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?

Bobbycat121

If you were a friend of mine with your arrogant attitude of “it’s not something I would take”, I sure wouldn’t tell you if I’d been on anti-depressants.... so perhaps you shouldn’t be so certain that no one you know has been on them!

It was your “pull yourself together” attitude that meant I didn’t seek help 20-or-so years ago when looking back in hindsight I really needed proper help, and meant I suffered hugely as a result - far more than any physical illness I’ve had since. Thankfully I recovered naturally in time and my mental health has generally been good since.

I’m pretty open about suffering from anxiety and taking meds to try and alleviate it. I think this is why I know quite a few people taking them because once you open up about it others do too.

But @N0rdicStar you are being a bit Pollyanna about it I’m afraid. Have you RTFT? You’ve ignored all of the facts given from the people that use ADs for a variety of reasons and are adding to the ignorance that surrounds the subject by suggesting poor mental health can be dealt with in a ‘mindful way’ if we choose to and that ADs are a ‘sticking plaster’ which you can’t possibly know is true because you don’t take them.

Some facts that have been highlighted by several posters on this thread that might be useful to you and hopefully inspire you to educate yourself further on the subject so that you can have a better understanding:

ADs aren’t just prescribed for ‘situational low mood’ which is what you describe. I don’t know what the statistics are for this. I’m going to find some though. Either way, MH is a very broad spectrum, encompassing disorders on sliding scales, most of which can’t be worked through in a ‘mindful way’. It is fair to say, if you can work through your low moods by your own coping mechanisms, youre not on the part of the scale that would benefit from ADs and that’s ok. Infact that really wonderful. A situation that many people would love for themselves.

ADs as a ‘sticking paster’ is a common misconception. Somewhere not far back on this thread I’ve explined how for the most part, ADs clear space and give time to be able to confront the crux of the issues. Someone else alikened it to taking painkillers whilst treating a painful condition, which isn’t a bad analogy.

Bottom line, generalisations such as these aren’t necessarily true and certainly don’t help. They also prevent people feeling confident enough to access the help they need. Being willing to talk about MH is great, it helps but clearly there’s much more talking that needs to be done.

I think the stigma is towards poor mental health.

We are all conditioned to thinking we should appear as if life is perfect.

You can struggle and not use ADs. The implication that they are always necessary and you just aren’t struggling enough if you don’t use them is pretty dangerous and shit.

There's struggle and there's struggle though. I mean if you're a bit sad or low, and you can exercise and eat good food then you might not need them
My low point was sitting on the floor and not being able to work out how to carry on. I couldn't figure how to live. Then I had intrusive thoughts about how if I just got a rope... luckily my brain worked well enough that I went out for a walk and ended up in the doctors without planning to. I couldn't speak, I just stood at reception silently crying and they went and got a GP
The GP removed all my meds from my house (painkillers) and I had to go to the chemist daily to get them as I was so high risk. The 20mg citalopram saved my life, there was no tiny light at the end of the tunnel, it was all just a black hell hole

It's not oh this is a bit shit, I might have a cry, it's complete numbness and the only thing you can think is how is the best way to die. My mind was totally clear that was the only way forward, but there were no rational thoughts whatsoever. I could no more have gone for a run than someone with two broken legs, I couldn't move at one point

I once said I could never inject myself, but being diagnosed with a condition that means I have to inject once a week... you get over it

And now every day I take ESSENTIAL medication of
20mg citalopram
500mg naproxen
60mg dihydrocodiene

Weekly lenograstim and paracetamol to cope with the fever afterwards

I think Empress meant that she goes running AND talks to friends, not that she runs to friends......

Yes, I did. Thanks SerenDippitty.

Citalopram, at the right dose & along with CBT saved my life. I’ve been off it for a couple of years & when shit happens, my two main self-care things are talking to friends & going running.

I didn’t mean to belittle what you’ve gone through, NordicStar. And I agree that ADs aren’t always necessary. But sometimes people genuinely need them.

I think posts like yours Mango are pretty damaging.

Casting off any mental health issues not requiring ADs as low mood. Not encouraging people to try other things and get to know their mental health, learn techniques.

There is a huge distance between low mood and chronic poor mental health. Most people will appear on the scale not at either end.

Studies have shown counselling can be as effective as ADs.

And re Pollyanna. Op should have put- Im only interested in answers that support my sweeping claim if that is the case.

She didn’t do I replied and my opinion is as valid as anybody else’s.

I have never taken them but am surprised by how many friends, family and colleagues have casually mentioned being on them. They are all very well functioning, seemingly content people and I never would have guessed they were.

They are not just for depression.I’ve been on them for chronic pain for years. Chronic pain disproportionately effects women. Someone up thread said they never have and never would! You don’t know what will happen in life, what bad luck will befall on you, devastating bereavement, anything could happen. It’s as silly a statement as me in my early 20’s point blank refusing to ever have HRT or a hip replacement.

Hang on, nowhere on this thread had anybody said you’re not struggling enough if you don’t take them. I can’t see that it’s been implied that they’re always jeverssary either. They’re not. What I have seen is people challenging common misconceptions and generalisations about taking medication.

Mental health illnesses are like any other illness. If you get gallstones, you might be able to take medication to help but if they’re particularly bad you might need surgery. It’s a scale. Different treatments are needed for different parts of the scale. Doesn’t mean gallstones aren’t hell on earth for those taking medication for them, over having surgery.

Why is it so laughable or unbelievable that some posters think they would never need to take them? Surely they know the strengths and weaknesses of their own mental health?

I agree... Similarly my physical health is good - I know my strengths and weaknesses! I don’t have cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular illness etc. It clearly follows that because I’ve been healthy to date, that I will remain healthy for the rest of my life and will never get to the point of needing medical treatment!

.....or maybe I’m chuckling to myself whilst writing this given how laughable such an opinion would be if someone actually held it!

FFS N0rdic were saying the same thing essentially. Stop being so defensive. There’s no point to it.

No, ‘situational low mood’ isn’t clinical depression. How would you like to describe it? We can call it that instead of you like. Situational low mood is also fucking awful. Not one person has said it isn’t. Not one person has said they don’t or haven’t practiced other techniques either. Many many people do both, infact other techniques are actively encouraged.

I think the OP would have done better to word the thread title to say that most women have been on ADs at some point in their lives, because there's a lot of women who are on them temporary and very likely won't need them again.

Even then 'most' is a big exaggeration, which is why there's been such a strong reaction in the thread. I've read that around one in four people will suffer with a mental health issue at some point in their lives. (And it doesn't follow that they all take ADs.) So without doubt a lot of women take ADs at some point but definitely not most.

surferjet I know it was half a thread ago and it may have moved on.......

But you said you cope by crying into your pillow, my problem was I cried anytime anywhere and didn't even know why I was crying or felt the way I did. I lost my job because I would turn up then disappear to the loos and collapse on the floor in floods of tears, I spent 50% of my time in the loos or turning up for work then walking straight out or just not being able to get out of bed to get to work in the first place. I went to the GP to beg for a sick note, as I felt I just needed 2 weeks of curling up crying and not moving, GP refused to write me off sick hence how I then lost my job.

But AD took the edge off, I also did EFT (tap therapy) and later psychodynamic counselling. In total I was on AD for 3 years. I could not have functioned at all without AD. This was 10 years ago and I look back now a can see the devastation my A&D had on my DC and my marriage. I should have been on AD a couple of years before I was.

I still to this day resent the doctor who refused to sign me off, they claimed it was better I have a purpose to get up in a morning.........

Even though you have no knowledge at all as regards my life and experience you called me ignorant and told me to educate myself better so I think I have every right to be defensive thanks.

I said you were adding to the ignorance which you were by making such generalised sweeping statements that are false. Therefore N0rdic you do need to educate yourself better on the topic of ADs if you want to understand the issues because you’re making false claims.

I take them and my closest friends would be shocked. You never know! Also know a lot of people that have taken them at some point

I should clarify that the surveys include all MH issues, not just depression, they would include the more serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar. So it isn't the case that one in four women take ADs.

If you make bold statements like the OP did in the thread title then you will get shot down, especially on AIBU.

Obviously the statistics only count those who have asked for help, so the number of women struggling with their mental health will be higher. (I shouldn't have soldiered on without help for as long as I did.)

I don't take them

Don’t think I did at all but certainly think the op does and you.

DaedricLordSlayer

This is the thing isn’t it - it essentially boils down to how individual people cope ( or not ) in certain situations.
I have had some seriously dark times in my life, but I’ve always managed to get out of bed in the morning & carry on. Is my depression not as bad as the woman on antidepressants? How can anyone say? It could be worse? But I deal with it in different ways.
I have a lot to be thankful for in my life though,
Wonderful kids, nice husband, no money worries, so I count my blessings & try & work through the bad times in my own way.
I know women who have been through what I would consider ‘worse’ than me, but as my counselling taught me, you can’t compare things like this, it’s not a competition - we are all individuals who deal with MH issues in different ways.

But just to add, and it could be relevant, I’m old enough to remember when AD’s were called ‘tranquillisers’ & were seen as just numbing everything so you were basically walking around like a zombie.
I know things have improved massively of course.

It's my understanding that far more women than men suffer with depression because their hormone levels are much less stable and more fragile. And it's our hormones which govern and influence our emotions.

If your depression is being caused by a straightforward chemical imbalance then I don't think all the running, aromatherapy, counselling and mindfulness in the world will cure it. Counselling can't cure diabetes, cancer or Crohn's. Aromatherapy can't heal a fractured wrist.

I suffered a severe illness a few years back and the necessary medication really messed up my endocrine system. Out of nowhere I suddenly experienced the most dreadful depression and very quickly was having suicidal ideation it was terrifying. Luckily my Mum is a GP and realised I was having a reaction to the medication for my illness. I was referred to an endocrinologist who told me he often saw women suffering the same sudden extreme depression because their endocrine system had been disrupted.

I mentioned to my GP that DF was a heavy drinker all of his life and that it greatly affected us children, his response was 'hmm, so self medicating for anxiety or depression' .
I hadn't thought of it like this before, I suppose that he was, I certainly know a lot of people who drink more than they should for optimum health.

Everybody on this thread has said that OP’s claim is wrong N0rdic including me. Please quote the false claims I’ve been making.

Stop turning this into a those who do vs those that don’t debate. That’s not what this is.