To play devil's advocate: another side of speculation is that depression causes your brain to reuptake the seratonin, slowing your neurons, worsening the situation. It's a chicken/egg thing.

I suspect for a lot of people its a combination of physiological and psychological factors. There are many different ways that depression can manifest itself and there are many different potential causes.

It's worth remembering though, that talk therapy also carries risks. A poor practitioner can traumatise their patient through injudicious use of their tools, just as easily as a pill can adversely affect someone physically.

If there is a problem (or two) plus a chemical imbalance, pills can balance the chemicals but might cause you to overlook the problems. I'm feel so much better everything must be fine.

Once the chemical thing is addressed, it might be a good idea to reflect on the things that had bothered you, from a new perspective. Can't hurt.:cool:





Hey, it worked for Tony Soprano.

Tony Soprano, on therapy:

Anthony 'Tony' Soprano Sr.: It's like taking a shit.
Dr. Jennifer Melfi: Ok. I actually like to think about it as a childbirth.
Anthony 'Tony' Soprano Sr.: Trust me. It's like taking a shit.

:p

there's nothing so under-rated as a good shit. ;)

I think that's what he was saying. It feels good when you do it, but once it's done, what's sitting there ain't no beautiful baby.

At age 13 I was diagnosed with depression and put on Elavil (an old drug--but it was 1977 and pretty much IT) but NO ONE told me that it would take 4-6 weeks to make me feel better so I stopped taking it (it made me tired)--and my parents never followed up. Mom took me to a gastroenterologist for my unexplained stomach pain and HE diagnosed me (correctly). I never went back, I never saw a psych and I never got any better. In 1989 I saw a therapist who knew, within 60 seconds of meeting me, that I was depressed. It had never occurred to me that I was--I just thought life sucked. She referred me to a doc who put me on prozac and it changed my life. I've gone off prozac many times---and it's never been a good idea. IMHO depression and anxiety (not to mention addictions) are all part of familial make up.

I've often wondered why the depressed/addicted trait has survived for so long and I've come to the conclusion that a lot of depressed/addicted people are just really attractive in some way to normal people.

true, but its MY baby. :D

Or...they're really attractive to other depressed/addicted people:P

Or maybe they are vulnerable to pregnancy. :(

Ed Hagan thinks depression might've served a beneficial function during human evolution.

Or they're really, really horny all the time.

i can vouch for that.

I'm now officially on the pills. I appreciate all the comments in this thread, which were a big help to me.

PM me if you want any help or have any questions about anti - depressants.
I'm just about to wean off mine. I wish you the best.