“Medication is bad treatment against mental illness”, “Antidepressant will change you”, “Antidepressants are for weak people”, “Antidepressants are bad for you”, “Antidepressants makes you lose your emotions”
It’s very tough to speak open about medications, especially when they are indicated for the treatment of mental illnesses.
I bet, that you’ve come across those stigmas that I’ve listened up before. Eventually, you even are one of those persons that shares the opinion, that antidepressants are directly bad for you. I’m sharing my opinion on antidepressants with the goal, to maybe change your view about antidepressants and to not judge people for taking it.
And yes; I’ve been on medications, on antidepressants too.
There was a time, not too long ago (2018+), where I needed to visit a psychologist and psychiatry frequently. I’ve been there, I’ve been at that point in life where I just couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel; I had suicidal thoughts with executing them, very deep depression and suffered from anxiety disorder. Life just didn’t felt worth living for.
And, if you’ve ever been at such a point in life, you will somehow end up with the question; antidepressants, yes or no?
For me, personally, the answer was yes. It wasn’t just:” let’s try this, maybe it will help to get my shit back together”, no it was more like; choosing between life and death, and I’ve chosen life. You know, people don’t really like to suffer. Everyone, I believe, actually wants to live a happy life, based on their own ideology. Also, people with depression wants to enjoy and feel life as it fullest, but they can’t because this illness, which you physically can’t see, are blocking them from living a life.
Antidepressants are usually used to give the suffering one a ground again, something they can build up on.
Most medication for depression treatment are called SSRIs. SSRIs treat depression by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters), that carry signals between brain nerve cells (neurons). SSRIs block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin into neurons.
Serotonin impacts every part of your body, from your emotions to your motor skills. Serotonin is considered a natural mood stabilizer. It’s the chemical that helps with sleeping, eating, and digesting. Serotonin also helps: reduce depression, regulate anxiety, heal wounds and more.
So with this information, I want to ask you the following question: Can you judge someone for taking a medication, when there’s a deficit in serotonin in the brain – which can lead to depression? Why do we judge something, that can help to treat your depression by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin – isn’t it just the same as taking paracetamol against physical symptomes?
Antidepressants are often used to give the suffering one; a ground again, to stabilize them, give them more clear thoughts and help them get the energy back. Please note, there are different types of depression; the mild, moderate and severe. Depending on which type of depression you have, there are also different types of treatment, also they’re combined sometimes. Mild depression can be treated with psychotherapies, moderate and severe are often treated with medication & psychotherapies.
So what’s my conclusion of all this?
People that take medication against their depression, tend to feel shame because of taking it. Just because, society once said it’s bad for them. People that judge others for taking antidepressants have never been in such a situation, so they can never understand how bad depression really is and can’t empathize the decision someone made about taking it. So, don’t jude another for taking antidepressant, when you never have been in such a situation! People that take antidepressant often have a moderate and severe depression, this means; they went through a lot of sh*t! Seen and experienced things that they shouldn’t have – also often/sometimes caused by other people!
I remember when I opened up about taking medications in my inner circle once; also there I experienced all those stigmas; that it will change me. I often responded with YES, in an angry but clear way: “Of course it does change me, if there is more serotonin in my brain, which wasn’t before! Of course, it does change me, when I can think clear and feel joy again!” – How can you judge someone, when you never have been in a situation like this? Should I rather stay depressed than and hear things like: “why are you always so depressed?”
When someone takes antidepressant and have the courage to open up about it, don’t judge them, please! Especially then, when you can’t understand their reason for it! Let them be, let them live, and let them find their way of healing. If antidepressants doesn’t work for them, they will notice it by themselves. As I wrote before, nobody likes to be depressed, give them a chance to find and build up themselves again!
“Practice leaving things be. Let others be themselves – who are we to judge? – and let us concentrate on improving our own minds and our own lives instead.”
Cheers, take care of yourself! <3