Over use of Anti depressants?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

It's certainly clear from the responses that there really is no single cause / single solution. How on Earth depression issues can be addressed better I'm not really qualified to say, but thinking further, I wonder just how much blame can be laid at the door of the sheer range of choices we are presented with as part of modern living.

Is a simpler life actually the key to balance and contentment?

[southeast-isher]

Is a simpler life actually the key to balance and contentment?

Yes, but with medication as well!

[oldjerry]

There is no doubt in my mind that the inappropriate use of drug therapy to combat old-fashioned unhappiness is a factor in increasing the number of people suffering from genuine, full blown, depression. And as someone else has already pointed out, I think, not enough is done in advance of handing out the drugs to try to get people to confront their unhappiness (and that can include telling them to get over themselves and count their blessings, an approach that always works on me ).

Sometimes I even incline to the view that ignorance might indeed be bliss, that we're all too well informed and feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. Just a thought.[/quote]
This chimes with me, although I've got this stupid chronic illness,most of my health probs have been side effects of years of largely ineffectual medication(only surgery has ever had any even medium -term effect).That includes,worst of all, steroid psychosis for which I was offered and refused even more tablets.These days I only take paracetomol for hangovers,and thats it.(obviously ,if I was diabetic or something,I would take the insulin),most drugs seem to work for some people and not others.
And as far as I'm concerned,ignorance IS bliss,knowing that I may be ill in ways I 'm not already aware of,I just don't want to know
,Doctors? how can you trust people who bury their mistakes?

[oldjerry]

There is no doubt in my mind that the inappropriate use of drug therapy to combat old-fashioned unhappiness is a factor in increasing the number of people suffering from genuine, full blown, depression. And as someone else has already pointed out, I think, not enough is done in advance of handing out the drugs to try to get people to confront their unhappiness (and that can include telling them to get over themselves and count their blessings, an approach that always works on me ).

Sometimes I even incline to the view that ignorance might indeed be bliss, that we're all too well informed and feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. Just a thought.[/quote]


This chimes with me, although I've got this stupid chronic illness,most of my health probs have been side effects of years of largely ineffectual medication(only surgery has ever had any even medium -term effect).That includes,worst of all, steroid psychosis for which I was offered and refused even more tablets.These days I only take paracetomol for hangovers,and thats it.(obviously ,if I was diabetic or something,I would take the insulin),most drugs seem to work for some people and not others.
And as far as I'm concerned,ignorance IS bliss,knowing that I may be ill in ways I 'm not already aware of,I just don't want to know
,Doctors? how can you trust people who bury their mistakes?

[TheGoodEarth]

Is a simpler life actually the key to balance and contentment?

Nail the head hit the on (arrange as you see fit) in my opinion, modern life is complex and stressful which leads to lots of forms of depression.

Make things more simple and depression would decrease I think.

[Zech]

I wonder just how much blame can be laid at the door of the sheer range of choices we are presented with as part of modern living.

I think you have a point, here. I've heard of some psychology research finding that people who were given a choice between two nice things were less happy with what they'd chosen than people who were simply given one or other of the nice things.

[Susie]

I hesitate to post this because as I said my depression was a bit feeble and inadequate as depressions go, although still a bit of a bugger, but I was actually thinking about it a few weeks ago and did a post on my blog about the things that I found helpful when I was down.

(For anyone with longstanding clinical depression though this blog post is going to sound a bit like, 'why not put a plaster on it when you've just been decapitated?' - please don't think I don't understand how serious it can be!).

[Jessiebean]

this is a very interesting thread- I have struggled with panic attacks (mostly gone) and severe anxiety(being unable to make a phone call, drive or go into a bank!!?) in marvellous retrospect had post natal depression with both pregnancies and seem to suffer from SAD in winter. I was prescribed Aropax for the anxiety when I was 18 but after two weeks I threw them in the bin- I hated the side effects. I seem to get every side effect any medication can offer so for me taking medication seems worse than the illness itself. I have found that I am susceptible to stress and situations and if I don't keep a fairly tight rein on things I can have a major depressive attack which is awful for everyone. One of my doctors can't believe that I run a business, have children, live on an isolated Island away from family etc because he thinks I shouldn't be able to cope but truthfully I somehow manage to be anxious and depressed even when I have no responsibilities or presssures so hey- might as well achieve something!
I need exercise, sunshine, good food- the occasional yoga session, time to cook, read etc and I am now seeing a psychologist who is very good with providing solutions rather than just listening which seems to be what I need- solve the problem and move on rather than wallowing and letting the "problems" build up. It is funny as I find my mental and physical health are intrinsically entwined- if I am sick I am more susceptible to depression- if I am depressed, stressed or anxious I get headaches, stomach upsets, can't sleep etc and of course if I am poorly nourished or have PMT the chemicals are all out wack then too.
My beloved takes medication which helps with his temper- he can be quite irrational if over stressed- I am convinced that when he gets really angry it is a chemical thing- you can see the change- and since he on his current medication these "attacks" are infrequent to the point of non existence which enables us to have a great relationship (when I am not haveing meltdowns all over the place!) of course I am very grateful that he puts up with side effects for the families sake. For him the solutions I use would just be helpful in addition to the medication (offically for anxiety) and wouldn't be a complete solution whereas for me the side-effects of his medication would preclude me taking it. I think that it can be helpful to take medication to assist you to get out of the black hole and help you to start doing the things that will facilitate a happier state of mind. You may need to stay on the medication but too many people just up the dosage or switch medications frequently and there are many many ways to mishandle medicating clinical depression and it's associates.

[AngeB]

I so sorry to post so much on one thread - i've always been interested about depression and anxiety and always prick up my ears if it's being talked about

Jessiebean, I believe that anxiety and depression are linked very strongly, and I personally believe that the anxiety is a big strain on important chemicals in the brain, and that they become depleted after a sustained period of stress. I haven't a clue if that's true and only speak from personal experience, as I have had 15 yrs of anxiety attacks (which I manage really well since 10 yrs ago) and just as much depressive symptoms. Does this make sense to you as someone who's had both?

Ange

[Jessiebean]

Yes that makes perfect sense, after an extremely stressful Christmas period my anxiety was high, my depression was major and I was just exhausted- it really felt like I wasadrenally exhausted and had no more reservres of strength to call on- I am not sure if it was technically adrenal exhaustion but it describes what it felt like!

[misslizzy]

Angeb/Jessiebean - I can tell you that is more or less true (am also dual sufferer but have some educational background in psychology).

In an anxious person the body stops manufacturing adrenaline (epinephrine) in a 'consistent' way and kind of self-adjusts. The body has gotten used to not having much hormone around so becomes hypersensitive to it - so when you do get a hit of adrenaline (a natural reaction that got us to the top of the food chain) it gets blown out of proportion - tense neck, racing heart, breath and thoughts, etc. It is literally like having a syringe full of adrenaline pumped directly into your brain. This is also why it takes so long to calm down after a stressful event - it takes a while for the adrenaline to clear.

The above is actually a similar thing to what happens in a depressed person. The idea of 'not enough serotonin' (the natural high) is actually not the case - it's the way the body releases and absorbs it that changes. Either way, these are both measurable changes in the body and in severe cases a part of the brain - the amygdala - actually reduces in size.

So the amygdala regulates these hormones and is part of the 'prehistoric' brain i.e. the part that also controls breathing, anything sentient has an amygdala (basically). The amygdala is responsible for controlling emotional responses so depression and anxiety actually have a physical connection.

Personally, anxiety is a relatively new part of my life and I'll do anything to not go through it again. I'd rather have twenty year-long depressive episodes than one anxious one.

[boboff]

What is fantastically enlightening from this, is the personal effect that it has had on us all.

My OH has just qualified as a Nurse and I find the behavioural aspects of physical disease fasinating.

Two things have struck me as important. Firstly that people with UTI ( urine infections) can go quite quite mad. Massively aggressive and horrible. Now from the outside you would think mental health issue, but it's not it's a physical condition which is causing the behaviour.

Secondly, that some people near death, for what ever reason, can become the same way, recently my OH recounted a story of an elderly gentleman, who in his last days became very agressive, this little old Grandad started listening to Radio one at full blast, shouting and screaming, abusing doctors and patients, but as an aside, and hopefully you will appreciate the humour, he started to hurl his Worthers Original at full pelt at passing patients and across the ward. My OH who does suffer from fits of the giggles, when asked by the Consultant if she was alright dealing with the patient, instead of crying broke down with the giggles! It was very sureal on the retelling!

I may have been completely ignorant, but I would honestly say that I have always felt mental health issues were " in the head" and therefore the " get over yourself" form of therapy was really all that was needed if you were any sort of "man" but it is undisputable that this is very much not the case in many instances, where the body is under "stress or anxiety" it can have obvious mental health ramifications.

[Milims]

Over the past 20 years or so I have suffered on numerous occasions from long term, depressive reactions to extreme circumstaces - often circumstances that would push the sanest, calmest person to the edge of reason. For the most part I had to learn and create strategies to deal with these episodes myself as I received no effective support or counselling (it doesn't seem to exist here) and I could not be medicated as I reacted so badly to the medications they could offer. Sometimes I could change my circumstances (leaving the abusive marriage) and sometimes I have to learn live with it as the alernative is worse. I have on only one occasion been "succesfully" medicated - and I hated it. I saw it as a failure and tried to come off the meds too soon - with the expectable slam dunk! So I had to start all over again and was more careful and as a result more successful.
I think for the kind of depression that is triggered by circumstance, personality and self awareness has a lot to do with "cure". It is importat to be aware of youself, of your reactions, of your body, in order to move on successfully. Unfortunately is todays society we are, for the most part, bombarded from every direction and it is rare for someone to have the wherewithal to pay attention to themselves. I guess that's where simplifying and taking stock of your life and your real needs comes to the fore.
Although I am very much aware that there are depressive illnesses that are not caused by circumstance and for these appropriate medication is vital. However I think that the distinction between the two is not made appropriately by the medical establishement. It's all too easy to give a blanket diagnosis and blanket treatment.

[StripyPixieSocks]

I have to say, I actually feel quite offended that people think that people with depression could be cured by just not concentrating on the negative or having an easy life, it's just no that simple

My body has a problem just like a diabetic or any other disease that requires an medicine to correct a very real problem.

I take SSRI (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) which boosts the serotonin levels in my brain as my body just doesn't make it's own and exercise or a better, simpler life simply will not remedy that so I have to take medication.

I have taken myself off medication MANY times thinking I would be OK and it just simply is not true, I revert to a suicidal blubbering mess and the last time (about 8 months ago) my OH got so concerned he called the GP for help as he was scared I was going to 'do something silly'... and I had seriously considered it.

I know the use of the word depression has become the new word for 'I've had a crappy day' or ' I've been grounded for being bad by my parents' and this has led to people presuming all people suffering depression are like this and it simply is not true.

Alot of GP's do hand out drugs like sweets with no follow ups or alternative treatment options I know but I have to attend the surgery about every fortnight so they can assess me and adjust my medication and talk about how things are progressing.

I hate that people see people with depression as something less than they are, you wouldn't say to a diabetic... well just think happy thoughts would you? so why treat people with depression any other way?

As for the SSRI's messing with your libido... well yes it does which is an unfortunate side effect but then a depressed person doesn't have a libido anyway so there's not much change there ;) However it can put a strain on marriages etc but luckily for me my OH is supportive and understands.

[southeast-isher]

I tried things such as cognitive behavioural therapy, Neuro-linguistic programming, glycerin, mindfulness, etc to overcome my panic attacks but none of these worked for me and at my wits-end and reluctantly i was asked if i wanted to try fluoxetine and i've had about 3 panic attacks in 3 years instead of 3 a week. The stuff works.