Abilify and Depression: What Users Say

• Liv...
• March 11, 2019

For Depression "I cannot express how much Abilify has already changed my life, and it has only been a week. I feel reborn. Before being prescribed this med, I felt hopeless, depressed, and my anxiety was terrible. I thought I could never be happy, but I already feel like a new person. I see sunshine and look at life totally differently."

• Liv...
• March 11, 2019

For Depression "I cannot express how much Abilify has already changed my life, and it has only been a week. I feel reborn. Before being prescribed this med, I felt hopeless, depressed, and my anxiety was terrible. I thought I could never be happy, but I already feel like a new person. I see sunshine and look at life totally differently."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 19, 2019

For Depression "Abilify is not the answer. I have been taking it for 3 years. I am emotionally numb and have gained 35 lbs. I now have issues with cholesterol, blood sugar, and thyroid function. I still hear voices and have gone through some of my darkest episodes of depression. Blocking dopamine levels is not the answer. It disturbs homeostasis and cures nothing. The psychiatric community is reaching for an answer when they still don’t understand the disease. They cannot measure dopamine levels and have no idea if high dopamine levels are truly the cause of psychosis. The side effects are not worth it especially when it doesn’t cure psychosis."

• Hen...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 28, 2019

For Depression "I wasted a year of my life on Abilify stuff. It turned me into a zombie, made me gain 10 lbs, and compulsively shopped-even on just a 1 mg dose. It was added to my Wellbutrin to help with anxiety and agitation and sure it did help with that, but I found myself becoming more depressed from my side effects. Wouldn’t recommend. It’s an antipsychotic and it feels like one. I was not myself on it. I’m not suffering from psychosis, so why take an antipsychotic at all? I don’t believe in this at all as an add-on drug to augment treatment for depression."

• Dee...
• February 5, 2017

For Depression "First I was afraid to start on this drug. I tried risperidone, it was horrible - I had nightmares and fatigue, and I felt very foggy. The doctor put me on Abilify 2.5 mg in addition to Effexor 300mg. It works very well, it gave me stability I've never had for long periods before. No ups and downs, it made my days better and really lifted my mood! When I tried to stop, I went into anxiety and depression, so I decided to go back on it. It's really worth trying! No side effects except a little fatigue. A life savior. No mood swings."

• Ano...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 11, 2019

For Depression "I’m presently weaning myself off of 2 mg of Abilify. I’ve been on it for 8 years, and in those 8 years, I lost interest in things I enjoyed, such as reading and hiking. My mind races, so I can’t concentrate if I try and read. I feel out of touch with the outdoors. I’m just existing. I’m not depressed or manic, just numb, and my sex life is a disaster. I have to force myself to have sex with my husband and pretend everything is fine, but I’m just not into it. My mind is numb. I want to feel again... live again. My concerns are that I may go hypomanic and crash into a depression. If I crash into a depression, I would use it just for those months only. I’m currently taking Wellbutrin and clonazepam. I really hope this works out."

• RyR...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 20, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was exhausted and depressed with what mimicked chronic fatigue syndrome. I could barely stay awake every day, and getting through the workday was next to impossible. I also counterintuitively had horrible insomnia and took as many non-addictive meds, such as Seroquel, Melatonin, and Hydroxyzine, to get to sleep. Even with these meds, I still could barely get to sleep and stay asleep. I started back on my Abilify at 5 mg two weeks ago, and it’s changed my life. I now naturally wake up every day at 7 (ish) and have cut my sleep meds in half. I don’t take my Hydroxyzine anymore. I sleep throughout the night. I still drink coffee because I like it. But I am drinking 10 times less coffee now. I used to just down coffee in hopes that it would help my chronic fatigue, but it was to no avail. I’m not jittery. I’m not wired. I’m just alert and awake. I’m also less depressed."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 16, 2020

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar 1 as a child, and later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. I had a period in my life where I was into the occult, the Bible, and other occult subjects, and my doctor saw that as being unacceptable. So they put me on Invega, and that made me extremely depressed and was crying most of the day, so I switched to Abilify. The Abilify makes me anxious, restless, body aches, and joint pain, lost my self-worth and purpose. I've been a musician for 13 years, and I just sit here now, unable to motivate myself to do anything. I miss how I felt off of meds, but I'm forced to take them. I don't think antipsychotics are good for depression at all. Every time I get my shot, I almost immediately fall into a deep depression for 2 weeks or so, and then start feeling better the last 2 weeks of the month, then I get my shot and start the cycle all over again. I want to get rid of my meds, and I want to talk to God again."

• Sam...
• July 13, 2019

For Depression "I was only on Abilify for a short amount of time, but my symptoms only seemed to worsen as I continued. I was constantly exhausted, like falling asleep in class level of exhausted, and I was experiencing a fair amount of emotional numbness. I don't know why my doctor put me on this medication, but I just couldn't handle it."

• Tin...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 3, 2017

For Depression "I've been taking Abilify on and off for about eight years. I feel so flat. I used to be a go-getter, not anymore. I feel lazy with the Abilify and Lamictal combo. What should I do? I feel emotionally flat, and people say I look lifeless."

• M_R...
• July 25, 2016

For Depression "I started taking Abilify to complement years of taking Effexor. I am on 5 mg and am experiencing many of the symptoms I am reading about here - weight gain, feelings of emptiness, and craving for sweets. The good part of it is all the depressing and worrisome voices are out of my head. The bad thing is the emptiness, but I figure I should fill that void with good things - hobbies, music, more quality time with my beautiful wife. Maybe that's the healing, not the pill."

• adh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2023

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I was on this med for about 3 months. It was okay at first, but slowly started to become horrible. I don’t know why it did, but I became heavily depressed. I also became more prone to anger. I had to change my medication due to it. I am glad it works for some, but it didn’t for me, and I’m disappointed. Maybe my new ones will work out."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 27, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify was the cause of the worst year of my life. Massive depression and constantly comatose. I was like a zombie. I woke up in the morning thinking, “When do I get to go back to sleep?” Suicidal thoughts were frequent. My wife would frequently comment on how I wasn’t myself, how I didn’t talk anymore. I was a shell. I also gained 20 lbs (I’m a skinny guy with a high metabolism). When I finally detoxed from the drug, I had energy again. My weight gain is now mostly gone, and I engage with my family and am more present. Abilify was the worst thing I have ever done to myself."

• bla...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 31, 2018

For Schizophrenia "My dear lovely Abilify... where should I begin? And what have you done? You feel deeply ashamed, Abilify... who made you Abilify? Are they as poisonous as you are...? I would like to know... because you have destroyed my health and my life... no way back from here. Anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, confusion, apathy. I am not myself anymore... Abilify, what have you done? Who made you? And why so poisonous?"

• Iha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 31, 2016

For Depression "I am 18 years old. I've been taking Abilify for almost two months, and it has seriously messed me up. I have anxiety and depression. The only slight improvement I've seen is in my ability to interact socially. Otherwise, I feel awful. I either feel like a complete zombie, or I feel crazy and obsessive. My boyfriend is scared of me because I've become so out of character and a jealous monster. I quit cold turkey and feel better than I have since I started taking it. Would not recommend."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 12, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "Abilify was great at first. Anxiety and obsessive and ruminating thoughts slowed down a lot for the first month on 2 mg. Once my dose was increased to 4 mg, everything went downhill. I developed anhedonia and worse anxiety. Even after I dropped my dose for a few months, things didn't get better. I stopped taking Abilify, and just when I thought things couldn't get worse, they did. Within a week of stopping, I developed severe insomnia, anxiety, and an insidious inner restlessness. The anhedonia has also remained 2 months later. I would gladly go back to the depression that Abilify was prescribed to treat in exchange to be done with the lasting negative effects of Abilify. Please do not take this for MDD, and please do not stop taking it suddenly if you are already on it."

• Fer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "Abilify helped with my manic episodes, but gained 15 pounds after a month and spiraled into a horrible depression that saw me in bed for weeks after I tried to come off the drug. Felt near completely disabled. Not for me."

• Lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2015

For Depression "Abilify does not work. It is not the medication for me. My heart races, I can't breathe half of the time, I get dizzy, I'm panicky and unmotivated, I'm groggy and always lethargic, very down, and it has the opposite effect."

• Lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2015

For Depression "Abilify does not work. It is not the medication for me. My heart races, I can't breathe half of the time, I get dizzy, I'm panicky and unmotivated, I'm groggy and always lethargic, very down, and it has the opposite effect."

• ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 2, 2020

For Autism "15-year-old son was prescribed Abilify for anxiety and aggression that started recently. It stopped the aggression and regulated his sleep cycle nicely. However, after 5 months, he started having crying episodes and seemed depressed, mixed with mood swings. Side effects included drooling and feeling like he had to pee but couldn't. It amplified fixated/recurring thoughts to the point of serious debilitation. Doctor advised to try reducing the dose. Found Ativan worked better when there was any potential flare-up and have used that on an as-needed basis. Reducing the dose and hoping to find a better solution."

• mom...
• July 27, 2013

For Schizophrenia "My now 23-year-old son has been on Abilify since May 2012. Initially on Clozapine but way too zonked. His history is recreational cannabis use caused a psychotic break. Not smoking now or intending to. Hospitalized and medicated. They were surprised and pleased at how quickly he regained his self-awareness, home in 2 weeks but recommended at least 6 months of meds to forestall relapse. He feels very detached from us and himself, on 10 mgs still. He is nervous of relapse, especially since told one of the symptoms of a recurrence would be an inability to sleep. Meds reduced in December."

• Huy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 3, 2017

For Schizophrenia "Excellent medication! When I was first on Abilify, I hated it. At first, the doctors put me on 10 mg, which I hated because the dose was too high (thinking about it now). Then my doctor raised it to 20 mg, which was just making me even more emotionless. So I switched back to risperidone consta (injection), but I've always hated risperidone consta, so I thought my life was over. But then I noticed I had a full pack of Abilify left over from before. So I decided to take just a small dose of Abilify alongside the risperidone consta, and guess what? The Abilify is great at such a small dose. It completely blocks the side effects of risperidone, and I can live a greater life now. So I take Abilify and have a risperidone injection every 2 weeks."

• Wir...
• July 18, 2016

For Depression "This is one dangerous drug, for me, it made me feel half dead. To me and the world around me, it made my depression even worse and anxiety really bad to the point I was unable to do the things I wanted to enjoy. Was unable to settle. It put me in a dark place and gave me really bad dreams, and good luck if on it more than 6 months to come off. May the force be with you, it's a horrific experience, so please keep clear!"

• Dea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 10, 2022

For Agitated State "This drug has destroyed me. I'm now like a zombie. The restlessness is so intense you won't be able to do anything when on this drug other than feel hopeless, restlessness, and want to sleep all the time. It also makes you crave cigarettes so badly you won't have control of your own life if you take this drug. Please think twice about taking this horrible drug."

• Wha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I was prescribed Abilify after experiencing a 3-4 month long hypomanic episode. I was on Lamictal 100 mg, but that wasn’t helping alone, so my psychiatrist decided to add in Abilify. She also said it would help with the mild paranoid thoughts I was having. This was a horrible medication for me personally. It may work for other people, but it wasn’t for me. It made me flat, and I didn’t care about anything anymore. I wasn’t depressed on it, I just didn’t care about anything. Even the people around me commented on how apathetic I had become. It made my fears of psychiatric medications come true. I lost my personality, passion, and energy. I am off of it now and feel way better. I think it served its purpose of getting me out of my hypomanic episode, which is why I gave it a 4-star rating, but I couldn’t see being on this medication long-term."