Would you answer this very personal question?

Question

I am very concerned about the number of people on antidepressants in my country (U.S.).

A friend who works in a pharmacy said 85% of people getting prescriptions are on them.

I find this very disturbing. I want to know if you or someone you know is on them and why. How long have you been on them? Who prescribed them (psychiatrist, general practitioner, internist)? And do they monitor you on them (tell you to check back every 3-6 months)?

I appreciate your honest answers.

Answer 1

I've known plenty of people who have taken (and benefited from) antidepressants.
However, either your friend is wrong, or your area is geographically depressing.
The percentage of Americans taking antidepressant drugs increased from 5.6 percent in 1997 to 8.5 percent in 2002, according to the most recent government data from the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Answer 2

Well, I've been on Prozac for several months for generalized anxiety disorder. My psychiatrist prescribed the Prozac and, yes, I have periodic appoints with him to discuss how I am doing on the medicine.

Clinical depression is the most common cause of disability in the US. Something like 15% of the population has or will develop depression in their lifetime. Have you ever heard the statistic "1 in every 4 people has a mental problem?" (It pops up all over the place, somehow people find that humorous) I don't know the accuracy of that statistic, however I'm sure the vast majority of those people would have an anxiety disorder, depression, etc, hence requiring antidepressants. I've also heard of people being put on mild antidepressants to help cope during periods of bereavement.

Another factor could be the the location of this pharmacy. You say "85% of people getting prescriptions are ON them," not that that's what they are at the pharmacy for. If this pharmacy is an area where there are many senior citizens, who often develop grief for many reasons, then that may not be unlikely.

Personally, I know many, many people who use antidepressants and have mental illnesses. Perhaps it is the belief that all people with depression are "emo" and "goth" that makes this statistic seem surprising, but that is very much not the case. Think of all the actresses with anorexia. Do they fit this description at all? In the US, illnesses of this nature are simply very, very common.

Answer 3

I completely 100% agree with you. I was on antidepressants for seven years, and have been off antidepressants for just over two years, and off of all medication for about seven months. A couple of family members of mine also take them. Since I know the most about my own situation, I'll just answer about me.
I took them for severe depression, and, like I said, for seven years. It was several different antidepressants though. A psychiatrist always prescribed them. Most of the time I was on them, I was also seeing the same psychiatrist for therapy, so we tended to talk about medication less often, only when things were going badly. When I wasn't in therapy with a psychiatrist, I usually checked in once a month or so.
When I made the decision to start going off of medications (because I felt somewhat better, but mostly because I wanted to see if I could manage without them, and also I would like to have children at some point, and don't want to be on them when I'm pregnant), my psychiatrist was NOT supportive. I can understand his position, I had been very ill for a long time, had been hospitalized repeatedly and had been in residential treatment. He didn't understand why I didn't want to take the medication, since I had no problem taking medication for migraine headaches.
My position is this: if you need the medication, take it. It's better than hurting yourself or someone else. But try other options. I think there are a lot fewer people out there with permanent chemical imbalances than psychiatrists would lead us to believe. Therapy will probably help. And being on medications CAN BE TEMPORARY. You probably don't need to be on it for life.
I think it's very true that a lot of people would rather take a pill then work on fixing the problem. I think it's a shame that doctors will prescribe an antidepressant, and the person isn't even in therapy.
Now before people get mad at me, there isn't anything wrong with medication, when used appropriately. I just think that in some cases, the use of medication is not appropriate.

Answer 4

Having been in therapy for 6 years, on antidepressants for 3 of those, having worked in the psych field and now being a Service Coordinator for a building housing elderly and disabled I have researched the question of why? The reason for prescribing antidepressants is a chemical imbalance in a person's brain. This can be caused by life situations, genetics, and a myriad of other things but the need to take these drugs is imperative until this imbalance is corrected. I also believe that along with the psychotropic therapy is also required.

Answer 5

my swing on the bipolar spectrum.. ranges from months of suicidal depression to a manic side with psycotic periods to the point of feeling I am my own hand puppet being controlled by invisible strings.. so for those that have the opinion that mental illness is a ploy for attention or an easy way out of dealing with personal issues... try coping with me on a bad day without the meds that stabilize my mixed up mind.. Good luck :)
Lamictal 300 Mg.. Seroquel 200 Mg .. sometimes much more depending on how I am feeling.. occasional Ativan in small doses when on a manic spike to shut my mind up. prescribed by a team of specialists in the mental health department of my local hospital. A combination of therapists, psychiatrists, and regular doctors, and my GP all work together with recommendations for what might be the best options for me. I am in there every 3-4 weeks.. I work a full time job (same place 6 years) and have been somewhat stabilized for a couple years now.. it's been a fun ride.. yeah right! .. I manage, somtimes better than others.
85% seems waaay out of proportion.. I would be more inclined to believe 20% .. cancer, aids, pain meds, heart issues, diabetics, blood pressure issues .. in your math all of these combined only account for less than 15% of meds?? and you believe that?
There's my honest answer :)
Wellll, you asked for it :)

Answer 6

I don't use them, and I don't suggest using them.


Here's the thing: The human race has been around, as we know it, for many many centuries. We have had these issues for much of that time, but we never had labels for them, and most of the time we simply were broken of our habits by proper parenting (a swat works wonders!) or by negative popular reaction.

This country now believes in the "pill will cure you" theory, but it's causing issues that is quite contradictory. Remember the woman who went off anti-depressants and drowned her two children? The issue isn't that she was on them, but that, by taking them, her common sense and intuition was so altered and weakened that she couldn't cope with not having the drug in her system.

The concept of an antidepressant sounds good, but only if it is used in unison with practiced reductive techniques. Habits that help straighten the person out without the necessity of drugs. We've essentially legalized mind-altering substances, in the proclaimation of good health, and that's bad. I'm willing to bet that most of the 85% of the people are not getting a practiced reductive activity, to reduce the necessity of drugs, and get out of depression naturally.


Yes, it is hard. Yes, we all need help. But the mind is very strong, and it is also very mysterious. We can use it to our benefit, or watch it destroy us from the inside if we do what we are doing now...messing with the chemistry.

Answer 7

You are right to feel alarmed at the rise in mental illness in our country and for that matter, around the world. It is on the rise due to traumatic events, financial demands, and genetic inheritance. The only way to stop it is to treat it and treat it now. Yes, that means you see alot of people on medications, but hopefully the tide will stem through education and understanding. That is the greatest downfall of our country and many states so far, understanding. People with mental illness are shunned in societies across the country and forced into feeling guilty or worse about their condition. That makes their over all condition worse and submits some to suicide. My own story reflects this perfectly. I was an officer for my city for 6 and a half years. I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and they suddenly found that I was not worthy of being an officer. But get this, I had five and a half years of near perfect record on the job. I did my work faithfully and even saved lives in the prospect. Bipolar doesn't just show up out of the blue, I happen to know that I have suffered from it for many many years before I finally had a diagnosis to have it treated. I couldn't believe my superiors could be so shallow. I suffered a loss of identity and could have lost my life to suicide. Now, I am taking my life back and I am suing the office I worked for. That brings me to another problem that needs to be solved: diagnosis. It is way to hard in most states to get a good diagnosis from a doctor who isn't afraid to say "this is what it is". I am an abuse survivor and for how long it took me to get a diagnosis, I could have been under treatment for a long time before I became an officer. I had a long climb in life where I lived in a cardboard box when I was fifteen. It was a long long fall, let me tell you. So to answer your question. I am on medication for my condition due to traumatic experiences and I have been permanently changed. I will likely be on medication for the rest of my life. The important thing for me is to make sure that none of my children go through what I went through. Thank you for this question. Do you mind if I post it in my 360?

Answer 8

My husband became suicidal so I had contacted his doctor and he prescribed Effexor, Risperdal and Ambien for mood disorder and depression. He was being monitored closely however as he continued to gain weight, nothing was done to stop that or monitor that which in my opinion was just as unhealthy and life-threatening as the depression was. (Weight gain being a side effect of the meds and he was already overweight).

I guess you can only take care of one ailment at a time?

He has since weaned off the Risperdal and Ambien and he is on 1/2 the dose of Effexor that he was on which is good and this was all possible due to making lifestyle changes which allowed his stress level to decrease substantially (a job change).

I would have to say that the meds did make a huge difference in his ability to handle life and he once said to me that if it hadn't of been for my intervention, he wouldn't be here (meaning alive) today.

Answer 9

I've gotten rx for zoloft a few times by different doctors, all general practitioners. the first time because I admitted I drank every day (at that time, no longer). I eventually stopped after several months just because I didn't feel like taking them anymore. The other times for depression years later. I also stopped several months after taking them just because I wanted to feel reality again, It killed both my sorrow and joy and that is what life is about. the ups and downs. I dont' regret taking them. They helped me temporarily through some very depressive states and at one time helped me to lose a lot of weight (which unfortunatley is creeping back up on me). anyway.
I think that anti-depressants are a symptom of our times., They are a "safe" drug to take, since using illegal drugs to self medicate is considered taboo or you are an addict. for some reason, Rx drugs don't count. It is because of the ridiculous drug war which has split the meaning of 'drug" from bad drugs (narcotics) and "good" drugs-"medication". Pharmaceutical companies have helped by pushing their brand of mind altering drugs on the population-- who always needs something. We live in a crazy ADD world, there is too much information and too many problems all over the world that we know about and probably shouldn't. Technology has a funny effect on the human condition and our psychology. I think that we are progressing too fast in our evolution as people and our minds haven't caught up. We have ways to protect ourselves from harsh reality but sometimes it doesn't work and we get depressed and feeling hopeless. So we either choose drugs or some form of religion to turn to. The rest of us are lucky we can handle it all without losing our minds.

Answer 10

I had a friend that has taken Lithium, Depokote and last I know about Olanzapine for Manic Depression. It is prescribed by his Psychiatrist and he has to take it some form of Anti Depressant for life (he's not likely to get better, in fact, he gets worse as he gets older).

I think he gets medicine whether he sees his doctor or not.