Prozac as a replacement for self-medication?
Question by : Prozac as a replacement for self-medication?
In the past few years, I have gone through a lot of stuff during my introduction into university life. I had trouble coping so I used alcohol and marijuana as a form of self-medication.
I talked to a counselor recently, and he told me that Prozac could be a kind of solution. I went to the docs today and he prescribed it for me. I picked up the bottle and now I have it.
But what are the risks involved? Will I need to take it forever, building a dependency? I don’t know if its right for me, but i want to get better. Thanks.
Best answer:
Answer by uscud
hello Stuart,
the question should be answered by your MD and your pharmacist who know your drug best. however, luck for you, i am off shift today :0
prozac wont cause any dependency, if this is what worries you. it will help increase your energy and motivation and in some way, your life back from depression. it is not used to replace your alcohol and marijuana, which you would need to stop ‘addiction” on your own or in clinic or via other medications. prozac is used to treat depression/anxiety that lead you to the lifestyles you have had.
side effects? so many. however, the first few weeks, you will feel a lot of energy and increase appetite and inspiration to do things as you could not do due to depression. some small percentage, usually teenagers, who have had suicidal thoughts, may commit suicide and this may only occur in the first 3 or 4 weeks after taking the medication. parents be ware if you are still underage. after 3 weeks or so, your body will adjust itself with new level of serotonin and you will be okay again.
please check the package insert for the drug prescribed to you.
best of luck
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Tagged with: Prozac • replacement • selfmedication
Filed under: Alcohol Self Medication
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Dear friend,
please note that the antidepressants real performance begin after 2-3 weeks of taking it.
And on the other hand the depression has a root in your soul or mind.
Please find an familiar ear to listen you.
When you start to depletion ,the root of depression will be destroyed if you want.
Prozac (fluoxetine) is not an addictive drug however it can cause some physical dependence with long term use. This simply means the body adapts to having the drug and if it is abruptly discontinued a withdrawal-like syndrome called SSRI discontinuation syndrome can occur. Most people don’t develop this problem and compared to other antidepressants Prozac has a very low risk. But don’t confuse this with addiction (psychological dependence), a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease influenced by genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. It is characterized by one or more of the following behaviours: loss of control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving.
What your counselor was talking about by a “replacement” for self medication is that if the Prozac helps your depression and/or anxiety you will no longer have a need to self medicate your symptoms because they will be gone (or greatly reduced). It sounds like you are not addicted to alcohol or marijuana and have simply been using them as “tools” to help fix your problems. A lot of people do the same thing but Prozac is medically appropriate and approved to treat anxiety and depression. There are risks with any drug but typically Prozac is well tolerated and effective. It is certainly a better option than using marijuana and alcohol to treat your problems. Alcohol can also cause an extremely painful and potentially dangerous (even lethal) physical withdrawal when it is heavily abused.
It sounds like what you have been doing is not right for you, try the Prozac and see what happens (you can always decide to stop taking it).
Also although antidepressants like Prozac can cause people (typically 18 and under) to develop suicidal ideation it does NOT, according to current information, increase risk of either suicide attempt or suicide completion. However if you (regardless of your age) start to feel suicidal or your symptoms get worse call your doctor. It is also not uncommon for people to have a worsening of (or a development of) anxiety or insomnia during the first few weeks of use. If that or any other side effects occur and are really causing you problems call your doctor.