I stopped taking my Prozac. There are a few reasons for this action:

1) I forgot to take it for 2 days.
2) I only had 6 left and my insurance for my new job does not kick in until April.
3) I want to try life unmedicated.

I think Sunday was my last pill. It has been almost a week. I did feel a slight down in my mood yesterday. But I dealt with it and it passed. My whole saying of “things could be worse” that I repeat over and over seems to help.

I did have a slight negative experience a few weeks ago related to my Prozac. But it was more related to people’s judgement of depression and anti-depression meds.

I was about to go scuba diving. Right before we left the shop to head to the beach, the manager remembered she forgot to have me sign the medical form. So I grabbed it and checked no next to everything except “are you taking any medications?” The dive guide asked me what do I take Prozac for and the manager answered “for depression.” The guide is foreign and not familiar with such medications so asked if I take it just “every so often”. Like when I feel sad. I answered I have been taking it every other day, which was true because I kept forgetting to take it while on vacation. This cause a red flag for the manager. She said I needed to be seen by the diving doctor before any diving.

So I had to go see this doctor to answer questions. I told him I took it every other day as a way to try to wean off of it. He asked if my doctor gave me those directions. I said no. I did NOT tell him how I basically prescribed myself the medication by buying it in Mexico and then getting a clinic doctor to write me a refill. He asked why I was taking them. I told him I started because I was feeling down all the time and wanted a temporary help to feel better. “No, what happened that made you start to take these. People just don’t get depressed. What was happening in your life?”

I was offended. People can’t be depressed unless a tragic event? He did not seem to understand the chemical cause of mood disorders. Maybe they don’t believe such things in his country? But I felt I was being judged. I lied and said it was because I broke up with a guy. He was happy with that answer. He wanted take make sure I was not going to be depressed while diving and “create an accident”. And he told me trying to get off the medication was a good idea. I should dive more to be happy.

I decided then and there even if I stayed on Prozac or start it again, I am lying on my next diving medical form about it.