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 ?

Wild guess

you didn’t get the vaccine for covid?

This. Having worked in the IAPT system the rate is just staggering.

I agree with her and I got the covid vaccine. The evidence shows that anti-depressants are only the tiniest bit better than a placebo in the majority of cases. Maybe you should familiarise yourself with the research before you mock posters you don't agree with.

https://www.madinamerica.com/2022/08/antidepressants-no-better-placebo-85-people/

Not if you're good friends with your worl mates. I've always been extremely close to mine in most of the places I've worked in

I became suicidal when I came off anti-depressants too, but it did pass. For me it wasn't a good enough reason to stay on them. I told people about it and because I had been told suicide ideation was one of the withdrawal side effects I decided to push through it.

Not saying everyone should do this; all situations are different...just wanted to mention that being suicidal is a common side effect of coming off the meds. It doesn't always mean you relapsed.

YANBU. The problem is that nobody has resilience anymore, and instead of putting in the time and effort to work through their problems and improve their life, they take the easy route of a few pills.

I don't understand the stigma and judgment about antidepressants. I've been on them for just over a year and life is so much easier. Lots of things have fallen into place. I wish I'd taken them years ago, might have spared myself A LOT of misery and angst and terrible life choices. Life can be tough, especially for women.

I don’t know if they’re over prescribed but there seems to be little way of “checks” afterwards. I was prescribed them years ago, took for a while but stopped them and had no follow up since. Similarly my dad has been on them for years, just takes them and thinks they’re doing the job. Until he forgot to take them for a few days when my mum went into hospital, and his mood and general emotional state is 100% better, I can see such an improvement and he’s upset he’s gone years feeling like half a person. I know each individual needs some onus on their situation but seems like there’s little help after throwing a repeat prescription at someone.

Women attempt suicide more than men. But men tend to choose more violent methods so they work more often.

And coming off some anti depressants can be very difficult with suicide ideation a withdrawal side effect. I would never take them again.

My dh has depression. He didn't want to take antidepressants. He waited three months for nhs assessment. Was referred for CBT. He requested face to face. Got an appointment for 2 months later. Realised the week before no address so he rang and was told it was a telephone appointment. He explained he asked for face to face and was tol if he 'cancelled' the process would start again! Had 1st appointment which was another assessment and pretty much a repeat of previous one. At the end of the session they booked second session for in a month!! Counsellor didn't have any thing earlier. So will be over six months before he actually gets any help. I see why people take the tablets

I also agree with the pp that many people would've been suffering for years and years before they finally speak to the medical professional who then prescribe AD.

It may seem like a quick fix because they just saw the GP once but they've either probably tried other things before then or have been suffering for so long, it's the best fix in the moment while trying other things, if they're able to.

I was prescribed them for pain relief....oh God, I was bouncing off of walls.

Bloody awful things. I've never took them since. 😗

Yes of me my DH , SiL and BiL who we socialise with there's only me not on them ! It does surprise me how many are on them .

Source?

I find without them I cant function or work. When I was off them for 2 years I cried alot and nearly got sacked. Now I'm a single parent I can't afford to lose it at work.

I’ve been on them long term but have had some kind of depression or anxiety as long as I can remember, even in primary school.

As much as they’ve helped me the big downside is how hard they are to come off. The side effects of withdrawal are terrible, even if you wean off them slowly. I do wonder how many people are taking them still because they tried to stop but it was just too unpleasant.

Overtreated ime.

Often prescribed for women when it's actually an undiagnosed physical health issue such as thyroid disorder.

Also given to undiagnosed/misdiagnosed neurodiverse people. Far easier to give people a few pills than put them on a pathway to diagnosis.

When I took sertraline I was a better version of myself, without the anxiety and short temper. But I gained 2 stone and struggling to lose it, so off it now but this makes me depressed in itself.

Living in the UK is hard. I'm getting divorced and the process is horrendous. I've spoken to so many people from European countries who say where they're from the mum stays in the Family home and doesn't share custody of the children, women are protected from the aftermath of divorce. My kids and I are in an awful custody situation that doesn't work for anyone and we're losing our home. Hard not to be depressed really.

Mix of the effects of COVID and also overtrrated.

My SIL is on anti-depressants for OND after her DD was born. Her DD is now 21

I didn't realise it was ever has high as 85% but I did know for a section of population they don't do much - and for teens I believe it can be even worse with little research there to guide prescribing.

I also had all covid vaccinations and have my kids and rest of my family.

Often prescribed for women when it's actually an undiagnosed physical health issue such as thyroid disorder.

Friend has this 2 years taking anti depressant for pnd - had little to no effect she was always tried and put her marriage under hue strain - she saw a locum as she was getting up to leave they asked what they were doing about the goitre she had - in end turned out they had tested her thyroid levels just never looked at results despite two year of going back asking for more help. Getting on right medication made a huge difference to her.

I've had it with pill - last time it was in press that for some women it made then anxious and depressed - and after being talked into pill last time my anxiety was so bad I was struggling to leave the house. GP dismissed it said it couldn't be that and offered anti-depressants rather than talk me through other options or even other pill type. Stopped taking the pill back to normal.

I think where they are appropriate they save live - but are sadly overprescribed and there not always help there to come of them.

I think it's a first line of treatment. You can't just put someone on the pathway for ND diagnosis for depression and anxiety symptoms unless they're presenting with other symptoms especially the diagnostic criteria.

I have all 3 diagnosis btw. Being treated for one doesn't nullify the others. I think it's usually once the first one or two have been treated and other symptoms either emerge or the symptoms don't go away, then more avenues are looked at closely.

I do think in some cases they are overprescribed; they were chucked at me within 5 minutes when I was in a DV relationship and had a small child. I didn’t take them long because they didn’t help, I could have used therapy but there’s hardly any resources available and those that are have long waiting lists.

I think the issue is that for a lot of people in this country, life is a grind. Get up, go to work, underpaid, everything’s expensive, no support from families because they’re having to work longer too, raising kids alone. It’s fairly easily to get mental health issues.

Very, very overtreated imo.

Dh and I were having this conversation yesterday. Of the 3 parents and 5 siblings we have between us, every single one of them takes antidepressants.

In three of the cases (one each of our sisters, women in their mid 20's with no history of MH difficulties at all and one parent), all were given anti d's within 4 weeks or so of the first lockdown in 2020. They felt sad and worried apparently. Three years later and they're all still on them. And our sisters both like to share a number of 'I'm proud of me, my MH isn't who I am', boss-bitch type FB memes.

I'm not minimising the general impact the pandemic had on MH... but I think people have lost sight of the fact that ups and downs in mood are normal and will often self resolve IF given a chance. Lots of people felt down during lockdown but medicating yourself almost immediately seems to be the path many people (and Doctors) have taken.

I've been on them for 3 years, I'm 38. I had couple of days when I forgot to take them recently and felt generally awful and suicidal. Jittery, vacant and like I was about to cry at any moment. I've never had any bad side effects to them either. I'm able to go to work, look after my daughter, get some sleep and feel calm.
I'd be happy to take them long term.
My partner is on them, but I don't know many other people who are.