I used to be the person who told depressed people to "just get over it". Then I had a massive heart attack. I had a lot of trouble afterwards concentrating on anything and just don't enjoy things that I used to. I don't feel "sad" - I just don't feel anything.
I have friends that are psychologists, they tell me I need to go on medication. I'm afraid to since I have seen people on antidepressants walking around like zombies.
I'm also a bit wary of lying on a psychiatrist couch and reliving my bad experiences from childhood.
I keep waiting to get back to "normal" - but nothing has changed.
Someone told me it might not have been the heart attack that triggered the depression (though the experts say the younger you are when you have one - the worse the depression is - I was only 43 when I had mine), it might be the heart medication causing it.
I suppose sooner or later I'll have to go to a doctor, get medication and join the ranks of the living dead. I'll put it off as long as I can.
Being put under can do it. Do you experience anxiety also? In my life I've fired 5 shrinks. I had a LCSW who did wonders in dealing with the PTSS and OCB. The OCB was an over compensation for the loss of my concentration and inability to preform task. I was a maintenance man and Boiler Operator and I was screwing up. The OCB came form me rechecking my work multiple times. The PTSD was an accumulation of some traumatic events over a 10 year period the last of which was a minor car accident in which although I was not at fault I thought an infant in the car that hit me had died. Turns out the lad slept through the ordeal. All of that I had dealt with and kept in check until my sensory system went on vacation one night and never came back. The onset that night could have easily been mistaken for a nervous breakdown too. But an old woman who was a resident patient at the facility I worked at help the clue.
I had received a call to go to an apartment to {check out} fix a loud nose in the residents room. When I got there the poor woman was in tears. I asked what was wrong she said make the noise stop please. I said OK where is it coming from? She took me to her air conditioner. I turned it off and she was crying Oh thank you. Was she crazy?
I went to the nurse and told her what happened. The nurse said she came home that day from the hospital like that. What was the womans problem? An Inner Ear infection it seems.
I left the nurse and went back down to my shop to take a break. I was sitting down and leaning back against a door. My shop was next to the time clock and someone behind the door yelled down the hallway at someone else. I about went to the ceiling. My mind started shutting down and I was very aware of it. I knew I was in trouble. Within minutes I could barely speak. I called in a relief as by law someone had to be there for the boiler. That was the last night I worked 12 years ago.
I went the SSRI and antidepressant route. I about had a couple of Serotonin migrations from it. But I didn't know at that time I had sensory damage. I actually take a well known Benzo to control it as with this also comes Myloclonic Seizures triggered by audio and visual saturation. On bad days I stay home in a nice quiet enviroment.
That hasn't been my case with anti-depressants, but many people take tranquilizers when they are depressed, and they can "zombify" ya pretty good. That may be what you have seen.
Anti-depressants don't make you feel downed out, they just make you normal and rational again. Take your doctor's advice, you will thank yourself for it.