suggestion from therapist
 

Hey everyone,

So I was at my therapy appointment yesterday and my therapist wants me to think about trying a new antidepressant or consider the use of another one along with mine. While I just want to feel happy, I am really skeptical of this. I hate side effects! With my job I also am worried about the side effects. I have tried some that have made me very sick. I have also had some that make me very suicidal. While she is not requiring me to do this, she is strongly suggesting it. I guess I am posting this to maybe see if there is anyone else out there that has had to deal with this. I am on a medication now that I seem to be just "coasting" through life and she wants to see me on something stronger so I can be happy. Like I said, I am in a predicament because of my job and I can't do anything to screw up my job. Am I making any sense here??

If you are in this predicament because of your job, would it suffice to try and come up with ideas alongside your therapist and your work to try and improve the situation?

I wonder if there would be better ways to improve your mood than taking strong antidepressants - I'm just curious that your therapist wants you to be 'happy'; whilst that is indeed a mood that many humans feel sometimes, nobody is happy all the time and generally being 'okay' is the default mood, with ups and downs along the way. Maybe you would benefit from an exercise routine, or a new hobby.

I'm not trying to minimise your difficulties, just hearing your concerns and wondering if there's an alternative. If you were to try an antidepressant alongside your current medication, perhaps you can discuss starting at a very low dose to reduce the likelihood of bad side-effects and, if helpful, build up from there. Some antidepressants are available in liquid form which might be a good way to start off with a small dose.

And, yes, you are making sense :)

Its not that she wants me happy but I have been having huge bouts of depression. Its VERY noticeable. I have no interest in anything lately. I am a photographer by hobby and I can't even get myself to go do that. So its not that she wants happy, she wants me to stop coasting through life as miserable I am.

Erm, okay well I suggest you think about the liquid medication thing or starting on very low doses of another med with your psychiatrist, I can't really think of any other suggestions, except talking to your boss about the fact you're going on a new med and that it might affect your performance in the short term. Maybe see if you can book some annual leave for the first week whilst you're dealing with side effects, should they arise.

Hi MedicAsh,
I had to go on several medications, i.e. change to find the right one. While no medication is necessarily a cure or a quick fix- there is a noticeable difference in what I take now and when I started. However, is your therapist also the one who prescribes your meds?

They have asked you to think about it. For me, talking therapy would have taken months, years to see a difference, and I was really struggling at school at the time. So medication was appropriate because I needed the extra help. Similarly, if you are finding things like work and leisure difficult, finding the right medication is important.

I hope that you have a good relationship with your boss. I do not think that you should concern yourself with being penalised for side effects once you prepare for them through informing your workplace or having sick days lined up.

Otherwise, weigh the pros against the cons. Are you performing at work as well as you can? Do you miss photography? Some things you can do with the assistance of a support worker, or therapy plan with your therapist.

Side effects are a real concern, but not every medication is going to affect you badly, as improvements are being made.