Aripiprazole and Depression: What Users Say

• Liv...
• March 11, 2019

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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."

• Edd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 13, 2019

Aripiprazole for Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been given this drug, 300 mg by depot every month, and am on a community treatment order, which means if I refuse, I get taken straight into the hospital. It stops psychosis in bipolar, but comes at a price: no emotions, extreme tiredness, sleeping 12-14 hours a night, so it's hard to work. I’ve lost my creative side, my sex drive, even my ability to cook. I just sit in a chair most of the time, gaining weight. I feel so sorry for my family, I’ve completely lost myself, and the psychiatrist doesn’t seem to care."

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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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."

• Pho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 13, 2020

Aripiprazole for Schizophrenia "Went on an episode and relapse and took them away. BUT BE WARNED: it is like working out (as in going to the gym). You take the injection and then you work out your mentality because depression side effects start to kick in. Took away my passion for pretty much anything, and I gained 15 pounds. Been on it for 5 months. But also remember that it is different for everybody. My sleep has been horrible, but I still sleep for 10-14 hours a day. It makes you careless about your decisions, so you won't care about what you eat, and you will eat a lot since you won't care."

• Sam...
• July 13, 2019

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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?"

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2022

Aripiprazole for Schizophrenia "I took Invega for a year, and it was a nightmare: depression, erection problems, yellow semen, blood in semen. Two days ago, the doctor switched me to Abilify Maintena, and I have to tell you it is the best drug till now for me: no deep sedation, erection is there, I feel normal again. I have some side effects like a little less sleep, but it should be only a couple of days; headaches, nausea, but you can feel normal again with a smile on your face and a great feeling. And also, I noticed that I don't want to smoke that much, and I read that one guy, after one week, had no desire to smoke, which I can feel already now. :) If you feel bad on Invega, like I did, maybe give it a try."

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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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."

• FLS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2018

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I don’t know how to explain how incredible I feel since being on 2 mgs for only 5 or 6 days. I was under extreme stress for years and became totally frozen with fear, anxiety, major depression, and was spinning out of control. I worked with my psychiatrist, gave her my exact symptoms. She was just so understanding, as I am not a huge proponent of psychopharmacology, nor have I ever taken something so strong. I'm using less pain medication, I’m running again, I’m waking up and able to get out of bed, which I haven’t been in so long. I’m losing weight, which feels miraculous. I feel miraculous! This drug is giving me my life back!"

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

Aripiprazole 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

Aripiprazole 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."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2021

Aripiprazole for Schizophrenia "I was coerced into taking this injection at a mental hospital, where I was told if I did not have it, I would be in there for a long time. My only symptoms were depression and anxiety at the time of admission. It is a horrible drug, it gave me anhedonia, so lack of pleasure. I also had side effects to begin with, like constipation, and I passed out. I also had racing thoughts and severe insomnia. AVOID this drug if you can, it is awful."

• Dai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 18, 2019

Aripiprazole for Schizophrenia "Successful on Abilify Maintena 300 mg for 5 years, except flat affect, anxiety, and inhibition. Switched to Aristada, hoping to help negative symptoms. First month thought it was a miracle drug... was able to smile, feel more emotion, go to the gym daily (on Abilify, I felt fear going alone). Started feeling agitated slowly, then psychosis started on/off, then full inpatient hospitalization for 2 weeks. Returning to Abilify. Why won’t NIMH reinvest in improved research? Find what was helping in Aristada and remove what wasn’t! I felt so close to feeling normal, but psychosis can take my life away!!!"