Whats better - HRT or life on Anti-Depressions

[TheBattler]

Well this has me worried.

Went to the doctor yesterday and she said some people need anti-deprssion all of there life. I could not handle feeling like this for the rest of my life. I need to get out and enjoy and not feel like a total zombie that I sometimes feel like now.

I had a great life before all this $####$% started but if I can not beat you all may I should enjoy my feminity and ask the HRT instead of anti-depression meds. At least I could go someone instead of feeling like somone froma diffreent planet.

   
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Alice

[Buffy]

Yes...

A difficult question Alice.

I wouldn't want to spend my life on anti-depressents (or pain killers etc), not only do they become addictive but also over time they do become less effective. Unless this is for severe medical conditions, being artificially kept away from lives problems is not something I would wish to do.

HRT... well if you are transgendered then there is an almost sense of relief and euphoria when they get into your system and start to effect your body (the mental effects cannot be overlooked).

It's a tough choice, but one you have got to make sometime. The fact even on anti-depressents, you still feel the same way about Alice and your feminimity kind of points you in the right direction I feel.

As we talked about the other day, how does your Therapist measure stability and happiness? How do you measure it? and does that stability mean a life time on anti-depressents?

Buffy

[taru]

A thing to consider is that estro has some anti-depressant properties in women.

If you need anti-depressants now adding HRT which tends to make people more emotional might cause problems.

One solution would be first HRT and when you know the effects find an anti-depressant that works with your body.

[Keira]

Your depression can be multi-factorial, so HRT can cure certain aspect of it, but not all.

That's my case, almost all the acute anxiety and occasional panic attacks have disapeered, but I'm still frightfull of going out and living in general (a more generalized anxiety at a lower level) and I've actually got a much more variable mood nowadays (higher highs and lower lows). Before, I at no highs, no lows a frayed tense neutral, like a guitare string being stretched to the limit. I had a fun mix of high anxiety and zombiness.

[LostInTime]

There must be underlying causes, you need to work with a good therapist to identify them and then deal with them.

I was on anti-depressants for a few years and just got off of them. My depression was related to financial and relationship issues. I became sick and tired of being sick and tired and dealt with both and now I feel better than I have in a long, long time.

[SusanK]

Well this has me worried. Went to the doctor yesterday and she said some people need anti-deprssion all of there life. I could not handle feeling like this for the rest of my life. I need to get out and enjoy and not feel like a total zombie that I sometimes feel like now. I had a great life before all this $####$% started but if I can not beat you all may I should enjoy my feminity and ask the HRT instead of anti-depression meds. At least I could go someone instead of feeling like somone froma diffreent planet.

Alice

You should work with both your physician and therapist. HRT can help alleviate some of the depression - never all of it, but  it can also exacerbate it. It depends on the type of depression you have, such as one from outside factors of work, life or even GID, one that is a part of yourself such as Dysthymia, or a combination of both. But HRT is not a replacement for anti-depressants. In addition it also depends on the severity of your depression where non-drug therapy works by itself or perhaps in combination.

[BrandiOK]

   It doesn't have to be an 'either or' situation.  I was certain that HRT would definitely help me with my depression which was spiraling out of control.  HRT did help with a lot of my issues but I found that after 'resolving' that part of my life I had to deal with all of the other things that had been bubbling below the surface of my gender issues.  That put me right back on the anti-depressants. 

  I've now been on HRT for around 5 years and for the first couple years I went back and forth from the anti-depressants also.  I've finally come to the conclusion that, whether I like it or not, including the AD's into my 'regimen' is best for me at this time.  I bounced back and forth from the AD's because of how 'I' thought they were affecting me.  I would constantly think "ok, I'm better now I don't need this stuff" and quit.  Finally, on the advice of my therapist, I ignored how I felt and asked the people around me how they perceived me during these times.  It was quite the shocker to find that the people who spent the most time around me noticed big changes in my personality on an off the AD's.  Off the anti-depressants I was extremely moody...bouncing back and forth from highs to lows in an almost manic or bi-polar manner.  I didn't see the severity of it but the people around me did.  Hence I am back on the AD's with my HRT and while I still get moody it's more in line with 'normal' moodiness. 

   Don't consider anti-depressants as something that reflects negatively on you as a person...instead consider them a tool to help you live your life in a healthy way.  Your mental health is no different from your physical health...you eat healthy, exercise, take supplements and medications when you are sick without any stigma so why should your mental health be any different? 

   I don't know how long I will have to take the anti-depressants.  I hope that it's not a long time but I am willing to do what it takes to help me enjoy life, be it HRT, SRS, AD's or any combination of the three. 

   Which reminds me...I need to go take my meds *wink*

[Rachael]

antidepressants= covers problem
hrt=fixes problem

[TheBattler]

antidepressants= covers problem
hrt=fixes problem

hmm - I like that Rachael,

This has been playing on my mind again today. I will admit to being scared.

Alice

[louise000]

Your depression can be multi-factorial, so HRT can cure certain aspect of it, but not all.

That's my case, almost all the acute anxiety and occasional panic attacks have disapeered, but I'm still frightfull of going out and living in general (a more generalized anxiety at a lower level) and I've actually got a much more variable mood nowadays (higher highs and lower lows). Before, I at no highs, no lows a frayed tense neutral, like a guitare string being stretched to the limit. I had a fun mix of high anxiety and zombiness.

Up until about ten years ago anxiety and panic attacks were ruining my life. Nobody who hasn't experienced a sudden panic attack can possibly understand what it feels like - as if you are about to die or go out of control. It's the most awful feeling I have ever had and the panic attacks led to a longer period of clinical depression and deep anxiety when I became unable to go out or function properly on a day to day basis. I was referred for psychotherapy and, although I was very sceptical, I was taught relaxtion techniques - the sort where you learn to relax individual muscles in your body one by one - and this actually worked. These days whenever I get that feeling of anxiety and think I'm about to experience a panic attack I know how to relax my body so that my brain stops receiving the "flight or fight" signals. It works for me anyway.

I now believe that my anxiety was related to my GID (although I didn't have a name for it then and kept quiet about it during therapy) and I am wondering if a low dose of estrogen would have helped.

Can Keira or anyone with equal knowledge of these things say whether a small amount of estrogen taken in this way might have helped, or whether its use without anti-androgens would have nullified any effect?
Louise

[Luc]

Tink is right; if you have a chemical imbalance, anti-depressants should balance it out. Estrogen can, in fact, exacerbate depression; on the other hand, if your depression is precipated only by gender dysphoria, I suppose HRT could be of some assistance. However, to clear up misconceptions: SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), the main medications used to treat major depressive disorder as well as myriad other psychological maladies, are non-addictive. They have no known long-term ill effects, and do not lose their effectiveness over time. They simply block the reuptake of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids in the regulation of mood, into the synapses. This allows the serotonin to remain in the receptors longer, naturally elevating mood. There is no dependance to be gained.

Also, there is no substitute for good, old fashioned psychotherapy. Working through your problems is always the best solution; it's just nowhere near the easiest. Good luck, Alice.

Dino

[jonnismith]

However, to clear up misconceptions: SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), the main medications used to treat major depressive disorder as well as myriad other psychological maladies, are non-addictive. They have no known long-term ill effects, and do not lose their effectiveness over time. They simply block the reuptake of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids in the regulation of mood, into the synapses. This allows the serotonin to remain in the receptors longer, naturally elevating mood. There is no dependance to be gained.

Have you ever tried to quit SSRI. I went through severe withdrawal symptoms from these medications. Tapering doses just as recommended by my doctor. It was just horrible!. They don't tell you about that when they push this stuff on you but my doctor told me flat out that many people go through severe withdrawal from SSRI's also not to mention side effects they do tell you about. So when they say they are non-addictive they are walking a fine line. If they weren't addictive there would be no withdrawal.

On the bright side I have been able to get off all AD medication once I was on estrogen long enough. But everyone is different and as my anxiety/depression was caused by GID others may need this medication

[Sarah Louise]

This is a difficult question, Alice.  It all depends on the individual and how severe their feelings are.  Some of us will have to live with anti-depressants for the rest of our lives, but that's just because we suffer from a chemical imbalance and hence there isn't another option.

However, if my depression were directly related to my gender issues, *I* would choose HRT amongst all the other alternatives.  Why? because matching my body to my core identity can only be accomplished with HRT and not with anti-depressants.

tink

I agree, often the depression is not the result of our gender issues, mine is from diabetes and other chemical imbalances.  My mood swings are violent, I am not on anti depressants, but sometimes I wonder if I should be.  Does this have to be an either/or question?


Sarah L.

[mikke]

Haven't read all the replies, so sorry if I reiterate-

You can do both, you know. I mean, I am. ANd if your anti-d's make you feel icky (reducing the quality of life), you should really look into trying a different one. I take a lot of medication, but the one that is specifically for depression actually gives me energy. Hence why I take it in the morning. It's kinda like a little adderall booster (except it's wellbutrin).

I'm bipolar, so I know I will spend the rest of my life taking anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, and anti-depressants. But I am also on HRT. THe combination makes Lane a very happy camper. 

[Wendy]

Alice,

There are some anti-depressants that have less side effects and may help you.  Discuss the side effects with your doctor.

The doctor can also lower the dosage or combind with other drugs to stop/lessen the Zombie effect but keeps you feeling alive.  Discuss this option with your doctor.
..........................
HRT "might" make you feel better and "might lessen" depression.

For me depression and gender issues are linked but not totally.
.....................

Please remember HRT does have side effects including downstairs and you will grow boobs over time.
................

My guess is your gender specialist will not prescribe HRT if you are depressed but will prescribe HRT if your depression is under control.  This is a good strategy but some people will not follow it.

If your depression is under control keep taking your meds.  At that point with your doctor's permission you can start HRT.  If the HRT does not offer any comfort for your gender issues then stop taking them with your doctor's permission.
...............

I am sorry the meds are not working the way you wanted.  Ask your doctor to find a combination that works for you.

[Thundra]

It's kinda like a little adderall booster (except it's wellbutrin).

The happy pill, I remember it well. I abused it like every other pill.

Now, no pills. I can't live without the mania - completely.

If you can, at least try the pills to see if they work for you. My best friend takes them 6 months of the year, and doesn't need them the other six months. The winter is hard on her.

Just be leery of mixing hormones and pills. HRT can affect your moods drastically, so the happy pills can really send you flying. You can do both - just be cautious.

Good luck!

[Wendy]

It's kinda like a little adderall booster (except it's wellbutrin).

The happy pill, I remember it well. I abused it like every other pill.

I tolerated large doses of Wellbutrin with minimal side effects.  However it did absolutely nothing for my anxiety and depression even after an extended period.  However the psychiatrist had success using it with the majority of patients.

Alice a psychiatrist can try a lot of combinations to give you good results and not be a zombie.

[Ell]

HRT has not gotten rid of my depression but I seem to feel better

sorry if this is off topic, but Wendy is on HRT??  Wow. i thought i had read earlier that you were not going to go on HRT.

anyway, i salute you. 

[Wendy]

sorry if this is off topic, but Wendy is on HRT?

Excuse me a second Alice.

Ell, Alice will present in public as a girl but does not take hormones.  Wendy does exactly the opposite.  Sorry for confusing you Ell.

There is every combination of the TG spectrum on this forum. 

[TheBattler]

sorry if this is off topic, but Wendy is on HRT?

Excuse me a second Alice.

Ell, Alice will present in public as a girl but does not take hormones.  Wendy does exactly the opposite.  Sorry for confusing you Ell.

There is every combination of the TG spectrum on this forum. 

Your wellcome Wendy,

Call me a transgendered crossdresser. I do enjoy getting out and I am planning a very big outing in a few weeks.

Thank you everyone for your contributions - I am feeling better now. I do have a psychiatrist looking after me so I am hopefuly that next year I can slowly reduce my anti-depression Meds and come off them. I am so comfortable in girl mode - I would not be supprised if once I my Meds I want to transistion again.



Alice