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.

I have a fulfilling job, make a good salary, and have a loving husband. I live behind the metaphorical wall.

That can’t change the fact that I spent my first 18 years forming neural pathways in a highly stressful situation. I’m proud of myself for asking for help from my GP. I use medication and an arsenal of calming techniques to live a much fuller life. I won’t accept any stigma for that.

My work as a nurse let to a full blown breakdown. Fk knows what I'd have done without medication

Anecdotal and completely unscientific but I think the reason that I feel happy on them is not because of some fake ‘high’ caused by the pills but because they remove layers of anxiety, stress and feelings of being overwhelmed , giving a sense of relief and calmness. All those feelings had built up over decades and through various traumatic experiences and nothing could shift them - just like sometimes when you need antibiotics to remove an infection. The ADs have cleared much of the negative stuff which means what is left is what is actually me, if that makes sense. So I have more energy as I’m not anxious all the time, I get a lot more done which makes me feel less
overwhelmed, and I panic less quickly which makes me far more capable, which in turn increases my self esteem. The most shocking thing for me was the immediate impact on my driving, I thought I had just become crap (and dangerous) but now I realise it was the anxiety making me basically unsafe on the road.

It's talked about as nauseum at the moment. Just go on tik tok.

ADs have been proven not to even work

Proven not to work? By who? What studies or research?

Cos they work for me.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/antidepressants-study-casts-doubt-on-drugs-taken-by-8m-people-db2dsb9zf

The global erectile dysfunction drugs market was valued at USD 2.30 billion in 2021.

Why are we normalising erectile dysfunction? Why are GPs throwing drugs at these men? We shouldn't be normalising this. These men should put up with no sex life while doctors run tests to find out why they've got problems.

The global insulin industry was valued at 22.3 billion usd in 2021. Why are we normalising insulin? Why are doctors throwing insulin at people when surely the patient should look at their lifestyle first so as to ensure that we aren't over prescribing insulin?

The global analgesics market is predicted to reach 149.3 billion usd by 2030. That's too much. We are overmedicalising people who are in pain. GPs need to stop throwing painkillers at people because ... Um... Too many people are in pain? We shouldn't normalise taking a painkiller when someone's in pain. They should continue to suffer daily while doctors do some tests. Those people should go for a walk or do yoga or something. I'm sure there's more they could do to help themselves so that we aren't normalising painkillers.

I'm so sorry you've been through crap. I hope you're doing better

Why are we normalising erectile dysfunction? Why are GPs throwing drugs at these men? We shouldn't be normalising this. These men should put up with no sex life while doctors run tests to find out why they've got problems.

The global insulin industry was valued at 22.3 billion usd in 2021. Why are we normalising insulin? Why are doctors throwing insulin at people when surely the patient should look at their lifestyle first so as to ensure that we aren't over prescribing insulin?

These are physical conditions where it's clear the drugs work. ADs aren't as simple.

Ridiculous to compare depressive states to the condition of either having a stiffy or not. Yes, sure, that might have MH implications but, honestly?

Read this www.bbc.com/news/health-62286093.amp

You absolutely cannot say that antidepressants have been proven not to work, FFS.

Of course it’s a good thing. It’s a medicine that improves the quality of people’s lives like many other medicines. Would you tell someone with rheumatoid arthritis it was no good thing they were taking DMARDS?

I have paracetamol when I have a temperature, aspirin or ibuprofen when I have a headache and I take steroids when my autoimmune condition flares up. I have steroid cream for my eczema which I will have to use on and off for the rest of my life to prevent my eczema returning. I take a rizatriptan tablet whenever I get a migraine so I can (usually) function normally after an hour or so.

I take antidepressants for my depression, which allows me to be motivated enough to do the non-medical treatments too, such as therapy, exercise, meditation etc.

It's just another medication and I just think the stigma has been removed rather than any sort of "normalisation" that means antidepressants are being taken unnecessarily. It's the same as "why are people normalising insulin for diabetes?!". Antidepressants are known to be an effective way to treat and reduce the symptoms of depression, allowing people to function better. They're just tablets which reduce the negative symptoms of an illness, like any other medication does.

While I do think the nation's mental health shouldn't be so poor that so many people do need antidepressants, I don't think removing the stigma over a medication which has been proven to help so many people is anything but a positive action and normalising seeking/receiving help for mental health problems shouldn't be looked down upon.

Research suggests antidepressants on average do work marginally better than placebos (dummy drugs people are told could be the real thing). There are debates among researchers about how significant this difference is.

Within that average is a group of people who experience much better results on antidepressants - doctors just don't have a good way of knowing who those people are when prescribing. And there is a group who will fare much worse.

While there are risks to leaving depression untreated, some people will experience serious side-effects from antidepressants - which the serotonin study's authors say need to be more clearly communicated.

Quotes from the BBC article

@Follycastle

My citalopram saved my life, more than once. I wasn't offered them as a first line though. I was referred for CBT. However I became suicidal while waiting so a prescription was written. Mental health is a minefield. It's so personal and what helps one doesn't help another. I've had counselling and CBT and the only thing that has reliably allowed me to live and enjoy my life is that little white pill I take in the morning. I did however feel like I'd "failed" because I hadn't just been able to pick myself up and dust myself off. So for me, to see other people taking similar medications makes me feel normal. Like I'm not the only person in the world that couldn't work out their problems and move on.

Clearly explained. Thank you for pointing this out.

Clearly explained. Thank you for pointing this out.

Sedated by James Davies provides a very readable discussion of the reasons behind increases in anti-depressant use, for anyone who'd like to explore more about this.

I’ve read this three times and still don’t see where it says antidepressants have been proven not to work, which is what you claimed.

Proven where? By whom? If you’ve no experience, why even comment. It’s better to sit and be quiet and look dumb, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt 😉

It’s wrong to say they have been proven not to work, that’s just not true. Researchers don’t understand the exact mechanisms by which they do work, but the evidence from millions of experiences are that they can be effective. www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/antidepressants

Thank you