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?

Since statistics show that one in six people in the U.K. were prescribed anti depressants in 2017, all these people saying they "don't know ANYONE who takes them" are almost certainly wrong. You do know people who take them, they just do t tell you about it.

I don't know how the stats stack up male/female though.

I think a lot of people don't admit to taking them, but if you want to/need to then that is your business, and there is nothing wrong with that.
I know a few people who are. Life can be bloody tough these days.

I have been depressed but I didnt take them so yes I feel I can say I wouldnt. I also wouldnt want it down on record.

I only know 1 woman who takes them (I don't). So no, I don't think most women do.

And before anyone gets offended save the outrage im not judging anyone, I have had depression in the past just didnt want to take medication for it.

Most women - no. Many women - sure.

I've been on about 6 different ones - not constantly, went years with nothing - since age 16. I'm 45 now. The last lot were prescribed when I had prenatal depression with my second child, and I was on them for three years. Off them for almost four years now - weirdly I decided to do it when life was in the worst turmoil it had been in years, when I had decided to divorce my exH. Only once have I seriously considered going back - my mood was in a life or death place - and I decided to get private counselling instead, which I've been doing weekly for almost 3 years. I've had a range of NHS treatment over the decades and while it wasn't unhelpful, the problem was it ended before I was ready, my allotted time was up.

I still suffer with anxiety - more so than depression - and for this I exercise. sometimes it really helps, sometimes not, but overall I feel it's not unmanageable. Don't want to be on drugs but if it got to the place where I needed it, I would. the sexual side effects put me off though, that and the sense of feeling flat and numb, so it would have to be really really bad.

I don't know if any of my friends have been on them but I suspect maybe two or three have. my mother has.

The stigma on this thread is depressing.

Lots of women (and men) do. Lots of women (and men) have done in the past. Lots of women (and men) will do in the future - even those who say it's something they would never do.

Lots of people don't admit it if you ask them so for those of you who don't know anyone on them, the chances are that you do.

It always gives us an inner smile at work when we are trying persuade someone that antidepressants are a good idea and the person tells us that only dreadfully weak and useless people take them - not realising that the health professional recommending them is on them and has been for years. The stigma runs deep.

I agree that people would not generally say. A friend recently told me she has been on anti-depressants for twenty years.

The only people I know who are on anti depressants are young males.

Elderly mil recently stopped taking hers after being on them for 40 years.

So no. Not most women. None of my close friends take them.

No, in my close circle of female friends (11) and close family members (3) who would share pretty much anything and everything only one is medicated and she has bi-polar. Two have taken anti depressants previously for short periods one following serious family trauma, while they were accessing counselling, and the other to do with anxiety the latter was about ten years ago and former about three years ago. Due to the nature of my work and that of some of my friends, and just the nature of relationships we have conversation tend to be very open and there is no stigma around mental health. We've all discussed various struggles and low points. No one in my circle thinks there's anything wrong with taking anti depressants, but we're not all taking them, I think that's an overgeneralisation.

I don't and don't know many that do, but I would take them if I needed them. It's medicine for the brain.
I know back in the day a lot of women used to take things like valium to cope with the day.

@Bobbycat121 Why didn't you want to? I'm not feeling judged, I'm genuinely curious. Is it that you feel that you won't be in full control or something along those lines?

@Fraying I think counselling works for situational depression or if you need coping skills. If the depression is literally just a chemical imbalance in your brain then that won't help. I think that my brain just isn't in balance as I can't remember not feeling like this, even as far back as 5 years old.

I have never taken anti depressants and have never been clinically depressed. I've had down moments but certainly not depression.

I know 3 women who take them and one is my DM, the other 2 are friends.

I volunteer with homeless males and the majority of them are on anti depressants.

This thread is a real eye opener.

People saying that they know no one on them are delusional. It’s not the sort of thing you put on Facebook! There is a real stigma to taking them still.

I’m fortunate enough not to have had to take them. I do think your question is a YABU though as it’s some, not most

Do you think women were prescribed valium 'to cope with the day' or women were presenting with real problems - serious mental health issues, women's health problems, relationship problems at a time of limited access to divorce, no understanding of sexual abuse/marital rape/financial abuse/emotional abuse etc - and instead they were seen as women who needed 'mother's little helper' and some benzos would stop them being hysterical?

Thankfully times have moved on but we aren't there yet by a long way.

I take them, and assume I will always take them. My closest female friend takes them. One SIL takes them. My DM, MIL, another SIL and another friend do not and have not. I'm not aware or other women's medications in my life.

BUT also, my DH takes them, both my BILs take them and a male friend is also on them. It's hardly a women's issue.

I have never taken antidepressants before and don't think I would do so. What I have done is engaged in psychological therapy which was really helpful.

Choosing alternatives to medication isn't always about stigma.

i've never taken them, and only know one person who does, to help with long-term mental health problems.

I wouldn't judge anyone for taking anti-depressants, any more than I'd judge people on statins or painkillers or any other medication. Two of my friends were offered ADs by their GP; one opted for a course of CBT, which helped a lot, and the other took up running, but as PP have said, I think in those cases medication was an option, not the only way to deal with the issues they were facing.

Im actually surprised people feel just because they take them everyone else who is depressed should. No one should be forced to take medication that would create more stigma. I dont like the idea of being medicated thats why I didnt take them. I also didnt want it down on my medical records.

I agree that lots of women do need them but probably not enough to say the majority.

The stigma round them is heartbreaking. I have a really close friend who has really very bad anxiety. I went round once to find that she was crying at the bottom of the stairs, she didn't know what else to do. The only thing that doctors hadn't tried was medication and she was convinced that she would not take any AD.

At the time I was taking medication three times a day to control a chronic health condition, if I wasn't on this medication I would be housebound and unable to work. It was only by getting her to understand that AD would be no different to me taking tablets for my physical health that she finally went onto them. Things aren't perfect, but she's in a much better place now.

If there wasn't such a stigma she would have saved herself months of torment.

Also, she knows a lot more people than I do that are on the same medication as her. I know a few people who take them long term or for short periods, whereas if I go out with her with some of her friends the people who aren't on AD are defiantly in the minority. People group up with people who are like them I guess.

I can defiantly see why you think that most women are on them.

BadlyAgedMemes Of course men take them too. But when women are twice as likely to take them as men, then there is a clear issue here around sex.

Perhaps you might like to be medicated if it meant that the voices screaming at you in your head could be turned down to a murmur that you could learn to ignore? I know that sounds like I'm being a bit snarky but I can't think how else to phrase it, no sort of malicious intent is there.

I have been unmedicated, I definitely prefer medicated or exercised. I just don't have 3 hours a day to devote to exercise right now sadly.

Where is all the alleged stigma on this thread? Nobody has even remotely suggested that they think it's weak etc to take antidepressants. Those who are saying they wouldn't take them might fear possible stigma from others, but they aren't criticising people who do take them. Also, they may well have other reasons to be wary of anti-ds (side-effects, inability to come off them etc).

@clairemcnam Do you think less men take them because men seem to avoid going to the doctor in the first place?

I can only speak from my experience.