Antidepressants for situational stress?

[maskingtape]

My work situation will be extremely stressful for the next 6 months or so. I have a permanent stress headache, I'm crying at the drop of a hat and could just curl up and sleep away the winter. I think I might also have a touch of SAD. I can't really go into why it's so stressful but there isn't much I can do about it.

Would antidepressants be effective when the problems aren't for medical reasons but because of the situation I'm in? I temporarily took citalopram about 9 years ago for a few months and although it wasn't a wonder drug it did help a little I think.

Worth a go imo, cant hurt

If it's purely situational then CBT (to change the way you think about the situation) might be enough. What about diet/exercise/other activities? That urge to curl up and hide will only make you feel worse in the long run.

exercise and yoga and sleep? CBT. However antidepressants can be very helpful in such situations

I can't go to CBT unless it can be arranged in the evenings/weekends which I doubt. Can't afford to go private.

My diet and exercise regime are crap but I can't face anything at the moment. I'm working at least 70 hours a week at the moment so exercise feels insurmountable and I have little time to cook.

You’re not going to like this answer but, No.

Antidepressants treat depression when the problem is a chemical imbalance, not when the problem is the situation you’re in. They are not a magical solution to a shitty time in your life. Learned that one the uncomfortable way.

What might help though (and what helped me) is CBT. You have to work at it, but it sort of retrains you to see situations differently even when you think that’s impossible. It also gives you a space to think things through and really evaluate if your current situation is worth risking your mental health etc.

Remember that:

This too shall pass
You ALWAYS have choices
Some things you can change, some things you can influence and all other things are beyond your control and therefore beyond your responsibility/ worry.

Finally,

You’ll be ok.

Well unless CBT is available outside of work hours then it isn't an option sadly.

Some CBT is available outside of work hours. But also, I disagree with pp who said ADs won't help.

They might help. They helped me at a difficult time in my life. I would describe it as kind of feeling slightly fortified to deal with shit.

Speak to your GP or if you're experiencing anxiety too, Anxiety UK provide cheap therapy outside of office hours.

It is available outside of work hours, mine used to be at 7:30pm there’s also online CBT portals you’ll be given access to. Also, you’re entitled to take reasonable time away from work for medical stuff, there’s also annual leave if they’re being difficult. No need for that though, like I said it’s availble out of hours.

ANtidepressants worked when my work was causing anxiety

I too took citalopram to treat significant anxiety brought on by work circumstances. It wasn’t a wonder cure (changing roles and working in a safer and more stable environment did that) but it definitely helped manage my symptoms in the interim.

There's a depression and anxiety workbook in the For Dummies book series. It uses CBT techniques. Might help.

Although provision varies around the country, most areas have out-of-hours CBT provision - including telephone counselling and online courses, so you don't even have to leave the house.

Some symptoms of anxiety/depression can be caused by nutritional deficiencies - if the really is no way to ensure you're eating right make sure you're taking a vitamin D and B supplement.

Alcohol and caffeine obvs cause depression and anxiety symptoms too.

I think you should make a countdown calendar to the end of this stressful period - burn a piece of paper everyday or cross something off. Might be helpful to see the days counting down. Plan something relaxing for when this period is up.*

I hear what you're saying about the difficulty of fitting in exercise. However, think of it as something you do for you, not another chore to be fitted in. You'll feel happier, sleep better, look better. The endorphins produced in exercise help manage symptoms of stress and low mood.

*are you really stuck in this situation? Is there nothing that can be done to make the workload more reasonable? A lot of people would struggle to stay happy and healthy on 70 hours a week!

In my experience SSRIs just numb you in to not giving much of a shit (which I am by no means dissing, that's exactly what got me through an incredibly dark time) they don't change anything, so I really don't see why they wouldn't help you during this time if that's what you want to try and don't have many options. CBT really doesn't work for everyone, and if you are struggling to fit in cooking etc then even having sessions may be impossible, nevermind actually doing the work. I hope things work out better than you expect, OP

My GP said one of the main reasons he prescribes SSRI's is because people come to him with work-related stress which they have no control over. So yeah, in your situation I would try giving them a go for a few months. He says they are non-addictive and have few side effects for most.

Good luck.

I know not all depression is 'situational' but when I was depressed, it was because I had a shitty life and all the pills in the world weren't going to change that, so I refused to take antidepressants as I thought it was just a sticking plaster solution.

I went to therapy and sorted my life out instead.

Not saying you necessarily need therapy, but anti depressants are not an antidote to dealing with life. Maybe very short term to get you over a hump, but it's not a long term solution.

Depression is not an inability to deal with life, it's a disease. Ads are a seriously valuable tool in helping fight it. For some people, therapy doesn't work and ads do.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend ads as a first line of treatment for a few different reasons, but they can be literal life savers.

NB most people who take ads don't do so for the short-term. 6 months is a relatively short time to be taking them.

Depression CAN be a result of not dealing with life for SOME people. I was one. Not all depressions are the same, I made it clear in my previous post that I was talking about my experience which may or may not be similar to that of the OP.

The firm line between feeling low due to a crap life, and depression, doesnt exist. There are a million shades of grey
Also, being 'strong' and not resorting to ssris, but rather 'dealing with' things by changing life stressors and engaging in cbt, is not an option for some people, nor is it the better choice.
The best way of treating depression is using a combination of approaches. ADs may be a sticking plaster, a placebo, or whatever. Still worth taking them. Hell if people had headaches theyd take painkillers, why the stigma with medication?

It was the better choice for me. Very glad I didn't go down the AD route. Please don't tell me what the best choice for me was, you don't know my situation. We are all different.

I didnt say what the best choice for you was.

You said not taking ADs wasn't the better choice.

I work in bereavement services and even when it's purely situational (grief), lots of our clients find a combo of antidepressants and counselling help.

If you want you could try 5HTP it’s a herbal tablet, available in Holland and barrets, works by creating serotonin. Similar to anti depressants but the kick in immediately and no side affects x

You insinuate that changing the situation but not taking ads is better for you. Good. But depression is an illness, sometimes situational, sometimes not. Sometimes it overlaps. So i pointed out that to claim ads are not a good thing was unwise, as they help many people at best and at worst do no harm. Changing situations takes motivation which is lacking in depression. It isnt always possible to not go the ad route and just have therapy.
I never referred to you.

Citalopram made me take risks I wouldn't have taken if I wasn't on it (severe anxiety, depression, insomnia).

Fluoxetine worked better for me (depression) a few years later.

I think it varies person to person.

If I had the choice again I would try CBT first before going on to citalopram as I had a lot going on that I should really have dealt with. Citalopram did not avoid me losing the plot and in fact was probably a major factor in it.

Appreciate you say you don't have time for CBT though.

Best to speak to a professional as they will be able to give you an educated answer.