In today’s log of my journey with depression, I’d like to say a little something from my soapbox about medication for depression. I have two words for those with on-going depression symptoms wondering whether or not to take prescription medication. Take it!
Most health professionals recommend staying on anti-depressants for at least one year. For 75% of treated patients, going off the medication after a year seems to keep depression at bay. But 25% of those who tried medication for a year and then went off it will need to take medication again. And statistics show that if you’re in that group of 25% like I am, you’ll probably need to stay on anti-depressants for the rest of your life.
I’m constantly surprised by the comments I hear from people with depression. One woman explained that she took medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes but that she just didn’t want to take another medication. Instead, she tried to manage her symptoms with exercise and St. John’s Wort. Her efforts weren’t always effective.
Another friend I have hit the year mark for taking his anti-depressants and then went off of them. He acknowledges that while he was on them he was more patient with his family, and now has trouble controlling his frustration and irritability. He’s looking to other health issues as the root cause of his symptoms and is not open to trying anti-depressants again.
And finally, another woman I know seems to feel that she can conquer depression on her own. A therapist said things about her family members that offended her, so she quit going. Didn’t look for a new therapist, just quit going. And she took herself off anti-depressants too. I’ve watched her withdraw from social interactions and activities that she used to enjoy.
It took me four years of suffering with depression before I tried medication. My hesitancy was partly due to not recognizing my symptoms as depression, and partly because of my upbringing. I was taught to only take medication when absolutely necessary. For instance, if we had a headache we were advised to lay down and rest, even nap. If the headache still persisted, then we’d take medicine. Also, my family was raised to be up and doing. I never had PMS before I was married -- I wasn’t allowed to. Bad moods and off days were something to get over. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and move on. No wallowing, no how!
Once I began taking anti-depressants, I could see that I hadn’t been the only one suffering from depression. My family had suffered too. Because two of my main symptoms were irritability and frustration, my six-year-old son’s self-esteem was in the gutter. I remember him saying, "I’m stupid. I can’t do anything right. I wish I were dirt."
Because my depression left me wiped out, I’m afraid my interactions with him were often tense and nit-picky. Thank goodness I got help. I’m happy to report that grace applies to parenting. When we’re doing all we can do, the Lord makes up the rest. My son is now a happy and healthy 13-year-old. He occasionally has age-related angst, but usually has plenty of self-confidence and some to spare.
I stayed on my first round of anti-depressants for a year and a half. (My doctor felt that given our long, dark winters it would be best to go off the medication in the spring.) After four months unmedicated, it became obvious that depression had returned. I had enjoyed eliminating one prescription from my list and would have been delighted to keep it that way, but my particular brand of depression requires more than therapy, exercise and a good tug on the bootstraps.
I’ve found it helpful to compare depression with diabetes. For diabetics, lifestyle modifications can help regulate blood sugar, but even with lifestyle modifications some patients require medication and often insulin. We would never dream of advising a diabetic under the care of a physician to ditch their insulin. "Just gut it out and think yourself well," is advice that won’t miraculously make the pancreas function properly. Same goes for depression. While lifestyle modifications and counseling are helpful for depression, for some it comes down to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Because of this, taking anti-depressants should not be viewed any differently than taking insulin.
There will always be a few people who will believe that someone suffering from depression brought it upon themselves. But the fewer who believe that, the better!
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