For depression, antidepressants are often the only remedy that can help return a person to an active life relatively quickly and effectively. It is important that only a doctor can prescribe antidepressants, and self-medication with them can lead to very serious consequences. Many patients are afraid of antidepressants because they are surrounded by many myths. Let’s look into them.
Myth: Antidepressants and addiction
For many who suffer from depression, antidepressants become an integral part of their routine. Sometimes treatment takes a long time, and the dosage has to be adjusted at the beginning of the journey. It is important to realize that antidepressants do not create dependence, neither physical nor psychological.
Physical dependence on a drug occurs when symptoms of depression worsen when the drug is stopped. Sometimes it is necessary to increase the dose, otherwise the drug stops working effectively. However, true physical dependence in psychiatry is usually caused by other categories of drugs, such as psychostimulants and tranquilizers.
Drug addiction can also include physical dependence on drugs. Although the use of antidepressants can improve quality of life, the drugs themselves are not pleasurable or addictive.
If you stop taking antidepressants early, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea or hand tremors. Therefore, it is important to stop taking antidepressants only on the advice of a doctor and gradually reduce the dosage.
Myth: Antidepressants make you lethargic and disinterested in life.
This stereotype is based on outdated data.
Patients taking first-generation antidepressants such as amitriptyline may experience sedation. However, modern second-generation antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, rarely cause drowsiness or apathy.
Instead, they often help restore interest in life for most people with depression.
Although some patients may experience drowsiness or apathy while taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, this is extremely rare and is most often related to the patient’s general condition rather than the drug.
Myth: You can stop taking antidepressants after you recover from depression
This statement is not true for all patients with depression.
It is often recommended to continue taking antidepressants for at least six months after remission is achieved. The duration of treatment may vary depending on the individual characteristics of the patient and the nature of the disease.
In patients with recurrent depression, i.e. with recurring attacks, it is recommended to take antidepressants for several years or even for life.
Myth: Antidepressants have many side effects
During the initial phase of treatment, many patients may experience increased anxiety, dry mouth, nausea, or trouble sleeping.
However, these symptoms usually go away after a few days or weeks. To reduce the likelihood of increased anxiety, a gradual increase in the dose of an antidepressant, as well as the prescription of sedatives, is often used at the beginning of treatment.
Another side effect of antidepressants may be a decrease in libido, which is noted by some patients. In such cases, changing the drug or combining different types of antidepressants may help.
