I've recently been prescribed an SSRI antidepressant (Avanza) to help
support me while I get through the many serious problems that have
beset my family in the past few months.

Yes, the potential for weight gain frightened me. Still, the concept
that I might join my sister in suicide (and my thoughts WERE heading
that way) or might injure myself severely should one of my self-harm
impulses get past my iron will terrified me far more.

My doctor and I talked over the potential side effects. Most of them
(such as drowsiness) were an advantage rather than a disadvantage.
One that was difficult was the potential for increased appetite (which
is where doctors speculate the weight gain comes from) but since I'm a
stress-not-eater I felt that this was an acceptable risk. When I stop
eating, my metabolism craters pretty darned quickly and I start to
gain weight at ridiculously low calorie levels.

I've been taking them about 2 1/2 weeks. At this point I can't say
with any accuracy whether or not I'm gaining weight because TOM is
just around the corner. While I *have* seen a few extra on the
scales, it's within my normal fluid gain limits. My appetite is
slightly increased but not again not beyond the normal appetite
increase I get this time of my cycle in any other month.

The improvement in other aspects of my life, though, have been
incredible. Who would have expected that a tiny pill once a day would
make SUCH a difference in my attitude towards the world, towards my
family and (most important) towards myself. I am still grieving for
the suicide death of my sister, the murder of my friend Janine, the
hard time my niece has had being kidnapped by her abusive 'stranger'
birth-father and the trauma of the court case that returned her to her
loving step-father and siblings and the serious injuries my other
sister sustained in an accident. The pill isn't taking that away from
me - but it *is* helping me not to be overwhelmed by the grief as I
work through it and come to an acceptance of it as a part of my life.
I think it's worth while for me to take the risk that weight loss will
be harder for a time.

Aramanth