Could you cope with life without your antidepressants?

[RJB73]

According to Google, there are approx 8 million people in the UK on antidepressants so I am hoping some of you on here to advice me.

I have struggled with poor mental health since I was a small child (anxiety, obsessions, ocd, irrational thoughts and in later life, depression).

I have had an irrational fear of medication for years, more due to the fear of side effects and the medication potentially causing diarrhoea. I have suffered from daily IBS for decades, due to this I have developed the diarrhoea equivalent of Emetophobia, if such a thing exists, and with diarrhoea being one of the most common side effects from antidepressants I have always shied away from them due to the fear.

However, I have reached a point in my life where there is so much stress going on and I am not coping at all. If I don't try something to help change my life around (have tried literally everything else other than meds but still struggle with my mental health) then I will end up a recluse and completely ruin not only my own life but my dc and dh's in the process.

Could you cope without your antidepressants or have they given you back some kind of quality of life? Do they deserve the negative reviews?

I really don't know what else to do.

I often think about all of the poor depressed, anxious and menopausal women who were confined to asylums.

I have IBS and it is undoubtedly linked to my anxiety. Being on anti depressants reduced my IBS symptoms by 95% so actually had a really positive effect. It is possible you might have some side effects for the first couple of weeks while everything settles down but do stick with it because one day you will realise that the noise in your brain is quieter. I have achieved things on anti depressants that would never have been possible for me to do without.

They have both saved my life and actually given me a life so no I am happy to take them
I have been on SSRI/ SNRI for 30 years( since major PND) and would continue even if it meant side effects proved fatal

I’m on Citalopram, have been for 14 years and it’s been amazing for helping me with my anxiety and depression. I could barely leave my house before I started it but now I live a pretty normal life. Best wishes OP.

This. I’ve been on them for 30 years and I’ll be on them for life. I’m fine with that. Without them, I’d be dead.

I see them the way @PassingStranger does - there’d be no shame if I took meds for blood pressure or heart problems or whatever. I need meds to fix the imbalance in my brain, same as my brother needs insulin for his diabetes.

The lead up to a family death became last year. Plus I had a stressful toxic job. Medication for anxiety was the only way through. One year on and time has passed -things are calmer and since then have changed job for the better, so only take the medication occasionally now. It was worthwhile and the best thing I could do at the time.

I’m the same. Taking anti depressants calmed my IBS down because anxiety was one of the triggers. I hope OP tries them it may just change her life .

I wouldn't want to try to be honest. They saved me at one of my darkest moments.

Thank you everyone, your replies have given me the drive to try them, I have a presciption for Escitalopram sitting at the pharmacy. I will go and get them this week.

NoNameisGoodEnough HedgehogB
I really hope they help with the IBS, it's the biggest driver of my anxiety right now, if these meds could help with that it would change my life around for the better as right now my life is completely controlled by my awfully unsettled digestive system.

I am in a similar position which is causing me so much stress. I find my job stressful right now. We recently lost my MIL and my own mum has breast cancer and dementia and I help care for her. The future for my mum is scary and I honestly don't think that I can cope well without some kind of buffer from the stress of it all and that will need to come from antidepressants, I think (and hope).