To be shocked the amount of people on antidepressants?

[Hotfuninthesummertime]

I know I'm unreasonable as I've been on them for years. However i work in a very close team and am aware of 10 out of 15 of us being on anti depressants for various reasons or life stressor. I was shocked so many people are being treated but it's so common! Is it more recognised now ? Or overtreated ?

Very close team I take it

What’s your line of work?

Personally over treated. GPs send it very easily (IME). I've spoken to many MH professionals and they've all agreed I don't need them. Maybe every once in a while (like once a year) I might benefit from diazepam, that's it

Caring profession so maybe a higher rate of use is to be expected ?

I'd love to know if my colleagues take them as I always think no one would have any idea that I do.. I put on a bit of a mask at work, everyone says how smiley and nice I am, but I have my demons.
Would be good to know how you know all your team are on them..

Life can be tough and I think the stigma is reducing. Not everyone will need to be on them long term either.

I've been on them since I've been 19. Without them I'm horrendous. I came off them for 2 years to ttc and it was awful.

I know quite a lot of mums on antidepressants. I’m not sure if it’s over treated. In my case I was offered counselling first & it was quite hard to be prescribed antidepressants postnatally. For me though when I’m properly depressed none of the self help methods work sufficiently.

I'm pretty open about being on them, so I have also discovered that lots of people around me are on them.

Honestly, I think it is harder to be happy in modern society. Life is boring and stressful at the same time.

They told me?

I think it's both. Mental health problems are very common and SSRIs are prescribed for everything. There needs to be more research on the long-term effects. I was prescribed a low-dose SSRI for anxiety for a year. It did help, but I gained a ton of weight and struggled to sleep (I had vivid horrible nightmares). Stopping taking it was hell. I'm glad I did though. I think in today's world people are stressed out and sick of feeling like garbage. The easy solution for doctors is to handover an anti-depressant med.

I think 1 in 5 are on them?

it’s the same at my work. Lots of us take them (and I’m sure there are others who don’t openly discuss like many of us do) It’s a low paid not great job so maybe higher than average.

I worked at a university for a time & so many of the students were experiencing depression & anxiety. I think there’s more awareness but also maybe the world is more anxiety provoking- social media, constant news etc. not sure.

I don't think I'll ever come off them !

This is the way I feel - I need the occasional anti-anxiety pill. I finally got a prescription for Xanax which is perfect. On average, I need one pill every couple of months. I cannot understand why doctors are so scared of Valium and Xanax. Not everyone is an addict!

Maybe better understood and diagnosed? My mother in the 1960s was merely prescribed tranquillisers.
I've been on antidepressants since 2005 ( depression triggered by an illness I had) and my GP has kept a close eye on me ever since. Last year I wasn't doing too well, so after dicussion with GP changed to a different one which is now working well. I see it as balancing the chemicals in my brain so I function as I should, as does my GP. If I have to have them the rest of my life (I'm mid-70s) so be it.

Yes I agree, both my dsis are on them and a couple of girls at work.
I've been having a hard time recently and my dsis keeps telling me to go to the GP and ask for some "happy pills", not sure they're working for her, she doesn't seem very happy.
I'm being flippant.
It does seem like a lot of people are on them

UK society is anxiety-causing. There are few community support structures outside of medical interventions.

I think it is often used as a quick fix rather than spending more time investigating underlying problems. DSis was feeling very down, and her GPS instant response was antidepressants. Thankfully she insisted on getting bloods checked out first and discovered she was very low in iron and B vitamins which can cause depression like symptoms.

I suspect because you’re in the health profession

Because pretty much any other industry… to know the medication that 10/15 of the team is on would be…. Well, unheard of I suspect

totally over prescribed in my opinion. I've been offered them multiple times over the years rather than have my actual issues treated (b12 deficiency, anemia etc)

Over treatment due to pace of life/state of public services/lack of support/uncaring employers. People have to bugger on through the hardest chapters in their life when rest and time out would be much more beneficial for them.
Time to heal emotionally is a luxury only the wealthiest have.

I mean I don't even think my life is bad. I just don't seem to be able to cope without them.

I've thought about this a lot and never really come to a conclusion myself.

I think people are often prescribed them without taking other approaches first, whether that's exercise, hobbies, seeing more family, changing stressful jobs, leaving depressing relationship, seeking help with addictions, counselling or CBT to process experiences and to avoid negative thinking etc.

BUT if it makes you feel happier, and they're not doing any harm (do they?), then why not I suppose.

It's sad that the underlying cause isn't really looked into, but I think changing that would rely on a societal and political systemic change rather individuals so much. So I'm not sure there's an answer without drugs.

Or does it come down to expectations? Do we just expect to be happier than what is realistic? I often wonder this with divorce rates too - maybe people just can't sit with the negative feelings anymore? Who knows!

But many wealthy people are also on antidepressants.