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This is day 10 of 31 Days of Finding Joy in Depression. Yesterday, I shared about the church and depression. Today, let's look at medication and depression.
I hated the idea of having to take medication for depression. So much of my view of medication had been tainted by what I believed and had been taught about the church, christianity, and depression. I had to come to terms with the fact that depression is an illness just like any other illness that I'd take medication to cure or treat. If I had unmanageable blood pressure, I'd take a pill, right? I took medication to treat my PCOD and conceive Jonathan. Why not depression?
My doctor recommended a low dose anti-depressant. After an issue with my insurance company, we landed on a generic in the right class of medications and in the right tier for my prescription plan. He told me to expect to see changes by around day 14, but the full effect of the medication wouldn't be seen until around 30 days. After one month, we'd come back together, evaluate the situation, and determine if I needed to try a different medication.
Josh and I started seeing major positive effects of the medication within just a few days. By day 3 or 4, there was marked improvement in my mood and ability to handle the symptoms of my depression. By 30 days, it was like I was a different person. Or, as Josh would say, the person he always saw in me. I was less irritable, rough edges were softened, and I was more patient with myself and others.
I'm very lucky to have found a medication that worked well on the first try. Some people need to try a couple of different medications before finding the one that works best for them. My doctor initially suggested that I go on the medication for six months. He said at that point, I could try tapering off or I could continue. My choice. I did try going off after six months. I tried some natural treatments for a few weeks, but those were not as effective for me as the medication. So, I went back to the medication.
One of my concerns about going on medication long-term were what would we need to do if I got pregnant. My doctor assured that the medication was safe during pregnancy and nursing. About 13 months after going on the medication, I found out that I was expecting Jacob. Josh, my doctor, and I discussed the situation and decided that it was best for me to stay on the medication. Of course, there are always risks, but, in my case, the benefits of having a stable mommy far outweighed the potential risks of staying on the medication.
Do you take medication to manage your depression? Did you fight taking medication for your depression?
If you deal with depression, please comment and share your journey too. If you're a blogger, you can use the button and code below to share your story and link back on your blog. Feel free to leave links to your posts in the comments area.
I'm linking up with The Nester and others who are writing 31 posts this month on various topics. I'm not a doctor or a counselor and this is not intended to be medical advice. This is simply the story of my experience with depression.
