Antidepressant or Anxiolytic or sleep aid? (Score 1)

Hi Korea! I am the friend that Enforcer talked about, and she asked me to comment here. Please be patient with me; I am not used to the /. format yet. First off, I want to let you know that I am not a medical doctor, so any advice I have should not be construed as "medical advice." However, I am a cognitive neuroscientist (Ph.D.), and have worked in the behavioral pharmacology field for several years at Johns Hopkins. I do not do that work now, but have kept up with the literature. I am glad that your doctor took the time to ask you some lifestyle questions, but when you said that he was prescribing you an "antidepressant" to be taken at bedtime, that sent up a red flag. It is not a common practice to do that, since antidepressants are mood elevators, not relaxants. I think it is possible that you were being given an "anti-anxiety" benzodiazepine-class drug like xanax or klonopin, which are often prescribed incorrectly as a sleep agents. ALL benzodiazepine-class drugs are HIGHLY addictive, contrary to what most people think, and are very difficult to wean from. The pharmaceutical companies are actively marketing them as "safe", and many medical doctors are buying into this junk science. It is all about profit. Before you make any decisions, I would suggest that you talk to a Clinical Psychologist; such a person would be much less likely to recommend a drug as the first course of action. Please feel free to email me at [e-mail] if you have any questions that you do not want to post on your journal. Andy