Can you feel the spirit on Antidepressant medication?


brmecham
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Can you feel the spirit on Antidepressant medication?

A friend of mine said when she was on antidepressants it put her in "zombie mode" and that it made it so she never felt sad but also never felt happy, and she didn't feel the spirit while she was on them.

I am hoping to hear from others who are on antidepressants, or have been on them, (which medication are you on specifically) and if you can feel the spirit while on them?

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It depends on whether or not you are on the correct medication. If you are in zombie mode then you need to adjust the dose or try a different medication.

I am friends with people in the church, and have known others, who are on appropriate medication for them that are able to feel the spirit without issue. In fact, in some cases the meds helped them be more receptive to the Spirit since their minds were no longer hampered by their disorder.

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i think it depends on the reason you are depressed and the meds/dosage you are on. when i had postpartum depression (which is physical) i took lexapro and it was great. for the first time in months i could think clearly and feel the spirit.

i became depressed again later (had a physical component but more emotional) i took paxil (i think that was it lol). that was a very bad experience. i think it was 2 factors. i needed more emotional help than physical and i had all the side effects of that one. i was so sick physically (and it didn't help the depression much) that i couldn't think about anything or feel the spirit. i functioned better depressed.

i currently am not on meds for my depression. i've been seeing a new dr that found i have a hormone imbalance. in taking care of that part of my health it's significanly reduced my depression symptoms.

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OP,

Your friend needs to talk to her doctor again. There are different kinds of antidepressants and different dosages. It sounds like the one she's on isn't working right. She may want to try another. She shouldn't feel "flat" like that. She may also want to connect with a therapist who is trained in CBT. Research shows a combination of medication and therapy is the most effective treatment for depression.

Antidepressants increase the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain synapses. They don't give people a "high" but should bring them back to a normal mood. Depression is caused by a low level of the neurotransmitters.

I hope your friend starts feeling better.

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Can you feel the spirit on Antidepressant medication?

A friend of mine said when she was on antidepressants it put her in "zombie mode" and that it made it so she never felt sad but also never felt happy, and she didn't feel the spirit while she was on them.

I am hoping to hear from others who are on antidepressants, or have been on them, (which medication are you on specifically) and if you can feel the spirit while on them?

I'm not LDS, so I can't speak to feeling the spirit.

However, I have seen a few people who have felt like your friend does while on anti-depressants. My mother was one of them.

If your friend is clinically depressed, there is a good chance the right med is out there for her, but she hasn't found it yet. My mother was able to find hers, and it has helped her tremendously. It lifted her depression significantly without making her feel as if she had no emotions.

I'll tell you something else you don't feel on anti-depressants: your libido. :rolleyes:

Elphaba

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Absolutely. Anti-depressants, when properly applied to appropriate situations, are medications to alleviate physical problems in the body so that our own Soul (the joint being of body and spirit) is not hampered by the body’s physical limitation. One's own spirit is able to shine through when the chemical imbalances are corrected, and yes, one feels the Spirit - even moreso. Same goes for non-depression mental illnesses such as ADHD.

As other have said, it sounds like your friend is either 1) on the wrong dose (sounds to be too high IMO), or 2) that particular med just isn't the one that works right for her body/condition. Time to go back to the doc. She might consider seeing a psychiatrist if she hasn't and has only been seeing a family dr.

I'll tell you something else you don't feel on anti-depressants: your libido. :rolleyes:

True with some. The SSRI's are notorious for that, however, everyone reacts differently.
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Thanks for the feedback. Antidpressants, and pharmaceutical medicine in general, is an interesting topic, one that I have done a fair amount of research on.

I like to get feedback from the experiences of others. It seems that different drugs affect different people differently.

Another friend of mine, Dr Ann Blake Tracy, INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR DRUG AWARENESS, helps people get off of antidepressants and helps them solve their problems through natural means.

She said that she hears "non-stop that people cannot feel the spirit on these drugs."

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If a medicine helps a patient find balance, it's from God. All that is truly good, comes from God. With some disorders, those extreme emotions can become a drug in themselves. Anti-psychotics may dull those extremes, actually bringing them in line with common place experiences. To the patient, such seems "dull and zombie-like." Over time, though, the patient learns to rely on a healthy balance of reasoning, modest and appropriate emotion, and, of course, the still small voice of the Spirit.

I'm also not LDS. However, I belong to a movement that believes in faith-healing. In our infancy, some well-meaning teachers insisted that true faith meant rejecting all medicine and doctoring. Of course, there were some tragic results. We've learned that God can gift even unbelievers, and that we should not reject his gifts to us, whoever the vessel is that delivers it.

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Medications affect people in different ways. Some medications (especially the older ones) can effectively numb a person, so they do not have wide mood swings. But it can also make it difficult to feel the Spirit. Does this mean the Spirit has no influence on such a person? Of course not, as the Spirit also can work through our thoughts, etc., as well.

For many people on such meds, they do feel the Spirit more than without them, because they are in greater control of their emotions. They can recognize the Spirit, because they aren't having to figure out wild mood swings.

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Thanks for the feedback. Antidpressants, and pharmaceutical medicine in general, is an interesting topic, one that I have done a fair amount of research on.

I like to get feedback from the experiences of others. It seems that different drugs affect different people differently.

Another friend of mine, Dr Ann Blake Tracy, INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR DRUG AWARENESS, helps people get off of antidepressants and helps them solve their problems through natural means.

She said that she hears "non-stop that people cannot feel the spirit on these drugs."

Have you ever stopped to consider that the Spirit feels different when you are no longer afflicted by a disorder?

You must also understand that some people are given antidepressants when that is not the actual problem. For example, many people with ADD/ADHD are diagnosed with depression when really they are depressed because they can't manage to maintain focus enough to be reliable at work or in their social lives. Their depression is a result of ADD, not the cause of the problem.

Also, depression and anxiety are often mixed together, and so only one aspect of the problem is fixed or addressed. There are about six types of anxiety and depression, and rare it is for someone to only have anxiety or to only have depression.

Not only that but many people fix the physical problem but ignore the psychological and social effects the physical problem had on their lives.

I'm not saying that medication is always the answer, but I am saying that it's NOT as simple as taking antidepressants = not being able to feel the spirit. Such a thing is simply not true and I fear perpetuation of such an idea would stop people from getting the help that they need.

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Years ago I was going thru a situational depression. The first anti-depressant the doc put me on put me in zombie mode. I am pretty sure while on that medication had I been hit by a bolt of lightening I would not have felt it! I talked to the doc - changed meds - and didnt feel like a zombie anymore.

Please have your friend visit the doc again and talk about zombie mode and ask about med change. :)

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Please have your friend visit the doc again and talk about zombie mode and ask about med change. :)

Sorry, there won't be any doc recommending by me :)

My friend got off of the drugs completely and through faith, education and natural remedies was able to get rid of the depression and is now living a more healthy joyful life (without the inherent side-effects of all antidepressants).

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The question you ask has differing answers. When you say feel the spirit, do you mean getting all choked up, emotional? Do you mean don't feel it at all?

I've had to try a few myself and did notice when I took certain types I could bear my testimony without crying all the way through. I could feel the spirit, it just affected me different. All in all though, I do prefer the more emotional spiritual feelings.

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When you say feel the spirit, do you mean getting all choked up, emotional? Do you mean don't feel it at all?

I've had to try a few myself and did notice when I took certain types I could bear my testimony without crying all the way through. I could feel the spirit, it just affected me different. All in all though, I do prefer the more emotional spiritual feelings.

Hmmm, well, for me "feeling the spirit - the holy ghost" is much different than feeling "emotional" but yes the two feelings can come at the same time - people often get emotional and cry when the presence of the spirit is felt very strongly. It's a wonderful feeling.

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I've heard good things about wild morning glory seeds and moonbeams.

There are a variety of herbs and natural supplements that can help with all kinds of problems. One of the most important things for many people involves a big lifestyle change... getting plenty of sunlight each day, drinking lots of water, exercise / physical activity, a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables. For some people they have to give up dairy, white sugar, sometimes even wheat and meat!

I've seen awesome things happen with people who were committed enough to make these changes and as a result got over depression, cured cancer, healed their liver, kidney's, gall bladder, got rid of asthma, allergies, all kinds of things.

And of course, along with the lifestyle changes, faith in God and the power of the Priesthood.

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Yeah....I completely see where the OP is going with this thread and I don't care for it too much.

I'm sorry, proper diet and exercise isn't going to account for jack squat in some situations. Namely mine. Can I feel the spirit when i'm medicated? I certainly can.

I can't, however, feel the spirit when i'm suffering from wild mood swings, mania-induced psychosis, visual and auditory hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, etc. Anti-depressants are just one of the many drugs I take to ensure that I not only experience the holy spirit, but life in general.

I completely agree that a large number of people are probably medicated for mental illness when they would probably be better off taking better care of themselves. However, that simply isn't the case for another large portion of us.

Sorry if I sound bitter, i've just become extremely tired of people trying to convince me that my mental disorders would disappear if I just ate a couple extra carrots a day or prayed a bit harder.

/endrant

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Can I feel the spirit when i'm medicated? I certainly can.

I just wanted to get some more input, I've heard a variety of things, thanks to everyone who has given the input. It's obvious that the situation is different for different people and different depending on different drugs and different doses... many variables.

i've just become extremely tired of people trying to convince me that my mental disorders would disappear if I just ate a couple extra carrots a day or prayed a bit harder.

I can understand what you're saying. If you are the 'exception' you're not my audience, just brought up the natural stuff cause it works for many people (and because some of the statements on this discussion prompted that), but of course there are exceptions... and what I'm talking about is much more than eating a few extra carrots and praying harder...

:)

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I was prescribed anti depressants for a number of years. I was still depressed and continued with self defeating behaviors. About a year ago I walked off the medications. I wanted to see what my illness looked like without the meds. I have learned I missed the emotional (spiritual) feelings of pre-medication life. My self defeating behaviors have become minimal and I can feel more than I did on the medication.

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I just wanted to get some more input, I've heard a variety of things, thanks to everyone who has given the input. It's obvious that the situation is different for different people and different depending on different drugs and different doses... many variables.

I can understand what you're saying. If you are the 'exception' you're not my audience, just brought up the natural stuff cause it works for many people (and because some of the statements on this discussion prompted that), but of course there are exceptions... and what I'm talking about is much more than eating a few extra carrots and praying harder...

:)

If you "just wanted to get some more input" why are you coming on here sounding like an infomercial for a crystal-gripping homeopathic hippie idea? You're coming on here announcing that people that have legitimate medical imbalances are "exceptions". Pfft! Whatever! I’ll bet you think that legitimate researchers into psychopharmacology are all part of giant conspiracy, don’t you?

You fail to realize that there are numerous causes for a person being depressed. Thinking to apply one solution to all people is foolish IMO.

People loose all respect in my book when they come on forums saying their agenda is A, when it is clearly showing through to be B. Get real. Posted Image Go advertise elsewhere.

Edited by ryanh
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I just wanted to get some more input, I've heard a variety of things, thanks to everyone who has given the input. It's obvious that the situation is different for different people and different depending on different drugs and different doses... many variables.

I can understand what you're saying. If you are the 'exception' you're not my audience, just brought up the natural stuff cause it works for many people (and because some of the statements on this discussion prompted that), but of course there are exceptions... and what I'm talking about is much more than eating a few extra carrots and praying harder...

:)

I'm well aware that what you were discussing was more than eating carrots and praying harder. It's called sarcasm darling. I thought that was quite obvious, but perhaps not.

I agree with ryan. Your post has one of only two intents. The first intent is to glamorize the medical advice of a scam artist. The second is to display a condescending and holier-than-thou attitude towards people who recognize that they need medication and counseling to live a healthy, safe life.

I see through your nonsense. Hopefully others do as well.

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