How to Adjust to Life without Antidepressants

(594 Words)
Antidepressants such as Prozac and Zoloft can provide relief from the symptoms of depression. When you and your physician decide it is time to discontinue their use, it should be done so slowly and in the doctor’s prescribed way. Even tapering off slowly, many have side effects that can include dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue, suicidal thoughts, irritability and more. According to Dr. Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, chief of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, ten to twenty percent have significant problems. Different steps can make this transition easier.
Work with professionals
Stopping antidepressants is not something you should do on your own. You may continue to see a psychologist. You may need to increase the frequency of your sessions, at least at the beginning. Do not be afraid to call him or her if things get rough. Really listen to what they have to say and try their suggestions. They can help you find techniques that can get you through the difficult times.
Get support
Let your friends, family members and other loved ones help you through this. Call up your friends just to talk. Ask people to go out. When you are out with people, you may get distracted and it can help you through some of the difficulty of adjusting to life without antidepressants.
Find other ways to help your mood
Antidepressants are far from the only thing that can help one’s mood. There are many other strategies that you may find to be very helpful. One way is to exercise. Besides being physically healthy for you, exercise releases helpful hormones, which can help stave off depression in some people. It may also help with weight gain from unhealthy eating.
You may also find that meditation helps you feel better. You can buy an audio file with meditation or a book. Also, you can just do enjoyable things. It is amazing how powerful laughter is. Buy some funny books or movies.
You can also consider reading books on being happy or dealing with depression. One popular one is The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. There are many workbooks with activities to help you see the positive parts of life.
Stay active
The last thing you want to do when you are getting off of antidepressants is to stay holed up in your house, sitting in bed and eating all of the unhealthy food out there. You should stay as active as possible. Keep doing the things that you enjoy. Go to work, go out with your friends and do the other things that you normally enjoy. You may not feel like going out, but it is important to keep up with everything. It will help to distract you. Eat healthy food and do not turn to unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking.
Be kind to yourself
It is difficult to adjust to antidepressants. Some may get mad at themselves for being affected by this change. Be gentle on yourself. Do not be your toughest critic. What you are doing is difficult, and you should be proud of yourself. Say good things about yourself. If you find that you are starting to think negative things, then replace them with the positive.
Adjusting to life without antidepressants is challenging, but for many it will get easier as time goes on. The above strategies can help you cope. If you feel that you truly cannot manage, talk to your doctor about further steps that can aid you.
Sources:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990ceed9173ef936a15756c0a9629c8b63
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antidepressants.html