Society has seen a push in the last few years to talk about mental health and understand it better than ever before.
It’s created a culture where people aren’t as afraid to talk about their mental health concerns, which helps millions of people find treatment every year. Studies show that 47.2% of US adults now receive treatment for mental health conditions, compared with around 20% just a few years ago.
The trend is positive, yet there’s still a long way to go as we understand mental health and the different mental health treatments out there. Specifically, society is full of myths about certain treatments, such as antidepressants.
According to MedicalNewsToday, antidepressants are a category of drugs designed to help relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Common drugs for this are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). In theory, they work by adjusting the chemicals in your brain and altering the hormones produced to regulate your mood and behavior. Research shows that depression and anxiety are caused by chemical imbalances, leading to many of the common symptoms you experience with either condition. Drugs that can counteract these imbalances are believed to be some of the best ways to treat these common mental health problems.
Nevertheless, the world is still relatively new to the idea of antidepressants, and this means a catalog of misinformation exists. Individuals searching for information on these drugs will often run into false reports, which can impact their decision on whether or not to take them for depression or anxiety. This post hopes to clarify any misconceptions by tackling the most common myths about antidepressant drugs.
Myth: Antidepressants Are Addictive Drugs
People suffering from anxiety or depression will be cautious about taking antidepressants as they’ve been led to believe they’re addictive. Some websites will encourage this myth, though our experience tells us this is largely because they wish to peddle an “alternative” treatment. In reality, medical experts all agree that antidepressants are not addictive substances. They don’t contain the same chemicals as opioids and other addictive substances, nor do they elicit the same responses in your body. One can take antidepressants for an extended period without becoming addicted to them.
Indeed, most of the best drug rehab facilities will administer antidepressants as a treatment method for recovering drug addicts. It’s done as a way to combat the mental health symptoms of addiction, though this alone should prove these drugs are not addictive. Otherwise, why would rehab centers risk administering them?
The myth about the addictiveness of antidepressants stems from withdrawal symptoms. If you take these drugs for a long time and immediately stop using them, you will see some withdrawal side effects. This doesn’t make the drugs addictive – it’s a very common thing that happens whenever you stop taking any long-term drug.
Myth: If You Don’t See Changes Within A Week, The Antidepressants Don’t Work
Antidepressants are not a magical fix for your mental health problems. Don’t assume you can start taking these drugs and experience positive changes right away. Some people will tell you that you need to see changes after a week, or else the medication isn’t working.
This is a myth.
The National Institutes of Health explains that antidepressants may take 1-2 weeks to show an effect, but it often takes far longer than this for your symptoms to improve. This is for regular use, ensuring you never miss a dose.
Realistically, it could take a month before you see any improvements in how you feel and operate. As a consequence, it’s wise to keep taking your antidepressants for at least four weeks and track the way you think and feel every day. There might be instances when you take the medication for this length of time and still don’t see a difference. This just means the specific drugs aren’t working for you – that’s normal, and you can try something else by reporting back to your doctor.
Myth: Antidepressants Require A Lifelong Prescription
Medical professionals regularly report that this is the most common misconception patients have about antidepressants. People are worried about receiving a prescription as they believe it’s set in stone for life. They fear that starting a course of antidepressants will result in them taking these drugs forever to combat their symptoms.
This stems from the idea that antidepressants are the only way to treat depression and anxiety – which is false.
Antidepressants are extremely useful in tackling many of your symptoms and restoring a chemical balance to your brain. However, you should never rely on them as the only source of relief. Depression and anxiety are complex conditions that typically have triggers. The CDC notes that some of these triggers could be:
- Traumatic events
- Major life changes
- Existing chronic medical conditions
- High levels of stress
Different things will cause your brain to release certain chemicals, disrupting the balance and causing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Therefore, tackling some of your triggers can help you see long-term relief. For instance, if you’re extremely stressed, this may lead to severe anxiety. Finding ways to deal with stress will help ease it, which in turn relieves some of your symptoms of anxiety.
All the while, you’re taking antidepressants to help coax the recovery process along. Most people will take these drugs for six months, possibly a year, before gradually coming off them. It gives them the boost they need to seek ways of tackling triggers, which will ultimately be the only way to see long-term relief from mental health symptoms.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Help When You Need It
As the myths about antidepressants pile up, it’s easy to be deterred from asking your doctor about them. Hopefully, this post has cleared up a lot of misconceptions, so they don’t seem as scary as they once did. One final thing to note is that you don’t need to take antidepressants if you’re depressed or suffering from anxiety. This is merely one of many treatment options available – the most important thing is that you’re not afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Book an appointment with your doctor and discuss the options available to you today. If they recommend antidepressants, you could try them and see if they agree with you.
