[lqdc13]

Please be advised that taking SSRIs can have negative side effects that you might not be aware of.

When people I'm close with start taking them, they are less interested in being intimate and stop "loving"/being affectionate.

In my experience, having a schedule, exercising and making sure you are around other people help a lot more while preserving your personality.

[thanatropism]

This, like a lot else in this thread, is good advice for people who are not depressed.

Have the blues? Cut the fast-digesting carbs and experience less blood sugar fluctuation.

Have bipolar depression that flips into florid mania after a day-long hike? Hoo boy.

[pure_ambition]

In my experience, people who start taking SSRIs have improved dramatically. Stop using anecdotal evidence to discourage people from seeking valuable help.

[kbhn]

He's not discouraging people from seeking help; he's encouraging people to be educated about the help they're seeking. For people who are in affectionate relationships, this is an important factor and is worth mentioning.

[rconti]

SSRIs never did a thing for me, but THOSE kinds of side effects were a drop in the ocean compared to the REAL problems going on in my head. If they had made a difference I'd have happily traded the side effects. Hell, the side effects were even worth it just to try something, ANYTHING.

[oculusthrift]

yeah well the same thing happens when someone is really depressed and not on ssris as well

[kbhn]

There's a difference between a lack of affection/physicality because you're depressed and because you're using an SSRI.

I still wanted to be close to people while I was depressed - I just felt useless and unable to do much else. On the SSRI I lost the desire to be affectionate, both around others and when I was by myself. It took around 6-9 months after I came off the SSRI for me to feel like I returned back to a normal state.

[miguelmota]

I remember when I was on SSRIs I felt pretty "numb" and sluggish, but that's a small trade off for remaining alive.