To think that most women are taking anti depressants?

[Jambalaya76]

Hi

I have been on and off these for most of my adult life. Life is easier with them and I find I am more able to cope with life stresses. I feel normal and tend to let upsets go over my head. Life is better with them. However, I have had a lot to deal with in my little life so feel like a need a little help.

Over the years, I have met so many people who say they also take them. Not that I ever bring it up. It made me wonder if I was to ask people, I wonder how many are taking anti depressants? This seems the perfect forum to ask.

So, how many of us woman here take, or have taken, antidepressants?

My local Cmht have started a programme of blood tests for new referrals and long term patients who aren't improving, they've found that quite a few of those referred to them as mentally ill actually have other "physical" conditions that are causing the mh symptoms, nutrient deficiencies, thyroid disorders, anaemia, some gut disorders, pain conditions etc and that when THESE were DX & treated the patients mh issues massively improved.

I have severe OCD which has also led to agoraphobia, other phobias, general depression & anxiety. But I've been on several different anti-depressants. The problem I'm having is the ones that worked I was on for a few years and then I developed bad reactions to them (suspected seratonin syndrome reaction, severe physical allergic reactions that anti-allergy meds were ineffective at dealing with so had to stop them), I had a load of bloods taken that threw up some odd results that are still currently being investigated.

Mytieisascarf - yes absolutely agree that there's usually multiple factors - are you supported emotionally?, diet, sleep, exercise etc all have an effect. I've quit caffeine which has helped a little. But also again vicious cycle:

Anxiety caused by external factor - can't sleep - lack of sleep makes mh worse - anxiety increases - that anxiety makes sleep difficult...and so it goes on.

Ditto anxiety making you too anxious to eat or depression meaning you lack motivation to cook/prepare food so then you're eating snacks/rubbish cos they're easier, nutritional factors make you more anxious/depressed etc etc

OCD is also believed to possibly/partly be due to structural abnormalities in the brain, Iirc the same is true of schizophrenia and I think other mental illnesses - I think people forget the brain is a physical entity too. Weirdly even though I had my car accident just a couple months before my breakdown and I'd previously only linked it in terms of trauma/stress I recently learned that even minor head injuries (head got banged in accident, not major but enough to need stitches and checked over, has left a permanent dent in my skull) can also be a factor particularly in OCD.

"It's hardly a women's issue." I don't completely agree with that, I started a thread re medical sexism and got a LOT of replies from women who were either themselves or female loved ones misdx as mentally ill/dismissed as being "neurotic" or "hysterical" and later it turned out they had either a physical illness causing mh symptoms OR their clear physical symptoms of another illness were being dismissed and ignored - up to and including terminal cancers! Some truly appalling stories of plain incompetence in some cases. The 2 main "physical" ailments that frequently were dismissed were thyroid disease and gall bladder disease. And I'll be honest I expected medical sexism to centre far more on gynae issues as has been my experience. They definitely figured but the sheer level of CLEAR flipping textbook symptoms of thyroid & gall bladder disease being ignored was shocking!

"there is lots of research to show that women and men with the same symptoms are often offered different treatment options purely based on their sex" absolutely - there were a couple of examples on that thread where a poster and their male relative had EXACTLY the same symptoms Iirc in one case they even saw EXACTLY the same dr in the same week - and got a completely different response and lack of treatment! Appalling

"Where is all the alleged stigma on this thread?" People thinking they're addictive, saying that they wouldn't ever take them etc - as op have said, you'd NEVER get the same discussion about antibiotics or blood pressure meds! DEFINITELY not chemo meds - Even though they can and do have just as awful side effects, effects on lifestyle etc

"I disagree about stigma." As someone who is mentally ill I find that comment ignorant and offensive. Just even look at some threads on here discussing a person the op is supporting who's mentally ill. It's considered a perfectly good reason to end a relationship, that would never happen if the illness was physical, there's often suggestions to "force" them to do something which causes them great distress cos "they'll cope, they'll get over it", encouragement to reduce support, to tell them to "get their act together" etc

I personally have been accused of "having an agenda" when I've posted my disgust at such comments, I've had posters make comments along the lines of I can't possibly understand normal human behaviour, that I shouldn't have raised my dd, that I shouldn't expect support from dd or other loved ones, that it's "expecting too much", that I haven't "tried hard enough" to get well...

Because it also means I'm not working and on benefits I've had vitriol thrown at me because of that, accused of "faking" or "exaggerating" when if anything I downplay on here cos much of the details are bloody embarrassing!!

"which is a shame because if everyone was more open about it I think it would definitely help with the stigma of it all." The problem is that BECAUSE of the stigma it's a lot to ask of a vulnerable person to expect them to deal with that stigma alone - which is the reality. I'm fairly open but still careful on some situations having experienced issues with housing, employments, medical services etc as a result of those people knowing I had a DX - yep try getting taken seriously with a PHYSICAL health concern when you have a mh DX especially anxiety DX.

Weegiemum - well said. As scots residents there's also the vitamin d debate. I've had a fair few of the mh professionals up here say they think vit d should be added to the water or bread or something as they believe it to be a major (in terms of numbers) factor up here.

"My understanding was that depression was less to do with your situation than with a chemical imbalance" as earlier in my post this theory is now being challenged, but certainly situational/trauma caused depression has long been recognised.

"Life has ups and downs but surely anti-depressants just treat the symptoms." Clinical depression is far more serious than having an "off day" or week or month, it means even the great days you CANNOT fully enjoy/appreciate.

"TBH I used to say I didn't take tablets. That is easy to say when all you have ever had is the occasional stomach ache or period pain. Then I got really ill and realised how stupid my attitude had been." Yes, I think it's partly an age thing too. Because when we're younger & healthier we don't NEED to! At 20 all I was on regularly was the pill, even though I had a (then) undx condition that causes severe pain (endo) but that was masked by the pill and so I didn't have to take prescribed painkillers every month, "only" paracetamol. Now at 46 I'm on several regular medications just to keep me alive/functioning - anti depressants, painkillers, nerve meds (for pain too), inhalers (my asthma was in remission in my 20's), mini pill (for the endo, taken continuously).

My mum at 20 was the absolute picture of health, by my age she was on half a dozen meds for various issues and now in her early 70's she says "it's a bloody miracle I don't rattle when I walk!"

Very easy to be flippant and dismissive when you aren't the one that's sick!

"But they should always be for short term use.
They become a crutch otherwise." Judgmental and inaccurate. Diabetics & others with lifelong conditions would NEVER be told "its a crutch you don't really need that insulin that's only masking the symptoms of YOUR chemical imbalance anyway"

"You have a broken leg, the analgesia doesn't heal the bone, the cast does that." Actually that's not even true. I once had a dr I was discussing my dislike of the dissociative effects of the antid I was on at that time with - I was awaiting talk therapy too - and he used a cast as a symbol for antidepressants, they don't heal the bone they just protect it from further injury or movement while your own body heals it. An antidepressant doesn't cure the cause of the depression necessarily but it protects the mind from the worst effects of depression while either the patient heals alone (eg time to get over a trauma) or is able to engage with therapy to figure out the cause and deal with it.

MarielVanArklestinks - those are both SSRI's - not only are there hundreds of different anti depressants they have several different types too - ssri's, snri's, tricyclics etc so it may be a case of ssri's aren't for you (I can't take them either) but other antidepressants do suit you IF you were to be ill enough to need them again.

Serialweightwatcher I sympathise I'm having similar difficulties after the one that was working brilliantly for my OCD is now causing serious side effects that make me very physically ill so now I'm on another but it's not really working. The challenge is finding one that your body doesn't experience side effects from that are impossible to live/function with.

"Yes there's a lot of "all in the mind" attitude on this thread." Yep and "get over yourselves, life's shit for everyone" for some of us it's been a lot worse than just "a bit shit" when I've given my full history of "stress inducing events" in my life and this is to mh professionals - they're amazed I'm even close to functioning!

Cooljule43 - what were they? Lots of medications were originally developed/approved for one condition and then discovered to help with other seemingly completely unrelated ones and are prescribed "off label" for them. One of the treatments I've had for endo is actually a testicular cancer treatment!

"and struggled badly to come off them (diazepam etc)" NOT antidepressants! Benzodiazepines and other addictive drugs that were prescribed then are NOT the same thing at all!

"It seems to me, from Facebook groups, that a large number of menopausal women are prescribed ADs." Again there are some where the "side effects" unplanned effects happen to be that they cure/treat other non mental illness symptoms and that may be why they're prescribed them.

"It probably explains why there are more men than women that end up committing suicide." Was wondering when this would come up - the reality is its more accurate to say that men are more "successful" at committing suicide, mainly due to the differing methods chosen. I won't go into detail for obvious reasons but the number of men and women who plan and try to commit suicide is actually about the same.

I think it does tend to run in families so if you've been on them then chances of you knowing someone else on them is higher.
Most of my family have. But it's men AND women.

All those talking about we should deal with the "cause" it's not always that simple.

In my case I believe it's

Genetic +

horrific childhood +

learned behaviour (not just being unnecessarily stoical but also OCD rituals I believe at least 3 relatives are/were undx OCD sufferers) +

lack of support +

further stress in adult life +

physical trauma +

possible undx physical ailment/s = severely ill treatment resistant me!

With the current situation with the Nhs it's highly unlikely I'll get the ideal treatment, getting me to a point I can function as in leave the flat, go shopping, manage life admin, have a bit of a social life and work part time is I think realistically the best I can hope for - and my cpn & psychiatrist think that's quite ambitious!

I've variously tried:

Several different talk therapies inc cbt which is supposedly the "perfect" treatment for OCD - made me worse and talking to other OCD sufferers I'm not in a tiny minority!

Anti anxiety meds,
Diet/exercise/good sleep pattern - helps a bit,
Mindfulness & meditation - helpful but doesn't work alone and occasionally makes me worse,ACT - not found a therapist familiar since I last did this, Dietary supplements - help v slightly

What I've found worked best was a combination of

Medication I'm now basically allergic to (doesn't even stay in my system long enough to be absorbed! Plus throat swelling etc not exactly conducive to life!) + ACT + mindfulness + diet/exercise/good sleep.

But it's VERY hard to create the perfect "get better" conditions when housebound because guess what? No house calls - only the cpn comes out, she keeps talking about I need intensive psychotherapy - but I can't access that until I'm at a point where I can leave the flat - and regularly and reliably at that!

"so I think I d prefer to try CBT or another talking therapy first" waiting lists are horrendous this is a much lengthier and costlier option. Entirely possible that a severely depressed patient if left waiting months even years for therapy will deteriorate possibly fatally so, so even if pills are a "quick fix" or "sticking plaster" surely thats better than a deadly alternative?

@CanoeingInCocoPop To your point about antidepressants vs getting to the root of the problem, it's not an either-or choice. The evidence shows an antidepressant combined with therapies like CBT work better than either alone. Starting on tablets can also make it easier to get into therapy - when I first starting taking Seroxat I was 17 and I needed the help to even begin to think about sitting down with a professional to talk about my issues. I just felt so paralysed and powerless. After being on the antidepressant for a while, I became more comfortable with talking about my feelings, more lucid and objective about my situation, less likely to shut down at the thought of comforting my fears. One can facilitate the other.

No I don't think most are. I would avoid them if possible but if you need them then use them. I would without a doubt.

Always insightful Graphista

I take them...they are fab. I'm proud to do so.

Maybe it's just that women talk more about it than men. Or that it's only women who have told me that they are taking them

I suspect it’s the latter @jambalaya76

I think there is a stigma surrounding them and it's the reason that I personally probably should take them but I don't and I never will.

This thread has highlighted the stigma - everyone being so defensive like it's the worst thing somebody could ever suggest. We've still got a long way to go with MH, as a society.

Thank you everyone for your comments

I can’t believe the amount of people on here who are so certain they don’t know anyone who takes them! Do you really think that? Believe me you will know lots of people who take them and feel better every day from them. You will also know lots of people who ‘don’t take tablets’ who could well do with taking some tablets and facing up to some issues. For their own sakes and those around them

It’s nothing to do with MH stigma, MH issues are talked about so much more these days and rightly so, no one should feel ashamed to admit they’re struggling, I certainly don’t! I talk a lot about my struggles with rl friends & family, I just don’t want to take anti depressants, my doctor knows about my struggles too ( panic attacks, depression after miscarriage ) but has never suggested I go on them.
I’ve been offered CBT & counselling, but never drugs. I wouldn’t take them even if offered, but just saying.

Not me, but I've thought about it a lot.

I work in a healthcare setting. More people take anti-depressants than you would think, I reckon at least half the women I see do or have done in the past.

Never taken them. Don't know anyone who takes/has taken them but acknowledge that it is not necessarily a topic of conversation people talk about freely.

I think most women won't say they take ADs. Even if their friends think yeah, Id know if they were on them.

Too much stigma around it all... you can't cope with problems//life/are unstable etc.

I take 5HTP as it stops life feeling well overwhelming at certain times. Helps with sleep, as well as mood. I bet youd find a good few women take natural anti-depressants such as this, or St Johns Wort.

Not just women who take antidepressants
Many men do too.

In fact they’re a very common medication people just won’t talk about it

Just had a quick google and was amazed at the stats. OP you may be right that most women your age are on them. www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/10/four-million-people-in-england-are-long-term-users-of-antidepressants