I had to be put on xanax and see a shrink!!!!

Making the decision to have a child is momentous~ It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside of your body~

I won't take anti-depressants. I figure if I am that upset than by golly I am going to fix the problem one way or the other. I decided to make everyone else as miserable as I was until things changed for the better. It was a crappy two years but things are getting better.

I am not knocking anti-depressants. If you need them, take them but by all means, but try to solve the external problems around you. There is a reason you are depressed.

"Evil Stepmothers aren't born, it comes with the territory"

Unless there is a serious chemical imbalance in your brain.

I work with some cancer patients, and a lot of them are quite depressed. Their answer is pills, and I just don't like it. Antidepressants don't cure anything... they just cover it up. And what then? You become dependent on these pills, and it's a never ending cycle.

I understand what you're feeling. Ever since SD9 (aka Blabb) came into the picture, I've been angry and snappy and not myself. I did, like you, consider antidepressants, but my mother told me one thing. "You're going to let a child get to you like that? To the point where you need to take silly depression pills? Come on, secondwife19. I raised you to be stronger than that."

And she was right. There is nothing wrong with me. I don't NEED antidepressants. I needed an outlet. And so here I am. Grated, I still face all these negative feelings, but I am trying to perceive things a little differently now. It's not easy... I'll tell you that.

This is just my honest opinion though. If you feel that your health is at risk (like you mentioned panic attacks - I used to have those all the time and had to be put on meds for them :/ but it wasn't skid related), consult a psychiatrist. Consult a few of them if you have to.

Good luck, girl!

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss

They are a Godsend!!!!! Whether it's full blown antidepressant or just a mild anti-anxiety med... they can help you immensely!!!

I originally was put on Effexor XR and Xanax, but I personally didn't like the side effects. I know those differ with every person, and there are several different anti-depressents out there that will affect everyone differently. If you have problems with the anti-depressents like I did, you might try just anti-anxiety meds. I am on Buspar/Buspirone, which is a pill i take twice daily and is not an addictive medication. This has helped me much more than the others! The only downside is I can't have grapefruit! Good luck, and hang in there!!

"Live well, Love much, Laugh often."

I have taken Zoloft. To be honest - it really helps. It doesn't make me "zombiefied" or anything. It helps me to stop worring so much. I have gone off of them - but it makes my ulcers worst (due to stress) and get real anxious. I would totally recommend it. You should talk to your Dr. or therapist. They should let you know for sure!

but i have no insurance or job and i am not married so bf's income doesnt count. i am almost at a point where if i die i may be better off. i havent gone as far as planning it, but alot of the time i think that if i just dont wake up in the morning, i will be rid of all the bullshit in my life. of course i think of my bd2 and i feel better....by a tiniest inch though.

anxiety and panic attacks, depression, sudden bursts of anger, feelings of not really being there, feeling like theres a rock in my throat when shit gets too real around here, not being able to stomach the kid's hyperactivity...yeah i experience those on almost a daily basis, sometimes i wonder how i function. most times i cant remember how i got from point a to point b.

my best friend just got engaged last night. i am so happy for her but it also adds to my depression because my own dreams of marrying bf have been shattered in a matter of a month and a half.

I take a product called "Happy Camper"! lol It is all natural (Kava Kava, Passion Flower, etc) and I would DEFINITELY suggest trying that before going on an anti-depressant. Or you could try St. John's Wort...I've heard that is good too. I've never felt depression really, but I do have times that I just get annoyed very easily. The Happy Camper supplement has helped me just RELAX and be OK with things. You can get it at health food stores.

but only at night bc I have severe issues with clenching my jaw...(remember the incident of cracking my veneers and looking like a redneck jack o latern?) I have to take them just to keep my muscles relaxed enough so I don't break my teeth.

"We all have different desires and needs, but if we don't discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we will live passively and unfulfilled.”

Im on happy pills, Ive been on them for about 3 years now. Im with DH for almost 6, and the stress of the BM was consuming my life.
They just takes the edge off, I was becoming a raging bitch/and or really depressed because of the constant stress. I needed help. They do help me.

For example last night at sports event for SS and BD, BM and her husband decide to sit right next to me. My first impulse was to move, but I would not give them the satisfaction. I could feel her eyes on me the entire time. Before I would of just freaked out, but last night I pretended they didnt exist, clapped and laughed with DH,
I know that was the happy pills, it just helps me deal.