intend you havedepression , but feel uncomfortable about the idea of treating it with medication ? Each individual ’s handling plan is unique , but if you feel like your lifetime could be better by antidepressants , you should n’t rent the many common myth and misconceptions surrounding their use keep you from seek the help you need .
Mental Floss speak with Dr. David Mischoulon , director of enquiry at Massachusetts General Hospital ’s Depression Clinical and Research Program , who determine the platter straight on some unwashed misconceptions about antidepressants .
1. THE MYTH: ANTIDEPRESSANTS DON’T ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE OF DEPRESSION.
There are multiple factors that can bring to depression , ranging from environmental or situational components to mind biochemistry . medicine can aid when the underlying causal agency is partly biological in nature .
“ For instance , there are some people who may develop imprint for no patent reason , ” Dr. Mischoulon says . “ There is perfectly no particular emphasis in their lives . There has n’t been any misfortune of any variety . In fact , they ’ll often say , ‘ I ’ve got a life that most of the humans would begrudge , ’ and yet they ’re depressed … Those hoi polloi often react very well to antidepressants , and in that sensory faculty , [ the medicament ] is capture at the root crusade [ of the depression ] , which is a biochemical instability in the brain . ”
At the other end of the spectrum , some people “ may become down primarily because of situational problem , ” Mischoulon adds . " They may be experiencing problems in the workplace , family problems , or a divorcement , thing like that . Those factors can sure as shooting contribute to depression — perhaps in compounding with a proclivity to becoming depressed , or because … the stress is just so , so tremendous that the person becomes depressed as a result . ”
Sometimes these individuals may not answer to antidepressants because the base cause is situational . If their situations were to improve — say , they got a better chore — they might start feeling better . Therapy might also help them acquire intimately make out skills .
“ There are certain kinds of therapy that have been cautiously studied in clinical trials , and for many [ clinical depression ] cases , they can go very well , ” Mischoulon enunciate . “ For good example , cognitive behavioral therapyis one of the well studied word form ; it ’s been show in some studies to be as in force as antidepressants . ”
That say , inquiry also suggest that for many people , treating depressive disorder with a combination of therapy and medication can be the proficient course of treatment . “ The two will function synergistically , " Mischoulon explains . " By combining the two you’re able to get a good result . ” ( If you ’re think about beginning therapy , here ’s a guide to figure outwhich eccentric is best for you . )
genial wellness researchersare render to pinpointways to severalise between a biochemical natural depression and situational economic crisis . But as of right now , " we ’re not at a degree where we can use what we ’ve learned in a clinical setting , " Mischoulon says .
2. THE MYTH: ANTIDEPRESSANTS ARE “HAPPY PILLS.”
“ If I give an antidepressant drug to a healthy individual — someone who ’s not down — they’re not give-up the ghost to be felicitous , or more cheerful ” as a result of take it , Mischoulon says . “ It only works to refund the mood to the affected role ’s normal baseline . So if you ’re gloomy , the antidepressant drug can help you get back to where you were . ”
3. THE MYTH: ANTIDEPRESSANTS ARE ADDICTIVE.
antidepressant drug “ are n’t drugs of abuse , ” Mischoulon says . They may better your depression symptom , which can conduce to increase energy levels and an improved modality , but they wo n’t get you high or make you hunger additional or stronger DoS — all trademark of dependency .
However , since your body grows accustomed to the drug , you may experience withdrawal syndromes — including headaches , dizziness , nausea , and fretfulness — if you stop taking it abruptly , “ similarly to what you might have with a recreational drug , ” Mischoulon explicate . If you ’re think about discontinuing an antidepressant drug , check with your doctor first . He or she will in all likelihood urge that you taper your dose over a period of days or weeks , depending on the medication .
4. THE MYTH: ANTIDEPRESSANTS WILL PERMANENTLY ALTER YOUR PERSONALITY.
Taking the right antidepressant can tardily help oneself a low someone return to his or her service line mood , making them feel and work more like “ themselves . " That said , Mischoulon does say that some patients on antidepressant “ report being emotionally benumb , like they ca n’t experience normal emotions . ” There are n’t many prospective or systematic studies that examine this phenomenon , but Mischoulon estimates that maybe 10 percent of the patient in his practice have report it . It ’s " a relatively small minority , " he tot .
If this happens to you , do n’t occupy : It ’s usually " not a known cause for care , ” Mischoulon says . This wo n’t “ cause lasting damage to someone ’s personality , or their electrical capacity to feel emotion … It ’s just a matter of discontinuing the antidepressant and try another one . ”
5. THE MYTH: ANTIDEPRESSANTS ARE A SHORT-TERM FIX.
If you were successfully plow with antidepressant drug , you may desire to verbalise with your Dr. about go along to take them as a preventative measure , even if you now palpate fine . Research shows that experiencing just one episode of depression put a person ata 50 pct riskfor experiencing another instalment , and increases their fortune for next relapse .
Some physician suggest treating conditions like major depression in the same way that you woulda chronic malady — with lifelong management . “ The good thing is that most antidepressants are very secure to take over the long full term , so if a soul had to take one indefinitely , it ’s not the worst thing in the world , ” Mischoulon says .
That said , if you ’ve react well to treatment and do n’t have a prior history of depressive episodes , there ’s a chance that you ’ll be OK if you come off them under a doctor ’s supervision .
6. THE MYTH: IF YOU TRY ONE ANTIDEPRESSANT AND IT DOESN’T WORK, MEDICATION ISN’T FOR YOU.
Once you start out taking an antidepressant drug , it can take week , if not calendar month , to finger the full effects . And since there ’s currently no good agency to predict which antidepressant drug will run for any one individual , there ’s always the luck that the one you ’re adjudicate may terminate up not being the right one for you . If this ends up being the eccentric , you ’ll have to begin the wheel anew — this time , with a dissimilar pill .
This test - and - error process can be warn for some patient . Keep in mind , however , that there are more than two XII antidepressants on the market — mean there ’s a good chance you ’ll find out something that alleviates your symptoms .
“ There are antidepressants from different families that differ biochemically , ” Mischoulon explains . “ What we find is that a plenty of mass will take a particular type of antidepressant and it may not work , and then they ’ll try an antidepressant from another family unit , and that one will play well for them . ”
7. THE MYTH: ALL ANTIDEPRESSANTS HAVE AWFUL, LONG-LASTING SIDE EFFECTS.
From insomnia to smear sight to fatigue , the long checklist of likely side effect included in your medicine mail boat can be intimidating , if not downright frightening . Do n’t worry : The likeliness that you ’ll have every single one of them is svelte , Mischoulon says . Most citizenry only meet one or two ; rough-cut side effects admit upset stomach , headaches , weight amplification , and drugging , but side impression vary from one medication to the next . ( For model , on average , Mischoulon estimates that about 15 pct of his patients report weight unit amplification . )
These side effects are sometimes short - condition , popping up during the initial stages of treatment and taper off as the patient ’s body gets used to the medication . Still , in other cases , they persist . In the latter example , you may desire to speak with your doctor about switch to another medicament or the good path to address your side effects .
8. THE MYTH: DOCTORS OVERTREAT AMERICANS FOR DEPRESSION.
allot to the National Center for Health Statistics , antidepressants werethe third most commonly prescribed drugtaken by Americans of all eld between 2005 and 2008 . ( Thoughnot all patientstake antidepressant for depression and anxiety ; they can also be used to handle other issues , include insomnia and chronic pain . ) Are these medications overprescribed to affected role ?
“ I think in certain circles they may be overprescribed , and in others they may be underprescribed , ” Mischoulon allege . “ What we do bonk is that there are a lot of people with imprint out there who are not being adequately address … This could apply to antidepressants , as well as mental hygiene . A lot of people are not getting handling at all who should be getting some handling . ”
People with depression do n’t receive aid for a diversity of reason , Mischoulon points out : Stigma , a lack of education , limited economical resource , or not living near a wellness care professional for treatment are just a few examples . That tell , there can be dire backlash for those who do n’t seek discussion , including self-destruction and worsened outcomes for concurrent medical conditions , like cardiovascular disease .
If you think you have depressive disorder and have the means to see a MD , " get a professional valuation , " Mischoulon advises . " Do n’t attempt to self - diagnose . Do n’t endeavor to handle it yourself with over - the - counter supplements . talk to your primary care medico , and maybe speak to a head-shrinker … If not treated properly , natural depression can have devastating consequences . "
