Dampened moods?

[flix08]

Does anyone else feel a bit dampened on antidepressant meds? I feel like they've started to make me feel a bit more energetic (or maybe its just a placebo, who knows) but I feel like it's all FAKE because it's just the actions of the meds? Does this make sense?

And then I feel like everything is a contradiction. Because if I'm 'allowed' to feel angry, then why have I been put on meds? I just don't understand and I need someone to explain it to me if possible. I feel scared because what happens when I come off the meds? But i'm also angry because the people that are encouraging me to talk about my feelings are the ones who are telling me to go on meds, so if feels as if they thought i was saying something bad or wrong so they thought they'd have to put me on meds.

Does this make sense anyone? I'm so confused

[maddie]

Hello. I understand what you are saying.

The antidepressants level out your mood so that the depression and intensity of feelings lifts. But that doesn't mean that the feelings have gone. You now have chance to work through them and consider what changes you would like to make to your life in order to move on.

I found that during therapy I sometimes felt like I was just outside myself, watching what was happening. This can be very disconcerting. However, without the meds, these are probably the points where I would have given up and become very depressed again. I've also accepted that, due to a chemical imbalance, it's likely that I will have to stay on meds. I accept this as if I was a diabetic taking insulin. People often come off meds too soon because they feel better, not realising that it's the meds working that makes them feel that way.

I hope this helps.

[flix08]

thanks, it really helps to know that i'm not the only one feeling this way. i also feel really disconnected sometimes during therapy, as if i'm having an out of body experience, its so weird