25th February 2018
Anti-depressants have been in the news this week following a major study that states that they do in fact actually work.
Well, I’m sure that all the people that have used anti-depressants for depression, anxiety and other mental health issues already knew this. As someone who has taken anti-anxiety medication through various times of my life, I read the articles with interest. As an Autistic, anxiety levels are often high and at periods of my life too high. Have they worked for me?
Yes, but as the news story says, I too have been scared about taking them due to the stigma that surrounds them. However, whenever I have taken them there has been an incredible improvement in my mental health, once my body had adjusted to them being in my system. So why was I so worried? and will this new major study influence my decision to take these pills in the future when needed? Here are my thoughts on these drugs.
My opinion is that the stigma comes from two areas, the risk of side effects and the risk of addiction. If you read the side effects of any anti-depressant medication then you’ll see there are a lot at varying levels of danger. Whenever I have been mentally unwell in a period before I was described these drugs, I can say that I was not at my best in terms of thinking straight.
During these periods I would catastrophise and I truly believed that I would have every side effect listed in the “please read before taking” leaflet. So was this true? Well whenever I have started to take them, I would have some initial minor side effects like nausea, but these would go after being on the pills for several weeks. Then I felt fine. So far in my life I have never had any of the more serious side effects.
However, everyone is different biologically and just because I have not had any serious effects does not mean that the next person won’t. The point I’m trying to make is that until you start taking them, you won’t know. It is important to try and remember that there are several different types of these drugs which act on the body in different ways.
So if one sort does not suit and causes side effects, then there will be others that might not. Also if you research online, you will find many opinions and stories from people who are sharing their experiences of taking these meds. These can be positive and negative but it does not mean you will be affected in the same way.
The symptoms of depression and anxiety are debilitating and awful to experience. These symptoms can destroy lives. If there are drugs that can improve these symptoms and even help to eradicate them, isn’t the risk of some temporary side effects for a short while worth it? I suppose it depends on the individual, the severity of their illness and how suitable the medication would be for them (for example, are they already taking any drugs that might interact).
Again, I can only talk about my own experience but I have always gone through the following process: been scared to take them cause of side effects, started taking them, had temporary side effects and then felt so much better. The final part of this process is feeling regret that I did not start taking them sooner, and that I took that step to improve my mental health earlier.
The second stigma comes from the thought of becoming addicted to them. I do not really feel qualified to discuss this in detail but I have never had any problems stopping taking them. It is important though that you stop taking them by following the advice of your doctor, psychiatrist or medical professional, as you have to be weaned off them. Just stopping taking them, can cause you to suffer withdrawal side effects such as nausea and anxiety. This is apparently not the same as addiction though, but can be horrible. I have come off anti-depressant medicine several times by slowly reducing the dose and have never had any issues. Although I am sure that some people do.
My thoughts in conclusion then are as follows. Mental illness is illness. You would take medication for a physical illness to manage or eradicate that illness, wouldn’t you? In my opinion there should be no difference for mental health. If you are finding alternative ways to treat your mental health, then fine you might not need medication.
Physical illness can be treated without pills but if that illness gets worse, your quality of life is compromised and you are struggling then do not fear having to take medication. Same for Mental health. But do it in a safe way. Consult your family, friends and most importantly your doctors and medical experts. After yourself, they know you best and would want you to be well and happy. Make sure you do your research with these people and question anything you read in the media.
The study in the news says that the debate on whether they work or not is now ended, which may be true in the medical world, but I also think that only your personal experience will tell you if they are going to work for you. They have for me in the past and if you are suffering with mental illness, whether you take pills or not, I hope that you feel better soon.