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My Pros and Cons of Being on Antidepressants

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I have to admit it I feel like a different person since I’ve been on medication. At first I just thought being on an antidepressant was just something psychological and that’s why I felt better, but it wasn’t. Life before being on medication was a disaster. I was a train wreck and I couldn’t function. I lived every day in fear, and I was constantly on edge, and then one day my doctor decided I should try an antidepressant. I was hesitant at first, but I wanted to just relax for a day without feeling so anxious all the time, and my antidepressant worked.

Ever since I’ve been on my antidepressant my anxiety went from a 10 to a 3. I felt better emotionally and mentally. I’m not constantly feeling stressed over little things I shouldn’t even be stressing about. I’ve started going out more and making random conversations with strangers. My medication gave me the confidence to try new things I would have never done, and I became more adventurous. I started to actually live my life, and I wasn’t hiding indoors.

I felt free, but there are cons of being on medication.

If I miss one dose, I feel my depression and anxiety. I’ll have this feeling of sadness begin to hover me and I have this sudden urge to cry. I become more emotional. It’s a nightmare. In the beginning trying to find the right antidepressant was a mess because one antidepressant made me feel numb inside, and I was constantly sleeping. When people find out I’m on medication they begin to think I’m “crazy,” and some people think I might end up abusing my medication, but I don’t, and I never will.

There are pros and cons to everything, and I don’t see a problem with being on an antidepressant. I always have to remind myself when I wake up in the morning that I have to take my daily dose because if I miss it, I start to panic. I’ve learned how to accept being on medication, and in all honestly there’s nothing wrong with being on an antidepressant if a person really needs it.

Editor’s note: Please see a medical professional before starting or stopping medication.

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Thinkstock photo by NADO FOTOS

Originally published: February 7, 2017
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