Will anti-depressants help?

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Please can anyone offer advice?

I’m struggling with very low mood /mild to moderate depression and have done on and off for months now. It’s affecting my job and my life and I desperately want things to change.

I put most of it down to environmental factors. I’m a single parent with little practical support, I work full time in a stressful job, I constantly worry about money and due to moving to a new city a couple of years ago, my social life is pretty limited. I don’t have many friends nearby or people to talk to. My relationship of a year and a half broke up last month. It has all taken its toll, and when I think about it logically, it’s unsurprising that things feel bleak.

My question is, will SSRIs help at all? I saw the GP today as I and she suggested them as an option. I’ve always been very wary of taking anti depressants and to be honest, I’d much rather sort out the problems than cover them up. But right now, it all feels too much. I feel so stuck. Should I just ride through it, or will meds help me to see things differently? I’m not sure they’re the answer or how they’ll help - my problems are caused by my actual life, if that makes sense.

If anyone has any advice I’d be really grateful.

Thanks.

I would OP. They aren’t a magical solution to all your problems but they help you to cope better with them. If you do take them give them a good few weeks before you expect to feel any different.

Sorry you’re feeling low right now OP.

Thanks so much for your reply NoSauce.

I think I’m just a bit apprehensive about the idea of taking them - and losing myself in even more of a fog than I’m in now. Maybe I’m making a much bigger thing of it than it needs to be though.

They are a stepping stone to making other changes, and should be viewed as such rather than the solution on their own. They serve lots of different functions; increasing motivation, increasing concentration, improving appetite and sleep, taking edge of anxiety depending on which one is prescribed and the dose. Mindfulness is really helpful and I would recommend podcasts from different people about mental health, there's a ton out there as it's a hot topic these days. Something like yoga can help too, and thinking about other ways to change your life but being compassionate towards yourself and making small changes one at a time.

If anything OP they lift the fog, gradually you will start to feel clearer, less anxious, brighter. They help you to cope with the day to day worries.

I'd try other methods before SSRIs. Peruse the mental health board on here: they can come with some really bad side effects and be hard to wean off from. If it's situational/circumstantial, I'd go with mindfulness and the like before taking an SSRI. Some of them, particularly mirtazapine, can be associated with a lot of weight gain.

They helped me immensely. I was on them for 18 months after I had my fourth child.
They gave me space to breath and think clearly.
I'm off them now and when I came off them I did it very slowly and it was fine.

They have helped me through some dark times, but ultimately the thing that lasts long term is getting to the crux of the issues with situational depression. So I think they work best when they are a short term help to get the longer term solution IYSWIM. They can help you to see the light at the end of that tunnel again, though, for sure

A word of caution OP. SSRI’s aren’t for everyone and if you have a bad reaction to them it can be very bad. I became agoraphobic when put on them. Years later my then adult DD went on them and very nearly committed suicide. So be mindful of that. That being said, they work well for lots of people. I am on anti depressants now myself but not SSRI’s. I would say try it, but if you have an extreme reaction get yourself back to the GP pronto.