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?

Who is being forced to take medication?

I don't think there are many people (apart from genuine drug addicts, presumably) who DO like the idea of being medicated. But my hunch is, if you ever got severely depressed, to the extent of not feeling able to get out of bed, not feeling able to walk down the street, and felt hopeless, you would probably take them if they were offered.

I am not on them right now and haven't been for several years but I know I probably wouldn't be here now if it weren't for several times in my life when I WAS offered them. Counselling was hugely helpful when I had stabilized but at my worst, I could hardly talk, let alone engage in meaningful therapy.

I have been on various antidepressants for most of my life but I don't go around telling people. Aside from medical professionals, my parents and DH, it's no one else's business.

I took them for about 18 months? 2 years? About 12 years ago, anyway. The GP and I disagreed about me being ready to reduce the dose, so I cut pills in half as she wouldn't prescribe a lower dose. I think coming off the Pill some time later was also helpful.

I haven't been back on them since, but there have been a couple of periods where in retrospect, I possibly should have. I am better at recognising the warning signs in my mental health now, which means I am more likely to take preventative action - diet, exercise, sensible sleep and being aware of my menstrual cycle. I may be finding everything almost impossibly bleak, but... oh, period nearly here... let's just wait a couple of days before making any decisions.

A few people know I've been on ADs, but not many - I don't hide it, and would talk about it if it came up, but I don't tend to talk about my prescriptionson with anyone other than medical staff and the pharmacist. So most people don't know I have been on ADs, but they also don't know I'm on blood pressure medication or anything else. Likewise, I don't know what meds my colleagues are on, but I'm willing to bet at least some will be on statins, BP meds and so on (arguably, as I'm a first aider, if they were going to tell anyone in the office, it should be me.) It's quite likely some will be/have been on ADs at some point, but I just don't know.

Similarly, of all the women I know, I know one has had a miscarriage, and two who have had abortions, but I suspect the actual number of either is higher. While I am usually happy to provide a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear, I don't want to encourage us all to sit round talking about our lists of middle-aged ailments and medication lists, because I would bore myself, let alone any one else. If it happens to come up, fine, but otherwise, it would be a bit weird, I think.

It's a tricky one - there should be an environment at work or among friends where you can say, I have depression, I am receiving treatment, but I will need your support and understanding at times - but forcing people to declare they are on ADs when they may not be comfortable with it, is not a supportive way forward.

I think anti-depressants are way overprescribed

it's a hit or miss whether they will have any benefit or not (there is zero scientific evidence the work- it's all 100% anecdotal), and they may have very serious side-effects

I won't go into detail but I've had some very bad experiences after being put on such medication I don't think I even needed

IMO it's all big pharma. anti-depressants like Prozac are huge cash cows and the insanely rich and powerful drug companies know all the tricks to get doctors and psychiatrists to prescribe them

one such trick is for a drug company to send a rep to a surgery and take the doctors out and buy them lunch (for a male doctor they will send a pretty woman, and likewise for a female they will send a handsome guy). the rep will sweeten them up over lunch and tell the doctor how wonderful their anti-depressants are, and why the doctor should prescribe their anti-depressant to patients instead of anti-depressants from other companies. yes this practice is legal and some surgeries still allow it

twattymctwatterson I'm so sorry for your loss [flowers}

My Mum was the same - never understood my depression, the amount of times I heard 'there's people a lot worse off than you you know'. She would never take any tablets, or get any help. I don't know whether she too saw it as a 'weakness', and believed that 'strength' of mind would get her through. I lost her in a very similar way at the end of 2017. As you will sadly know it is an awful, awful thing, losing a parent that way, and in turn affects the mental health of all those close to them, thus compounding the problem.

Some of my darkest times have been when life was supposedly going well. At those times, it would dawn on me just how intrinsic my depression actually was, and that recovering was not just a case of improving my circumstances. That I would always feel that low at times, no matter how good things were going, and that would make me feel even more hopeless and despairing.

I wish people understood more. Sadly, our DM's were from, or not far behind, a generation where depression/ MH problems WERE seen as a weakness, a character fault, and so were often hidden. I feel as though we are moving away from that stigma, but only very slightly and very slowly. `Derogatory terms such as mad, deranged, loopy, mental and so on are still part of everyday language, still perfectly acceptable to the vast majority, unlike comparative insults aimed at those with physical disabilities where there has been considerable progress on hate speech.

What I find people often don't get is that we don't choose or control depression, it's the other way around.

Are they not just for people with depression? I had an extremely difficult earlier life and have various things going on that could make me very anxious, but it’s never occurred to take medication. Perhaps I should?

I have a sneaking suspicion that many of those saying they'd never take them and particularly those that would see needing to as some sort of failure are ALSO the type to think they'll never need to claim benefits.

It's a certain type of mindset.

Deeply offensive and inaccurate to even use "strengths & weaknesses" in such a discussion as this.

Twatty & prick - so very sorry for your losses

but I’d never take them.
I’d rather cry into my pillow, go into the bathroom and splash water over my face and carry on with a smile.

Bloody hell, but that really is depressing (if you'll pardon the pun).

For a start I, like many, possibly most, can usually not cry when my depression is at it's most severe. I often wish I could, and even try to, just so I can feel better afterwards. But I can't, because frequently that level of depression is not about feeling sad, but of feeling nothing at all. Nothing whatsoever, which can be much much worse than feeling sad or just unhappy. At least then you feel some sort of emotion and not just completely and utterly dead an empty inside.

Given that you don't seem to get that, and are clearly still here then no, you didn't need antidepressants. Your mood may have been down or mildly depressed at times, but that is not the same as true, severe clinical depression (which is what antidepressants are for).

Secondly, are you aware that insinuating clinical depression can always be overcome by 'strength' of mind alone you are not only wrong, but also insulting the millions of people who have this awful illness, those who have taken their lives because of it as well as all those who loved them. Because you are basically saying those people are weak. They are not weak, they are ill. They are not just 'down, unhappy, sad, upset, demotivated, going through a rough patch. they are unwell, sometimes so unwell that they will never recover. Evidence of it will show up on brain scans, in the same way cancer can, and it can be just as terminal as cancer can too. So why is the latter unequivocally accepted as an illness, and the former not?

Every day large numbers of people take their own lives. Many will choose methods that are incredibly painful and cause a terrible death, because the idea of doing that is less scary and more tolerable than continuing to live with minds that are completely and utterly tortured. Why on earth would anyone think people would do that if it was as simple as splashing a bit of water on your face and smiling. I just do not get that logic at all. Peace of mind is the most valuable thing a person can have, and these people do not have that.

I take them. It's only since I started taking them and being able to discuss it openly that I have seen just how many other people are taking them. It's almost the norm these days. I told my new boss last week that I take them, I was quite nervous about telling her in case she thought I might not be able to cope with my job. Her response - she is on sertraline herself for extreme ocd and there's at least 5 in our office of 15 also taking them so not to worry!

Are they not just for people with depression?.

Not always, many can be helpful and prescribed for anxiety, all though very often depression and go hand in hand/ are two sides of the same coin. For example, when I am at my most depressed I get very anxious and agitated. Many are also licensed for treatment of mood disorders, neuropathic pain, BPD, ADD, and OCD amongst others.

Interesting point about benefits threads - it's a very similar sort of bigotry to that sometimes displayed in those sort of topics.

No, most aren't but a lot are. Men too but probably not as willing to admit it.

I take them and so do most of my friends and colleagues. Seems very common.

@PrickWhittington yes totally agree with you.

My main issue has always been anxiety, however the restrictions that anxiety brings such as struggling to work, agoraphobia and panic attacks can cause depression themselves. I'm on mirtazapine tontreat anxiety but they also really help with the low level depression and feelings of worthlessness that the anxiety brings with it x

I've been on Sertraline for a few years, I honestly think I'd have killed myself by now without it. I don't know why other women in ad's, but I've never asked, and very few people know that I am on them.

But hey, maybe I'll stop taking them and just splash water on my face instead

*any other

My MH nosedived 7 or so years ago and I became psychotic. This was followed by post psychotic depression which I would not wish upon my worst enemy. Antidepressants literally saved my life, I absolutely would have taken my own life without them.
I was later diagnosed with bipolar and have it really well under control now with a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics which I will probably have to take forever.
I am very open about it and don't shy away about talking honestly which in turn, seems to make people open up to me about their MH.
I don't particularly care what people think of me and my illness. Nothing anyone can say to me or behind my back is worse than what I went through when I was ill and I know that I have already helped several friends who have been struggling and they all say that talking to someone who understands is a great help.
Because of this, I probably do know a disproportionately high number of people on psychiatric meds.

I took them for 4 years. I stopped a year ago. My moods improved and stopped getting irritated over small things. They personally screwed with my head

I am not sure whether most women take them but I agree a lot seem to. I’m in my mid-50s and have never taken them, although I wouldn’t be opposed to taking them if I needed to, but I’ve been surprised recently talking to various women (of a certain age) quite how many are on them. I have three SIL and they have all taken them at various times (2 are still taking them) as has my MIL. A lot of friends too.

Do you think depression runs in families?

Yes I do.

Like every illness, there is a genetic component.

But it's a bit like the roll of the dice, you never know who it will affect, even generations down the line.

I would never judge someone who does what they need to get through life. (barring anything criminal obviously!).

Not keen on chemicals myself. I smoke (soft) weed to relax. I can still do everything I need to as a LP, working, DS well-adjusted working adult now etc.

and When The Fuck are the UK -useless- government going to get on board with legalising weed like more and more countries around the world. You only have to google Portugal to know it works! 0 drugs-related crime!

Sorry for your losses Twatty and Prick. I too had parents that were shockingly depressed (amongst other things) but wouldn’t dream of taking medication and we’re always ‘pull yourself together’ sorts. One spent a long time addicted to prescription painkillers and alcohol and the either died at their lowest ebb, albeit not through suicide, I’ve always believed the depression got them in the end.

Ugh it’s too early for this. ‘Scuse typos.
We’re = were
Either = other

I have had an eating disorder my whole adult life and had PND. I was shocked by how instantly the drs tried to give me anti d’s when I went to them to talk about it. I refused, one still wrote me a prescription even after refusing!
I cope by pushing hard for counselling and reading books about self care and mindfulness. I honestly feel like an anti d is a band aid for the problem which is fine and just in the short term but we arnt fixing the actual problem with mental health and that’s the crux of the situation.

What a daft comment of course they don't

Wow this thread is...depressing
I was on many antidepressants as a teenager diagnosed with GAD. I don't take them now and manage fine without them although I've considered taking them after DC2s birth. 2 of my friends take them.

Why are so many people this depressed and anxious? What's going on? This cannot be a healthy society. It worries me