There seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Perhaps anti-depressants should be best reserved for the very extreme cases and, more importantly, for those who do not respond to alternative forms of interventions.
Perhaps 10 percent of patients who are prescribed antidepressants are really benefiting from the drugs' active ingredients.
To someone who is not currently on anti-depressants, I would suggest trying other treatments first - for example, psychotherapy.
I suffer from manic-depressive disorder, and I've chosen not to take medication for it. Because of that, every once in a while I go through manic episodes and really depressed episodes.
If you're taking an antidepressant, it's working, and you're not experiencing side effects, go on taking it. But if it's not working, or not working well enough, or if you have side effects you don't like, talk to your doctor about an alternative approach.
Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people.
Depression comes back over time in about 90 percent of people on antidepressants. Studies show that relapses are far less common when people are treated with psychotherapy.
In 1997, a severe depression hit me, but I didn't respond well to anti-depressants.
Most medications don't work effectively for a lot people.
I definitely think that prescription drugs, like antidepressants, are prescribed so cavalierly, anyone can get anything, but I need it. I do think that it needs to work hand and hand with therapy.