Popular Post maqroll Posted March 21, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 21, 2021 On 15/03/2021 at 05:19, choffer said: I don't really share much on VT - I'm normally just here for ice rinks and fish perversions but I found out this weekend that my mum has terminal cancer. We're waiting on the details but there's no expectation of anything other than the worst result and it's expected to be fairly quick. I've been completely blind-sided by it and I've not been able to stop my face leaking for the last two days. I feel like a bit of a wimp as I want to be strong for my parents and my brother and sister but I just can't hold it together for more than a few minutes at a time. Really sorry to hear this. I lost my dad to cancer. 7 months from the diagnosis. Try to use your time to express your full feelings and ask all the questions that you want answered. Record her voice. Hold her tight. Tell her doctors to not let her suffer needlessly. Try to be brave but also don't bottle everything in. Buy her flowers and listen to gentle music together. Cherish your time together. Also look after yourself. Try not to give in to despair, because we all die eventually, although some of us too soon. But we have to accept that reality. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Anyone with any experience of coming off SSRI’s for good after years of usage? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peckham Wanderer Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 2 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: Anyone with any experience of coming off SSRI’s for good after years of usage? Sorry, was only on them for less than a year, 20+ years ago... you have to come off them gradually. You can't/shouldn't do it cold-turkey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 5 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: Anyone with any experience of coming off SSRI’s for good after years of usage? Go slow if you've been on them for a long time. I was on them for about 4 years and quit cold turkey without issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted April 2, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 2, 2021 19 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: Anyone with any experience of coming off SSRI’s for good after years of usage? Talk to your GP and get a plan. Last thing you want to do is have a relapse because you've knackered up your internal chemistry. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 25 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said: Talk to your GP and get a plan. Last thing you want to do is have a relapse because you've knackered up your internal chemistry. I’ve been off and on for years. This time weened off and been off 3 months now. But feel really low. Every days a battle. It’s inevitable have to start taking them again. I was just wondering if anyone had experience of coming off them for good without needing them again. But I guess every one is different. I think it’s a mistake ever taking them in the first place. Should always be last resort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post NurembergVillan Posted April 2, 2021 Moderator Popular Post Share Posted April 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said: I’ve been off and on for years. This time weened off and been off 3 months now. But feel really low. Every days a battle. It’s inevitable have to start taking them again. I was just wondering if anyone had experience of coming off them for good without needing them again. But I guess every one is different. I think it’s a mistake ever taking them in the first place. Should always be last resort. I was on them for a good few months the first time, then came off them with no problem. The next time was similar but before too long I went back on them and eventually upped the dose too. I strongly disagree with the bolded part, though. If you're in a place where the medication will help (as it seems to have with you) then there's no reason not to take them. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The consequences of continuing to suffer from depression/anxiety could be catastrophic. Other than the potential stigma, taking them is no different than any other medication. I have to take Omeprazole every day since getting a stomach infection in Kenya over 10 years ago. If I miss a couple of days I could melt coins with a burp, such are my acid levels. I'll likely be on them for the foreseeable future, but hey - my quality of life is better with them. Other than the £10 a month for the prescription there's no downside to taking SSRIs. It's not like they're opiates or something. If I had a bad leg I'd use a walking stick. This is no different, to me at least. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted April 2, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 2, 2021 I'm on SSRIs. They've helped me absolutely loads. Had CBT and a bit of counselling before and it did absolutely nothing for me. That's not to say they're no good, just that they didn't work for me. Probably because I don't know what was causing my issues so it wasn't like I could talk about it. There's nothing to talk about. So the SSRIs have been a godsend. As long as they're not taken willynilly I wouldn't advise people against them 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Maybe I just need to accept I have to take them indefinitely. I always thought it was a case of taking them, getting better and then no longer needing them. Over 10 years later and its still the same cycle. I do wonder what the long term affects will be though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mandy Lifeboats Posted April 2, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted April 2, 2021 I have been on SSRIs for 20 years. If you can come off them, that’s great. But if you need to stay on them, that’s great. It’s a pill a day for me. That corrects a chemical imbalance in my brain. It’s just another medication which we should take if we need it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted April 2, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 2, 2021 3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said: I do wonder what the long term affects will be though. You won't reach old age only to look back and think "I wish I'd carried on taking those tablets instead of wasting the last 30 years being a shell of my true self." 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 3 hours ago, Mandy Lifeboats said: I have been on SSRIs for 20 years. If you can come off them, that’s great. But if you need to stay on them, that’s great. It’s a pill a day for me. That corrects a chemical imbalance in my brain. It’s just another medication which we should take if we need it. I think we spoke last time I tried to come off them completely. It’s ok for the first month or two. Then slowly the dark negative thoughts just return and each day becomes more and more miserable. I will start taking them again but I’m not looking forward to the intense tiredness that comes in the first week or two. I contract so try not to let work know I’ve got problems in case it’s cut short. I probably need to stop doing this to myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted April 2, 2021 Moderator Share Posted April 2, 2021 38 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said: I think we spoke last time I tried to come off them completely. It’s ok for the first month or two. Then slowly the dark negative thoughts just return and each day becomes more and more miserable. I will start taking them again but I’m not looking forward to the intense tiredness that comes in the first week or two. I contract so try not to let work know I’ve got problems in case it’s cut short. I probably need to stop doing this to myself. I'd just ask myself what I stand to gain from coming off them. If there are no side-effects after the first couple of weeks and the only concerns are long-term and/or stigma then the former would seem to be a minuscule risk compared to the benefits and the latter can go and **** itself. Only you have the answers though, my man. We're all here, whatever route you take. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 Just now, NurembergVillan said: I'd just ask myself what I stand to gain from coming off them. If there are no side-effects after the first couple of weeks and the only concerns are long-term and/or stigma then the former would seem to be a minuscule risk compared to the benefits and the latter can go and **** itself. Only you have the answers though, my man. We're all here, whatever route you take. Thanks mate. Appreciate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follyfoot Posted April 3, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted April 3, 2021 13 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: I'd just ask myself what I stand to gain from coming off them. If there are no side-effects after the first couple of weeks and the only concerns are long-term and/or stigma then the former would seem to be a minuscule risk compared to the benefits and the latter can go and **** itself. Only you have the answers though, my man. We're all here, whatever route you take. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mandy Lifeboats Posted April 3, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted April 3, 2021 This thread is one of the best in ”Off Topic”. There was (and still is) a stigma around admitting to mental health problems. I first started having symptoms of depression in my teens. It continued and worsened in my 20s. I finally sought help in my 30s. I hid my illness. I took time off work and disguised the true reason. I worried what people would think of me. I viewed taking medication as an admission of failure. I was ashamed. Why should I be ashamed of an illness? Do diabetics feel ashamed that they need insulin every day? Do people avoid seeking help for a broken leg because people might think it’s fake? Is taking an anti-depressant any different from taking an aspirin? The mind can be injured and ill. If you are ill you seek help. If you need medication you look at the negative side effects against the benefits and more often than not - you take the pill. I’m in my 50s, happily married, have a secure job, live in a lovely area, have a good pension and am financially stable. I also have a long term illness. I am definitely not a failure for being ill. Nor is anyone who posts in this thread. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 On 01/04/2021 at 14:43, Vive_La_Villa said: Anyone with any experience of coming off SSRI’s for good after years of usage? I was on them from 1994 (Aged 14) to 2018 (38) and whilst they never made me happy they did help me sleep. The only difference now I'm off chemicals is that I suffer for 22 hours a day rather than 16. I also quit drinking at the same time to see if that helped but alas I just go through hell sober now. Everybody is different so only you will know what works for you. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 20 minutes ago, Brumerican said: I was on them from 1994 (Aged 14) to 2018 (38) and whilst they never made me happy they did help me sleep. The only difference now I'm off chemicals is that I suffer for 22 hours a day rather than 16. I also quit drinking at the same time to see if that helped but alas I just go through hell sober now. Everybody is different so only you will know what works for you. That’s a long time. Sorry to hear you’re struggling. Why did you stop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 Just now, Vive_La_Villa said: That’s a long time. Sorry to hear you’re struggling. Why did you stop? Because I know I can't be "fixed". I'm not in this for the long haul. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted April 3, 2021 Share Posted April 3, 2021 On 02/04/2021 at 14:20, Mandy Lifeboats said: That corrects a chemical imbalance in my brain. Which imbalance and how? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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