this is what i think of antidepressants (read added details) what do u think?

Question

i hope not bcz all they are is a placebo effect but with potentially nasty side effects... hence it says it takes 4-6weeks for them to work thats bcz it usually takes 4-6 weeks for someones life problems to get sorted out..
if not then they up the dosage blah blah...
happiness comes from the environment which in turns effects many chemicals in our brains and our souls which are individual
the only good thing about antids is that some people like to believe they are working so therefore it helps them..
when in actual fact it just themselves and the placebo effect which gets them thru..
no actual "chemical imbalance" has been proven what with contradicting studies and not to mention that apparently youve got depression if youve been sad for more than 2 weeks.. who hasnt been sad for more than 2weeks????
everyone has and did they need drugs or else they wouldnt come out of that state??
NO and if they didnt get thru it, its probably bcz their life stinks...
what did people do befor

depression was not seen as an illness or a chronic life long illness as it can be viewed today!!! people just got on and saw it as a transient and NORMAL part of life... how is depression a disease???If you really have a MEDICAL rather than there are blood tests etc to prove it AND the condition really is something that will not go away by itself and affects the PHYSICAL body...

Answer 1

There are people who are really "clinically depressed" and have serious mental conditions. And, there are people who are just feeling the blues. We should not be so hasty in generalizing and judging people. You should be so lucky you don't know anyone who really needs medical help. And, I agree with you that those people who don't really need it should just chill and stop popping pills.

Answer 2

Doctors would not prescribe anti-depressants to people for only having symptoms for 2 weeks. Most likely, the symptoms have to be lasting for months, and not everyone who is depressed has a bad life or 'needs their life sorted out'. In fact this is why depression is often over diagnosed. People who have gotten themselves into situations go to the doctor and complain of being sad for weeks, and feel depressed. These are the people who don't have a chemical imbalance.. they have a situational depression, and would most likely get better given the right environment.
But there are many people who lead a normal or good life, but still feel sad and depressed for no reason. This can go on for years and years. Antidepressants are not placebos. I have been on Zoloft and noticed a difference in my body and mind. I did not like the effect it had on me though.. it caused me to think constantly.. even when i slept i was 'thinking' and could remember my thoughts running through my head the whole night. doctors just need to find the right drug for the right problem that people have. You have obviously not experienced depression so that is why you don't understand it. And yes there have been chemical imbalances proven. Thats how they figure out what to put into anti-depressants.

Answer 3

Speaking as someone who suffers from clinical depression you are making a lot of assumptions. Yes there was a time that there was no medication but that doesn't mean that people just blithely went on with their lives. People were sent away to institutions or even hidden away from the rest of society by their loved ones. Real clinical depression does not just go away in 4-6 weeks with or without medication you are very naive to think so. I have participated in the placebo vs real medication studies. It is no joke. Yes, some of the medications have nasty side effects and sometimes you must try more than one to get the necessary effect, but if you had ever been clinically depressed you would know that to get out of the horrible place that depression puts you it is worth the risk. Happiness does not only come from the environment I have known many people that are going through adversity that do not become depressed. There are also people that are depressed that are not going through anything at all. Have you ever felt like you were in a hole and there was no way out ever? Have you ever felt as if no matter what you did things would turn out wrong and it was all your fault? Have you ever felt life was not worth living? Have you ever felt that you were worthless and everyone would be better off without you? Have you ever felt so bad that just getting up and getting dressed was a major feat requiring herculean effort? Have you ever felt like things you used to love to do were just not worth the effort? That's what clinical depression feels like my friend. If you had ever experienced it for yourself you would not dare to make the assumptions you are making.

Answer 4

There is "proof" of chemical inbalance in the brain. and the reason it takes 4 to 6 weeks is because that is how long it takes the brain to start reacting to the drug. I believe there are bad anti-depressants out there, and also good ones. If you have noticed, this mental illness has went on for centuries, why do you think people commit suicide? Your brain is the center of your whole body, i have noticed more mental illness since the women's movement. Women want to be equal...Great! now, there are children being abused, daycare and schools, women do not raise their children anymore. Divorce is a major factor, single parents, bills exceeding the take home income. This is a sad situation, although it is not from someone being sad. It is due to Live Stress that never seems to end.

Answer 5

You have Mentioned Anti-depressants dosage increased - by whom? Self medication is dangerous.
Depression is not due to a single factor. All aspects governing it shall be understood before embarking upon solutions to the same.
Sadness and depression are not the same. You will come out of sadness by normal means and time will heal it. Depression will require a change in the environment for the better than one he/she had been.
You have mentioned happiness comes from environment whereas it can be the other way also. Happiness is derived by the satisfaction and fulfilment of a desire of an individual.
Hence please don't advocate on these things for which a separate set of specialists are available.
VR.

Answer 6

If you are depressed - try thinking seriously about what is making you unhappy.

Perhaps you are depressed because of an unhappy marriage, got a job that sucks, kids are bad, you're broke - whatever.

Instead of taking some pills for a little while till your blues go away - work on the things you've reflected on.

If ALL ELSE fails then discuss it with your doctor.

Just cuz your neighbour/co-worker/friend/family member may have taken them doesn't mean they are the answer for you.

If you do take them - take a little time to reseach your particular pill. Find out what it will do to you and all the various side effects.

Answer 7

Well, I think that if a drug could make someone happy and enjoy their life.. and it is regulated and prescribed by a doctor.. then why not? ALSO.. depression has been around and diagnosed as depression for A LONG TIME.. it used to be called Mania.. people who were put in the nut house in the 40's - 70's weren't crazy, they were just depressed.. perhaps you should do some research before you start talking.

Answer 8

I agree with you to some extent.
For mild cases, therapists do not prescribe pills... and that is the correct way to go, probably.
But if the patient is suffering very badly, is losing energy, gets no sleep, etc. etc. etc. ... then he/she might need serious help - and medication may prove useful for some time.
Don't judge so fast... you don't know what those people experience, after all.....

I think depression has become a "fashion disease" newly... that is the problem! One should focus on keeping one's balance in life and then, it just... won't happen!
As always, prevention is better than cure.
:-)

Answer 9

There are people who simply drift along, searching for somewhere they belong to in this world. Looking for a place to call their own, they want to know where they stand in life. Years go by, but the answers might still be unknown to them, even til their very last breath on their deathbeds. Maybe that's what this journey called life is all about.

But living life is never a waste. When we have somebody to love and something to hope for, we learn to embrace the true beauty of life. Cherish every moment of your life because once it's gone, it will never come back. Sometimes you miss it so badly that it hurts inside.

Answer 10

Yeah. Sure.
Depression isn't real at all. I mean I only sufferd from it since I was 7 years old. You know seven year olds have all the reason in the world to horridously sad. PS. Sarcasm! It is a real problem.