out on hallucinogens.

Also, if swiy is using such it may be a good idea to try out some nootropics such as Piracetam and Choline/or DMAE. It helps with some of the damage done to the brain and cognition on a daily basis. It also seems to potentiate some drugs allowing one to take less of the drug to reach the desired effect.

Swim tried this a few days ago with 2C-E. It was probably a mistake for her to take the 2C-E as the next day she was rather depressed and her mood is still not quite right, but maybe that's just her. However, the piracetam and choline definately enhanced the effects of the 2C-E. She took less than her usual dosage and the effects seemed much stronger and she felt more clear-headed than she usually does on hallucinogens.

As far as swallowing 20 cough gels, don't feel bad about it. That's actually pretty tame as far as dex abuse goes. There really shouldn't be any long-lasting damage done with that dosage. The fact that swiy noticed the psychological dependency so early on speaks highly of him. It took forever for swim to figure out that she was psychologically addicted to DXM and by that point she didn't much care as she was to the point where she felt she "needed" the drug to get her through the day. So, it was a hard habit to kick. It was actually more difficult for swim than quitting benzos, cigarettes, and opiates.

It would be best not to switch addictions, although, this is how swim quit: She began smoking much more weed and taking other hallucinogens more regularly. It did help her get over the addiction to DXM, but in hindsight she would have waited a little while before starting in on the other hallucinogens. Her brain was still in "addiction mode" so she still was in the habit of using things to excess. The marijuana was fine. If she could go back then she would have stuck with the MJ for a little while until she felt that she could use powerful substances once again in moderation. Also, what pushed her to quit was that DXM had lost pretty much all of the pleasurable effects. Her normal dosage was about 600mg-750mg (her being a 115lb female) and she soon found that such dosages lead to nothing but a bit of a buzz. No visuals or good body feelings at all. It simply wasn't worth it anymore and she didn't want to up the dosage even more. If she had kept feeling the same effects, there's no telling when she would have been able to finally kick the habit. So, it's both a good and bad thing that the "magic" is lost after a certain amount of time. She still wishes she could use every so often, but the last time she tried the "magic" was still gone and she was left feeling depressed and stupid the rest of the day. And, she's sure that her few rendezvous with ketamine has messed up her tolerance even more so she'll just wait and perhaps in a few years she can use DXM a couple of times a year with decent effects. She still misses it simply because she felt that it helped her grow in more profound ways than other drugs she has tried.

Take care.

[Paracelsus]

I'm feeling much better today, have no desire to take DXM, and I tried to make a list of the things that made SWIM decide to quit:

1. Good friends criticized SWIM about his frequent use
2. Horrible depression, minimum two days after each use
3. Too frequent use

The frequent use could have been due to the fact that DXM lasts only 4 hours - in the dosages SWIM used to take - and everytime SWIM got 4 hours of free time, he thought about taking DXM, even if he didn't actually do it everytime. SWIM will not smoke tobacco, and not take other drugs, instead he will read lots of good books, paint, go hitchhiking, spend time with family and friends, and grow shrooms (not eat them - yet). I hope he will get over this period well, he still suffers from depression, but it got much better this weekend.

[Nicaine]

Glad to hear that, Paracelsus... wish SWIM was having as good luck dumping stimulants completely (methinks he probably doesn't want to bad enough). But if SWIM could even cut down to once/week or less, that would be a good thing. He's got issues with tolerance himself, & depression in between uses.

Keep on keeping on...

[Paracelsus]

Originally Posted by Nicaine

Glad to hear that, Paracelsus... wish SWIM was having as good luck dumping stimulants completely (methinks he probably doesn't want to bad enough). But if SWIM could even cut down to once/week or less, that would be a good thing. He's got issues with tolerance himself, & depression in between uses.

Keep on keeping on...

From most of your posts I see that stimulants are SWIYs drug of choice. And there's no problem with that, but if the drug abuse has become SWIYs everyday lifestyle, that is really bad. If SWIY could manage cutting back, that would be a great thing. You got my best wishes

[Nicaine]

Originally Posted by Paracelsus

From most of your posts I see that stimulants are SWIYs drug of choice. And there's no problem with that, but if the drug abuse has become SWIYs everyday lifestyle, that is really bad.

Not quite, but close. One of SWIM's problems is that he's disabled/out of work and lately he's sort of given up inside. In other words, he doesn't think he's gonna have the desire/motivation to even get some volunteer work, go back to school, attempt paid work again, or do anything much except sit around at home alone the rest of his life... it's almost like he's got a subconscious death wish or something & wants to go out in a blaze of stimulants. But there's got to be a better way. SWIM's just not sure how after 15 years of the same old rut (sitting around unmotivated, *except* when high on stimulants), he's gonna be able to break out of it anymore.

If SWIY could manage cutting back, that would be a great thing. You got my best wishes

Thanks... it's not an easy situation, nowhere near as clearcut as being as young as SWIY and having the majority of one's life still ahead. SWIM wishes he hadn't used up so many excuses over the years, & wasted so damn much time.

[Paracelsus]

Sorry to hear that. But if SWIY is just sitting around, not doing much, giving up life in his soul, and taking stimulants in order to feel better, that is the worst thing that can happen to SWIY's ego. SWIY has to understand that everyone was born for a reason, not to just kill time to get over life, no matter how painful it is.

Instead of just letting life pass by and kill time with stimulants, SWIY should find and understand the reason he exists. Not doing anything won't help at quitting or cutting back stimulants. SWIY should try to learn to play a musical instrument if he can, or find any other thing to do, try discover a new talent of his. All these will help on cutting back on his drug use. It might sound too optimistic and shit, but try to see life different.
Keeping busy is helping SWIM very much right now.

[jesusfreak666er]

swim is rx-ed prozac, he used to be in a situation like yours. Taking DXM to make him feel good and fill holes left by depression and such. By taking prozac not only has swim lost his longing to trip on dxm he knows that he literally cant due to risk of seritonin syndrome. Swim takes a low dose of 10mg, but it really helped his dxm phase and helped him get re intouch with friends he formally had turned his back on

[Paracelsus]

ok i have to admit SWIM suffers from a kinda bad depression, not only this time. But there are some things that are scary to SWIM, almost a phobia, many things. And they include Prozac. SWIM never took it, but read about its side-effects, like suicide and worse depression. Maybe that's why he wouldnt take Prozac for anything.

And I think SWIM is not too depressed to have to take those kind of drugs. Chocolate (in large amounts) worked and works as a good antidepressant for SWIM and for countless other ppl. And, as I said, he's feeling much better now.

EDIT: No offense jesusfreak666er, but its deep in SWIMs mind that he should NEVER take Prozac.

[bewilderment]

Originally Posted by jesusfreak666er

swim is rx-ed prozac, he used to be in a situation like yours. Taking DXM to make him feel good and fill holes left by depression and such. By taking prozac not only has swim lost his longing to trip on dxm he knows that he literally cant due to risk of seritonin syndrome. Swim takes a low dose of 10mg, but it really helped his dxm phase and helped him get re intouch with friends he formally had turned his back on

Okay, I used to be a big fan of psychiatry and psychiatric medications (well, not really a big fan, but I would defend them often), but have changed my mind over the past few weeks after finally giving some thought to the antipsychiatry movement. This is a movement which I once dismissed as rather crazy and extreme, but I became curious and finally decided to do some research into their claims. I now understand the stance and while I don’t think that psychiatry should be abolished, I do believe that it is in need of a paradigm shift or at least some major reform.

I had been simply accepting the “chemical imbalance theory” as fact without doing much research about why this has become the most popular hypothesis in psychiatry regarding mood disorders. Now that I am a bit more informed, I have learned that it is a very unstable theory with hardly any evidence to support this notion. With this in mind, I cannot understand why antidepressants which have been developed based on such a loose theory are so vastly prescribed. These medications are capable of producing permanent and irreparable brain damage and often exacerbate the very conditions they are being used to treat.

My family (as well as swim’s) has a great history of mood disorders and other psychiatric ailments so I always assumed that I had an inherited chemical imbalance. And, I still believe that I have inherited mental illness(es). However, I become increasingly wary of the current hypotheses concerning the biological (or non-biological) underpinnings concerning these conditions. There is far too much complexity to be explained by someone having too much or too little of any particular neurotransmitter(s). And, the drugs being used to treat mental illness actually create abnormal brain states and do not actually correct anything.

Swim once used DXM to self-medicate and it actually did a good job of relieving her depression until “the magic” was lost. After this time period she became more and more depressed and upon quitting DXM, she was an emotional wreck for quite some time. It took a few months, but eventually she was back to normal.

I am now embarking on a journey to help my mental state on my own just by receiving proper nutrition (there are a number of websites out there which suggest certain nutrients which are conducive to mental well-being). And, so far, it has helped stabilized my moods a great deal. Here are some things I have been looking over lately which concern harms and efficiency of antidepressants out there as well as hidden agendas behind selling them:

Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature

The Latest Mania: Selling Bipolar Disorder

Psychiatric Drugs: Chemical Warfare on Humans

TeenScreen-Normal Kids Labeled Mentally Ill

FAQ: Bush to Screen USA for Psychiatric Drugging

Bush Plans to screen Whole US population for mental illness

Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry

Do Antidepressants Cure or Create Abnormal Brain States?

The FDA Exposed: An Interview with Dr. David Graham, the Vioxx Whistleblower

Do Antidepressants Permanently Rewire the Human Brain

Antidepressant Facts, Side-Effects and Safety
SSRI Research Abstracts

Big Tobacco and Big Pharma: Same Tactics, Different Chemicals

Experts Debunk DSM

Biopsychiatry Controversy

Chemical Imbalance

Neurobiology of Depression (more up to date info)

Is Mood Chemistry? (new theories may indicate information processing within neural networks, not chemical imbalance)

More on Chemical Imbalance

Now, I’m not trying to start any sort of debate. If you want to take your pills then do so, but just try to be well informed about what you’re doing.

I’ve been through many rounds of different meds and have been to doctors concerning my conditions since I was 13 years old and have had some major side effects. I list some of swim’s experiences in this thread: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23564

But, that thread doesn’t even cover the half of it. I’m just saying this so you know that I’m not someone who doesn’t believe in mental illnesses. I do. But, I also know that they are hardly understood at all by the psychiatric industry. We simply do not have the technology as of yet. In fact, the best treatment for depression is still said to be electroshock therapy. These new generations of antidepressants are no better than their predecessors. The only difference is that they carry less side effects. And, actually, it is more common for someone who has a mental illness and is being treated by antidepressants to commit suicide than for someone with a mental illness who is not being given medication to commit suicide.

It’s better just to go with the talk therapy and proper nutrition in the long run. At least until more advances are made.

If your's is just a short-term treatment then things may be just fine, but I really don't believe long-term treatment with antidepressants is safe based on personal experience.

[Nicaine]

Originally Posted by Paracelsus

Instead of just letting life pass by and kill time with stimulants, SWIY should find and understand the reason he exists. Not doing anything won't help at quitting or cutting back stimulants. SWIY should try to learn to play a musical instrument if he can, or find any other thing to do, try discover a new talent of his. All these will help on cutting back on his drug use. It might sound too optimistic and shit, but try to see life different.
Keeping busy is helping SWIM very much right now.

Good ideas. SWIM is an excellent singer (and singing is a serious emotional outlet for him), but it's hard to get into a band without being able to play an instrument as well. He's been wanting to learn keyboards, but only taught himself the bare basics at one point, then he quit that too. Maybe it's time to save up, buy a keyboard and get into it again.

As far as being born for a reason... it would be nice if SWIM could believe this, really it would. Except it's just not true. Existence is ultimately meaningless, in the sense that it neither has nor lacks meaning. That probably makes little sense to SWIY, but there it is. Meaning is required by the ego, which SWIM would like to see dissolve rather than be strengthened.

P.S. nice post, bewilderment. SWIM has been helped by antidepressants before, particularly wellbutrin. And they helped back when he had panic disorder too (late 80s). Could be that he just wanted them to help, therefore they did... no way to know for sure.

[LuLu]

Originally Posted by Nicaine

Good ideas. SWIM is an excellent singer (and singing is a serious emotional outlet for him), but it's hard to get into a band without being able to play an instrument as well. He's been wanting to learn keyboards, but only taught himself the bare basics at one point, then he quit that too. Maybe it's time to save up, buy a keyboard and get into it again.

As far as being born for a reason... it would be nice if SWIM could believe this, really it would. Except it's just not true. Existence is ultimately meaningless, in the sense that it neither has nor lacks meaning. That probably makes little sense to SWIY, but there it is. Meaning is required by the ego, which SWIM would like to see dissolve rather than be strengthened.

P.S. nice post, bewilderment. SWIM has been helped by antidepressants before, particularly wellbutrin. And they helped back when he had panic disorder too (late 80s). Could be that he just wanted them to help, therefore they did... no way to know for sure.

SWIM has enjoyed reading your posts in this forum. That is an impact on another human being, therefore, existence is meaningful, whether we see the results of it or not. That is not up to SWIM's. We cannot exist without making an impact! And to try denying this, or SWIM enjoying reading your posts is not worth merit, then SWIY will have insulted SWIM's opinion.

As for just wanting the anti-depressants to help, therefore they did. Does it matter? The result was the same, SWIY felt better.

Just MHO

I also plan to check into the links Bewilderment posted.

[Riconoen {UGC}]

I think benzos would help to to ease the anxiety of the cravings. They give them to alcoholics why not a dxm addict?

[bewilderment]

Also, for the record, I know that antidepressants can and do help depression. I know this from personal experience. Zoloft definitely helped my depression, but it also resulted in my engaging in extremely risky behavior (possible symptom of hypomania). It's been reasoned that the way antidepressants alleviate symptoms is more through a stimulant type of effect rather than correcting an imbalance. Serotonin levels are raised as soon as one begins taking an SSRI so it would seem odd that if chemical imbalance is, in fact, the cause of depression that it takes a number of weeks to start seeing results.

I mean of course, it does relieve depression in some...it makes sense when you think about the euphoria and such associated with classic hallucinogens which are serotonin agonists. But, antidepressants lose effectivess over time (usually resulting in upping the dosage until there seems to be no antidepressant effects resulting from the medication) which means that if medication is being used as long-term treatment then one will have to switch meds whenever their current ones stop working. So, even if one does not have many displeasurable side effects with the first med then they are quite likely to receive them from future medication.

I have also found that, at least for me personally, discontinuation of an antidepressant can result in major rebound depression which can be just as bad or worse than the original depression which was being treated. This rebound depression usually lasts much longer than the withdrawal time so I see no correlation there. It seems it would be wiser to try an alternate route first.

Some negative side effects I've personally received from antidepressants are: acute, chronic insomnia (I have insomnia anyway so when I was taking antidepressants I would usually only sleep 10-15 hours a week which could have also been contributing to the following things listed, but they would still be connected to the use of antidepressants indirectly), delusions, paranoia, flattened emotions, increased suicidal ideation, extreme agitation, black outs (when zoloft is mixed with SMALL amounts of alcohol), hypomanic and manic symptoms, one grand mal seizure (don't know if this was the exact cause, but I've always noticed being more prone towards tremors when on antidepressants and there was no medical reason found for the seizure), cognitive decline, extremely risky behavior (such as driving 100-120mph on a regular basis), extremely abnormal thought patterns (I probably have strange thought patterns anyway, but these were way beyond my usual bounds), leaden paralysis (I've never experienced this symptom to such an extreme as was present here during my other depressive episodes), and impulsivity which I'd later be embarassed by.

It also makes sense that one would experience depletion in whichever neurotransmitter(s) are being increased after a prolonged period of being on an antidepressant considering how such happens after using recreational drugs which increase the levels of certain monoamines. And, considering that one is taking the drug on a daily basis for a very long period of time, that depletion could last quite a long time. So, if one wasn't even deficient in these things to begin with then this is very unnecessary.

One must also keep in mind that serotonin receptor sites are located in many various areas of the body--not just the brain--and regulate a great number of things besides mood. This is what leads to most of the physical side effects.

I also believe that in some instances psychiatric medication may be called for. But, I think it they should only be used in a short-term sense. The first instances which come to mind are acute suicidality and psychosis which could lead to violent behavior or result in long-term harmful consequences. And, as a side note there's a significant percentage of people with very serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (I know there is debate over whether this should even be classified as one mental illness, but I'm speaking in diagnostical terms) who feel better and lead healthier lives without medication. And irregular use (meaning that it isn't causing the same extent of changes that occur with regular use) of some of these meds for severe insomnia can also be useful and I do still fall back on such at times for my own insomnia if my the usual OTC meds are not working and I am terribly sleep-deprived.

Antidepressants and psychiatric medications can be useful quick and easy fixes (or maybe a good idea if a person is prone to be violent towards others and the meds make them for docile). They are certainly not the harmless cure-all "miracle" drugs that people are lead to believe they are.

Reputation Comments on this post:

very informative, well-written

[Hlucn8]

SWIParacelcus,
We attach value to an object by how much someone is willing to pay for the "something" being sold. So, how much are you worth? The life of a beloved son? Seems to me you have a lot worth living for. Draw on you actual self worth, and forget about the nebulous. Real life is very interesting, and needs only to feel what you have to offer in order to come to full circle. Give it your all, and damn the torpedoes!