Why does depression have a stigma attached .....?

Question

depression can affect all walks of life , rich and poor people , but why do people frown upon anti-depressants ?? I have read a few answers over time here in answers and they were all really negative towards anti-depressants ... why is that ??
Some may be habit forming but not all are and even so when coming off any meds it should be a gradual process and carefully monitored by your gp ... The benefits of these meds far outweigh the negative ...

I myself am a depression sufferer and rely on my medication . Without the help i have received from numerous people goodness knows where i would be today .

Answer 1

Unfortunately, most mental illnesses still seem to have a huge stigma attatched to them, and I don't think this is helped by the current surge of people getting signed off with 'depression and anxiety' - this makes people assume that all of us are just lazy people who don't want to work, whereas in reality a lot of us would give anything to be well enough to work.

I don't know what we can do about this though, how can we change societies veiw on depression? It certainly won't be an overnight thing.

Also, there have been a lot of controversial news stories regarding antidepressants, so a lot of people are very fearful. News progammes like Panorama that talk about drugs like Seroxat are very sensationalist and cause a lot of hysteria. The media needs to be more responsible with how it discussed issues like this. Yes, Seroxat can cause problems in some people (I was one of them) but it has benefited a lot of people.

Others see the tablets as an 'easy way out' and think that we should just be able to pull our socks up - they don't seem to realise that if we could just click our fingers and get better, we would!

The use of antidepressants is a personal choice, doctors also need to focus on 'talking therapies', but we shouldn't forget the benefit these drugs have to many people.

That said, I've seen a lot of people answering questions on depression with statements such as "Just go to your doc and ask for xyz - its great for me!". That sort of advice isn't helpful, medication is an individual thing, and people should think careful and discuss things with their doctor. Tablets are a cure-all thing, they aren't wonder drugs - they can make life a little easier, but it isn't the only answer.

I admire your bravery in admitting your problems, it can be so hard to be honest about it when people seem so narrow minded about mental illness. I too suffer from depression, and hope to be able to help someone here like I've been helped by other people. Good luck on your journey.

Answer 2

Like the other respodant, I too am a depression sufferer and am very open about it. Years ago I was on anti depressants but stopped taking them when I thought I was better. Needless to say the depression came back twice as strongly.

I am now on anti depressants again and I am also seeing a counsellor every fortnight.

I think depression still has some sort of stigma attached to it as it is regarded as a mental illness, and people dont like to think that they may be mentally ill. I think, though, as with many illness such as alcoholism and drug addiction, the only way you can ever think about getting better is by first admitting you have a problem and not being ashamed of it. Depression can, and does, affect anyone and everyone.

Even if you do not want to shout about it to all and sundry, if you can tell a close friend or family member that you are not feeling particularly well and may need some support, it can make things easier.

Anti depressants have been proven to be a great way to treat depression. Of course, they are not the only treatment available, and I think things such as counselling / cognitive behaviour therapy can also be very helpful, anti depressants should not be discounted or thought of something to be ashamed of.

I personally think that people believe that they should always have control of their mental health and if something goes 'awry' this is somehow a reflection on them as a person, whereas when there is a medical health problem, people just accept it as something that happens and seek treatment. I think people worry that if they admit to being depressed and anti depressants that they will be labelled as 'mad' when nothing could be further from the case.

I urge all people suffering from depression to seek help of some sort. It can be a crippling illness if not properly treated, and there is no shame in it at all. You'd be surprised how many people you know have had some sort of dalliance with depression at some time of their lives.

Answer 3

I think with depression it is the lack of understanding towards it that provides the stigma. Many people think people who are depressed are "just feeling a bit sad" and that they should "pull themselves together". This is because that they don't understand that it is actually a medical condition, not people who feel sad and want attention.

Another factor is the people who are depressed. People around them can't often see what they are going through (as the individual doesn't keep it on the surface). When they hear that these people are suffering from depression, they can't believe it because on the surface they seem completely normal.

Finally, the stigma may have been increased due to the reaction of those in the medical profession. There are many people with depression, but some doctors may be too hasty to conclude that it is depression (rather than another mental health issue), and prescribe the typical anti-depressants. This gives the "crying wolf effect", where those who actually have the problem are treated less seriously. The same thing has happened with blue disabled badges (for parking) over the past few years- they have lost some credibility due to excess supply to those who may not necessarily need them.

Answer 4

Are you asking why people stigmatise depression, or why people stigmatise the medication ?

The illness it's self is sometimes ( often ) seen as a cop out used by people who dont want to face up to, or take responsibility for thier errors or some other personal shortfall or failing. It's easy to say. "Dont blame me.... I'm Depressed' and rather a lot of people do just that. The same goes for 'M.e', and many other disorders and illness, people who are not suffering from them use them as an excuse. I have a friend who's wife blames her failed miserable life on dyslexia.... and everyone (even her own family, parents etc...) KNOW she's just a lazy bint who cant be bothered with doing anything and escapes blame by claiming this disorder.
I understand that people really do have depression, and many other problems, and I'm not discounting them and don't by any means want to detract from either the credibility of thier claim, or to hint that they're not really ill... I know that depression is debilitating and a god awfull thing to suffer from, but the truth is... some people (not all) lie and use it as an excuse.

Medication... Well I guess it's got a bad name becaues it's addictive, it get's bought and sold on the balck market, drug addicts use it and it has some pretty amazingly bad side effects. A lot of people without depression only see those negative aspects of the medication, where as people with true clinical depression understand that you trade off the side effects, so that you can and do get up, eat breakfast and live another day.

Answer 5

Sadly many people are scared!!. They do not know enough about depression and it takes many forms and ingnorance can be bliss for some people. There has sadly been some incidents recently of people with mental health probs committing crimes and the general public think all people who suffer are like this or can become like this, so stay away from them. This is so wrong.
I suffer with bi-polar and have done for 21years, it has had a huge imapct on my life and even now i try to be careful what i say to who because of their reaction.
I have had many diagnosis and diffrent types of medication over the years, but it is true everyone is an individual and what works for one person may not work for another even if they have the same sypmtoms.
One thing i must say is at the end of the day therapy can be a big help.It may not cure u completely and diffrent types of therapy suit diffrent people, like medication. But just being able to talk to a professional on a regular basis, who actually has some idea of what ur going through has saved me many a time. I wish u best of luck and hope u continue to be positive and well.

Answer 6

I think there is help for all of us depressives, in that, now that the illness is being discussed, debated and treated a lot more openly than it was, say, 30 years ago, the general public is aware that it is an actual medical condition, not a "fit of the vapours".

When I had my first bout 20 years ago, I only knew one other person who suffered from depression - she was bi-polar and had a very difficult time. The statistics are now that 1 in 4 people will suffer from depression in their lifetime.

This means a quarter of the people you speak to will know exactly what depression is all about and how debilitating it is. It also means that probably another quarter of the people you speak to will have had a relationship with or be related to someone with depression and have some conception of the problems you are going through.

50 years ago, it was a stigma to be black - now people don't even think about it.

Hold on - the world is changing.

Answer 7

I have a friend who's bi-polar. Low as can be one minute and high as a kite the next. We always knew there was something clinically wrong with her but it took 10 years for the doctors to make a diagnosis. Now on medication she's great. I've got a new friend. I can see why there is a stigma atached, because if people don't know a sufferer, they don't know how it effects you. It's ignorance mostly. Depression is usually a chemical inbalance in the brain, not just one person failing to deal with a problem, and on the right meds you can really fight it. You sound as though your having a low day yourself. Who cares what other people think? Stick with the meds and take each day as it comes. Keep fighting. x

Answer 8

It's not so much the meds, it's that many people depend on the chemicals to solve the problem. Only medication only treats a symptom. If you don't deal with the root of the depression, it will come back to bite you. I speak from experience. I had to delve deeper into my life and self than I ever thought possible, make changes in myself and also in my situation. In my particular case, this meant breaking some unhealthy relationships and distancing myself from people who were doing more harm than good...some in my own family. And not everyone around you is going to like the changes, especially if you have been the family or system's "designated patient" for a while. Because as long as you are down, depressed and seen as "weak", they can feel "better" about themselves by contrast.
Yes, there are conditions such as bipolar disorder in which the depression itself is only a symptom of an organic imbalance which can be corrected only by lifetime medication...but when it is truly an emotional depression, you can't live on pills forever and hide your head in the sand. Much better to deal with the problems and move on into the sunlight.

Answer 9

My opinion is that the word is used too loosely! Everyone says they are depressed.......what happened to 'feeling down' due to the everyday stresses of life!
I also feel that many people take anti-dep too easily. Some problems/struggles you have to work through yourself given a bit of time.
I understand that some people do suffer depression for no reason, chemical inbalance and so on and i fully understand why these people can use the term 'depression' and take medication for it.
People forget that there is a difference with stress and depression.
I had a grandmother that was 'depressed' for many years so i loathe when people use the phrase loosely when life is a little hard.
We all have hard times in life, isnt that why they say ' this is hell, then you go to heaven'!!!!! Trying to remain positive always helps and to remember every problem has a solution!
I feel that everyone has different tolerances and diff views on taking meds and i think that is up to every individual.

Answer 10

The reason many people frown upon anti-depressants is because of mis-information. Although anti-depressants are not for everyone, as you rightly say the benefits outweigh the negatives. Although anti-depressants relieve many of the symptoms of depression, they are not a cure. And I think that is why people may frown upon them, because they think they do not work (in the long term). But many people need to be reminded, the same is true for any mental disorder - there are no cures. In my opinion depression is a psycho-bio-social problem and thus it will take more than a biological method (anti-depressants) to combat this illness.

Although therapies are another method of helping to combat depression, clinical trials show that they are no more effective than taking medication alone. The most effective method of treating depression is a combination of drug and therapy treatment.

Many people with depression (I am talking about major depression here) need anti-depressants before they are able to embark on a psychological therapy since anti-depressants help to relieve the feelings of hopelessness and lack of motivation. If someone as no motivation or feels hopeless than it is very difficult to work with them.

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Answer 11

I think sometimes the pills are the only answer but other times they just mask the symptoms without helping the cause. There is usually a reason why people are depressed and unless something is done or happens to change the thing causing it, then the pills could become a permanent fixture.
As for stigma I think often people are afraid it might happen to them, and prefer to pretend depression doesn't exist, or feel guilty or powerless that they can do nothing to help so prefer to avoid the person or avoid the subject.
Steph x