Why are things like antidepressants still seen as bad drugs?

[Soubriquet]

A friend has posted on fb that she has been suffering from anxiety and depression and has finally bitten the bullet and made a doctors appointment.

Most people are congratulating her and wishing her well wishes apart from one

She is telling her not to take any pills as they mess with your head and coming off them makes you really sick.

My friend is starting to be put off

AIBU to think that unless you have a medicial degree, you shouldn't be telling people not to take prescribed medicine?

[MissBattleaxe]

YANBU. The facebook friend is very irresponsible to spout such crap. What your friend takes is between her and her doctor. AntiDs help millions of people.

[pipsqueak25]

if your friend is prescribed medicine then they need to follow gps advice, not some random on fb !

[maggiethemagpie]

They didn't work for me. Sticking plaster solution - what I really needed to do was sort out the issues making me depressed in the first place, which I eventually did via therapy and I've not been depressed in the seven years since.

I do understand everyone is different though and would never tell somebody else what to do.

[Soubriquet]

Of course maggie

What works for one doesn't work for all and it can help tackling it head on.

But all the same, having someone say "Don't take it! It's evil and it doesn't work" isn't helping

[pipsqueak25]

a/d can make you feel worse before they start working but that is the chemicals in the brain being balanced out, and you will feel better in time. you can feel ill if you stop taking without advice, they are usually reduced by staggering out the dosage.
hope your friend feels better soon, the antis will help as long as she is guided by medical advice and has support from family and friends as a back up.

[FrizzBombDelight]

I had an awful experience with them and definitely think I would have been better off without them! I feel like 5years of my life went by in a daze of more and more pills. :(

[SparkleShinyGlitter]

I agree that unless you have a degree in medicine or mental health problems etc you do not fuckimg tell anyone not to take certain medicine.

Sadly despression is something you find lots of arms chair doctors for, many people think they know better than professionals with years of training/experience.

I hope this doesn't put your friend off going to the gp as if she now doesn't seek help and her depression gets worse she could end up in a much worse state.

Different situation but one of the ladies I have worked with for years was diagnosed with cancer last year, and in a packed staff room one lunch time J walks in a gives my work friend a book on vegan/clean living diet and told her this world cure her cancer so she should try it. I just couldn't believe my ears that somebody could be that insensitive

[MargaretCabbage]

YANBU. When I was ill with stress I was scared to go to the GP because of warnings about being turned into a zombie by medication, but in the end it was the best thing I did.

[Amandahugandkisses]

Incredibly dangerous to tell someone to stop or not take prescribed mental health medication.

[Soubriquet]

Sorry it didn't help you fizz

She's still going tomorrow. Whether she takes what's she's given is left to be seen really.

I did argue back with the person advising not as I can't bear people like that.

[MummyToThree479]

Some people are insensitive fuckers.

If someone says they are going to see about help for the way they are feeling, keep your fucking mouth shut unless you ar qualified to dish out that kind of advice. If they don't go to the doctors because of what you said and jump of a bridge who's door is that at?

No they don't work for everyone but just because they didn't work for Sue and Jane doesn't mean they won't work for Ann & sally.

[Gingernaut]

Many people still call the old benzodiazepine tranquillisers, antidepressants.

Those things were called "Mothers' Little Helpers" in the past and they were/are hideously addictive.

YADNBU though. No one, except a medical professional should recommend taking or not taking tablets.

They can help in the short term while waiting for other therapies.

[Pinkheart5915]

YANBU

Nobody unless qualified to do so should tell someone not to take or stop taking any prescribed medicine. What makes people think that is ok to do so.

When someone says they want to seek how for how they are felling that is not the time to tell of how anti depressants are evil/ didn't work for you or your cousin twice removed.

I hope you friend still goes to seek help and she won't that this put her off

[harderandharder2breathe]

Yadnbu

It's like any drug, there are side effects and you might not get the right one for you straight away, plus coming off them can be horrible even if done correctly. However, the doctor (and patient) will weigh up the risks and benefits to come to a decision. If she really struggles with side effects of a drug there are many others her doctor can swap her to.

For many, including me, ADs are a crucial lifeline. I couldn't function without them. Therapy is great but often with depression you're not in a place to actually benefit from it because you can't engage. ADs can get you to a place where you can benefit from counselling or CBT or whatever (even just diet and exercise, both of which can be problematic when you have depression)

[Mynestisfullofempty]

I will be on antidepressants for the rest of my life. I'm just glad they exist - or I wouldn't.

[NightTerrier]

YANBU. I have bipolar and medication saved my life. Your friend can always come off the antidepressants under the supervision, or try something else of her doctor if she doesn't like the side effects.

That woman was really irresponsible. She doesn't know exactly what your friend is feeling and what's going on in her mind.

People who warn against the 'dangers' of psychiatric drugs are in the same category as those who tell people not to get their kids vaccinated and people who tell people to take homeopathic remedies for serious illnesses.

[NightTerrier]

Bloddy hell, I leant on my keyboard and wrote gobbledygook.

[Lorelei76]

we had a bright spark on here saying she'd been addicted to ADs
turned out she meant tranquilisers

I think part of the problem is possibly putting everything out there for comment though - I have anxiety and have taken tranquilisers in worse periods but I wouldn't post on Twitter "am taking tranquilisers at the moment". I guarantee someone would make some negative comments and tell me I'd be down a well addicted to heroin within six weeks.

[Justme3]

I have had the most horrendous psychotic reaction to multiple ADs. I would never take them again not if you paid me
But would I tell this to someone going to the Dr for depression? Or who had just been described ADs? Would I hell!!!!
I'd hope to god they didn't have side effects but I'd keep my gob shut!!!!

[Rachel0Greep]

It's very unhelpful of that person to spout out something like that, IMO. It's a personal decision that your friend has to make, listen to proper medical and professional advice, and then decide what to do.

YANBU.