I had breakfast with my friends this Saturday and we started talking about anti depressant medication. Out of all four of us sitting there, I was the ONLY one who was not on anything (not that I shouldn't be!!). Anyway, we talked more in depth about the benefits of being on them (Zoloft, etc) and how they NOW couldn't function in their own lives without it now.

So yesterday, at a completely separate event, I was talking with some people in my church choir before the Christmas Concert. Somehow this same topic came up with some of the women. Turns out some of them were also taking the same meds as my breakfast friends. AND it was so much more acceptable to talk about openly than to conceal a mental health problem.

So I have to ask (and this is a sincere, non judgmental question):

1) are more people on meds for depression - type behavior because they opted out of any other form of help
2) Are doctors more willing to medicate the problem than treat it?
3) or has everyone realized that they CAN accept help (via a pill) and it's ok to talk about it?

A few years back, I had two anxiety attacks which hospitalized me. I didn't even know that what was going on in my life at the time was affecting me THAT much in THAT way. So when my doc prescribed some anti depressants for me to take on a short term basis to help me "get through", I was so embarassed and actually felt like I Lost the battle to whatever it was going on with me. AND needless to say I never told anyone I was on those meds.

Have attitudes change?

Well, as you know I live in a big city and I think it is very acceptable to be on antidepressants around here. My dh and I joke that it is part of the postpartum checkup to get your prescription! Almost every mom I know is on them or has been on them. I have never taken anything because I haven't felt the need for it, but in my playgroup of 10 moms I was literally the only one that didn't. Both of my first cousins are on antidepressants, my sister took them for a while, and many, many friends have taken them as well. They all say it helps them to not get bogged down by the little stuff. It is definitely an interesting trend....

These are also my concerns. It's all too common, at least I think, that moms are on them. Or maybe because it is more acceptable, we're hearing about it more than before. I really don't know.

My friend agrees with the second part of your statement. She says she just doesn't care about "the small stuff" anymore and is able to "rationalize" and problem solve better now.

I see this same trend in my rural community. I had a similar conversation with the karate moms one night at karate class. Out of all the "karate moms," I am the only one not taking an antidepressant. And, on another note, I was only one of three moms who did not have a child on medication for ADD/ADHD. A very concerning trend . . .

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I hope attitudes are changing but I don't think they are changing here. You are a cross cultural mom, do you find attitudes are different in Canada from the US? I've never had anyone tell me they were talking antidepressants, and when I went on them when I had severe postpartum depression, I never told a soul (except for you ladies on MS). I even hid it from my dh for about 3 weeks until they started to work. My closest friends and family still don't know!

I am proud of you for telling us of your experiences. It makes me feel more normal when I find out some of the most normal, positive, stable women I know have had some level of mental health hospitalization, but the only people who have told me are my American friends. My guess it happens here to but it's a much more taboo subject.

I think I should probably be on medication. I've had a few nasty bouts of depression (on my 4th bought now that has last longer than 3 weeks) but I can't talk about it with anyone. And if I got a prescription, then my employer would know (I'd have to make a claim) and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Last time I paid for it out of pocket so I didn't have to tell anyone (I was also overseas where it was cheaper to do). I wish it wasn't so taboo ...

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What I wonder is this...( .Not saying anyone here feels this way , Just the General Idea I get from Non Medicated people. )

If your docter tells you you have high blood pressure , and He recommends Meds, no- one blinks an eye. Now if you have Severe stress or anxiety , People think you cop out for going on medicine. People think you should Deal with it on your Own , rather than Jumping the gun and Taking *gasp* Mental Medication.

I don't Get it , Because the brain is Part of the Body , and If that goes Unbalanced , or whatever the situation , I don't see a reason not to try medicating Yourself.
Same goes for kids IMO.

We don't really know If meds are the BEST thing for any type of ailment.

So If the Doctey Suggests something I think We should Take it.

I Know about 3 NON medicated people.

I am going for Something strong soon,

I've done zoloft , and it didn't work good For me.

This is a hard one because there's no one size fits all solution to the problem of depression. It is encouraging to see the issue coming out of the dark so to speak as it was a taboo subject for so long. However, I do typically tend to think that antidepressants are over prescribed and wish more people were referred to therapy either before trying meds or in combination with them. Unfortunately, it's often easier to get your insurance company to pay for a med than it is for therapy. When I was first diagnosed with high cholesterol, my insurance company would have had no problem paying for meds, but I had to pay out of pocket to see a nutritionist. That makes absolutely no sense to me.

On the other hand, for many people (and I have known a few personally), antidepressants save lives - or at least provide a quality of life that would otherwise be missing.

I was very lucky in that when I was first diagnosed with depression in high school, my counselor felt that I was NOT a candidate for medication and so I went into counseling. It was only after several major episodes of depression (that included self mutilation) that I went on antidepressants. I was on them for a year and a half and I do think they switched on something in my brain that wouldn't have otherwise switched on. My parents were opposed to my starting them, in part, I think, because of the stigma (and in part because of what the first therapist told them).

I haven't been back on meds since that time despite a number of subsequent episodes of depression mainly because of the side effects (they killed my sex drive and I gained 30 pounds in a matter of months while on them). I came really close to hauling myself back into the doctors office a couple months ago for meds and/or a referral for therapy, but fought my way through that episode with the help of a couple friends. I would hope that should I ever really need them again, that I would have the clarity of mind to accept the help that the meds can and do bring, but I would never, ever, take that step lightly.

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Lucas (11/08)

i agree that at times these medications are needed to assist people through trying times. but i think the problem is that it becomes the easy way out all too often. i think that they believe, why go off the meds and deal with lifes problems head on? or why dig deeper (psychologically) to resolve the root of the problem? also the same thing with children w/adhd. too many on medication instead of dealing w/ the child as a person instead.
i have never taken any anti-depressant or given any to my kids. not saying that i never would, just never felt that i couldn't snap back out by myself w/o affecting the lives of my family.

I think part of the trend is that the doctors and scientists know more about the brain/vs physical connections. More women are requesting help because they do get to talk to others, read magazine articles and with more and more commercials about depression meds, women are learning they are not alone and they don't have to suck it up and live with depression. They are learning there is help out there.

In speaking with others, I don't really see them using it as a crutch. In fact, many go off it when they really should stay on.

It's great that the previous poster has never been on the meds, nor needed it, but unfortunately, there are types of depressions that are clinical. No matter what a person tries, they can't "snap out of it". It's that person exactly who doesn't need the meds. If getting to the root of the problem does indeed help, then that person doesn't need the meds. Unfortunately, clinical depression is biological - it's a chemical imbalance, the same way asthma is biological. Certain things make asthma kick up. Same with clinical depression. In some cases, it doesn't take something to make it kick in. It is either always there or it comes on for no reason. Those who don't have this issue don't understand it, nor how it feels (a big issue with why our dh's don't understand; they think we can snap out of it, which contributes to the down feeling and feeling of aloneness) think meds are a crutch, and that has contributed to the hush-hush of the past.

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i am on a low dose of anti depressants because i suffer frpm pre menstrual dysphoric disorder, and that is one of the only treatments for it. i have been on them for almost 2 years at the same dosage. i don't need more since what i have is doing its job. here in canada it is just as much a trend for alot of other people as it is in the states. we talk about it just as much atlease in my area we do. i am the only one amongst all my friends that is on an antidepressant. but atleast 3 of my friends have been on them previously but were weened off when they didn't need than anymore. and my doctor atleast suggests councelling and gives you the numbers of different councellors to talk to as well. he will even tell you that he won't renew your prescription unless you seek other help as well. i don't have to go talk to a councellor since mine is to do with my pmdd.

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