Thinking of taking an antidepressant

Mental and biological health are the samething. You are depressed because your body is being assaulted by cancer and the attempt to kill it by suppressing what the cancer needs to survive.

That the totality of “you” is suffering is perfectly normal. What you choose to do about it is up to you.

When “you” stop suffering your grief over what is happening to you body/brain will subside.

Until the the totality of you will suffer.

In my experience and extensive research most antidepressants do not work, pharmaceutical companies have known this for a long time.

They can however, provide a placebo effect, that is quite real, if the brain thinks something works, they in fact do provide real psychological changes, the brain is incredibly resilient.

After a bit they blunt cognition just enough that I experienced what felt like relief, I didn’t suffer as much because I didn’t feel so much.

The energy used to deal with my suffering was released of the burden of suffering so, allowing “me” to help myself heal.

Overtime the reduction in cognition presented more and more like depression,

More ineffective treatments blunted my cognition further and further until I could no longer help myself heal.

The negative feedback loop kept me stuck in a cycle of suffering for a very long time.

I can’t tell you what to do, but your body/brain (you) can, listen to it.

I pray you find peace and good health.

You are loved 🙏

Have you had the opportunity to discuss your concerns with others being treated for prostate cancer? They might be your best source of information. In my experience, doctors do not know as much about anti-anxiety/antidepressant drugs as they should before prescribing. You are wise to consider the effects of adding an antidepressant before taking one. I would advise against Venlafaxine/Effexor (an SNRI), as it does cause sexual dysfunction and is extremely difficult to discontinue--depending on the dose and length of time on the drug. I have been on it for years and have been trying to get off it for years. I would suggest researching SSRIs, if you decide to go that route. Short-term, an antidepressant might help; typically, it takes weeks for them to have an effect, and effects vary among individuals. These drugs work by altering your brain. Have you tried non-drug treatments for depression/anxiety first? I would recommend all the exercise and physical activity you can manage. You can find other suggestions on this website. I wish you all the best, and hope that you find the solutions you need.

You mentioning Effexor is interesting. That's often a first-line antidepressant given to guys on androgen deprivation therapy because it mitigates hot flashes. I've been really fortunate not to have that specific side effect (I get chills, the exact opposite, to the point where I'm wearing sweatshirts outside in 90 degree weather). I have heard bad things about that one from other people, too. Maybe an anti-anxiety med would be better then I could sleep more than the 3-4 hours I'm getting now and wouldn't have so much free time to ruminate.

That's why physical activity and exercise should help--it's a diversion for the mind, relieves tension, tires the body. One must force oneself to stay in motion. I have found that "sweating it out" also helps with hot flashes.
I was given Effexor for menopause-related hot flashes, which have not stopped after umpteen years. I prefer hot flashes to the nightmares (literally and figuratively) that have resulted from Effexor. Short-term use, if one can manage to quit a drug that creates dependency, might be a different story; I don't know.