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Original poster

To think that most women are taking anti depressants?

652 replies

Jambalaya76 · 16/02/2019 10:56

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?

OP posts:
Treble9 · 17/02/2019 14:15

I'll also add that mental illness is still very unknown in terms of neuroscience, bio-chemical/genetics etc. We don't really KNOW much. There is lots of research going on in this area but it takes time.

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:16

No I'm a psychotherapist, I thought I said that in my first post, maybe not though.

Treble9 - I completely agree

Thisimmortalcurl - yes that's correct for the most part, although I do 'axis 1' work it's mainly complex trauma/PTSD/personality disorder

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:18

I have not once said no one should take antidepressants, I just don't believe on their own they're enough. And that people deserve access to more than just that.

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:19

Although I dislike the term 'personality disorder' too tbh

Emeraldshamrock · 17/02/2019 14:24

I just don't believe on their own they're enough. And that people deserve access to more than just that
I fully agree with that, more services are definitely required to help people regain control, ADs do help you step up but once your on your feet you have to find your own way, many can't and the cycle can continue.

Graphista · 17/02/2019 14:25

Nhs still calls it schizophrenia

www.nhs.uk/conditions/schizophrenia/

"So yes there may be brain differences but these are influenced by environmental issues" seriously what are your qualifications?

This is utter rubbish!

"it’s people with your views that have done the most damage." Totally agree and it's very worrying if they really are meant to be helping the mentally ill. Because even just going into work with that attitude is not helpful to any of those patients.

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:33

Graphista have you read the ACEs study by kaiser permanente? If not it's a good place to start.

Everyone working in the nhs is appropriately qualified.

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:34

Anyway am off to town, enjoy your Sunday everyone

Wickerman11 · 17/02/2019 14:56

your either a liar (most likely) or should not be fucking allowed to do your job. The 'fact' that you are allowed around vulnerable people is disgusting.

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:58

You're

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 14:59

Sorry couldn't resist!

NannyMcfanny · 17/02/2019 15:01

I have been on and off them for years and take Sertraline.
I have lots friends and family members that take them, male and female.

Aridane · 17/02/2019 15:02

We need to stop viewing mental ill health as a medical disorder, it isn't. It's a life experience and environmental issue

Schizophrenia?

Bipolar?

Psychosis?

HarrySnotter · 17/02/2019 15:03

No I'm a psychotherapist. Well if this is the case, it's fucking terrifying to think that people like you have access to people who need help. Real help, from qualified professionals who understand them, or at least will try to. I actually think that there may be some people on this thread will have been to feel a whole lot worse as a result of your comments.

Treble9 · 17/02/2019 15:09

Mental ill health is not mental illness/disorder.

Bipolar, schizophrenia, psychosis are mental illnesses. You can be diagnosed with these and still be mentally healthy or mentally unhealthy (mental ill health).

The terminology is being confused.

NannyMcfanny · 17/02/2019 15:10

Also I am only "well" when I take anti-depressants. Once upon a time I was anti- meds and I'm very much in favour of alternative health care, I use herbs etc. But I cannot function without Sertraline. I have been through therapy many times but OCD never goes away, you just learn to live with it. If it weren't for the meds I would have committed suicide.
Perhaps the PP was/is a ward receptionist?

Wickerman11 · 17/02/2019 15:13

You're

Are you that fucking patronising to your poor imaginary patients?

Graphista · 17/02/2019 15:17

"Everyone working in the nhs is appropriately qualified." That's quite possibly the most deliberately vague, misleading answer I've EVER read on mn. Administrators are "appropriately qualified" and even excellent at their jobs - I still wouldn't want them deciding whether or not a patient needs meds and which meds! Ditto support workers (which I suspect is what you are at best) to be honest, great though they can be it's not their field of expertise, nor is it that of psychotherapists they aren't highly trained in pharmacology I've had 5 psychotherapists over the years and worked with several as a nurse too - NOT ONE would EVER be so unprofessional as to even think they were qualified to assess the needs for meds.

I'm aware of the study you reference but that is in NO WAY the whole answer for mental illness and NO genuinely, properly qualified and experienced healthcare professional would base their practice on ONE study focusing on a particular type of patient & believed cause and extrapolate that to apply to all who experience a particular illness!

It's useful info but it's a small part of the whole picture.

I'm aware of the study because it likely informs a large part of why I am how I am (traumatic childhood, abuse of all kinds, addiction etc etc)

BUT I've also met other sufferers of mental illness - including OCD - who've had the very opposite life experience to me - how do you explain their illness?

As has been said on this thread REPEATEDLY not everyone who is mentally ill has a traumatic or external environmental cause!

That you are working with vulnerable people with the idea you know better than nurses, psychiatrists and other more qualified professionals is EXTREMELY worrying and potentially DANGEROUS!

Graphista · 17/02/2019 15:18

I wouldn't be surprised if you're actually a "counsellor" that's done a 12 week council "course" and read a few articles without the training or experience to properly understand them but think you know better than those with years of training and decades of experience

MamaLovesMango · 17/02/2019 15:24

I just don't believe on their own they're enough

This, ladies and gents, is why you should always RTFT. I’ve lost count of how many times people have said exactly this and infact nobody ever said they are enough on their own. Why it’s being bandied about insinuating people that take ADs think this, I have no idea. Certainly not because o anything anyone has said on this thread.

MikeUniformMike · 17/02/2019 15:30

Do the council do counselling courses, Graphista?

PsychedelicSheep · 17/02/2019 15:32

If you look back at my posts you'll see I've posted about my job many times over the years, why would I come on a thread and just pretend to be a MH professional, why would anyone do that in fact?

I've not just done a '12 week council course' whatever the fuck that is, I've trained for 5 years to do my senior role.

I've not been rude or called anyone names or a liar, all I've done is talked about my experience of mental ill health in a way that differs from others on here.

Home77 · 17/02/2019 15:43

Has no-one here read anything like Mad in America, Anatomy of an Epidemic or this? cepuk.org

I agree with Psychedelic sheep, and also have been on and off anti-ds for nearly 20 years. I was told I had a 'chemical imbalance' in my late teens, and it has been a bugger getting off the blessed things.

It does seem like many here still have the same views I was being given in the late 1990s...

Oh and I understand around 1 in 10 people in general, and 1 in 4 women in their 40s and 50s are on them.

theDudesmummy · 17/02/2019 16:27

psychedelicsheep "we no longer use the term schizophrenia"?? I don't know who the "we" are in that sentence, but psychiatrists most certainly do. It is an illness.

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