TLDR: Can antidepressants offset the mental effects of physical illness?I have gastroparesis which leaves me in a lot of pain, as well as malnourished and sleepless. This has me despaired, abulic and thoroughly disconnected from life.I’ve been to my doctor on numerous occasions, and they keep putting me back on Amitriptyline (which I was on for a couple months at a low dose, to minimal benefit.) I quit it a couple months ago for some reason. I then spent the following months teaching myself cbt and mindfulness, desperately trying to get my life back. It’s certainly working, but I feel to be plateauing. It does little for my lack of pleasure and enthusiasm, which is my main concern.My question is whether I should actually restart. Considering that the lack of nutrition, exercise and sleep from my condition is undoubtedly causing my symptoms, would antidepressants even help?
>>34063758>Can antidepressants offset the mental effects of physical illness?The only answer one can give to this is "sometimes, a bit". The only way to know if it'll help you is to try it for a bit and see. Amitriptyline, incidentally, is sometimes prescribed as a treatment for chronic pain (e.g. fibromyalgia), or some other physical conditions, like IBS. Maybe that's why the doctors are pushing it?
If you are going to take drugs to easy your mental pain then just drink or smoke pot. It's the same thing and cheaper and will actually work unlike antidepressants.
>>34063758No reason for you to take that shit. That is an off-label use. Not what the drug is intended for. Side effect includes constipation.>>34064860Drinking for pain leads to more pain, dude.
If you do take them, just prepare by making sure everyone in your life is aware and BEGGING them to help you not go out of character. I've seen people get given SNRIs for shit like fibro without considering their risk factors and suddenly they're really acting out of character especially during the titration but once its active.And the issue is you wont be able to tell yourself that you're being a menace or destroying your life at the time. So making sure you have actual good people will matter. Otherwise it can help, but if anything ask about taking it temporarily. Just to help you feel well enough to implement your lifestyle changes, then you could come off it and the implemented changes would help buffer
>>34064860>cheaperAlcoholism is expensive, even if you do it at home. Generic Prozac is about $4 a month.
>>34063758Try breakthrough pain by Shinzen young
>>34063758>It does little for my lack of pleasure and enthusiasm, which is my main concern.smoke/vape/eat weed, also try alternative medicine like acupuncture, more meds will fuck you up further>t. had a nasty gut infection that lasted months, vaping weed helped tremendously with the dread
