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Original poster

How many people do you know on anti depressants?

63 replies

NotFeelingRight · 26/11/2018 17:59

I've been on them on and off for 10 years. I know many people won't tell you they're on them and I don't tell anyone but apparently it's so common?

OP posts:
Penguinsetpandas · 26/11/2018 22:09

He should just ask his doctor for them Somewhere, maybe go with him as they normally hand them out pretty easily. The counselling I can well beleive but not giving anti depressants is very unusual. Are you sure he's not refusing them? If there are issues a different doctor should sort that.

RuthW · 26/11/2018 22:11

I've been on them for years and the only people who know are my partner and best friend. If I stop them I'm ok for a few weeks then plummet. I think I will be on them for life. I take one every other day now.

Ragwort · 26/11/2018 22:16

No one has ever told me they take anti-depressants, one friend confided in me that her husband takes them, so I honestly don’t know.

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DelurkingAJ · 26/11/2018 22:20

Lots. And probably many I don’t realise. I can see why people wouldn’t admit to it but most I suspect don’t mention it because they don’t need to (rather like I don’t tell my friends I have psoriasis because I don’t need to). I guess I wish they would as maybe I’d try harder to keep in touch with those I don’t see often, which does make the situation different from a physical illness.

starzig · 26/11/2018 22:21

My gosh. So many people. I don't know anybody that does and never even heard any friends say they knew somebody that has.

madmum5811 · 26/11/2018 22:24

Having a girls night out next month, I shall ask. I know someones husband is on them. He has physical health issues which cause awful depression. Otherwise I have no idea. I have no idea if they would own up either. One of us is a GP so it could be interesting.

DramaAlpaca · 26/11/2018 22:27

I know lots who are on them, including myself.

I've taken a low dose of an AD for about 20 years now. They enable me to function normally & happily. Without them I struggle mentally. I have fully accepted I'll be on them for life and that bothers me not one bit.

happydays1983 · 26/11/2018 22:33

Just a question- do you think people need them or the low mood caused by circumstances, a part of life or genetics?

AviatorShades · 26/11/2018 22:34

All my elderly neighbours take anti d's. Seems that you 'lose' a husband, and gain an anti d habit. As far as I can tell it's the norm round hereConfused

Gwenhwyfar · 26/11/2018 22:35

When I was a student it was extremely common. I've been naive enough to think that older adults are usually happier and more stable, but maybe people just become more private. Out of four or five friends in my current city, one takes them, but I've had friends elsewhere and colleagues who've taken them as well. They're pretty common.

Theweasleytwins · 26/11/2018 22:35

I know quite a few but I am in a pnd support groupSmile

KTyoupigeon · 26/11/2018 22:38

I know a few of my friends are and my 21yoDD is - I should be but I have medication anxiety due to reactions in the past so I’m ‘coping’ (not very well some days) with art therapy and self isolation on the bad days

TimeToRevolutionize · 26/11/2018 22:44

My best friend is on anti depressants. My sister was severely depressed but she didn't take medication. She slept her depression away for just over a year. All she did was stayed in bed. Her older children fed and watered her. The most she did was go toilet and had a shower then she'd go back to bed and sleep again. It was heartbreaking! SadShe's come out the other side thank goodness.

madmum5811 · 26/11/2018 22:46

I took them for a time after each baby, awful panic attacks. I had no trouble coming off them, I used to forget to take them when I was better and if I felt a bit woo would take one, then forget again.

The incentive for me was the earth did not move for me in the bedroom and I really missed that.

LettuceP · 26/11/2018 22:48

I don't know anyone that takes them, or at least no one has ever told me they do. I had no idea they were so common.

DH is a bad sleeper and a few years ago (after lots of encouragement from me) he went to the GP about it. GP prescribed him some tablets, DH took the first one as directed and said he felt really weird. Looked them up and discovered they were anti depressants, GP hadn't explained what they were. He didn't take anymore after that.

xeran · 26/11/2018 22:49

Me. OCD not depression. Lots of therapy sorted out 80% of it. The other 15% is medication. The other 5% I can live with.

LEMtheoriginal · 26/11/2018 22:51

I am on escitalopram and been on and off them for 10 years. I now accept that i will probably need them for life. Im very open about it and as such people tend to open up about it.

I know of at least 5 people at work - team of about 25 people so thats 20% of the team. Thats the ones i know about.

I can think of another 3 school mums on them.

An ex colleague/friend on ling term medication. Both of her grown up children on them.

Another friend and a cousin with serious mental health issues.

There's alot of it about.

Lineofbeauty · 26/11/2018 22:54

Ok, I'm working outwards from my immediate family then taking in my closest friends.

Mum- yep, 20 years+
Dad -nope? Needs them. In denial.
3/5 of mums siblings are on/ have been
Dad's 2 other sibs have been/ were.

3/8 cousins are or have been.

Best friends - yep, both. One long term, one sporadic.

Next closest friends (about 4) - nope

Colleagues, 3 out of my team of 10, and that is the ones I know about.

SoleBizzz · 26/11/2018 22:56

...

LEMtheoriginal · 26/11/2018 22:57

For those of you who think you don't know anyone- i bet you do. Like i say im pretty open about it so i have a lot of "me too" conversations but its like high blood pressure tablets etc. Not something you'd announce to all and sundry simply because its of no relevance but may come up in conversation.

Id like to think there is no stigma these days but sadly there is.

Lineofbeauty · 26/11/2018 22:57

It is very very true that they kill your libido. If you are very unwell this is bearable, harder to live with when youre well again, but hey no, I'll take sanity over swinging from.the chandeliers any day.. although I'd love to want to swing from the chandeliers, let alone be bothered enough to do it!

LEMtheoriginal · 26/11/2018 23:00

Lineofbeauty - i hear you. I say to my DP does he want me horny or sane? Grin

kittenfun · 26/11/2018 23:15

I know quite a few I have also been on them a while
I took seroxat before awful coming off I am now in citalopram not ashamed to tell people

Lineofbeauty · 27/11/2018 00:08

LEM though, what a choice, meh. It's a good job my relationship is not in it's first flush otherwise there'd be no ... second flush...
Although as medicine side effects go I'll take destroyed libido over e.g. teratogen or nerve damage causing drug any day. both side effects of meds friends are on for other non-MH Cconditions.

Plus... death. Quite a high risk for untreated MH conditions. Again, libido loss although not fun is probably a.price worth paying...

I really want to try buproprion but think it is no longer available or.maybe venlafaxine...

Original poster
NotFeelingRight · 29/11/2018 20:10

I know my nan was on them for twenty years Shock but she was a depressive so she needed them. I've been on and off them for 10 years

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