I would be really interested to hear your thoughts and experiences. I am trying to encourage a friend who insists that they don't want to depend on it forever.
Are antidepressants a crutch? - Anxiety and Depre...
Are antidepressants a crutch?
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Hamadi
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I don't want to depend on them forever coming off them slowly only time will tell I just want to think clearly and try be myself without them.
Yes they can be a so called crutch.
Look at it this way you fall, break a leg, you get a plaster to support your bones too heal.
What does your hospital give you to get around in a restricted safe way, A Crutch.
Most people prescribed medications will only take them over a short or mid term. Very fewer take them for a mid term, Even less will need to take them over the long term. It can be extremely rare people will need these medications for Life,
Medications are there to give time for their Depression/Anxiety to be put in perspective,
Your Friend will eventually with encouragement will be able to approach and sort out His worries and concerns etc
BOB
Hi
In my opinion, medication can be useful to soften the symptoms of anxiety but are not the solution to permanently overcome the disorder. For that, recovery must come from within because the root cause of the disorder is fear and no amount of medication will help a person overcome that. When they stop the medication, if the symptoms surfaced again, they would still hold the same amount of fear. They must learn to face those fears until they lose their fear.
Most anxiety sufferers find themselves in a situation where the only thing they fear is the feelings of fear (mostly adrenalin / natural fight or flight response being activated) which keeps them in a continuous cycle of fear, adrenalin and more fear. Withdrawal from medication can produce the very same symptoms the person fears which could easily send them into a tail spin. If a person does not fear the symptoms of anxiety, they would not suffer from the disorder.
I started off with medication but decided early on that it wasn’t for me. I read a self help book written by Dr Claire Weekes which taught me how to overcome the condition naturally and now free from the disorder. I remember thinking that if I did recover, was it down to the medication or me. I didn’t want to have that doubt in my mind or live in fear that the symptoms would return so ditched the meds and flew solo. As long as there is fear, there is anxiety.
Well, depends on how you want to look at it!
Of course, you need to work on the issues themselves. Working with a therapist, doing the homework, doing your own self help, start to change your thinking, and so on...
Also, during therapy you learn excellent coping skills suited to your own needs.
But sometimes, therapy isn’t enough. Maybe some of us were born with a chemical imbalance. And therapy will help, but it doesn’t add any of the “happy” chemical that our bodies don’t produce.
Also, for a lot of people, to even TRY to seek more help, or even try to effectively work on themselves, they need a little boost in order to get this motivation or wanting to work on yourself.
Some people will truly need anti depressants their whole life’s, even if they are doing everything right. And I am one of these people.
Also, sometimes people only need them for a few months to maybe about a year.
Others, therapy and self help can be enough.
It really all just depends on your brain. It’s not a factor of “how strong” or “how weak” you are.
But one should never take anti depressants and think it will solve all of their problems. Because that is not how it works.
People only taking anti depressants and not putting in the work, are the ones who use this as a “crutch.”
I have been told i will need the rx for life too. I have tried meditation, therapy, mindfulnes, cognitive based thetspy books, etc. And yet i still.have hard times. Any suggestions?
I mean, if you feel like your medication isn’t working at all, then I’d try a new one. If you feel like it’s working overall but still have a lot of symptoms, they can add a “add on” to intensify the anti depressant. But if in general, you still have hard times, that’s just what happens with this disorder. :/ Ya know?
I’ve had quite a few relapses, and I’m 27. I was diagnosed when I was 8. Sometimes my meds will completely stop working, or other times it’s just the depression itself.
You can always talk to your psychiatrist and ask for a professional opinion if your not quite sure what it is.
I have an add on already. Guess it is just sucky stuff going on. Thanks
It may not be the best add on for you then! There is still the possibility that you may need a different one. Just ask your clinic to relay this message to your psychiatrist. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? I think in this case, the worst that could happen is him saying things just are tough right now for everyone. But it might ease your mind 💕
Some times it is trial & error until right combination is found. I had been on same meds over 30 years and got depressed an anxious due to other meds messing up my antidepressants and my dose was increased. I see a therapist lately to deal with other medical issues. One Day At A Time!!! Get Up And I've!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Read Essential Help for your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes then read it again until you fully understand it.
Perhaps you are trying too hard to change the way you feel. If you felt happy, would you try hard to feel miserable instead? My guess is you wouldn’t so why try when you are feeling depressed or anxious? If that is how you are feeling, then so be it. Feelings will change naturally without our intervention which is easier said than done for anxiety sufferers who closely monitor their feelings 24/7. When you try to sleep, what happens? You lie awake wondering why you can’t sleep.
If you have tried everything to make yourself think and feel differently, perhaps the only thing left is to stop trying to do anything about it and leave it be. This means learning not to care if you feel anxious or depressed. This is called acceptance which is the principle component to overcoming anxiety and all associated symptoms, including depletion ( depression).
Thank you. Sounds similar to.mindfulness. just observe without judging and stay in the present. Easier said than done but i am trying
If you had diabetes, would you ask if insulin was a crutch?
I would . Do you know there are natural ways to reverse diabetes through diet and most western doctors acknowledge that now??
If taking an antidepressant helps improve your depression symptoms, then there is no shame in taking it. Some people have mild depression that can be treated with therapy or exercise. But for some people, their depression is due to a chemical imbalance as well as unresolved psychological issues. This is why antidepressants in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy has the best outcome. Some people have a strong aversion to taking a psychotropic medication...mainly because the symptoms of mental illness is in the mind, which isn't obvious as a physical illness - for example, high blood pressure. If you had high blood pressure and your doctor prescribes you a beta blocker, you wouldn't view that as a crutch. It is a treatment. Likewise, antidepressants are also a treatment for depression. They do come with strings attached though.
Very interesting question I've been on them for about 7 years and I've probably tried every single antidepressant there is when I was in the hospital everyone's journey is different everyone's brain chemistry is different everyone's situation is different but for my own personal journey and experience she'll be the best person or he will be the best person to know if they need an antidepressant or not your your best barometer of what's going on in your mind but they are definitely worth a try if he or she is suffering and with the support of a good doctor you don't have to be on them forever
No. They can be life saving. I thought the same once.
There are two basic types of depression:
1. CHRONIC DEPRESSION/CLINICAL DEPRESSION You're born with it. It's always going to be there because you have a chemical imbalance in your brain so you'll always need medication as well as counseling/therapy, and other "treatments" like yoga, exercise, meditation, and more. All those things can help you feel much better. However, if a loved one passes, you total your car, you get a divorce, or something else "bad" happens, you're still probably going to feel depressed and may need additional help to work through those feelings.
2. SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION is what I described in the last paragraph above. Something happens that causes you to feel depressed. A "situation" arises. Sometimes antidepressants alone, for a few weeks, or months, can help. Or, perhaps you'll need to visit with a counselor, or combine medication with counseling for awhile. But, after a relatively short period of time, you'll feel better and might never need antidepressants again.
If you've been told you need to take antidepressants for the rest of your life you probably have chronic/clinical depression where there's a chemical imbalance in your brain. I would talk to your doctor about it. Ask him if that's what you have.
Someone here gave the example of a broken leg and how, with treatment, it gets better and that's true -- that's similar to situational depression. But, what if you were born with one leg 12" shorter than the other. That leg will be shorter all your life but there are ways ththat can help -- that's similar to chronic depression.
I'd like to put this out there from my personal perspective as an individual who has been Straightedge for years and also takes 3 medications for depression and anxiety. As a member of the Straightedge belief I don't drink alcohol, use drugs, smoke, or have quick hookup type relationships. These are crutches that keep us from dealing with problems outside ourselves with a quick fix. My medication helps me deal with a problem inside myself that I need to overcome. That's not a crutch, it's a way to be able to face, not avoid, a problem and deal with it. It reduces the false overwhelming feelings you are having so that you can deal with and face the real problems that you can overcome.
Look, I had to go on antidepressants because I got to a pint where I couldn’t sleep or eat normally due to anxiety. There was nothing I could do mentally to overcome this I needed chemical help. Now that I’m better I’m weaning off them and now know the signs not to let myself get to that point again. I got to the point by pushing my feels away and pretending they didn’t exist or bother me and did not acknowledge them. Now I know better, to take better care of myself and go to therapy a lot sooner for help if I feel that way again.
If it's life saving, I wouldn't call it a crutch. I've been on antidepressants for a couple of months now and I feel so much better - depression wise. It's kind of hard to explain it, but my way of thinking has drastically changed. I have anxiety as well so I can't say it helps with that. If anything, I'm more aware of things now that I didn't care about before - such as mortality. It's just trial and error. Your friend can try seeking out therapy if they don't want to be medicated forever. Aside from medication, that's kind of the only next option that is viable long term. We shouldn't let the stigma of medicine keep us from not using a product - espcially if it improves quality of life. I'd rather be medicated and significantly more "happy" than want to die.
i do not believe that medication is a crutch most people who suffer from depression and anxiety have a chemical imbalance in there brain so in order to get better you need medication to correct the chemical imbalance
I think it’s great if they’re stable have been for a long time and healthy stable place and doing CBT stuff like that. There were times in my life I did much better on and went off and was fine for years until stress hit back to back. If you think your friend is in a good place to try that’s great I also think quitting in spring with sunshine is best.
Personally no. Some need them forever because certain chemicals in our body do not work correctly without the meds. I have found this out the hard way. Off course the meds need to build up in your system so if you miss a day or so, it is still in your system and working.
I think some people may need them. They should really try changing their lifestyle first and see if it helps, but on the other hand they may need them to be able to change their lifestyle. No they aren’t forever
Read the book " a mind of your own " by Kelly Brogan who was a conventional psychiatrist prescribing anti depressants until she got depressed herself, did not want to take medication herself bc of harmful side effects and addition , went to a naturopath, cured her depression with diet and natural supplements and ever since guides and treats people on how to get over depression and anxiety successfully without medication. Book has complete guide in steps.
There's nothing wrong with a crutch if you have a broken leg. In some cases the leg heals and the crutch is only temporary. In other cases it may be needed permanently. But in either case, it doesn't make sense to reject crutches altogether.
Anxiety and depression are chemical changes in the brain. Medicines can swing chemistry back into balance. The length of use varies widely.
My fear of meds was because I did not have a grasp of who I was without the veil of anxiety and depression defining me.
Antidepressants are absolutely not a crutch! That's a message from society that, unfortunately, gets absorbed with people who have anxiety and depression. I guess the question I would ask is, why does your friend think it's bad to depend on an antidepressant. If it doesn't hurt anybody, then why not take it? For me, antidepressants have been literally life-saving. Am I a little dependent on them? Yeah. Do I still think it's exactly what I need to help me cope with my mental health challenges? Absolutely!
For a lot of people, Anti-depressants are a life saver. Now, though there is TMS therapy, which has mixed reviews, but is very promising. Designed to help those who are med-resistant, like me, although my last major episode finally responded to 2 of the newer ones. It's not a crutch if you need it for your survival. Maybe those who are depressed due only to their circumstances need to try therapy with meds, and over time will be able to phase off the meds.
In my opinion, the mental and physical side effects of so many of the medications are huge issues—SSRIs and antipsychotics and for me even mood stabilizers. (This was over 10 years ago now but I hear the same medicine names still).
That being said, medicine also did help and was necessary. But it is no picnic.
In my opinion being well enough without it is a good goal. But, every one is different. At one time I took 6 mental health meds at once. Now, none. And I am okay.
It depends on the person though. I am diagnosed Bipolar. But I think I am really Borderline. The two can look the same. Borderline gets a terrible rap. But really it just means your emotions are intense and can be hard for you to deal with.
So, it is possible to need medication throughout life. I think that it is different for everyone.
Best wishes to your friend in their journey. And thank you for being there to support them.
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