Do we depend on SSRI's too much in society?

Answer 1

As a heatlhcare provider I always find this question interesting. The fact that we can ask it is great to me. A generation ago we did not have these medications. I know the devastation of depression that was suffered in people's lives. I believe that is why alcoholism was rampant...and probably still a problem today. I personally can credit these drugs with making my life as successful as I am...and even why I am here today. As a healthcare provider I have ordered these drugs and seen them save lives....and creat lives where exisistance was only present. Any medication can be ordered and used incorrectly...I cannot say it does not happen. But I can say with conviction that these drugs have been life saving for many people. Are they overused? Possibly, but each given situation would have to be taken into consideration to me. Generalities always cause problems. The other part of this question is: how rampant is depression in society....and what other conditions can these drugs successfully treat.....how are we defining 'overused' or 'dependence'. Maybe with time and research and blessings we will continue to find medications for the sufferings of mankind. And with experience we always get better with the use of medications. But for now....I work diligently with what I have.....and take each day at a time.

Answer 2

No, I wish they worked as advertised, but all those people like me who allowed their doctor to play the guessing game and just ended up feeling worse after taking the meds as prescribed are being ignored. Doctors want to get patients out of their office as fast as they can and prescribing SSRI's like candy and ignoring the fact that for many patients the medication is intolerable or simply doesn't work does just that. It's just about money. If SSRI's don't work for you, there is no hope from the medical industry because you're money doesn't matter to doctors when they are making enough on overdiagnosing and over prescribing SSRI's. Find something else and wait it out. It's like curing hiccoughs, you can hold your breath all you want, but they've just got to run their course. Consider just how long it takes the damn things to kick in too! And then finding the right brand and dosage? By then, if you feel better, the depression probably just ended naturally.

Answer 3

I think tlbrowns answer was beautiful. I wanted to add that if a person is suffering from physical pain, like arthritis or an injury, they take pain killers for that, so if you have emotional pain, why is it inappropriate to take a pill for that, within reason? Where it would be inappropriate to take antidepressants in in situations where you really need to escape what's depressing you (abusive spouse or boss, poor living conditions, etc) because you don't want to just bandaid over the problem. But if you had a terrible pain in your abdomen, that went on and on and on and you took aspirin for the pain, that would be bad news, too, because maybe something is terribly wrong there, too, that needs to be fixed.
There are issues with long term safety for these meds and there are side-effects, that needs to be balanced, and I think people are finally figuring out that no pill is totally safe.

Answer 4

There was such a stigma in the past relating to depression that many people were going untreated and spent their lives miserable not realizing that they could possibly feel better. Chemical depression is a treatable disease. There is also situational depression which can be helped by short term use of medication. However, I do think that medication are being overly prescribed by doctors who are not properly evaluating the situation. I hope this answers your question.