Why are people normalising antidepressants?!

[mumyes]

Just watched yet another reel on Instagram about "the thugs that make me happy"...coffees with friends, downtime, fresh air...and my antidepressants.

It feels like the entire world thinks it's normal to take them.

I am in no way judging those who do, it just feels bloody tragic that life is so shit for so many people that this is now becoming what seems like the norm.

Lessen stress on people, pay them more, treat workers better.

Oh no, let's treat people like shit & shovel pills into them so they don't care.

Surely this is not a good thing.

No it’s not a good thing but our society is not equipped to prevent the problem but to ‘treat’ it.

They are more common than you think. Mental health is not talked about enough, it's totally normal to need anti depressants just like it's to totally normal to need medicine for your heart or your joints or a headache, your mental health needs to be cared for too!

Curious why you think this way.

Lots of peoples lifes are improved by antidepressants.

A lot of people drink alcohol to self medicate or engage in many other harmful behaviours.

Anti depressants are one of the healthier methods of tackling mental health issues.

Also is it normalising or is it reducing the stigma?

Do you realise that some people with good pay, stress free lives and bosses that treat them well can also suffer from depression?

Depression isn’t always down to life circumstances, even people with everything going for them that ‘shouldn’t be depressed’ can still suffer horribly with depression.

Absolutely normalise antidepressants. Keeping them as something to be ashamed of is what stops people seeking help and taking antidepressants when they are offered them.

They are given out far too freely with little consideration for other (non-pharmaceutical) ways of dealing with things.

I'm very happy to take mine.

I take the OP to mean they don't like the normalisation of needing antidepressants, as against the medication itself.

Anti-depressants don't make anyone happy. That is not how they work.

The same reason we normalise putting plasters on cuts, running a burn under cold water, taking antibiotics for a bacterial chest infection, and taking paracetamol when you have a headache. Because antidepressants are the appropriate medication for depression in a lot of cases.

Why does it offend you to “normalise” taking medication when necessary?

Perhaps it makes it less scary and decreases the stigma around being medicated for a potentially life threatening condition……

Exactly this.

My life was saved by anti depressants. Just a small dose but my god, the difference.

They make people happy to the same extent that fresh air does.

If there’s a very reasonable cause for the feelings, e.g. bullshit job, is it still depression or just a very rational response?

Totally agree, my job as a nurse has meant I have just had to start a 2nd anti depressant. I really should leave, but have lost my confidence and feel pretty bad about myself in general.

Live and let live.

I know people who 100% need antidepressants and they are a real lifeline for them. What's wrong with admitting this?

How do antidepressants make you feel happy? Genuinely asking.

Do they take away sadness?? What if someone in the family has an accident, can you not be sad even if you physically wanted too?

How do they make you feel happy? Like floating on a cloud constantly?? make you forget what is bringing you down?

HOW do they work? Is everyone different?

I have a great job, a lovely family and home and am not treated like shit at all. I'm still chronically depressed and rely on medication to function.

Yeah. I take a low dose of sertraline. I'm not running around full of the joys of spring all the time! But it helps me out of the mire so that I can live a normal life. My mental health still needs work but without sertraline I wouldn't have the motivation to work at it, by going for a walk or eating healthy foods, or talking to a friend. I wouldn't even realise that's what I should do when I'm in a bad way.

There's circumstantial depression (for example depression because you lost your job or had a divorce) and also chronic depression that either could be genetic in nature, part of a broader mental health issue or condition such as general anxiety disorder or PTSD or issues with coping strategies.

Mental health isn't one size fits all. Any GP worth their salt wouldn't diagnose long term use of an AD (at least not alone) for circumstantial depression.

I am really interested to understand this too...

We were talking about this at work before Christmas. 7/9 of our team take antidepressants or anti anxiety meds

Lots more in the wider team do too, most speak openly about it

Nothing wrong with taking them / needing them and mental health struggles need to be normalised. But, re antidepressants, isn’t there evidence to suggest they only help a proportion of people? Aren’t there are more effective ways to deal with the issues for which they’re prescribed? Eg therapy. The issue is therapy is not accessible. Also, I think the adverse affects of most medications are often overlooked.

@mumyes, I'm very interested to hear what you suggest they do instead, putting aside your completely unrealistic solution? Unless you've been living under a rock, as PP have pointed out, surely you know that depression is not just a product of poor working conditions?
Yes, I've bitten on what I believe to be a truly goady OP (or otherwise it was written from a place of complete ignorance).
Yes, I take antidepressants. Does that make me abnormal?
Do let me know your thoughts.....

In my experience they don't make you happy. They level you out more so you are less likely to fall into a deep depressive pit. You still feel a normal spectrum of emotions. You just don't feel powerlessly depressed. That's if the medication works for the patient.