Prozac and sadness

I was put on Prozac in 1998 for a life-threatening bout with major depression. I also was diagnosed with panic disorder. Before Prozac, my dr. had tried Paxil (terrible dizziness), then imipramine (hallucinations). Prozac was the 3rd and final drug tried, and I am so glad it exists. All my life I felt like I was living in some terrible shadow. On Prozac, my life has become much better. I must add that the Prozac was in conjunction with a year and a half of seeing a psychologist. I do not recommend that ANYONE go on an antidepressant without conjunctive therapy. I am still on a 20mg/day dosage of Prozac because I battle with depressive episodes now and then. Although the terrible shadow still floats around out there, I don't feel oppressed by it any more. I know there are many bad things said about Prozac, but my experiences with it are positive.

My experience with Prozac has been for a period of 7 months . It took at least a month to feel the effects. It has helped me tremendously I had obsessive compulsive thoughts before and I was diagnosed as clinically depressed. As my therapist once told me people confuse sadness for depression for example "I broke up with my boyfriend I am depressed" This is not so you are sad yes but depressed no. Depression seems to be an overused word and in that case people who think they should be on this drug don't really need to be on it and thats why it has no effect on them at all. Those people need to let time do its work on you.
As for those of us who really do have depression in a very serious way a chemical imbalance yes it does help. And for those of you debating will I gain weight or won't I this should not really be an issue of why you shouldn't take Prozac. Is peace of mind not the best choice. I am very happy with Prozac yes I do have the side effect of less sex drive but I am willing to continue with this path because I feel great emotionally and the Obsessive compulsive thoughts have disappeared. And before I couldn't sleep much with everything running through my head all the time. Now I sleep like a baby.