Opinions - SSRI Self Medication

[fantasma]

Someone I know wants to take SSRIs without a doctor's prescription. He's aiming to become less antisocial and would like to minimize negative self-dialogue. I told him I'm not sure if it's a good idea since there are so many side effects and withdrawal symptoms when he decides to stop using them... as well as loss of libido which is important to him to maintain current relationships... however, I do believe they might help him achieve what he is trying to achieve.
Does anyone think it might help? Does anyone know anyone else who may have tried the same thing? And would anybody know which SSRIs might be best for this?

[ticc]

swim is sure swiy's friend is capable of seeing a doctor, they throw out anti-depressants like candy, however you dont get to pick witch kind. psychiatrist's are best for specific meds, but swiy's friend has got to be very honest to the doc. swiys friend would be better off to stop thinking so much and pushing himself, people are just people afterall.

sorry if that came across as agressive, but meds arnt worth it.

[RaverHippie]

Originally Posted by fantasma

Someone I know wants to take SSRIs without a doctor's prescription. He's aiming to become less antisocial and would like to minimize negative self-dialogue. I told him I'm not sure if it's a good idea since there are so many side effects and withdrawal symptoms when he decides to stop using them... as well as loss of libido which is important to him to maintain current relationships... however, I do believe they might help him achieve what he is trying to achieve.
Does anyone think it might help? Does anyone know anyone else who may have tried the same thing? And would anybody know which SSRIs might be best for this?

that sounds more like an anxiety issue rather than an issue with depression

ssris make one not have a happy mood or a depressed mood one would exist in a bland zombie like state and that doesn"t sound like what swiy wants

going to a psychiatrist would be a good idea since it sounds like a benzodiazepine would do more help than an antidepressant

[dutch-marshal]

go to the doctor, and discus everything.. he/she will not bite..
SSRI and SNRI's suck ass... they make you a zombie!

[fantasma]

no insurance guys

[zeno]

Originally Posted by fantasma

no insurance guys

The older SSRI's are extremely affordable - close to buying antibiotics out of pocket. Something like fluoxetine can run as low as $20 a month; SWIM could likely get benefit from older SSRI's; however, a doctor needs to monitor SWIM for any side-effects. Ask SWIM to put a price on a boast to mood and then SWIM should decide what it is worth.

....btw, SSRI's and SNRI's also treat anxiety very effectively; benzo's are not the only way to go - plus, there is a lot of research that links long-term benzo use with worsening anxiety symptoms.

[mortenmannen]

SSRI doesnt help much for anxiety in most people, infact a recent study showed that only 15-20% said they did anything at all for them.
considering the serious side effects (zombiestate), id recommend yuor friend to try something else first.
wether its anxiety, depression, or both, theyre probably linked.
my savior was benzodiazepines, when i got the anxiety problem fixed, my depression followed out with it. but these are not for everyone, and surely not for anyone without a script!
He probably wont get benzo's before something else is tried, but if anything else works thats just a plus.

[cybergenesis]

Tell you friend to stop making excuses in his life and take some responsibility for the problems they have

[mortenmannen]

Yeah that would surely boost his ego and motivation!
It can be tough talking to some stranger about all the shit in your life, but if youre not a Dr. yourself, you really shouldnt self medicate with drugs of that kind.
SSRI's are considered pretty safe and harmless, but warn your friend that if he chooses to self medicate, really ugly things can happen to his brain if he's mixing it with other socalled "harmless", and even OTC medications.

The four selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) considered--fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline and paroxetine--can result in toxicity and death through contributing to serotonergic excess resulting in serotonin syndrome, inhibiting the metabolism of other centrally acting drugs, leading to accumulation of toxic concentrations, and exerting complex vasoactive effects on the vascular smooth muscle. This latter feature is of particular concern in patients with preexisting heart disease.

Even just an SSRI is enough if the right conditions exist.

Their mechanism of effect is not even conclusivley known to the worlds best bio-chemical researchers, and their effects are highly debated.

Among 74 FDA-registered studies, 31%, accounting for 3449 study participants, were not published. Whether and how the studies were published were associated with the study outcome. A total of 37 studies viewed by the FDA as having positive results were published; 1 study viewed as positive was not published. Studies viewed by the FDA as having negative or questionable results were, with 3 exceptions, either not published (22 studies) or published in a way that, in our opinion, conveyed a positive outcome (11 studies). According to the published literature, it appeared that 94% of the trials conducted were positive. ref: N Engl J Med. 2008 Jan 17;358(3):252-60.

Maybe he really needs something else? the cause of axiety and depressions can come from almost anything. Genes seems to play a role in some types of deps and a's, while others can be caused by kidney dysfunctions, metabolism inhibition brought on by some types of foods, repeated use of drugs(including alcohol and tobacco) etc etc....

so its really a minefield- be carefull!

[10001110101]

don't take an ssri because you have "negative internal dialogue"

take it if you have persistently been unable to find a reason to live for months or years and have tried at least a dozen other alternatives with absolutely no improvement.

if it will save your life i recommend it. otherwise you're jsut making your life more complicated.

i recommend psychedelic use and educated risk taking.

onzero added 0 Minutes and 43 Seconds later...

maybe just do some talk therapy (seeing a counselor/psych) or some CBT.

[Barksdale]

Got a question here:
SWIM has had several people told him that he looks like a very serious person. Anything that helps looking less serious? SWIM tries to smile often, but he feels that focusing on smiling much gets him tired.

[ConcertaXL]

i am rx'd prozac (fluoxetine) and it seems to stop the major lows, but the highs are not inhibited... it sure doesnt cause a "zombie state" in my experience, nor that of other people i know who use it....