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[Robot Parade Leader]

I have depression. I'm talking to a doctor who prescribed me Celexa (an SSRI anti depressant). The dosage was moved up from 20 to 40 mg. It's been about 2 or 3 months. I feel a little bit better and the panic attacks have dropped off considerably, but I'm still not feeling much happiness/motivation from anything. I realize bad things will happen to me if I don't do what I'm supposed to do, but I just feel incredibly overwhelmed emotionally (strangely not physically so it's an emotional problem).

I do feel a little better, but it HAS to get better than this for me to function normally. What do I tell my doctor about this to be helpful? 

[TheFish]

I'm probably not the best person to talk to with my mood where it is at the minute but as someone who's been on various meds for depression since I was 12 the best advice I can give is to just be honest. Tell the doc that they've helped take the edge off but you're still struggling to motivate and to feel good. It may just be that you're on the wrong drugs and the doc may have you try some different ones and see if any help more. Medicines effect us all differently and sometimes it takes some time to find the ones that are right for you. I was previously on Celexa (or Citalopram specifically in this case as the NHS don't use branded drugs) and found it actually worsened my mood significantly. You just gotta keep talking to your doctor, only you can say how you're feeling and if they're a half decent doctor they'll know that and try to help you based on what you tell them.

I feel I should make it clear I'm in no way an expert or a medical professional in any way and any advice I give is purely based on my own personal experience.

I hope you find yourself in a better place emotionally soon all the best.

[Helgoland]

Tell him you'd like to try another medication. It's pretty common to go through 3-4 antidepressants before finding one that works as it should.

[Neonivek]

Well Topic Creator, what you describe is EXACTLY the sort of thing your doctor wants to be informed about while you are on your medication.

If I told my doctor that I was still depressed while taking my anti-depressants, they would probably have put me on a different medication. Though to admit I had a psychiatrist at the time so saying "hey I am acting unusually, is this a concern?" was easier.

It isn't unusual for one medicine not to work or for it to have odd side-effects. It is why a lot of the time taking anti-depressants is about taking a variety until you find the right ones.

[kaijyuu]

Be 100% up front with a doctor, and if at all possible, have a level-headed family member/friend be with you through the process too.

Most people don't beat depression through attitude changes, and medication only helps so much. Get support from others if at all possible.

[Tiruin]

Most people don't beat depression through attitude changes, and medication only helps so much. Get support from others if at all possible.

This.
As far as I've known, studied and researched, its more of how the person's perspective, viewpoint and rationality of the self and the environment about that is the point--how reactions to certain things in life go, and not just attitude (because attitude is still based on underlying concepts and such, like Freud's idea of the Ego and all). Medications can't fully heal everything--there are psychological factors at work there which are directly connected to how you interactions are.

Be 100% up front with a doctor, and if at all possible, have a level-headed family member/friend be with you through the process too.

And this too.

[kulik]

Things that got me out of depression:

1. Absolutely no porn and masturbation
2. Lots of sport and healthy diet
3. Dog companion
3. Cold showers & fishoil
4. Motivation and self improvement books

...that said, I never had depressions so serious that I would need medication.

[kaijyuu]

*stuff*

Doing the opposite of what you did for #1 is what helped me out of my deepest teenage depression, heh.

(in fact the majority of my depression was caused by living in a religious family that taught me to feel intense shame and guilt over my harmless behavioral addiction)

[Helgoland]

(in fact the majority of my depression was caused by living in a religious family that taught me to feel intense shame and guilt over my harmless behavioral addiction)

Was that what I think it was?

[kaijyuu]

The harmless behavioral addiction was pornography.

I dunno if that was what you were thinking of

[Helgoland]

Masturbation. Close enough.

[kaijyuu]

Those two things go hand in hand, so yeah, close enough

[Yoink]

Those two things go hand in hand, so yeah, close enough

Not sure if pun, or mind just dirty...

[Helgoland]

Those two things go hand in hand, so yeah, close enough

Not sure if pun, or mind just dirty...

Just the second - the canonical pun would be 'gland in hand'. Took me a while to notice kaijyuu had not written that...

[kulik]

*stuff*

Doing the opposite of what you did for #1 is what helped me out of my deepest teenage depression, heh.

(in fact the majority of my depression was caused by living in a religious family that taught me to feel intense shame and guilt over my harmless behavioral addiction)

Ok, point taken, a healthy dose of masturbation may be ok if you are a teenager or if you don't have a partner, but i still think porn is really bad, not from religious point of view, but purely from a medical standpoint. See http://yourbrainonporn.com/ for more reference. I may even settle for - porn may don't be that bad if you pick a scene and watch it, but in the high-speed internet age, watching porn usually leads to switching between scenes and the over-stimulation may be really dangerous (and addicting), many symptoms including depressions and societal anxiety are related to it.