However you want to think about pain, there are several truths you can never escape. When it comes hot and fast, you want it to go away. Once you’ve experienced real pain, you fear its return. If it seems like it’s always there and always going to be there, it affects your mood. The mixture of fear and helplessness wears you down. The cause is irrelevant. It can be a problem in the joints or it can be non-specific. There can be a confirmed diagnosis or your doctor is guessing until more test results come in. It’s at this time that some doctors suggest you take an antidepressant. This is not a judgement on you as a person. Some people may be weak, others strong. In the end, pain gets to them all. So, you’ve been taking a steady dose of Ultram to keep the pain within manageable limits. Now is the time to add one of the tricyclics. They also act like sedatives which helps you to sleep. When you are better rested, you have a more balanced view of your condition. Painkillers like Ultram can only treat the physical symptoms you feel as pain. pain relief medications are not a cure. Equally, antidepressants are only intended to help you understand that you can regain mobility and control over your situation. It just takes the strength of will to make it happen.