1 in 6 on antidepressants in some areas

[Thunderandlightningisfrightening]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13623233/One-SIX-people-England-antidepressants-data-shows-quarter-population-country-drug.html

Can't say I'm surprised. I know so many people on them. About 70 to 80 percent of my colleagues are on them.

This was me before AD's but once I had kids I found it so hard to keep it all going. Medication has taken the load off. Recently had CBT and that's helped with my negative self talk.

We aren't living 'natural' lives. Our genes and make up expect us to be living lives closer to the lives tribal people have.

We should be naturally active to seek food, have close communities working together to get things done and socialising around a common belief system. If you watch documentaries on tribes they have different sleep patterns to us.

I think we are responding to lack of freedom in our lives. Working in the way we do isn't natural and for many of us it feels like a prison we are let out of two weeks a year. If you don't have choices because of work or finances it is easy to feel trapped and depressed.

I can tell when someone is on antidepressants now, and I notice it more and more

That's really interesting. Can I ask what it is you notice?

Antidepressants are absolutely life saving for me.
I still remember the cloud lifting about 13 years ago … I remember thinking that this is how normal people feel and being amazed.

How?

It's 23.7% in my area. This doesn't surprise me because often GPS's don't have an alternative because the system is broken. 10 years ago I was put on antidepressants for ptsd, anxiety and depression following a traumatic event because 'it'll help get you through the first few months while we get you the counselling'. I was moved from one list to another, get to the top of the list and find I'm too complex for treatment with that service, move on to the next. In 2023 I finally got the treatment I needed but was cut short because that's how much funding is available. During this time I begged to come off/change antidepressants because they weren't working I kept being told wait till you see a specialist. I did what you shouldn't do I weaned myself off, had some awful side effects and then felt no different after. I didn't need antidepressants I need EMDR.

Which is a depressant and messes up your brain chemistry.

A slightly glassey eyed look? Yawning a lot. Bit removed from reality. Com eover as easy going and untroubled.

These are my ideas. Been on them and off them for years.

I know whenever we criticise the widespread prescription of anti depressants people will say "I wouldn't be here if I didn't take them". And that may well be true, but surely that doesn't apply to the huge numbers of people currently prescribed them?

I have a repeat prescription for sertaline on my medical notes. I'm not depressed. I'm menopausal but the HRT isn't working as well as hoped and they wont give me testosterone. But they'll push SSRIs on me. I think it's just something medics give people to get rid of them.

I've never taken the sertaline, or even collected the prescription. But I guess I'm showing on the figures as someone prescribed anti depressants.

How can you tell?

The Daily Fail have got a bit of a thing about anti depressants. Sarah Vine babbled on about it, including all the old cliches about GP's handing them out like sweeties.

But in my experience they really do hand them out like sweeties. And not just GPs, nurse practitioners too. This is psychiatric medication, not vitamin pills. It reminds me of the way valium was prescribed in the 70s.

I expressed concern over side effects and withdrawal and was told " don't worry, its not that common, just wean yourself off them slowly" and that was it, repeat prescription, no follow up. And I'm not even depressed!

In my experience I have been to the GP maybe 6 or 7 times with the shall I /shan't I conversation about meds.

No sweeties handed out. Just time, a chat and some ideas.

I do wonder how many of these prescriptions are for menopausal women who might benefit from HRT or adjustments to their HRT. SSRIs are prescribed for hot flushes, and can help in some cases, although their effectiveness is limited.

They are also sometimes prescribed for nerve pain. Idk how effective they are, but I know my father was prescribed them for this after having peripheral neuropathy following chemotherapy.

Glad someone else gets it. To be happy or even sad you've actually got to feel something which if you're clinically depressed you just don't feel anything. I think nowadays they hand out pills for depression when the person isn't actually depressed, more completely stressed out and near burn out

I think this is it "Being 'meh' and neutral is normal."

I think a lot of people have crippling low vitamin D which isn't going to help at all because "you can get it from the sun and food"
I'm pale and my vitamin D level was 9 in 2020. It's taken until now to get it to 66 and that's with a high dose course and taking 4000IU a day

There are two types of depression.

Exogenous/Situational/Reactive depression where the person is experiencing a stressful or unhappy life situation and are reacting as a result. They can recover if their situation improves or they receive talking therapy and lifestyle adjustments. Antidepressants will give them a boost whilst they're struggling, but they won't need them long term.

And

Endogenous/Major Depression where the person is long term depressed as a result of internal factors - genetic propensity, ND, illness, CPTSD, etc. These are the people who need treatment otherwise they can't function. Recovery is usually difficult or impossible and they may even end up needing other interventions such as ECT. If I won the lottery and could live an amazing life with no worries whatsoever, I'd still become depressed without my treatment because of my brain make up/damage and appalling past life experiences.

The people who shout against antidepressants (daily mail etc.) are ignoring the second set of people.

The first set of people can become the second set if their depression becomes prolonged or long term or goes untreated in the first instance.

When I was younger and situationally depressed, but still had the energy of youth, I doubted just how bad major depression could be. I believed that if people tried harder and did self care they could drag themselves out of the quagmire. Lol how wrong I was. I found out at 50 when I did develop major depression and I was shocked at just how bad it felt. I'd never pass judgement on those people again and I'm ashamed that I did so in the first place.

lawnseed, I suppose its chicken and egg and one can leak into the other?

I think if you have situational depression, but other factors render you susceptible to major depression then it increases the chance you'll develop it. Once it becomes entrenched it's damned hard to get rid of. I don't know how people managed before antidepressants to be honest. Can you imagine living in the Victorian era for example, feeling that bad? Grim.

Unfortunately a lot of it is lifestyle related, trying to fit too many scheduled things into a day. Depression has always existed, but was not as prevalent in the past because we allowed ourselves downtime. I'm no expert but I have a friend who is and she's currently researching just this hypothesis.

Ive dipped in and out over the years. I had PND and was literally crawling around the floor. I could not and I mean could not get out of bed.
Fast forward, it reappears but the kids can get themselves off to school. The dressing gown years.
Now, its under control. Acupuncture helps.

This is interesting. It reminded me that after the 1st World War, soldiers with shellshock were sometimes 'prescribed' a long stay in the quiet countryside. Because, after all, it was the circumstances of war that had caused the shock, and they needed a change in circumstance to heal.

I do agree with the writer of this article. I think modern life is such that we are having to medicate ourselves to cope with it. Being a crofter for example, may have been a hard physical life, but it might have been better for the psyche.

It's over 20% in my area.
I'm not surprised as I've been offered them over the last 3 years for headaches, joint pain, chronic fatigue and peri symptoms because I can't take HRT.
All the questions the GP asked felt like they were wanting to diagnose anxiety or depression, which I'm lucky to have never suffered with either (other than normal anxiety of kids being poorly, job interview, etc). I refused the antidepressants each time and found other preventative ways to deal with my issues.
I'm glad they're there for people who do need them, but wish GP's had the time and money to offer preventative options too.
Oh and out of my close female friendship group, 6 out of 8 are or have been on antidepressants at some time in the last 5 years😞

What are your preventative ways please? thanks