Understanding Antidepressants 💊
- Fizz Barnardo
- Feb 5, 2022
- 7 min read
I’ve been wanting to write about mental health medication for a long time, but UK Mental Health Ambassador, ex- Love Island contestant and all round BABE Dr Alex George sadly beat me to it. His fantastic #PostYourPill campaign has been all over social media, encouraging people to post a photo of their medication to challenge the stigma associated with mental health and receiving treatment. With January 1st 2022 being the peak of the campaign, I’m obviously very late to the party…
As one of the 1 in 4 adults who experiences mental health issues in England (NHS, 2022), and someone who has received some of the 20.2 million antidepressants that were prescribed in the UK from Jan - March 2021 ALONE (NHSBSA, 2021), I have my own personal experiences with medication for depression and anxiety.
Regardless of whether you suffer yourself, take or have considered taking medication or are just keen to know more, I want to share what I know and my experience. Sometimes it’s really tricky to know who to ask, what to expect or even if it’s the right option for you. I’m not a doctor or expert by any means - mental health and it’s treatment is so individual. This isn’t a pro or con opinion piece on drugs - this blog in general is something I write to provide perspective.
So, I’ve decided to discuss some general questions about antidepressants based on what I’d want to know. Make sure to go to an actual real doctor if you need any medical information or advice about taking them yourself (they have to be prescribed for a reason and doctors are very smart people).
What are antidepressants? (How do they work?)
Antidepressants are prescribed medication used to treat mental health issues such as depression or anxiety. There are many different types, but the use of them as a treatment is based on the ‘Chemical Imbalance’ theory of depression originating around the late 1950s (Leo & Lacasse, 2008). Of course mental health is complex and based on various factors, but antidepressants focus on the biological aspects.
In order for the nerve cells in our brain to communicate with each other, messages are passed from neuron to neuron through chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are important as they manage and balance the signals in the brain that help us function, from breathing to managing our emotions (Guy-Evans, 2021).
Different neurotransmitters are thought to help the brain in different ways - with Dopamine and Serotonin being responsible for making us feel happy and calm. So, it’s thought that depression can sometimes be caused by a lack of Serotonin in someone’s brain (Cowen and Browning, 2015). Antidepressants are used to increase the levels of the neurotransmitters that you may be lacking, in an attempt to raise and balance your mood.
(P.S - I am not a doctor but I have looked on the internet, got a Dr in my family to proofread and studied Psychology in school and uni - so I think this should be fairly accurate).
Do antidepressants fix all your problems?
A common argument about taking antidepressants is that they don’t ‘fix’ the root of mental health issues - which is true.
Although they’re effective in managing the chemicals whizzing around in your brain, antidepressants do not impact the circumstances outside your body. People can experience depression for a range of non-biological reasons like trauma, coping with death, poverty, financial struggles and so on. Many people are skeptical because antidepressants are tarnished as ‘magic pills’ that take away all your problems and make you happy - from my experience this is not the case!
Antidepressants don’t claim to ‘cure’ mental disorders - they can’t pay your debts, make your job easier or erase any awful events that have happened in your life. But they can be used to help you MANAGE your day to day life. They give you more of a level mindset to ensure you are at your full emotional capacity when challenges do come your way.
I like to compare this to the need for sleep. To be productive at work, I need to have had a good night’s sleep to give myself the best chance of getting through the day. I can still go to work with 2 hours sleep, but the day feels a little bit harder - I’m cranky, I don’t have a lot of patience, I can be a bit emotional (but I think that’s generally just me) and the day goes on for what feels like forever. Taking my Sertraline is like ensuring I’ve had enough sleep - it equips me for the day so that when things aren’t going great, I can cope with them in a more rational way. I can still do normal things without my medication - but emotionally things feel trickier than they may be in reality if I haven’t taken them for a while.
Do antidepressants have any side effects?
Like any medication, there can be side effects which vary from person to person. I’ve personally never had any, but I’ve had friends who’ve experienced some when going on/ coming off medication.
It’s obviously dependent on your medical history, which antidepressant you’re on etc. I’ve known some people who experience headaches whilst others feel nauseous for a little while whilst their body is adjusting. One of my friends says he gets ‘brain zaps’ (his own terminology), experiencing little bursts of feeling lightheaded and uncomfortable. It’s medication, so it’s designed to have some sort of impact on your body. Of course it’s important to note if you experience some odd side effects, but your doctor will know what’s best!
You can find more information about side effects on the NHS website if you’re curious. These aren’t to scare anybody, but provide a really interesting insight.
Why do you take antidepressants/ what happens if you don’t take them?
I take 100mg of Sertraline everyday to make sure I’m fully emotionally equipped for whatever I’m doing. I haven’t always taken them - despite having high levels of anxiety and receiving therapy since the age of 17, I was only put on medication at 21 after a depressive episode that made me unable to work.
For me, I think this was a sensible timeline - there is the temptation to go on medication straight away as a ‘quick fix’, but as I wrote earlier, it’s important to address any situational factors too. It was clear that therapy was (and still is) helping me - but when I became so depressed that it was interfering with my ability to function, that’s when medication began to help. It became obvious that my mental health was impacted by a mixture of social and chemical factors - which can only be distinguished over time. I think it’s also normal to be put on a small dosage first (I was on 50mg) and for this to then be evaluated.
For me, nothing particularly interesting happens if I don’t take my medication. I don’t suddenly become ‘crazy’ and lose any sense of reality. Some people get physical symptoms if they haven’t taken them for a while, but I find mine are more gradual and emotional. I guess I feel a bit more emotionally vulnerable without them - I’m much more likely to have periods of unexplained sadness or hopelessness, and I tend to be much more sensitive in situations that cause a normal amount of stress. A lot of the time I don’t even notice it to be honest - it’s not until I’ve forgotten to take them for a few days that I can clock that something isn’t quite right.
For those of you that menstruate, my emotional state without antidepressants is like the week leading up to your period - you’re moody and sad but have no real explanation as to why (and then when the crimson wave arrives it explains why you cried watching High School Musical 3 and consumed an entire pack of chocolate digestives at once).
Who can I talk to about antidepressants?
Your doctor or psychiatrist - if these are a consideration for yourself. They’ll give you all the important knowledge you need to know about them, how they can impact you and find the one that is best suited if you need them.
People you know - I know this can be a really tricky conversation, but seeing examples of people who are normal and function on antidepressants is a great way to get an insight. I’m lucky that I know people who are very open about their medication, and my parents have always been very knowledgeable and supportive too.
The NHS - Even if you can’t chat to a doctor, the NHS website has so much great information about antidepressants. Definitely take a look if you want some more detail.
Even if you don’t want to talk about medication but you’re experiencing issues with your mental health, there are loads of amazing organizations and people who are ready to listen and talk too:
Nightline - (for uni students)
Whoever you are or whenever the reason is you've chosen to read this, I hope it's given you a little insight into my not-so-daunting experience of mental health medication. As I've mentioned, I'm one person and I know that everyone's experiences vary, but my antidepressants are something I'm absolutely not ashamed of.
Sending you all lots of love!
Yours honestly,
Fizz xxx
(This piece is dedicated to two amazing pals of mine. To Henry, for being my number one cheerleader in all aspects of life and my beautiful flatmate Krishini, for always inspiring and supporting me).
References:
Cowen, P. J., & Browning, M. (2015). What has serotonin to do with depression?. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 14(2), 158–160. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20229
Guy-Evans, O. (2021). Neurotransmitters: Types, function and examples. Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/neurotransmitter.html
Leo, J., Lacasse, J.R. The Media and the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression. Society, 45, 35–45 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-007-9047-3
NHS (2022): https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/
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