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10 things you need to know about antidepressants

10 things you need to know about antidepressants
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In the middle of the 20th century, around 6% of the world’s population were thought to be depressed. Nowadays, the numbers have reached 20%. According to the World Health Organisation, depression is the main cause of global disability, and affects over 350 million people of all ages. In the majority of cases, antidepressants are prescribed by GPs. Before taking them, read these 10 things you need to know about antidepressants and the risks that go with them. 

1) Antidepressants: the statistics

A record number of antidepressants were prescribed in 2016, coming to 64.7 million items prescribed. This represents a 108.5% increase over the ten years previous. Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem over the course of a year, with depression affecting 3.3 in every 100 people.

Depression rates appear to be globally on the rise, affecting more women than men, generally from adolescence onwards. Antidepressants are mainly prescribed by GPs to prevent the risk of suicide, with 6,188 suicides registered in the UK in 2015.

Clearly, there is a much higher risk of suicide among depressed people, which is why GPs tend to take precautions and prescribe antidepressants, as they don’t have the time to do the necessary follow up or to convince patients to engage with a more specialised professional.  

2) Should you take antidepressants?

Ideally, no. When depression is moderate to severe and combined with two or more of the following symptoms, antidepressants can help the person to feel better (although be aware that there are other equally effective natural alternatives):

  • loss of interest and loss of pleasure in usual activities
  • sadness
  • intense fatigue, sleep problems, worry
  • loss of appetite and libido
  • concentration problems
  • inability to imagine themselves in the future
  • feelings of guilt and worthlessness
  • irritability
  • muscle pains
  • dark or suicidal thoughts

If several of these signs occur at the same time and last more than 15 days, it is best to consult a specialist such as a psychiatrist.

3) Are antidepressants really effective?

Yes and no. You need to wait 2 to 3 weeks for them to take effect, which is why they are often prescribed with anxiety reducing medication which helps with stress, anxiety and sleep problems. 

After a few weeks, the molecules contained in the antidepressants start to be diffused and they act chemically upon the brain, which is why patients who are on anti-depressants can feel like they are “seeing the world through rose tinted glasses”. Even if such reactions are chemically produced, mood improves, anxiety reduces and the patient’s sleep is normalised. The other symptoms gradually disappear.

Chemical antidepressants cure depression in a minimum of 4 months but the treatment should be continued and followed up by health professionals, even when the patient feels better. It can be a vicious cycle because people can develop an addiction to the medication, and when people get used to it, they often don’t want to come off it.

Before starting on antidepressants, first try out all possible natural treatments and remedies known to science. There are more and more natural alternatives available, whose revenue amount to billions of dollars every year throughout the world.

4) What are the side effects?

Antidepressants can have unpleasant side effects that need to be carefully monitored:

  • digestive problems
  • headaches
  • dry mouth
  • drowsiness, insomnia
  • moderate weight gain in 50% of cases
  • problems with libido (sexual desire)

These side effects are fairly numerous, while the natural solutions for fighting depression have none, but rather induce numerous health benefits!

5) What are the health risks associated with taking antidepressants?

The main health risk associated with taking antidepressants is dependency, or addiction to prescription medications from the family of benzodiazapines, such as sleeping pills and anti-anxiety meds.

These medications have an immediate and short term impact that means that people quickly become accustomed to them, and they lose their efficacy. This leads patients to seek higher doses in order to obtain the same effect.

This vicious cycle caused by dependency on such meds means it is difficult to wean yourself off them.