I am a deeply depressed person and don't really know why. I have prescriptions for lexapro (10mg) valium (2mg) and amitriptyline (25mg) and have thought about trying to overdose on them a lot lately. What would the effects be if I took all three at the same time?

Whoa Jaci! That sounds pretty serious. If you are really depressed talk to the doctor who prescribed you the meds. My friend took Lexapro and she said she had suicidal thoughts on it. Her sister also took it, but she got really good results. She eventually switched to Zoloft instead and found that worked for her. She said she would never take Lexapro again! It could definitely be the meds that are affecting your outlook.

i've suffered from anxiety and depression for about 12 years. between 1992-1998 i had tried dozens of medications, some made me feel suicidal, some made me worse, some helped for a while then quit working, some helped with certain symptoms but not others. in 1999 my doctor put me on effexor xr and it has helped significantly ever since. i'm actually able to live on my own now and not stress out over everything. i can't really remember the last time i cried, had suicidal thoughts or hurt myself intentionally. it's an amazing medication. you can read about it at www.effexorxr.com and you should definitely talk to your doctor if you're considering ODing on any kinds of medications.

Hey, Jaci. Before you start taking several medications at once, there are a number of other things you can do to help alleviate your depression. Diet and exercise influence your emotional state. Odds are, if you've been depressed for a while, you're not exercising or eating properly. Lay off heavy, fatty foods and sugary processed foods, and get more exercise. You don't have to work out or go for the six-pack-abs. Just get up and move. Go for a 20 minute walk every day. If you just do these two things and stick with it, within a couple of weeks you should notice a difference. Prescription medication can be very helpful for people with depression, but combining healthy lifestyle choices with those prescription medications is essential for overall emotional health.

Nan Little
123 Feel Better Wellness Advisor
http://www.123feelbetter.net/

Jaci,

If you're having suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Hotline to talk to someone at no cost. The NSH has trained professionals who can help you figure out what to do. The toll-free number will actually route you to a center that is closest to you based on your telephone number. Dial either of these numbers to talk to someone:

1-800-784-2433
or
1-800-273-8255
or
1-800-799-4889 if you are deaf or hard of hearing

I hope this helps, Jaci.

Peace, love and light,
Peter Holy
123 Feel Better Wellness Advisor
http://www.123feelbetter.net/

Jessi, I'm glad that Effexor xr has been a help to you. However, I think I should share my story just as a heads up to anyone considering this drug. I was on Effexor xr for several years, coupled with Zoloft. It really stabalized me. But my sexual desire eventually just plain died. So, my doctor took me off it and started me on Wellbutryn. Within days I spiraled into the worst depressive/anxiety driven state of mind you can imagine. I became scared to leave the house and couldn't go to work. I spent 3 days literally hiding under a blanket. I also experiencea strange electrical feeling in my head and neck.Come to find out, I was going through withdrawals and this was the normal reaction to coming off Effexor xr, whether you stopped gradually or cold turkey. There was no way to avoid this horrible experience. Once my doctor adjusted my meds and I got better I researched Effexor xr and found that a lot of people have had the same experience and that a lot of doctors won't prescribe it any longer. After my experience, my own doctor stopped. My intent here is not to scare anyone, but to educate. Effexor xr's website isn't going to warn you about this. I only found out from people on other message boards and medical journals I read.Here's a site where you can find more info. http://depression.about.com/cs/venlafaxine...defxvenlafa.htm

Hi,

I am a 30 year old Canadian male and first tried attempting suicide at the age of 12. I've been diagnosed with dysthymia, major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression, along with a severe anxiety disorder. I stumbled upon this website after some googling and just read your article "The Real Cure for Depression". I'm wondering about your strategy of developing close relationships with people while at the same time admitting that depression is the loneliest experience in the world. Depression has its basis in genetics, biology and environment. I do agree that this illness is indeed the loneliest experience in the world. I'm tempted to say that even this is an understatement. Well I just said it. But it is so extremely lonely not necessarily because of a lack of a physical presence by another person. This implies that depression is solely caused by one's environment, which is untrue. This is much like saying cancer is solely caused by smoking. Even being surrounded by people like family members, the loneliness, and as a result, the depression (or is it the other way around?), does not go away. Anhedonia is considered to be one of the primary symptoms of depression, which means the victim cannot derive pleasure even from relationships. As strange as it sounds, being around people can actually intensify the depression, since this can make one realize just how depressed he/she really is when they find out they cannot experience any pleasure from social contact. Also, since anxiety goes hand-in-hand with depression, you did not address the issue of people so overcome by the illness that they become socially withdrawn and isolated. Many social skills end up suffering as a result and attempting to make a friend ends up triggering a panic attack! Not all of us have the luxury of having a wife or husband or best friend or even a friend to talk with (since we lost them as a result of depression), so perhaps you could provide advice on how to overcome the issues mentioned above before you suggest building a social network. The strategy mentioned in the article is too simplistic relative to the complexity of depression and unrealistically optimistic for those with severe, treatment resistant depression. It has very little to do with the latest research in depression treatments (i.e. vagus nerve stimulation, serotonin4 (5-HT4) receptor agonists, hormone therapy, Cytomel, transcranial magnetic stimulation) and suggesting that it's a cure for depression would be a major turning point in the history of mankind. But nevertheless, I do appreciate your article. Thanks for letting me post.

Eat well and set aside 30 mins for a walk, believe me ,just doing these two things got me off medication.